Almost two-thirds of Swiss voters have backed same-sex marriage in a referendum. Some 64% supported the measure, making it one of the last countries in western Europe to legalise same-sex marriage. Campaigners have hailed the vote as a historic moment for LGBT rights in the country.  In the build up to the vote, church groups and conservative political parties opposed the idea, saying it would undermine the traditional family.

Switzerland has allowed same-sex couples to register partnerships since 2007, but some rights are restricted. The measure will make it possible for same-sex couples to adopt unrelated children and for married lesbian couples to have children through sperm donation. It makes Switzerland the 30th country in the world to adopt same-sex marriage.(BBC)…[+]

At least one person has been killed and nine injured after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit the Greek island of Crete, local officials say. The man died when the dome of a church that was being renovated in the town of Arkalochori caved in. People were sent rushing out on to the streets when the earthquake struck at 09:17 (06:17 GMT). Several aftershocks followed. Civil protection authorities said many buildings had been damaged. Both Greece and Turkey sit on fault lines and earthquakes are common. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) initially recorded a magnitude of 6.5 while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) put it at 6.0.(BBC)…[+]

Australia’s prime minister has signalled he may not attend the UN’s landmark climate conference in November as his government faces continued criticism of its poor climate record. In an interview, Scott Morrison said he had “not made any final decisions” on attending, suggesting it was a burden. “It’s another trip overseas… and I’ve spent a lot of time in quarantine,” he told the West Australian newspaper. The COP26 summit will be the biggest global climate crisis talks in years. It is hoped that the 12-day meeting between world leaders in Glasgow, Scotland will produce the next emissions standards to slow global warming and keep temperature rise below 1.5C. But Mr Morrison said he would consider other priorities, including the reopening of Australia’s borders. “I have to focus on things here and with Covid. Australia will be opening up around that time. There will be a lot of issues to manage and I have to manage those competing demands,” he told the newspaper.(BBC)…[+]