Parliament hosts same-sex wedding

March 28, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

LONDON

Britain’s Europe Minister Chris Bryant has taken part in Parliament’s first gay marriage, celebrating a civil partnership ceremony at the historic venue.

Bryant, a member of the governing Labour Party, won permission to hold his civil partnership ceremony with partner Jared Cranney at the Palace of Westminster — home to the Houses of Parliament.

Britain has officially recognized same-sex civil partnerships since 2005, giving the couples the same legal protection and inheritance rights as in heterosexual marriages.

Official convicted in Abscam dies at 95

PHILADELPHIA

A longtime Philadelphia City Council member whose career was ended by his conviction in the Abscam public corruption case three decades ago has died. George X. Schwartz was 95. The Joseph Levine & Son funeral home says Schwartz died Friday. The cause of his death hasn’t been disclosed. A funeral is scheduled today.

Schwartz spent more than 20 years as a Philadelphia council member, the last eight as council president. His career unraveled after he was videotaped in January 1980 accepting $30,000 from an FBI agent posing as a phony sheik’s representative. Schwartz argued he was entrapped. He began serving a one-year federal prison sentence in 1985.

Orangutan turns 50 at Phoenix Zoo

PHOENIX

The Phoenix Zoo is used to hosting birthday parties, but this one was a little different. Duchess the orangutan turned 50 on Saturday, and the zoo treated her to gifts, an ice cake filled with fruit and a rendition of “Happy Birthday” by hundreds of zoo visitors. Her keeper, Bob Keesecker, said Duchess has quite a sweet tooth and worked pretty hard to get to the fruit in the ice cake.

Zoo officials say Duchess is the nation’s oldest captive Bornean orangutan, and is now 10 years older than the 40-year life expectancy of orangutans in the wild. Duchess was just 2 years old when the zoo opened in 1962. She has given birth seven times and lives with one of her daughters, her daughter’s mate and their daughter.

Arab League chief urges ties with Iran

SIRTE, Libya

The head of the Arab League urged the 22-nation bloc on Saturday to engage Iran directly over concerns about its growing influence in the region and its disputed nuclear program. Tehran insists its program is for peaceful purposes.

Amr Moussa also warned in his opening statement at a two-day Arab League summit in Sirte, Libya, that Israeli construction on land claimed by Palestinians could scuttle the Mideast peace process for good.

Associated Press