Virginia: Shooting ruled self-defense: "A Hertford man will not face charges in the April shooting death of an Elizabeth City woman because he was acting in self-defense, District Attorney Frank Parrish said. Thomas Harvin, 49, of Hertford, fatally shot Stacy Bayles, 39, early April 6. The incident began after Harvin arrived outside the Ivy Neck Road home of his ex-wife, Dawn Teachey. Parrish said Bayles, a friend of Teachey, shot Harvin when he arrived. During a struggle over the gun, Bayles was shot in the head. Bayles died from the wound, and Harvin was treated at Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville and released. 'The evidence tends to indicate that the woman who would be killed had laid in wait for Mr. Harvin,' Parrish said."


Scotland to get tougher victim disarmament laws : "Jack McConnell is prepared to take the unprecedented step of extending the powers of the Scottish Parliament to bring in tough new gun laws. The First Minister will introduce a major new licensing system for airguns north of the Border following the Home Office's refusal to take action on the issue. The new rules will mean that anyone who buys an air weapon will have to apply for a permit, provide their details to the authorities and give a satisfactory explanation as to why they need a gun. The first stage of the crackdown would apply only to the purchase of new weapons, but Mr McConnell then wants to go further and extend the permit system to the owners of all existing airguns in Scotland. This could be done by giving everyone who owns an airgun a year or more to register their weapons, with any not registered after that time being declared illegal."