Peter Horrocks, the director of BBC World Service, apologized after a poll appeared on BBC’s Web site that asked, “Should Homosexuals Face Execution?,” according to Advocate.com.
The headline was later changed to “Should Uganda Debate Gay Execution?” In his apology, Horrock wrote, “The original headline on our website was, in hindsight, too stark. We apologise for any offence it caused. But it’s important that this does not detract from what is a crucial debate for Africans and the international community.”
In Australia, koalas are being plagued by a disease very similar to AIDS, according to CNN International. Koala AIDS or KIDS (koala immune deficiency syndrome) affects the animals’ immune systems, making them vulnerable to deadly infections. The Australian Koala Foundation is saying that if disease and habitat loss are not curtailed, the marsupials could be extinct within 30 years.
On Dec. 17, Portugal’s Socialist government approved a measure that would legalize same-sex marriage in the country, according to EarthTimes.org. Church officials have asked for a referendum regarding the issue. Parliament would first have to approve the law, which does not allow for gay couples to adopt children.
In Chile, billionaire Sebastián Piñera seems to be in the lead before a January runoff election to be the country’s president, according to an Advocate.com item. With almost 60 percent of polling places reporting, Piñera had 44.2% of the vote, compared to 30.5% for his closest challenger, Eduardo Frei. Piñera has pledged to support civil unions for same-sex couples and to allow gay residents to openly serve in the military.
Seemingly following Uganda’s lead, the African country of Rwanda is considering legislation that would criminalize same-sex acts, punishing them with large fines and prison sentences, according to LifeSiteNews.com. Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputies plans to hold a vote on the measure, which would impose maximum penalties of five to 10 years in prison, and fines of 200,000-1 million Rwandan francs ($352-$1,755 U.S.).