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Jubilant reaction in West Hollywood to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act and essentially void Proposition 8. The court said supporters of the initiative had no standing to defend the measure after state leaders — who opposed the law — had refused to do so. Also in the Southland, a Mexican immigrant prays during a 24-hour vigil calling on Congress to pass immigration reform outside of the federal building in downtown Los Angeles. The bill passed, 68 to 32 in the Senate, but conservative House Republicans aren’t sold. And the renovated Dunbar Hotel opened as a senior-living facility in South Los Angeles. Built in 1928 by John Somerville to serve African Americans seeking accommodations on their visits to Los Angeles, the historic Dunbar hosted many of jazz music’s luminaries, including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.
South Africans are maintaining a vigil at the entrance to the Mediclinic Heart Hospital where former South African President Nelson Mandela is being treated in Pretoria. More photos
In Europe the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2013 in England is underway; a skateboarder goes airborne during a Big Air practice session on Day 2 of the X-Games at Olympic Park in Germany; Gay couples in St. Petersburg apply for same-sex marriage registration in vain, since there is no legal recognition of homosexual couples in Russia and same-sex marriages are not allowed.
In India, social workers help Bijlee, a 54-year-old Asian female elephant, after she collapsed and was unable to stand on her own in Mumbai. Bijlee, who has been on the streets of India for decades, is currently being attended by veterinary staff from Wildlife SOS. Also, Indo-Tibetan border police rescued stranded people with the help of mountaineering ropes and ladders in Uttarkashi in northern Uttarakhand state. Indian officials stepped up efforts to prevent an outbreak of disease in the northern Himalayan region devastated by landslides and flash floods, as rains hampered the rescue of thousands still stranded.
Skylines are covered under thick haze in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysian authorities declared a state of emergency Sunday in a southern district where a smoky haze blamed on Indonesian forest fires has triggered one of the country’s worst pollution levels in years.
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Article source: http://framework.latimes.com/2013/06/28/the-week-in-pictures-137/