An apology to the US should be made after Government Minister Terry Lister claimed America's use of the death penalty was racist during the debate on killing off hanging in Bermuda, Shadow Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister insisted yesterday.

Mr. Michael Dunkley said: "We don't think its a good idea to score political points off your neighbour -- especially one you rely on for your livelihood.'' He added: "I want the Minister to retract this so we can move on -- it was an emotional debate.

"Unfortunately, when the Minister wrapped up, it got in the way of clear, common sense thinking.'' Dunkley hits out Mr. Lister told the House of Assembly on Friday that executions in the US were the "legalised murder of black men.'' And he blasted Opposition MPs for quoting US statistics on the number of murders dropping in states where the death penalty is regularly used.

Mr. Lister said: "There are no morals in the US. If you want moral leadership, there is none there.'' Mr. Lister added that he and Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson had gone to the US military nerve-centre, the Pentagon in Washington to raise the "moral issue'' of America's responsibility for the baselands clean-up.

But he said: "We went to the Pentagon to try and raise the moral issue of the base clean-up with people who kill for a living.'' But Mr. Dunkley said: "We have so many important issues we need to deal with involving the US, we didn't want to confuse that with other issues, which are ill-timed, to say the least.

"We were surprised that a Minister of the Cabinet would go out on a limb like that.

"I would imagine -- at the very least -- the Americans will be confused and want to know the context in which this was said.'' Evidence has shown that a disproportionate number of poor and/or black men are sentenced to die -- especially in southern states like Texas and North Carolina, which use the death penalty more frequently than most of the 38 of the 52 US states which have capital punishment.

Mr. Dunkley -- whose mother is American-born and who once held dual citizenship himself -- said that UBP research into the subject had shown there were concerns about discrimination in some places.

He added: "There has been some evidence of that -- but in our research, the UBP found that in most cases it was not.

"Generally, our research showed that this really wasn't the case and that capital punishment was used quite fairly in the US.'' And he said that concerns were most often raised where the majority of judges, prosecutors and defenders were white.

GANG BEATS UP YOUTH CRM Gang beats up youth An afternoon walk in Washington Lane turned ugly on Friday for an 11-year-old when he was robbed of $5 by a gang of youths.

Police report that around 2.30 p.m. the boy was walking toward Reid Street with two others when he dropped the money. As he stopped to pick it up, an older boy snatched it and ran off with friends.

The younger boy chased after the group, unsuccessfully calling for help, but was set upon by the older boy.

He ran into a store but was allegedly dragged out by the group and assaulted again. He escaped to the safety of his mother's job.

Police will be conducting interviews with all concerned as the group are known to the younger boy. He was shaken up but uninjured.

ASSAULT IN RESTAURANT CRM Assault in restaurant Police are looking for a man who allegedly assaulted another man while waiting for food at Hamilton's Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Officers went to the fast food restaurant around 4 p.m. Friday and found a man laying on the floor with a wound to his left eye.

The altercation had apparently started after one man who was in line had an argument with another who was in the premises.