■ United States
Man saved from alligator
Deputies rescued a naked man from the jaws of a nearly 3.6m alligator on Wednesday, saying the man was high on crack cocaine. Polk County, Florida, deputies responded to multiple calls about a man yelling for help at about 4am. They could not shoot the animal because it was too dark, the sheriff's office said. Adrian Apgar, 45, was taken to the hospital in critical condition with his left arm hanging by a tendon. He also had an apparent broken right arm and leg injuries. Four deputies struggled to get the 113kg man out of the water and thick brush, even after the alligator let Apgar loose.
■ Germany
Spray-on condoms coming
German sex educators plan to launch a spray-on condom tailor-made for all sizes. Jan Vinzenz Krause from the Institute for Condom Consultancy, a Singen-based practice that offers advice on condom use, said on Thursday the product aimed to help people enjoy better and safer sex lives. "We're trying to develop the perfect condom for men that's suited to every size of penis," he said. Krause's team is developing a type of spray can into which the man inserts his penis first. At the push of a button it is then coated in a rubber condom. Krause hopes the high tech condom, which will be available in different strengths and colors, will be on the market by 2008.
■ South Africa
Gay marriage legalized
With the deputy president's signature on a new law, the country on Thursday became the first in Africa to legalize same sex marriages. The Civil Union Act entered into force on the eve of yesterday's deadline set by the Constitutional Court for the government to change its marriage legislation to ensure full equality for gays and lesbians. The legislation made it through parliament despite opposition from many church groups and traditional leaders, who said it violated African culture. Gay rights groups have welcomed the law, although they criticized provisions allowing marriage officers to turn away gay couples if their consciences prevented them from marrying them. The nation's constitution is also the first in the world to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
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