LONDON: Britain on Wednesday legalised gay marriage after Queen Elizabeth II gave her royal stamp of approval, clearing the way for the first same-sex weddings next summer. House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said royal assent had been given ' a day after the bill to legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales cleared Parliament. The Queen's approval was a formality and is the last step necessary for a bill to become law. AP

Afghan NSA's brother shot dead

Herat: Gunmen assassinated a brother of Afghanistan's National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta outside a public bath house in Herat on Wednesday, the police said. "At around 8:30 am (0400 GMT) Wali Jaan was gunned down. He was attacked by two persons on a motorbike as he came out of a (public) bath," Herat police spokesman Abdul Rauf Ahmadi said. PTI

Three Indians jailed in Singapore

Singapore: Three Indians were among 25 foreigners sentenced up to four weeks in prison by a Singaporean Court for submitting forged documents in order to obtain work permits. The city state's Manpower Ministry on Wednesday said that all of them submitted forged academic certificates to apply for work passes. PTI

Top Syrian official killed in Lebanon

Beirut: A top Syrian official was shot dead by armed men Wednesday outside his home in Sarafand, newsreports said. Syrian news agency SANA named the official as Mohammad Darrar Jamo, head of the Political and International Relations division of the International Organisation for Arab Immigrants. PTI

Iran to resume n-talks after forming govt

Tehran: Foreign Minister said Wednesday that Iran would resume talks with world powers on its controversial nuclear programme once president-elect Hassan Rouhani has been sworn in and a new negotiating team formed. PTI

Panama must free ship crew: N Korea

Pyongyang: North Korea's Foreign Ministry said Panama should release the crew detained late Monday in the apprehension of a freighter carrying missile components because no drugs or illegal cargo were aboard. AP