Gallaudet student arrested for murder
WASHINGTON
On Sept. 28 a freshman student was found beaten to death in his dorm on the campus of Gallaudet University. The police released a statement Tuesday announcing the arrest of 18-year-old Thomas Minch, who will be charged with second-degree murder.
Gallaudet is the world's premiere university for the deaf and hearing impaired. Although his murder is not being investigated as a hate crime, many students link the beating to Plunkett's involvement with the campus' gay community. He had been a member of the Lambda Society, a student-run club for gay students.
Club members report that several students had been targets of anti-gay harassment in the past, and now many of them say they fear for their safety and want school officials to address this hostility in the aftermath of the slaying.
England enacts Bill of Rights
LONDON
Until Tuesday, the citizens of England never had a written Bill of Rights. Now, however, their new Human Rights Act, the first official statement of the British citizens' basic legal rights, has been enacted. The Bill of Rights will be enforceable in English courts, and already several new law firms have been established to pursue suits that concern infringements on these rights.
The new law formalizes citizens' rights that have been recognized under common law for centuries, some even dating back to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, which limited the power of English kings.
Conservative politicians, who have fought against the adoption of these rights for many years, are now warning the country that the Bill of Rights will spark a mob-like race to the courthouse to challenge standing laws, such as the ban on gay marriages and the requirement for school uniforms. They fear that "gold-digging" lawyers will clog the courts with liberal proposals in the aftermath of the passing of the Bill of Rights.
India and Russia form an alliance
NEW DELHI
The governments of India and Russia decided Wednesday to join together in forming a strategic agreement, which will strengthen ties between the two former Cold War allies. The agreement will also enable them to address what they see as threats to regional stability from terrorism and Islamic extremism.
Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to meet with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in an effort to balance the close relationship that India has built with United States foreign affairs officials in recent months. Putin and Vajpayee have agreed "to build a multi-polar global structure."
The negotiators from the two countries noted the shared interests in long-term national and geopolitical interests. Already from the alliance, Russia has agreed to sell India a large number of war tanks and fighter planes and to give it a 40,000-ton aircraft carrier as a gift.
--- Compiled by Erin Bladergroen
