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Gay couples rush to get married after historic US Supreme Court ruling LOUISVILLE (Kentucky) Mr Benjamin Moore and Mr Tadd Roberts wore matching tuxedos to the county clerks office in Louisville to get married yesterday (June 26), and the mayor greeted them with a bottle of champagne. They were among a rush of gay couples across the South and Mid-west who celebrated the Supreme Courts ruling legalising same-sex marriage with spontaneous weddings. They were young and old, they wore gowns and suits or T-shirts and jeans, they kissed and waved flags that read love wins. Its just been incredible and historic and amazing to live this moment, Mr Moore said. The mayor took commemorative photos of him and Mr Roberts getting their licence. But the reaction wasnt as welcoming in some of the 14 states that had been the last holdouts against same-sex marriage, creating confusion as some officials embraced the ruling and others rebuffed it. Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who has long fought against same-sex marriage, said states can fight the ruling, as they have decisions allowing slavery or abortion, and predicted that it would spark a national backlash from Christian conservatives. Theyve just disregarded everything that precedent holds, and theyve destroyed the foundation of our country which is family, Mr Roy Moore said. In rural Alabama, Pike County Probate Judge Wes Allen said he would stop issuing all marriage licences to avoid having to give them to gay couples. Mr Allen said Alabama law gives judges the option of granting licences, and I have chosen not to perform that function. Governors in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas also railed against the ruling. And clerks in some of the affected states refused to issue licences, citing a three-week grace period allowed by the Supreme Court or forms now out of date that specify bride and groom. But by yesterday afternoon, couples had received licences in all but one of the 14 states, according to the Human Rights Campaign. In Louisiana, where Republican Governor Bobby Jindal is running for the White House as a conservative Christian, same-sex couples were turned away. It was kind of bittersweet, said Mr Earl Benjamin, who waited with his partner for hours for a licence and was finally told that the states ban on same-sex marriage remained intact for now. In Texas, many counties held off on issuing same-sex marriage licences until receiving guidance from Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who scolded the Supreme Court but left counties in limbo for hours. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said yesterday that same-sex marriages cannot take place immediately. But amid the confusion over when weddings should legally begin, three couples received their marriage licences in Hattiesburg, and took their vows on the courthouse steps. Other clerks scrambled to issue licences as gay couples rushed to their offices. In Arkansas, Pulaski County Clerk Larry Crane held a hand to his heart after the Supreme Courts ruling. It is a special day, he said, choking up. Im honoured to be a part of it. Ms Jessica Dent and Ms Carolee Taylor got married a few blocks from the courthouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Never thought it would happen in our lifetime, said Ms Taylor. After their ceremony, they returned to the courthouse to file their licence, making them officially married in the conservative state that had fought back against efforts to legalise gay marriage. After a federal judge ruled earlier this year that the states gay marriage ban was unconstitutional, about 500 same-sex couples were married before the Alabama Supreme Court directly ordered probate judges to stop issuing the licences. We waited so long. When it came through, I cant think of a better way to celebrate, the decision and our love, said Ms Dent, walking out of the courthouse holding a sign that said All love is equal. Some Southern politicians said they were concerned about the religious freedom of ministers, cake bakers and others who might be asked to participate in ceremonies. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott issued a memo saying the government should not pressure people to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. He later clarified that he does not condone discrimination or authorise state agencies to deny benefits to same-sex couples. Mr Jindal also issued a statement vowing to never stop fighting for religious liberty. Marriage between a man and a woman was established by God, and no earthly court can alter that, he wrote. The Supreme Court allows for a 25-day delay while it considers a rehearing. The Louisiana Clerks Association advised clerks to wait until then before issuing licences. In other states, governors, even those who disagree with the ruling, made decisive statements, calling gay marriage the law of the land and instructing their clerks to issue licences right away. Mass marriages were planned in Michigan, Kentucky and Georgia. Minister Danielle Goeckel stood on the steps of the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta yesterday morning holding a sign reading: Yes I will gladly marry you! The fee for her services? Two hugs. In Arkansas, Pulaski County Judge Chris Piazza, who struck down the states gay-marriage ban last year, presided over one of the states first same-sex weddings. I looked at their faces and realized how much this meant to them, Mr Piazza said after marrying two men in his courtroom. Mr Luke Barlowe, one of the plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case, said hes pleased that their fight will save younger generations of gay people the pain he endured. But still he resents it took nine strangers on the Supreme Court to decide he has the right to love Mr Jimmy Meade, his partner of 47 years. They married in Iowa in 2009, and sued to have their marriage recognised in Kentucky. For decades, they hid their relationship, pretending to be roommates and avoiding public affection. Yesterday, they walked down the sidewalk in downtown Louisville, holding hands. AP http://m.todayonline.com/world/americas/gay-couples-rush-get-married-after-historic-us-supreme-court-ruling I never knew it is so sexicitng for same genders to get married. Sorry to those having a different sexual preference but I just can't imagine one day my son comes home wif another person's son and tell me they are getting married![grin]:omg:

Straight-six engines are a BMW hallmark, but their rivals in Stuttgart could be preparing to adopt the acclaimed engine configuration. Citing a "friendly Mercedes engineer," CAR is reporting the company has approved a new engine family that will be launched in 2015. Details are limited, but the source said there will be a variety of new four-cylinders, inline-sixes (available in both single and twin-turbo guise) and downsized V8s displacing 4.0-liters. Source: CAR

A Thai court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra on terrorism charges, which carry a maximum penalty of death, in connection with recent violent protests. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government has accused Thaksin of inciting unrest and bankrolling the mass rallies by the opposition "Red Shirts", many of whom seek the return of the former telecoms tycoon. "A court found there was enough evidence so it issued an arrest warrant," Naras Savestanan, deputy chief of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), told reporters after the closed-door hearing at the Criminal Court. "Now it's the attorney general's job to enforce the warrant," he said. Thaksin was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 and lives in self-imposed exile, mainly in Dubai, to avoid a jail term for corruption. He said the terrorism charges were "politically motivated" and accused the government of human rights abuses. "During my entire political career I have adhered to non-violence and the constitutional monarchy," he said in a statement issued by his legal adviser. "I have never supported violence," Thaksin said. "The arrest warrant against me is unfair. I am ready to prove that I am not a terrorist and the accusation is politically motivated." If found guilty, Thaksin could in theory face the death penalty, but the warrant appears aimed at boosting attempts to extradite Thaksin, who has found sanctuary in several countries. The government has exerted pressure on countries he has visited and moved to freeze his finances. Abhisit said the court ruling and the severity of the charge would help the government's efforts to have Thaksin extradited. "It will make our work with foreign countries easier," he told reporters. "We still have to monitor his movements and seek cooperation in line with existing agreements. As of now many countries are banning him, but not all." The DSI, tasked with investigating violence surrounding the anti-government demonstrations by the Red Shirts, said on Monday it had submitted evidence "which show Thaksin's coordinating role" in the unrest. The street rallies, which were broken up last week by the army, paralysed central Bangkok and descended into several outbreaks of violence that left 88 people dead since mid-March, mostly civilians, and nearly 1,900 injured. Many of the protest leaders have been arrested and are in police custody. Another top Red Shirt, Jatuporn Prompan, went to the DSI on Tuesday to hear terrorism charges against him, but he was not detained because as a member of parliament he enjoys legal immunity. Authorities Tuesday extended a midnight-to-4am curfew in Bangkok and 23 provinces for four nights as the government seeks to restore order in the capital, where arson and looting broke out last week after the army crackdown. Thaksin is idolised by many of the "Red Shirt" protesters for his populist policies, including cheap healthcare and village funds, but Thailand's elite see him as corrupt, authoritarian and a threat to the revered monarchy. His elected allies were later ejected in a controversial court ruling, paving the way for Abhisit's administration to be appointed in a 2008 army-backed parliamentary vote. The Reds, who are campaigning for fresh elections to replace a government they condemn as undemocratic, disbanded last Wednesday in the face of a military offensive that forced their leaders to surrender. Enraged militants within the movement set 36 major buildings ablaze including the stock exchange and Thailand's biggest shopping mall, Central World, which now stands in ruins. A leading human rights watchdog called on the Thai government to commission an independent investigation into abuses by all sides during the recent protests. "Now that the protests are over, the government should properly investigate and prosecute those who broke the law," said Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at New York-based Human Rights Watch. "Lasting reconciliation begins with accountability." Source : XINMSN News