California's top court upholds gay marriage ban

California's Supreme Court upheld the state's gay-marriage ban Tuesday but said the 18,000 same-sex weddings that took place before the prohibition passed are still valid _ a ruling decried by gay-rights activists as a hollow victory.

Demonstrators outside the court booed, wept and yelled, "Shame on you!" Activists said they would go back to the voters as early as next year in a bid to repeal the ban.

In a 6-1 decision written by Chief Justice Ron George, the court rejected arguments that the ban approved by the voters last fall was such a fundamental change in the California Constitution that it first needed the Legislature's approval.

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Mickey dons Gallic ears // Euro Disneyland opens this weekend amid cheers, jeers

PARIS C'est Mickey Mouse! Et Minnie! And Tina Turner, Cher andthe Temptations, who will be on hand this weekend to celebrate theinauguration of the new $2 billion-plus Euro Disneyland.

Not everyone's enchanted by the Magic Kingdom's latest outpost.Despite such French touches as "La Belle Au Bois Dormant" - SleepingBeauty - critics complain that the theme park is nothing less than anassault on French culture.

Max Gallo, a former spokesman of the Socialist government, toldthe newspaper Le Figaro on Monday that Disney characters like MickeyMouse and Donald Duck "are to culture what fast food is togastronomy."

"It's not culture. It's commerce," he …

Police charge 149 over London protest disorder

LONDON (AP) — British police have charged 149 people after disorder broke out during a mass protest against government cuts in London.

More than 250,000 people marched peacefully on Saturday, but several hundred stormed through central London, smashing windows, lighting fires and spray-painting graffiti.

The Metropolitan Police said Monday that 138 …

Iraqi police: Suicide blasts in Baqouba kill 6

Three suicide bombings killed six and wounded 20 people in the city of Baqouba on Wednesday, police said, just days before Iraqis head to the polls in key parliamentary elections.

Police spokesman Capt. Ghalib al-Karkhi in the capital of the volatile Diyala province said the blasts struck in quick succession in Baqouba, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad.

First, a car bomb targeted a local government housing office next to an Iraqi Army facility. Within minutes, another suicide bomber driving a vehicle struck the headquarters of the provincial council.

A third suicide bomber, wearing an explosive vest, walked into the city's emergency …

Illinoisan dies in grenade attack in Iraq

MALDEN, Ill.--A 27-year-old Army engineer killed in a grenadeattack in Iraq had transferred to a different military unit sevenmonths ago because he wanted a better shot at going into combat, hisfather said Tuesday.

Staff Sgt. Lincoln Hollinsaid left his job as a desert warfaretrainer at Fort Irwin, Calif., in October and joined the battle-ready 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga., said DanHollinsaid.

"He wanted to go. He was proud of what he did. He was proud of theArmy," said Hollinsaid, sitting at the kitchen table in the family'shome in this rural town of 380, just north of Interstate 80 aboutfive miles from Princeton.

The 1993 Princeton High School …

ANIMAL SOLDIERS

Among the brave troops fighting for our country are canine soldiers. Several military sources confirm that dogs are being used in Operation Iraqi Freedom for explosive, mine and drug detection, as well as for protection work.

The exact number of dogs deployed from the United States and England remains unclear but they're out there, and on the front lines. According to BBC news reports, Buster, an English springer spaniel, and his handler, Sgt. Danny Morgan, of Hampshire, England, unearthed a hidden cache of arms at an enemy camp in Safwan, Iraq. Buster's haul included AK47 assault rifles, a pistol, grenades and bomb-making materials.

Iraqis in the area denied having weapons, …

Botafogo beats Cruzeiro 1-0

Lucio Flavio successful penalty in the 79th minute lifted Botafogo over Cruzeiro 1-0 and into third place in the Brazilian league on Wednesday.

The top four qualify for the next Copa Libertadores, and Botafogo, after its seventh straight win, was only two points behind second-placed Cruzeiro.

Gremio, playing on Thursday, led with 44 points, followed by Cruzeiro on 39, Botafogo and Palmeira on 37, Sao Paulo with 36 and Coritiba on 35.

Cruziero midfielder Camilo was sent off in the 68th for a hard foul on attacker Wellington Paulista but it wasn't until Thiago Heleno fouled Wellington Paulista in the area in the 79th that Botafogo received its best …