Bolivian Pres hijacke for 13 hours: Snowden effect

 Bolivian President Mr. Evo Morales was finally on his way back home after a diplomatic flap set off by France, Italy and Portugal refusing to let his private jet overfly them as he headed home from Moscow and, upon landing in Vienna for refuelling, denying him permission to take off. The actions followed rumours that the whistle-blower Edward Snowden was on board. Austrian authorities searched the aircraft as it stood on the tarmac for some 13 hours, and found them to be baseless. The President termed it “a 13-hour kidnap.” Mr. Morales was returning after a meeting of producer-countries of natural gas.

France, Italy and Portugal evidently feared that Mr. Snowden would have boarded the presidential aircraft with a view to obtaining political asylum upon touching down on European soil. They did not wish to risk having Mr. Snowden on their hands, or face Washington’s ire. They, therefore, chose to deny permission to overfly.

It would have been difficult for a European Union country to refuse Mr. Snowden political asylum because the death penalty remains legal in the U.S. and it would virtually be obliged to grant asylum to a person who faced the death penalty back home.

The aircraft was rerouted and made an emergency refuelling stopover in Vienna. In an impromptu press conference in the airport, Mr. Morales said the decision by France, Italy and Portugal was “a historic error”, and the de facto detention of his aircraft was an act of “aggression towards not just Bolivia, but all of Latin America.”

Mr. Morales said he failed to understand how anyone could have thought Mr. Snowden would be in his aircraft. He added that, this gentleman (Mr. Snowden) is not a suitcase or a fly that I could place on board my plane and take to Bolivia.

There was anger in Bolivia with many citizens claiming that the life of their President was put in danger. Bolivian authorities said rumours about Mr. Snowden being on board the aircraft were floated by U.S. agents in order to put pressure on Bolivia.

Bolivian Defence Minister Mr. Reubens Saavedra said that, these European countries were manipulated by a foreign power, namely the USA.

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First French gay marriage in tense ambience

In a historic ceremony broadcast live on French television, the first gay couple to marry in France said “oui,” then sealed the deal with a lengthy and very public kiss. The politically charged ceremony was held under tight police surveillance a stark reminder of the months of bruising opposition to the new gay marriage law that French lawmakers passed earlier this month.

Though the marriage itself went undisrupted, outside the city hall it was not trouble-free. A plainclothes policeman dragged back one protester who shouted threats and tried to approach the couple as they were being escorted into the building, before the ceremony. Police also used tear gas to push back a small group of demonstrators who gathered behind the city hall.

 Vincent Autin after exchanging vows with Bruno Boileau said that, even if we have passed the hurdle of equality, there are still more battles to fight... But for now, it’s a moment for festivity, for love. Some cried, others smiled as Frank Sinatra’s hit “Love and Marriage” blasted out, marking them tying the knot. Mr. Boileau said that, many people have been waiting for this law on marriage and adoption. Now, it’s done. Many people are going to be doing as [we] did, and celebrating their unions... [We] are very pleased and honoured

The two men then walked hand-in-hand to the city hall balcony to wave to well-wishers alongside Montpellier Mayor Helene Mandroux, who officiated at the ceremony. Smiling proudly, Mr. Mandroux called the marriage a “historic moment” and “a stage in the modernisation of our country”.

It is not clear yet when the first gay adoption will take place. News of the marriage will not be welcomed in every corner of France. Earlier, tens of thousands of people protested fiercely in Paris against the gay marriage law, demonstrations that ended with riot police shooting tear gas. A plan to legalise same-sex marriage and allow gay couples to adopt was a liberal cornerstone of Socialist Francois Hollande’s election manifesto last year. It initially looked like a shoo-in for the President since the measures were supported by a majority of the country and an easy way to break with his conservative predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy.

But the issue became a touchstone as Mr. Hollande’s popularity sunk to unprecedented lows, largely over France’s ailing economy. The law became a political hot potato that exposed bitter divisions between urban France, where homosexuality is widely accepted, and the Catholic heartland where conservative attitudes hold sway.

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France:14th country to legalise same sex marriage

France - 14th country to legalise same sex marriage

France became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriages (SSM).

History of SSM:-

Same-sex marriage (also known as gay marriage) is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex and/or gender identity. Legal recognition of same-sex marriage or the possibility to perform a same-sex marriage is sometimes referred to as marriage equality or equal marriage, particularly by supporters.

The first laws in modern times enabling same-sex marriage were enacted during the first decade of the 21st century. As of May 2013, 14 countries and several sub-national jurisdictions (parts of Mexico and the United States), allow same-sex couples to marry. Uruguay and New Zealand have both enacted laws to legalize same-sex marriage which will come into force in August 2013. Bills allowing legal recognition of same-sex marriage have been proposed, are pending, or have passed at least one legislative house in Andorra, Colombia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Nepal, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom, as well as in the legislatures of several sub-national jurisdictions (in Scotland as well as parts of Australia, Mexico, and the United States).

Year	SSM legalised in
2001	The Netherlands
2003	Belgium
2005	Spain, Canada
2006	South Africa
2009	Norway, Sweden
2010	Portugal, Iceland, Argentina
2012	Denmark
2013	Brazil, France, Uruguay

USA and SSM:-

In USA, SSM is legalised in 9 states.

Connecticut

Iowa

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

New York

Vermont

Maine

Maryland and

Washington

Bills allowing legal recognition of same-sex marriage have been proposed, are pending, or have passed at least one legislative house in Andorra, Colombia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Nepal, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom, as well as in the legislatures of several sub-national jurisdictions (in Scotland as well as parts of Australia, Mexico, and the United States)

Studies conducted in several countries indicate that support for the legal recognition of same-sex marriage increases with higher levels of education and that support is strong among younger people. Additionally, polls in various countries show that there is rising support for legally recognizing same-sex marriage across all races, ethnicities, ages, religions, political affiliations, socioeconomic statuses, etc (the concluded US Presidential Election is a typical example for this)

 Pakistani lesbian couple – defying threats:-  On a day that a French lesbian love story won the top award at Cannes, two young lesbians from Pakistan became the first Muslim women in Britain to marry in a civil ceremony in what the gay community hailed as a “landmark” event. Rehana Kausar (34) and Sobia Kamar (29) said they decided to go ahead despite receiving death threats because they believed it was “no one’s business what we do with our personal lives”. Immediately after tying the knot, they sought asylum in Britain claiming that their lives would be in danger if they returned to Pakistan where homosexuality is illegal and gay people live in fear. Ms. Kausar, originally from Lahore, and Ms. Kamar, from the Mirpur region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, took vows at Leeds Registry Office under Britain’s Civil Partnership Act 2004 which gives gay couples the same rights and responsibilities that heterosexual couples enjoy in a civil marriage. Praising them for their courage, a relative said: “They have been very brave throughout as our religion does not condone homosexuality. The couple have had their lives threatened both here and in Pakistan and there is no way they could ever return there.”

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