Gay unions abroad ordered registered

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli Supreme Court touched off fresh controversy over gay rights yesterday when it ordered the government to register same-sex marriages of couples who wed abroad. The ruling by a seven-judge panel, though limited in scope, reignited a debate over the rights of homosexuals in Israel. The 6-to-1 decision was hailed by rights advocates as a political advance for gays, who have won previous court decisions granting them broader rights in areas such as survivor benefits and inheritance. (AP)

Britain

LONDON -- Doctors examining a former Russian spy said yesterday that radioactive substances might have been used in the poisoning of Colonel Alexander Litvinenko, who lies critically ill in an intensive care ward. Doctors had earlier identified thallium as the likely cause of Litvinenko's illness. Dr. John Henry, who has visited Litvinenko in the hospital, said a radioactive substance may have been involved. (AP)

Poland

WARSAW -- Eight coal miners were killed after a suspected gas explosion in a mine in southern Poland yesterday, and fears were growing as rescuers tried to reach 15 others trapped underground. The accident occurred as the men were demolishing a wall in an underground corridor at the Halemba coal mine in the city of Ruda Slaska, said Southern Mining Co. (AP)

India

CALCUTTA -- A fire engulfed a locked leather factory early today, killing at least nine people who had been trapped inside, officials said. Eighteen people were also injured. (AP)