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The small island of Saint Helena has passed same-sex marriage by an overwhelming parliamentary vote.

The South Atlantic Ocean island of just 4,500 people saw its legislative body approve of marriage equality by nine votes to two.

With just Governor Lisa Phillips’ approval needed to sign the bill into law, weddings could happen within weeks on the volcanic island, according to St Helena Online.

The British Overseas Territory, which measures just 10 by five miles, hit the headlines earlier this year when its tortoise Jonathan, the oldest in the world at 186, was discovered to be gay.

And now the territory – which also includes the islands of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha – has taken a huge step towards LGBT equality.

The move comes at the end of a yearEarly Sunday morning, Connor Betts unleashed a barrage of gunfire outside Ned Peppers, a popular nightlife spot in Dayton, Ohio's entertainment district. The mass shooting left nine people dead, including his sister, 22-year-old Megan Betts.

Minutes after the deadly attack began, police shot and killed Connor as he was running into a bar. Although the shooter's motive remains unclear, Vice News reports that Betts was active in the hardcore "pornogrind" or "goregrind" music scene. Over the past year, he was a member of the band Menstrual Munchies, which often released songs with references to killing women.

According to the outlet, Menstrual Munchies released various albums, including “6 Ways of Female Butchery” and “Preeteen Daughter Pu$$y Slaughter,” and included cover art that depicted rape and dead female bodies. One of Betts'