Gay couples who were set to get married in California this week have had to put their wedding plans on hold once again after a federal appeals court said it first wanted to consider the constitutionality of the state's same-sex marriage ban.

Gay couples celebrated today after a judge overturned California’s same-sex-marriage ban.

The US Supreme Court is to rule in a landmark case on whether free speech takes precedence over helping parents keep violent material away from children.

The judge in an American obscenity trial has had to suspend the hearing after it emerged his personal website contained sexually explicit images.

Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to block the execution of Stanley Tookie Williams, rejecting the notion that the founder of the murderous Crips gang had atoned for his crimes and found redemption on death row.

The Beastie Boys have walked away from an American appeals court victorious, after a dispute over sampling.

A FEDERAL judge has ordered Exxon Mobil to pay about $6.75 billion to thousands of Alaskans affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

A federal judge has ordered Exxon Mobil to pay about $6.75bn (€5.4bn) to thousands of Alaskans affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

A judge has rejected an attempt by the granddaughter of Winnie the Pooh creator A A Milne to reclaim the family’s copyrights and reassign them to The Walt Disney Company.

Napster was dealt another serious legal setback when a federal judge ordered the Internet song-swapping company to remain offline until it can fully comply with an injunction to remove all copyright music.