Chile's same-sex civil union officially comes into force

Santiago: Same-sex couples in Chile celebrated civil unions yesterday, as a new law comes into force in Chile Thursday that legalises civil unions for same-sex couples.

The civil union law was debated in Congress for over a decade until it was passed in April. Civil union gives same-sex and unmarried couples many of the rights granted to married couples.

Partners can inherit each other's property, join one another's health plans and receive pension benefits. They have been recognised in several South American countries, though only Argentina and Uruguay allow formal gay marriage.