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FRANCE BECAME THE 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage after President Francois Hollande signed the measure into law following months of bitter political debate.
Hollande acted a day after the Constitutional Council threw out a legal challenge by the right-wing opposition, which had been the last obstacle to passing the bill into law. The legislation also legalises gay adoption.
But while gay rights groups hailed the move, opponents of the measures have vowed to fight on.
Hollande made “marriage for all” a central plank of his presidential election campaign last year.
On Friday, he tried to turn the page on months of bitter opposition to the measures, arguing it was “time to respect the law and the Republic”.
“I will ensure that the law applies across the whole territory, in full, and I will not accept any disruption of these marriages,” said the president.
The Socialist mayor of the southern French city of Montpellier will officiate the municipality’s first gay marriage on May 29, in what is also expected to be the country’s first.
Marriages in France must be civil ceremonies performed in town halls, most of which take several weeks to process applications. Couples can then hold a religious ceremony.
The issue of gay marriage and adoption has provoked months of acrimonious debate and hundreds of protests that have occasionally spilled over into violence and is unlikely to drop off the political agenda.
Although the Constitutional Council approved the bill on Friday, the International Day Against Homophobia, its opponents have vowed to fight on.
They have called a major protest rally scheduled for May 26 in Paris and previous protests have drawn hundreds of thousands of people.
In April, the main right-wing opposition UMP party of former president Nicolas Sarkozy challenged the measures on constitutional grounds immediately after deputies passed the bill in parliament.
But Friday’s statement by the Constitutional Council said same-sex marriage “did not run contrary to any constitutional principles,” and that it did not infringe on “basic rights or liberties or national sovereignty”.
Reacting to the ruling Friday, UMP party chief Jean-Francois Cope told TF1 television: “It is a decision that I regret, but that I respect.”
But late on Friday, between 200 and 300 protesters gathered in central Paris to denounce the ruling backing the bill and calling on Hollande to resign. One police officer was injured after a flammable liquid was thrown in his face.
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Save the planet, reduce carbon emissions…fly on private jet with a few mates??? someone lives in cloud cuckoo land.
Was just thinking the same thing! What a deluded egotistical nutjob
I think you are confusing Bono with Sting or Michael Stipe.
Bono is in Berlin for the Bambi awards
Says it all
George Orwell’s Animal Farm comes to mind.
They should have made a bolt for it.
I usually leave the ill informed to their to the pleasure of their own brains but sometimes I can’t help but comment. Bono doesn’t pedal the man made climate change nonsense but his actions over the past decades have without doubt saved the lives of 1000′s and maybe millions of those who know what real problems are. Usually its those who make the least contribution that criticise the most. When any of us have made a similar personal effort to help the less well off as Bono has then we can speak from a position of credability. Until then don’t let me stop u making a fool of your selves.
Here here James.
Well said James but you are wasting your time here. Most commentators on the Journal spend a large part of their time trying to kick others off what they perceive to be a pedestal. If your head appears to be a bit elevated above the mob expect to be decapitated.
Come on James were irish we like to begrudge anyone with success.
The pilot heard he was been given a free signed copy of the album and his blood created that much pressure it blew the door off
Well said James. At least he’s off to do something other than selfie himself all over Berlin via Ryanair with everyone else #pointlessness
A witness reports that just before the plane lost a hatch they heard a Rattle and Hum.
They think the know what the cause was but they still haven’t found what they are looking for
They
Lucky they weren’t at a high el e va tion
it was a beautiful day for a skydive
Hopefully he didn’t get vertigo in mid air.
Did the Electrical Storm have anything to do with it?
The German authorities are making Bono find the debris wherever it fell and clean it up – after all, you can’t leave behind litter in Germany.
Bono’s one lucky mofo to survive that.
Pilot – “Hewson, we have a problem.”
Bono in a private plane? Surely not. Isn’t he saving the world and promoting environmentally friendly attitudes in the rest of us?
He’d have sold a lot more music if it went down or his missus would just some thing he might consider.
And paying his taxes.
Unless Bono was attached to the door ,
Then I couldn’t give a single Fook. .
They why read or comment on it
He comments on everything, you should know that by now…
Did they find what they were looking for?
The edge was taken off this story
On the way to berlin – Achtung Baby !
So it didn’t loose elevation.
Yes luckily they didn’t lose height when the compartment became loose
A true first world problem!
Early technical analysis suggests that the door flew off as a result of Bono’s head swelling to 1000 times it’s normal size after hearing that he was nominated for a person of the year award.
So they were able to fly safely with or without it?
Dave Fanning is getting an exclusive first play of the flight recorder!
Dave who?
Pity bono wasnt lost from it too!
Andy are u proud of that comment? Do you think your parents reared you with the intention of developing such a mindset. I doubt the 1000′s of lives he helped save over the decades would agree with ur sentiments
Yes Andy would rather a human being was killed. What a prat.
Human being…where?
Wow – well you just can’t beat the Irish for really begrudging their own
aiuri,ton, couldn’t agree more. We are a shower of moaners and begrudgers.
There was a Discotechnical problem
Can’t stand him but I’m glad nobody was injured.
Can someone please show Bono the door
Headline was very misleading! It should of said “missed opportunity to get rid of captain sanctimonious”
Poxbottle..
The singer was never in any danger , don’t worry about the mere mortals wandering about there daily chores , Bono just been Bono with his version of a European bail out .
Was Tom Dunne on the original list of passengers ?
They stuck his big head in the gap to plug the hole
Bono is a POX!!
I get the feeling ye are not too keen on Bono, yet ye all taking the piss with the bands songs. And what is a pox??
Poor ould Bono. Must have been flying a bit close to the edge
There’s no plane in the world that would crash with Banjos over inflated ego on it, by the way I used to be a fan untill he start backing the currupt corp taxation in this country!!!
karma
Apparently his swelled head dislodged the door but also saved him as it was to big to be sucked out the resulting gap …….all bad news these days
McPhisto flies again!
Dammit… I failed again
Did he land the plane while taking the place of the door?
Did the door rattle and hum? Did it move in mysterious ways?
have your say