Updated: Saturday, 02 February 2013 20:13 | By Agence France-Presse

French parliament passes gay marriage vote

France's National Assembly on Saturday overwhelmingly approved the first and most important article of a controversial law that will allow gay couples to marry and adopt children.

Deputies voted 249-97 in favour of article one of the draft legislation which redefines marriage as being an agreement between two people rather than necessarily between a man and a woman.