■ Spain
Gay men marry
Spain had its first homosexual marriage on Monday under a law passed last month making it the fourth country to legalise same-sex unions. Emilio Menendez and Carlos Baturim tied the knot after more than 30 years as lovers at a civil ceremony in the town of Tres Cantos, some 30km north of Madrid. The Socialist government's drive to give homosexual unions equal status with heterosexual marriage -- including inheritance and adoption rights -- has outraged many Roman Catholics. Hundreds of thousands of people, including bishops and nuns, protested in Madrid last month against the reform.
■ United Kingdom
US' London ban lifted
The US Air Force yesterday lifted an order barring its personnel from visiting London, the US Embassy said. The order, issued last Thursday shortly after the bomb attacks on three subway trains and a bus, sparked indignation in London after it was splashed on page one of the Daily Mail newspaper yesterday. The orders contrasted with British officials urging Londoners to get on with normal life.
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