Around the World

Britain gas runs out, public in uproar

LONDON - From the remote Scottish highlands to the shadow of Big Ben, gasoline pumps were running dry yesterday all over Britain - and tempers were running high. Protesters furious over high prices and high taxes blockaded fuel depots, and the shortages set off panic buying.

The sharp reaction by British truckers, taxi drivers and others heightened a public outcry that has snarled traffic across Europe, with blockades in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany.

Prime Minister Tony Blair reassured the nation yesterday evening the fuel supply would be "on the way back to normal" in 24 hours, with police ready to break up blockades and escort gasoline trucks out of refineries. Trucks began departing depots after his remarks.

The reassurances came after the public and the press channeled much of their rage at the Blair government for not easing gasoline taxes in the face of oil prices, which have soared to $35 a barrel, the highest in years. Taxes account for 74 percent of the cost of gasoline in Britain, the highest in Europe at $4.31 per gallon, a price far higher than in the United States.

Gay rights upheld in Netherlands

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Yesterday, the Netherlands lawmakers gave same-sex couples the right to marriage and all the trappings, including adoption and divorce - approving legislation that gives gays rights beyond those offered in any other country.

The new law will bring little change to the daily lives of most gays in a country that has long been at the vanguard of gay rights. But activists say it marks a bold step toward recognizing the equality of gay and heterosexual unions in the Netherlands.