In Brief

Published: September 9, 2008 (Issue # 1406)

Gay Taxi Service?

Taxis for gay people may be set to appear on the streets of St. Petersburg, Interfax reported Monday.

Although there are no concrete plans as yet, a representative of a Petersburg taxi firm told Interfax that they believe there is a market for this service.

He added that the cars, driven by heterosexual women, would be “normal” taxis, and not painted pink or light blue.

Openly homophobic attacks and abuse are increasingly considered acceptable in Russia, with Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov repeatedly banning Gay Pride events and last year calling gay people “Satanic.”

Sennaya Shoot-out

One man was killed and two injured in an exchange of fire on Thursday near Sennaya Market, Interfax reported.

The shoot-out, in which one of the shooters died and the other was injured, is believed to have been the result of a longstanding conflict between two criminal groups whose members are natives of Tajikistan.

It appears that the other injured party was a bystander.

Soldier Death Enquiry

The military prosecutor’s office is to carry out an inquiry into the death of a professional soldier from the North Petersburg military unit.

The cause of death, which Interfax reports as having happened Sept. 2, is not yet known.

The unnamed soldier, from the Komi Republic, had 18 months left of his contract.