The High Court says freedom and equality are against the law – Deaf viewers say a sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial was a fraud – Mexico’s radioactive nightmare is finally cleaned up.

27 couples will now be un-married, because Australia's High Court has overturned the ACT’s law legalizing Gay Marriage.  The court in Canberra ruled unanimously against the ACT legislation today, saying that it could not stand alongside the 2004 federal law that limits the freedom to marry as between a man and a woman.  Supporters of fairness and equality are now calling on PM Tony Abbott to allow MPs to vote their consciences on same-sex marriage.

The pilot of the Asiana Airlines flight that crashed into a seawall at San Francisco Airport in July was confused about how to operate the Boeing 777’s autopilot.  Flight 214 came in too low and too slow, and the tail of the aircraft smacked the stone barrier separating the airport from San Francisco Bay.  Three passengers were killed and hundreds were taken to area hospitals. 

A fire swept through a farmers’ market in Shenzhen, China killing at least 16 people and injuring 5 more.  The manager of the market was in police custody as the investigation got underway.  It took 145 firefighters to battle the blaze, but their job was reportedly made more difficult because hydrants at the scene were malfunctioning.

Thousands of South Africans lined up to file past the coffin of Nelson Mandela in Pretoria’s federal government district.  Among those paying their respects were his widow Graca Machel, President Jacob Zuma and other African leaders, and celebrities including U2’s Bono.  People who were turned away will still have Thursday and Friday to try and view Madiba’s body in a glass-topped coffin.  The funeral will take place Sunday in his home village of Qunu in Eastern Cape province. 

Hearing-impaired viewers who watched Mandela’s memorial service are blasting the official sign language interpreter as “inept” at best, and a “fraud” at worst.  The man is seen wildly gesturing as family members and world leaders including US President Barack Obama spoke, but apparently it was jibberish and the man doesn’t know sign language.  At all.  Critics live-tweeted throughout the memorial broadcast calling on officials to drag the man off the air.  The government says it is investigating.

The tensions in between pro-Europe and pro-Moscow factions in Ukraine have spilled over to Georgia.  Members of Parliament fought during Wednesday’s session over plans to encourage the protesters, who want to deeper European integration.  No one was seriously injured but it was darned entertaining.

An electrical substation construction project south of Bogota, Colombia is on hold as archeologists dig through the discovery of a 3,000-year-old village.  Some 30,000 ceramic fragments and some human remains like teeth and bone fragments have been recovered.  It’s hoped they’ll learn more about the pre-Hispanic “Herrera Culture”.

Yay!  Polar bear twins born at the Munich Zoo in Germany.

Authorities in Mexico used a robot to recover the dangerous radioactive material that was stolen last week. Exposure to the Cobalt-60 medical waste could have been lethal.  Six alleged truck thieves were taken to hospital with signs of radiation poisoning shortly after their arrest, but were later given the all clear by doctors.  The radioactive material could be used to fashion a so-called “dirty bomb”, but cops say the suspects didn’t understand what they had stolen and were planning to cut it up to be sold as scrap metal.