A US appeal court has blocked a first-of-its-kind California law that bans therapy aimed at turning gay youngsters straight.

Conservative evangelical leaders met privately this week to discuss putting aside their misgivings about John McCain and coalescing around the Republican’s presidential bid while urging him to consider social conservative favourite Mike Huckabee as a running mate.

A JUDGE has opened the way for the nation’s most populous state to follow Massachusetts in allowing same-sex couples to tie the knot, but both sides in the debate predicted a vigorous court fight first.

California’s attorney general has been ordered to “take immediate steps” to get a court ruling to put an end to same-sex marriages in San Francisco.

Marriage licences have been issued to nearly 100 same-sex couples in San Francisco, although the practical value of the licences was unclear.