ESTIMATED DEATHS SINCE 1st JANUARY 2009 DUE TO UNSAFE ABORTION RELATED CAUSES

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Law proposes 24-hour abortion delay

Women wishing to have abortions in a US state may have to wait 24 hours after receiving detailed...

Women wishing to have abortions in a US state may have to wait 24 hours after receiving detailed information about the foetus, if lawmakers approve a pending bill.

Senators in Missouri have to consider a bill which would legally require medical professions to tell women about the emotional and physical risks of aborting their child, and inform them about foetal pain at least a day before the procedure is carried out.

Other measures in the bill include giving women the option to see an ultrasound scan and hear the foetal heartbeat.

Republican Senator Rob Meyer, who sponsored the bill, said this information would help convince women who wanted terminations to make a different choice while speaking to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

However, a Planned Parenthood spokesman said the enforced wait would be unfair and that most of the information contained in the bill was already available to women in the state.

Copyright © Press Association 2010

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PressWomen given 'untrue' abortion info

Pregnancy centres in Canada that provide misleading information on abortions to discourage women from choosing them will not be tackled by the governmenrt, it has been reported.The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care said it will not crack down on the centres that highlight the...

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PressJudge blocks new ultrasound law

Part of a new law that forces prisoners wanting abortions in Louisiana to have an ultrasound exam has been blocked, for now.Before Wednesday's ruling by US District Judge Ralph Tyson in Baton Rouge, a new law would have made prisoners getting abortions view the scan, or receive a copy of it...

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PressDairy company in abortion threat

Workers at a Russian dairy company have been threatened with dismissal should they have an abortion or refuse a religious marriage.Staff at Russkoe Moloko were told by Vassili Boiko-Veliki, the firm's president, that past or future terminations would not be tolerated. Mr Boiko-Veliki also gave...

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PressSex education 'ignored' in Ontario

An apparently modernised school curriculum for younger people in Ontario ignores sex education, the province's parent-led education watchdog has revealed.The government has avoided making changes to sex education provision, which would likely include discussion on contraception and abortion,...

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PressContraception bar 'fuels abortion'

Thousands of Argentinian women are turning to illegal abortions because they are denied access to contraception, a report said.Human Rights Watch said prejudice and ignorance amongst many doctors meant access to reproductive healthcare services, including the legal right to free and universal...

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PressPhilippines rejects abortion change

The government of the Philippines has turned down calls from abortion campaigners to allow "safe and legal" terminations in certain cases.The Catholic country's Department of Health said it cannot consider allowing such procedures as it is duty-bound to uphold the constitution, which currently...

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PressIllegal abortion clampdown in China

Health authorities in China have stepped up efforts to protect under age girls' mental and physical health by cutting down on the availability of illegal abortions throughout the country.In an inspection that began in May, the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau found that 28 private hospitals in...

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PressCanadians 'unaware of abortion law'

Two-thirds of the population of Canada do not know their country's current law on abortion rights, a Toronto-based newspaper has reported.Research by pollsters Angus-Reid questioned 1,022 adults in Canada about their knowledge of abortion law. The majority were blissfully unaware that Canadian...

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PressFilipino abortion law 'too tough'

Health officials and lawmakers in the Philippines have been urged to reform anti-abortion laws which a new report suggests claim the lives of an estimated 1,000 women every year.More than half a million women in the country sought illegal, 'backstreet' abortions in 2008, some 90,000 of which...

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PressPro-choice doctor faces complaint

A US doctor who gave second opinions to Dr George Tiller, an abortion provider who was shot dead last year, has had a complaint filed against her by her state regulatory board.The Kansas Board of Healing Arts claims Dr Ann Neuhaus did not adequately evaluate the necessity of some abortions...

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PressSexual health law opposed by church

The Catholic Church in The Philippines has restated its opposition to legislation on reproductive health designed to encourage Filipinos to make more use of contraception.The previous national congress caved in to lobbying by the church and shelved the bill, which is now being revived.Now...

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PressDFID turns to family planning aid

Family planning will become the focus of funding women's health provision in the global south, the Government has said.The move is intended to help reduce the huge number of women around the world's poorest countries who die while pregnant or during childbirth, according to International...

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PressUganda waters down women's rights

The government of the east African nation of Uganda has refused to ratify an agreement on women's rights, and will water it down before it does so.The Maputo Protocol calls for women to be given civil, political and sexual health rights, including the right to an abortion.Abortion is...

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PressFamily Guy abortion plot defended

The creator of Family Guy has said abortion should be treated like any other controversial issue.It comes after the Fox network chose not to air Partial Terms of Endearment - an episode which sees character Lois Griffin considering an abortion.Seth MacFarlane said that while it would be...

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PressOklahoma judge blocks abortion law

A judge in the US has blocked a law that would require women to have an ultrasound and listen to a detailed description of the foetus if they were seeking an abortion.Noma Gurich, the Oklahoma Country district judge, granted an injunction against the law, which was passed earlier this year by...

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PressVictory for US anti-abortion groups

Abortion foes in the U.S. have scored a victory and traditional allies of the Obama administration are grumbling about a decision to ban most abortion coverage in insurance pools for those unable to purchase health care on their own.The issue flared after at least one state - New Mexico -...

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PressNGO launches Ghana abortion scheme

A midwife-oriented workshop on safe abortions has been launched in Ghana by NGO Pathfinder International. The programme, scheduled to run for one week in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region, is designed to help curb the country's soaring maternal mortality rate, which is particularly high in the north...

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PressHealth care law 'funds abortions'

An alleged lack of clarity in Barack Obama's health care law could see certain terminations paid for by the US government, anti-abortion campaigners have claimed.While federal officials have previously said that elective abortions - terminations for reasons other than maternal health - are, with...

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PressRwandan held over alleged abortion

A 21-year-old woman is being held by police in Rwanda for allegedly carrying out an illegal abortion, according to the New Times.The first-year student in the department of Agriculture at Umutara Polytechnic, in Rwamagana district, was reportedly arrested last weekend after a tip-off from...

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PressNew abortion law in Spain reviewed

A law which allows women up to 14 weeks pregnant to have an abortion has taken effect in Spain.The new legislation, passed in February, also enables girls aged 16 and 17 to have an abortion without parental consent.However the Constitutional Court could suspend the new law while it considers...

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PressPetition calls for CPC clamp down

A Naral Pro-Choice America Foundation petition with more than 66,000 signatures has been handed to the chief executives of Yellowpages.com and Superpages.com calling for them to enforce tougher policies to prevent misleading advertising.The petition follows an investigation by the organisation...

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PressAustralians 'back early abortions'

Abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy should be legal, according to almost 90% of Australians.Newly published research in the Medical Journal of Australia, based on a 2008 survey of almost 800 people, also revealed significant support for later-term abortions.The paper said: "(The) survey...

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PressSpain modernises abortion laws

A new law in Spain removes all restrictions on abortion within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.The law comes into effect after being approved by the Spanish parliament in February, but could still yet be changed or suspended by the Constitutional Court.It was drawn up by the country's socialist...

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PressUN women's groups to be merged

A new single body is to be created by the United Nations to promote gender equality and women's rights across the globe.The UN General Assembly has reached an "informal agreement" to merge existing campaign and action groups in order to strengthen its voice for women. The group will continue in...

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PressAbortion advice rises in recession

The recession has led to an increase in the number of women in Ireland considering an abortion, a study found.Financial hardship was a main cause of women attending Dublin's three Well Woman centres in search of advice and pregnancy counselling last year, as increasing numbers of women from a...

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PressCharity backs abortion limit study

The UK's leading sexual health charity has praised research which backs the current abortion time limit and concludes that there is no need to change it.The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) reported in a Government-commissioned study that the human foetus does not feel...

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Press'No foetal pain' before 24 weeks

The human foetus cannot feel pain before 24 weeks, and therefore no new evidence to suggest the abortion limit should be lowered, a report has stated.According to a government-commissioned study, nerve brain connections are not fully formed before the 24-week termination limit.The study was...

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PressKagan's abortion views questioned

Campaigners have questioned Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's views on abortion.The Center for Reproductive Rights said Kagan has in the past advocated abortion.But the abortion rights group said it was unclear how significant she believed those rights were to women's health, lives and...

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PressAbortion rates down in New Zealand

Nearly 4,000 teenagers in New Zealand had an abortion last year, with 79 carried out on girls aged between 11 and 14, new figures have revealed.The 3,873 terminations was the lowest figure for three years and the 79 among 11 to 14-year-olds was the smallest number in the age group since 2004,...

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PressUS state to change abortion rules

A bill which will make it a requirement for women in Louisiana who want an abortion to have an ultrasound first, even if they are a victim of rape or incest, has been given its final legislative passage.The state house voted unanimously 79-0 to back the bill by Senator Sharon Broome, D-Baton...

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PressParty attacks Spanish abortion law

A new law in Spain allowing abortion without restrictions in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy has been branded unconstitutional by the country's leading conservative party.The law is due to come into effect on July 5 following its passage through Parliament in February. However, Spain's Popular...

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PressAbortion rate up among under-18s

The number of girls younger than 18 who had abortions in North Somerset last year was up by more than 20%, new figures have shown.Department of Health statistics reveal that 63 girls under 18 had an abortion in 2009, a rise on the figure of 49 from the previous year. The overall number of...

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PressHRC critical of SA abortion policy

A proposal to provide women in South Africa with more counselling before the termination of a pregnancy could undermine the right to have an abortion, it has been claimed.Pregs Govender, Deputy Commissioner of the Humans Rights Commission (HRC) and chairman Lawrence Mushwana, argued that...

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PressPope in Madrid abortion law talks

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has met Pope Benedict XVI to discuss a new law in Spain that relaxes restrictions on abortion.The Vatican made clear that the law passed in the mainly Roman Catholic country goes against church teaching, with a later statement describing the...

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PressFive killed in Kenyan stampede

Protesters of a new draft constitution in Kenya which includes controversial new abortion laws have said a fatal explosion at a political rally on Sunday will not deter their campaign.Two blasts at a park in Kenya's capital Nairobi late on Sunday killed five people and wounded 75 during a...

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PressRally attack 'involved Government'

A grenade attack at a rally against Kenya's draft constitution that would allow abortions in life-threatening pregnancies may have involved the government, church leaders have suggested.Six people were killed in the attack, and the accusation of government involvement could set an uneasy tone...

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Press'Ultrasounds before abortions' row

A row has erupted in Australia over whether women should be forced to have ultrasound scans before abortions.Head of state Colin Barnett claims it would pile pressure on women already in the midst of a personal crisis.Mr Barnett said he is against carrying out a compulsory colour, 3D ultrasound...

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PressCanadian abortion 'to be defeated'

A bill which would impose harsh new punishments on those convicted of coercing women to have an abortion looks set to be defeated by the Canadian parliament. Stephen Harper, the country's prime minister, said that he himself would be voting against the proposal, adding that while Conservative...

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PressCanada 'opposes abortion decision'

A poll has found that the majority of Canadians disagree with the Prime Minister's decision not to fund safe abortions in poorer countries.When asked earlier this month, 61% said they supported using aid money to give women in developing countries access to abortions. Of these, 37% said they...

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PressAbortion data transparency urged

Authorities in the Canadian province of British Columbia are considering whether to hold a hearing to decide if abortion statistics should be released to the public.The Campaign Life Coalition British Columbia, which is against abortions, has called for the hearing as it seeks to overturn a law...

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PressLegal row over funding of abortions

A Canadian province is continuing its legal fight to deny state funding for abortions in private clinics.The Conservative federal government in Canada is already receiving criticism over its refusal to fund abortions in developing countries as part of its G8 drive on women's health.New Brunswick...

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PressAbortion law backer slams critics

An Oklahoma lawmaker who sponsored a controversial abortion bill has hit out at the "far-fetched" claims of opponents of the statute.Republican politician Dan Sullivan said laws forcing ultrasounds prior to abortions and barring "wrongful life" and "wrongful death" cases against doctors who...

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PressUS state passes abortion report law

Proposals requiring women seeking an abortion to fill out a questionnaire have been passed by a US state.The Oklahoma Senate approved the bill, itself a replica of one rejected by Governor Brad Henry in the last session, on Tuesday evening.The draft requires abortion applicants to provide...

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PressObama 'friend' backed abortion ban

A woman described by Barack Obama as a "friend" and who once backed a ban on late-term abortions is to be given a lifetime seat in the US Supreme Court.The US President nominated 50-year-old Elena Kagan for the seat, calling her "one of the nation's foremost legal minds".The appointment of the...

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PressLancet criticises Canadian decision

The Harper government's decision not to plan for abortion funding in Canada's G8 agenda has been criticised by a medical publication in Britain.A piece in journal The Lancet describes the practice of preventing women in poorer countries from having abortions as "hypocritical and unjust".It says:...

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PressRights groups urge Cancun boycott

Holidaymakers should boycott the Caribbean resort of Cancun because of the city authorities' stance on women's rights and abortion, activists have said.The case of an 11-year-old girl who was raped and became pregnant brings into focus the recently passed law banning most elective abortions,...

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PressPoverty link to abortions uncovered

A new report suggests abortion has increased among the poor in the US, with almost half of pregnancies countrywide unplanned.A study by reproductive rights group the Guttmacher Institute was published in the LA Times to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Pill.It shows 49% of pregnancies...

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PressUS women funding own abortions

Women in the US are already paying for abortions themselves rather than asking the state or private insurers to help.New research by Guttmacher comes as a row over abortions sweeps America, with some states seeking to ban women being covered by the state or private insurers.The survey shows only...

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PressVote fails to change abortion law

A bill that would have re-written state laws on late-term abortions has failed to be overturned in Kansas after a vote to override Governor Mark Parkinson's veto fell just short of the required number.If the law had been passed, doctors may have been discouraged from establishing late-term...

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PressAbortion 'scare tactics' criticised

Pro-choice groups in Oklahoma have blasted a new "extreme" law forcing women who want an abortion to undergo an ultrasound and hear a description of the image prior to the procedure.While supporters of the legislation say it will provide support and information, critics claim the plan is...

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PressG8 backs Canada in abortion row

The G8 has endorsed Canada's plan to ditch aid-based abortion provision to the developing world in favour of programmes designed to reduce maternal and child mortality.International cooperation minister Bev Oda said all the members of the group had "lauded" the proposal, even though Britain and...

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PressOklahoma passes new abortion laws

Lawmakers in Oklahoma have passed new measures stating that women must undergo ultrasound scans and be given a detailed description of the foetus before having an abortion.Another new law which protects doctors against legal action for withholding information about birth defects while a child is...

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PressAbortion bill heads to US court

Doctors who perform abortions on women they know have been coerced into the procedure could face prison under a proposed law in the US state of Georgia.If passed, Senate Bill 529 would place legal responsibility upon doctors if the woman was made to have a termination because of her unborn...

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PressUS governor vetoes abortion bills

An abortion bill which would require women to have an ultrasound before they could have an abortion has been vetoed by a US state governor as unconstitutional.Two bills dealing with terminations were described as attempts at government intervention into the private lives of citizens by Oklahoma...

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PressObama publicly back abortion rights

Nominating a judge in favour of protecting abortion rights to the Supreme Court is "very important", US President Barack Obama has said. While claiming he would impose no litmus tests on potential candidates, Mr Obama told a meeting of Senate leaders he was someone who believed that "women...

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PressSenate cuts funding for abortions

State funding for abortions will be restricted in Virginia after proposals were accepted by its Senate.The Democratic-led Virginia General Assembly agreed to an amendment proposed by Governor Robert F McDonnell, which means state funding will only be available for terminations performed in cases...

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PressOklahoma's abortion plan criticised

A pro-abortion group has said it may challenge some of, or all of, five new bills that are being considered for approval as new laws in the US state of Oklahoma, as they would make it more difficult or uncomfortable for women to receive a termination.The Republican-controlled Oklahoma Senate has...

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PressIrish leader reopens abortion row

The leader of Ireland's Labour Party has promised to "develop a new constitution" if he is voted in at the next election, a move which will re-open the country's abortion debate.Eamon Gilmore made the announcement at his party's conference revealing he wanted to see constitutional and...

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PressKansas governor vetoes abortion law

The governor of Kansas has vetoed a Bill preventing late-term abortion providers from establishing practices in the state.Mark Parkinson said the current law did not merit changing as it "strikes a reasonable balance on a very difficult issue".Describing all abortions as "tragedies", he said: "I...

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PressDoctor vows to fight abortion law

A top doctor in the US has vowed to strengthen his fight for women's right to an abortion despite tougher laws being passed.Dr LeRoy Cahart said the new laws passed in Nebraska are anti-woman.Governor Dave Heinerman signed the bills into law which ban women from having an abortion after 20 weeks...

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PressAbortion in Ethiopia improving

Abortion services in Ethiopia have improved but are still highly unsafe in rural areas, a study has found.Researchers working for Ipas and the Guttmacher Institute, in collaboration with Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Ethiopian Public Health Association and Ethiopia's...

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PressLegal row over new abortion laws

A new restriction on abortion in a US state changes the legal basis for banning later-term terminations, critics say.One of the two new landmark moves in Nebraska prevents abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy and beyond, while the other demands mental health assessments of people seeking an...

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PressAbortion debate arises in Tennessee

Abortion rights in Tennessee may be under threat after three Republican candidates for governor revealed they would alter the wording of the constitution if they are elected.Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, Lt Gov Ron Ramsey and Zach Wamp all said they would remove language in the Tennessee...

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PressWomen angry over Kenya constitution

Church leaders in Kenya are making clauses on abortion and kadhis' courts in the country's proposed constitution "contentious" for personal reasons, according to a number of women's groups.At a meeting in the capital, Nairobi, 10 women organisations, including the Kenya League of Women Voters...

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PressCanada abortion stance review urged

A group of pro-choice Catholics has spoken out against the Canadian government's decision to exclude abortion from the country's G8 maternal and child health package.Catholics for Choice said Canada had a history of campaigning to "improve the reproductive health of women around the world", and...

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PressCameron wants lower abortion limit

A Conservative government would consider reducing the abortion time limit to "20 or 22 weeks", Tory leader David Cameron has said.Mr Cameron, who previously backed a defeated House of Commons vote on the issue, told the Catholic Herald a fresh look at the procedure was needed."My own view is...

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PressWording could alter abortion laws

Anti-abortionists in six US states are following the lead of campaigners in Colorado and Mississippi to try to amend the wording of their constitutions.They are collecting signatures in favour of applying the definition of 'personhood' to newly fertilised eggs in the womb, on the basis that life...

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PressClinton pledges abortion support

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has intervened in the continuing row over Canada's G8 maternal and child health initiative to poor countries, saying family planning, contraception and safe abortions are important elements of reproductive health.Her comments come after Canadian prime...

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PressEgypt to consider new abortion law

Egyptian women are to be allowed abortions for health reasons in the near future if the country's parliament passes a new family planning bill, it has been announced.The draft legislation permits terminations and sterilisations where birth would harm the mother or where a family would be unable...

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PressCanada rejects family planning move

A Liberal motion calling for family planning to be included in the Canadian government's maternal and child health initiative has been narrowly defeated.Stephen Harper's Conservative administration claimed Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was playing anti-US politics by trying to get a debate on...

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PressColorado to vote on abortion law

Colorado residents are to vote on a law banning abortions in the state after a pro-life pressure group gathered enough signatures to force a ballot.Personhood USA wants to see unborn foetuses given human rights in the state's constitution, a proposal for which they have gathered almost 80,000...

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PressStalemate in US abortion fight

A US judge has dismissed an attempt by the Illinois division of the American Civil Liberties Union to mothball a law forcing doctors to notify parents if a minor requests an abortion.The organisation had earlier won a temporary ban on the legislation, after arguing it was unconstitutional.But,...

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PressUgandan abortion rate 'at 25%'

The maternal health situation in Uganda is "highly wanting" and "inadequate", according to a senior United Nations official.Although abortion is illegal in the country, about a quarter or pregnancies are terminated early, according to Brenda Malinga.Speaking at a maternal health workshop in...

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PressChurch to sue over abortion law

An American Archdiocese is to sue the city of Baltimore over a law requiring family planning clinics to advertise whether or not they provide abortions.Archbishop Edwin O'Brien said the new regulation was "a clear violation of these centres' constitutional rights to free speech and their free...

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PressAbortion row over US health reforms

The provision of abortions is compromised by major US health reforms, campaigners say.NARAL Pro-Choice America criticised a deal struck between a group of Democrats who oppose abortion rights and the White House.The agreement allows Barack Obama to sign a call for the law to prevent government...

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PressAbortion deal paves way for reform

A compromise between Democrats and anti-abortion lawmakers on Sunday afternoon paved the way for the healthcare reform bill to be passed in the US, it has been revealed.The final obstacle of the bill, which has been at the heart of President Obama's agenda, was overcome when he pledged that no...

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PressBid to stop abortions after incest

An attempt in the US to ban state-funded abortions in cases of rape, incest or to protect the mother's health has failed.Politicians in South Carolina voted against the move by 57-54 after Democrats rallied against the "misguided" proposal.The bid to ban people using the state's health insurance...

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PressUS states mull abortion-law changes

Rules surrounding doctors who perform late-term abortions on women in a US state may soon be tightened in order to ensure the law is not being broken.Officials in Kansas are drafting a new bill requiring more information from doctors who perform abortions after five months of pregnancy.Kansas...

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PressDecision expected in abortion row

A row in the US over a controversial and long-delayed law forcing doctors to notify parents when a minor seeks an abortion could finally be resolved at the end of the month.The news comes after an Illinois judge said he would make a final decision on the issue on March 29.The law, first...

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PressCondom advert ban to be lifted

Advertising watchdogs are set to relax rules governing the advertisement of condoms on television, but have deferred a decision on advertisements for abortion clinics, The Guardian has reported.The new regulations will see the historic watershed ban on condoms being lifted so they can be...

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PressStage set for abortion showdown

Congressmen have decided against changing a controversial abortion law in President Barack Obama's health care bill, opting instead to attempt to pass the legislation without the support of pro-life Democrats.The move, which could provide an important platform on which the entire package of laws...

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PressLaw adds fuel to race-abortion fire

Legislation that would outlaw sex, race and colour-based abortions in Georgia, in the United States, has added further fuel to a dispute over so-called "race-targeted" terminations.The Bill, the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, would see equality law applied to terminations, meaning that, if...

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PressPressure over abortion resisted

A Kenyan minister has demanded more time to debate a proposed new constitution amid a row over abortion.Both Catholic and Protestant churches have warned they will vote against the proposals if they do not make clear when life is deemed to begin and create room for abortion.The Catholic Church...

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PressSpanish protest over abortion laws

Thousands of people took to the streets in Spain on Sunday in protest marches over new abortion laws.The Government, led by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has introduced new measures which allow abortions without restrictions up to 14 weeks into pregnancy.Having taken office in...

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PressActivists fight abortion crackdown

A group of activists in South Korea are fighting for women's abortion rights after a government crackdown on the procedure.The group of about 40 protesters was made-up of mainly women representing 24 different organisations.They argued that women should be able to decide about abortion for...

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Press'Gratuitous' pro-life bill blasted

A pro-life bill requiring doctors in the US to provide patients the opportunity to see an ultrasound image of a foetus prior to abortion is "misguided" and should not have been approved, a politician has claimed.Senator Dan Foster, who has a background in hospital surgery, said the bill was...

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PressAdvert hits out at 'womb lynching'

A provocative advertising campaign highlighting the disproportionately high rate of abortions among African-American women has gone on display in the US.Emblazoned on billboards across Atlanta is the face of a black baby and the sober claim: "Black children are an endangered species."Designed by...

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PressAbortion law 'urgently needed'

Pro-choice campaigners have hit out at the Irish Government's perceived failure to rule on the legality of abortion, arguing it has restricted access to the procedure even when necessary to save life.Speaking at Choice Ireland's third annual conference, Sinéad Ahern, the organisation's founder,...

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PressPakistan's backstreet abortion fear

Newly published data has revealed that 250,000 women in Pakistan suffer post-abortion complications due to "backstreet" treatment carried out by unskilled providers.The figures from Pakistani health professionals also show that 3,000 of the 250,000 women die from the complications.A conference...

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PressNebraska ponders 20-week limit

Abortion laws in the US state of Nebraska could become some of the strictest in the country if a new bill outlawing terminations after 20 weeks is passed.A public hearing took place on the Abortion Pain Prevention Act during which critics and advocates from all over the country came to consider...

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PressRepublican denies abortion comments

A US republican has denied reports claiming he said disabled children were a punishment from God.Robert G, Marshall, for Virginia, told the House of Delegates that he did not say women who have abortions run the risk of birth defects in later pregnancies as a punishment from God and had never...

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PressSpanish senators pass abortion law

Spanish women have been given the legal right to have abortions after the government passed a law to ease the country's traditionally strict legislation.Conservatives and the Catholic Church opposed the legislation, which removes restrictions on procedures carried out within 14 weeks.The bill,...

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PressFaith schools 'must cover abortion'

Roman Catholic Schools have been told planned sex education laws require them to teach children about abortion in a "non-judgemental" way.Children's Secretary Ed Balls said faith schools would not be able to opt out of the sex education curriculum, and their teaching must include a "variety of...

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PressKorean doctors expose abortionists

Pro-life doctors in South Korea have started naming medical practices which perform abortions to pressure the government into enforcing the country's ban.Terminations are banned in the country unless the mother's health is endangered by the pregnancy, or conception occurred during incest or rape...

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PressState debates 'abortion insurance'

Women may be banned from using their standard medical insurance to pay for abortions in a US state if lawmakers approve a pending bill.Proposed Kansas legislation would prohibit insurance providers from covering terminations, unless they were performed to save the mother's life or the result of...

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PressBlack children 'endangered species'

A controversial advertising campaign in the US has targeted Atlanta's black community claiming black children are an "endangered species".The billboards, sponsored by anti-abortion group Georgia Right to Life, feature a young black child with the controversial slogan in a bid to address the high...

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PressUS state passes abortion measures

Oklahoma doctors who object to abortions have been given the legal right to refuse to perform the operations, it has been reported.Women have also been banned from seeking terminations based on the sex of the foetus, in bills passed by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Thursday,...

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PressMoves to prevent illegal abortions

A consultative council is being launched in South Korea next month as part of measures to prevent illegal abortions.The direct aim of the council, to be launched by the Health, Welfare and Family Affairs Ministry, is to seek a social consensus on abortion with the council's conclusions being...

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PressRow over US conception teaching

A US college lecturer has been accused of teaching his Christain views on life and conception to students during health classes.Bradley Lopez, who teaches at Fresno City College in California, has been accused by students of using the Bible as proof that human life begins at conception, teaching...

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PressCosta Rica's new pro-life president

Costa Rica's first woman president is a social conservative who is ideologically against legalising abortion and gay marriage.Laura Chinchilla, a member of the ruling National Liberation Party, focused her election campaign on promises to continue free market policies in the most stable Central...

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PressAnti-abortionist warns of attacks

A jailed anti-abortion activist has warned that further attacks on abortion providers are inevitable after a Kansas judge quashed the voluntary manslaughter defence of Scott Roeder who was convicted of killing Dr George Tiller last year.Shelley Shannon, who shot and wounded Dr Tiller in 1993,...

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PressHospital reviews abortion complaint

An NHS board has said it will investigate a 19-year-old woman's complaint that a hospital worker told her family about her secret abortion.The unidentified mother-of-two said she was disowned by her Catholic grandmother after an administrator at the hospital in South Wales broke confidentiality...

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PressShow explores US abortion attitudes

A new abortion-themed online reality television series in which viewers decide whether the actresses involved go through with an abortion or not has been launched in the US."Bump" follows the "real life" predicaments of three different women who have unintended pregnancies and the decisions and...

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PressHospital 'told of secret abortion'

Another NHS trust has come under fire for breaching patient confidentiality after a second teenager has claimed a worker told her family about a secret abortion.The 19-year-old woman already had two children and pretended her hospital visit was for stomach tests rather than a termination when...

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PressUS abortionist murderer facing life

A man who admitted fatally shooting a US late-term abortionist at a Kansas church has been found guilty of first-degree murder and is now facing a life sentence.Defence lawyers for Scott Roeder, 51, had planned to argue for the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, as he believed Dr George...

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PressNurse 'revealed secret abortion'

Reports that an NHS nurse told a relative about a teenager's secret abortion have prompted an internal review at a Luton hospital.Newspapers reported the nurse allegedly recognised the 16-year-old girl when she needed emergency treatment for side effects of the abortion, and telephoned her aunt....

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PressIrish abortion laws under fire

A human rights campaign group has hit out at the Irish government for failing to provide adequate information for women in need of an abortion.Human Rights Watch accused the government of "stonewalling" women in need of an abortion by limiting the amount of information that is provided and...

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PressAbortion doctor killer case warning

Attorneys defending the killer of a US abortion provider could face "a formidable and daunting task", the judge in the case said.Judge Warren Wilbert warned them of difficulties if Scott Roeder, who confessed to the killing, is hoping for a lesser sentence by arguing he sincerely believed his...

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PressCBS answers abortion ad criticism

US broadcaster CBS has responded to complaints over a conservative group's planned Super Bowl ad featuring football star Tim Tebow by saying that it had eased restrictions on advocacy ads and would consider "responsibly produced" ones for open spots in its Feb. 7 broadcast.CBS said it had...

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PressUS teenage pregnancy rate rises

Teenage pregnancy rates rose in the US for the first time since the early 1990s in 2006, according to a think tank.A long decline in the number of young girls falling pregnant had been established for more than 10 years, but 7% of all teenage girls in the US conceived a child in 2006.A...

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PressCase opens against US doctor killer

The court case against a man who shot and killed a controversial pro-abortion doctor in Kansas last May has opened without prosecutors mentioning the word "abortion" to jurors.As the first day of evidence was heard at the court in Wichita, the prosecution presented a murder case and focused...

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PressUS abortionist murder jury selected

A man due to stand trial for killing a late-term abortionist in Kansas will be tried by a jury picked mainly behind closed doors. The media was banned from the court for most of the six days it took to choose eight men and six women as jurors for Scott Roeder's trial, and was only allowed in for...

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PressLegal abortion wanted, says survey

Three out of four 18 to 35-year-olds in Ireland believe abortion should be legalised, according to a national sex survey.The poll found one in four women experienced an unplanned pregnancy and nearly 10% of 18 to 34-year-olds were in a relationship with an abortion.Three in four women want the...

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PressSA cracks down on illegal abortions

Health officials in South Africa have pledged to cut down on illegal abortions after Marie Stopes revealed a 7% jump in the number of girls aged between 12 and 18 having terminations last year.National statistics for 2009 showed a rise from 1,329 in 2008 to 1,415, with a marked increase after...

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Press'Anti-abortion' spot for Super Bowl

A US Christian group plans to air an anti-abortion advert during the American football Super Bowl next month, it has been reported.Focus on the Family will air a spot featuring Pam Tebow, who developed a serious physical ailment in 1987 but refused to have an abortion, according to MediaPost's...

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PressKentucky to vote on abortion Bill

Doctors in the US state of Kentucky could eventually be required to show women seeking abortions ultrasound images of their unborn children, should a bill currently working its way through the legislature become law.The (Louisville) Courier-Journal reported Senate 38 had been unanimously...

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PressAbortion warning by Kenyan churches

Christian leaders in Kenya have warned that the issue of abortion could derail the country's new constitutional review process.They spoke after a harmonised draft constitution was handed over to Kenya's Parliamentary Select Committee.The draft does not contain a specific reference to abortion...

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PressFocus stays on abortion legislation

Two anti-abortion lawmakers in the US will be among those closely watching final negotiations over President Barack Obama's controversial healthcare bill this week.Lancaster Republican congressman, Joe Pitts, and Democratic senator for Pennsylvania, Bob Casey, have both played a significant role...

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PressUS abortionist murder trial begins

Jury selection has begun in secret at the US trial of a man who admitted killing a late-term abortionist, after the overseeing judge said media would only be allowed in once the potential list was narrowed down.Dr George Tiller was shot dead inside a church in Wichita, Kansas, last May. Judge...

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PressJudge approves manslaughter defence

A judge in the US has allowed a 51-year-old man accused of killing a doctor in Kansas to build a case for manslaughter on the grounds that he saved unborn children from being terminated through future abortions.Scott Roeder is charged with first-degree murder over the killing of Dr. George...

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PressMexico 'closer to banning abortion'

Mexican abortion-rights activists have expressed concern that the country is taking further measures to prevent terminations, despite the legal victory in Mexico City in August 2008.The Supreme Court upheld a law allowing pregnancies to be aborted in the first 12 weeks, yet the Gulf Coast state...

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PressJamaicans to share abortion views

Jamaicans have been invited to contribute to public debate on abortion after a Parliamentary committee spent two years reviewing a report on the currently illegal practice.The Abortion Policy Review Advisory Group (APRAG) submitted its findings to the Joint Select Committee back in 2005, with...

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PressS Korea groups urge abortion debate

South Korean obstetricians who perform illegal abortions have been targeted by two new pressure groups who want to create national public debate and apply its termination ban more strictly, according to a US newspaper.The New York Times reported many obstetrics clinics have been hit by South...

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PressKansas proposes new abortion laws

A new bill restricting abortions late in pregnancy is to be proposed in a US state, despite the murder of the only doctor who performed such operations, according to reports.The AP/Lawrence Journal-World reported anti-abortionists in Kansas want physicians who perform late-term terminations to...

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PressDoctor rejects illegal abortion bid

A doctor accused of arranging two illegal abortions phoned a newspaper reporter to say she had not done "anything wrong", a hearing has heard.Saroj Adlakha, from Edgbaston, Birmingham, is charged with helping two women have illegal late-term abortions, and faces misconduct charges.The General...

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PressFewer late-term Israeli abortions

The number of pregnancies terminated in the final two months has dropped by more than a quarter in Israel, with the overall abortion rate falling by 10% in between the start of the millennium and 2008, the country's Health Ministry has reported.Israel's late term abortions jumped to 46 in 2007,...

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PressCatholics protest against abortion

The Archbishop of Madrid has claimed that Europe will be "practically without children" if Christian attitudes to abortion and gay marriage are not maintained.Speaking to tens of thousands of believers at a rally in Madrid, 73-year-old Cardinal Antonio Rouco joined his voice to others protesting...

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PressRabbis campaign against abortion

Local rabbis in Israel have been encouraged to dissuade women against abortions in a letter from the Ashkenazi and Sephardi chief rabbis.Yona Metzger and Shlomo Amar used religious arguments to boost their campaign against terminations, and referenced a two-year-old study by non-profit group...

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PressProvince stops anonymous abortions

A provincial government on the south-east coast of China has announced it will introduce a real-name abortion system to keep track of termination trends and improve family planning.Fujian Province authorities also plan to strengthen the mechanisms for reporting women who have abortions when they...

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PressAbortion questions law challenged

A law is being challenged in the state of Oklahoma which will require doctors to ask 37 personal questions of women due to undergo abortions.These will include questions about a range of personal matters including marital status and financial security. The answers will be published on a website...

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PressObama health Bill set for approval

Senate Democrats pushed US President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare shake-up past a final procedural hurdle today, setting up a Christmas Eve vote to pass the legislation extending coverage to 30 million Americans.Democrats voted 60-39 to stop a Republican delaying tactic and clear the way...

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PressUS judge rejects 'necessity' plea

A judge in Kansas has ruled that a man charged with killing a late-term abortion provider cannot rely on a "necessity defence" to justify his actions.Scott Roeder, 51, has pleaded guilty to shooting Dr George Tiller on May 31, claiming that he did so through necessity to save unborn children...

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PressAbortion key to US health bill

A compromise on abortion rights finally delivered the vital 60th vote needed to get US president Barack Obama's flagship health-care bill through the senate.But the compromise - which seeks to ban federal funding for abortions - may also prove a deal-breaker as women's rights activists wake up...

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PressJudge to rule on abortion defence

The case of man who publicly confessed to killing a US doctor to prevent him performing late-term abortions will be the subject of pre-trial motions on Tuesday.Scott Roeder told the The Associated Press that he has no regrets over killing Dr George Tiller, and will plead not guilt to...

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PressAbortion deal saves US health bill

US president Barack Obama's flagship health-care reform legislation may be passed before Christmas after a compromise over abortion rights.After Senate Democrats secured the 60th and decisive vote, Mr Obama said: "After a nearly century-long struggle, we are on the cusp of making health-care...

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PressSpanish abortion reforms approved

Proposed reforms to Spanish abortion laws have been approved by the country's lawmakers, taking the state closer in line with its European neighbours.A bill introduced to the Congress of Deputies proposed to allow abortions in Spain up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, without any restrictions.It was...

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PressMexican abortion debate intensifies

Adverts have been posted in Mexico City reminding residents that abortions are still legal under federal law despite a number of conservative states voting to punish practitioners and pregnant women with up to 50 years in jail.Abortion has been a contentious issue in the largely Catholic country...

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PressNew Zealand not using abortion pill

Concerns have been raised that the abortion pill is not being used widely enough in New Zealand, accounting for less than 6% of terminations.By contrast, the drug Mifegyne accounts for around 20% to 30% in other countries where medical abortions are available.The Abortion Supervisory Committee...

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PressBrazil 'faces equality challenges'

A minister for women's policies in Brazil has admitted that the country faces more challenges in combating unsafe abortions and teenage pregnancies.But Nilcea Freire, minister of the Special Secretariat for Women Policies, said that despite the challenges, the country remained committed to...

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PressAbortion pill in Italian hospitals

An abortion pill will be made available in Italian hospitals after a pharmaceutical authority cleared it for sale, despite protests from members of the government and the Vatican.The RU486 pill was authorised by AIFA, the pharmaceutical authority, in July this year but faced opposition from the...

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PressAbortion pill in Italian hospitals

An abortion pill will be made available in Italian hospitals after a pharmaceutical authority cleared it for sale, despite protests from members of the government and the Vatican.The RU486 pill was authorised by AIFA, the pharmaceutical authority, in July this year but faced opposition from the...

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PressAbortion law claim 'scaremongering'

A landmark court hearing that could potentially result in Irish law being changed has heard that claims stating anti-abortion laws put women's lives at risk are "scaremongering".In the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, three women from Ireland are challenging the country's abortion...

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PressChallenge to Irish abortion laws

A European court is to hear on Wednesday the landmark case surrounding Ireland's abortion laws, and later decide whether the rules which protect "the life of the unborn" unconditionally, violate the human rights of pregnant women.The country's abortion laws are being challenged by three women...

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PressSenate debate reaches abortion

The divisive issue of abortion emerged has an obstacle to Senate passage of President Obama’s health-care overhaul as a moderate Democrat proposed tough restrictions that liberals said they could not possibly accept.The amendment by Sen Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska.) would bar any private insurance...

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PressChallenge to Irish abortion laws

Three women are to challenge the Irish Government in a European court over abortion laws which make terminating pregnancies illegal.Currently under Irish law, abortion is banned, with women convicted of "unlawfully procuring a miscarriage" facing the possibility of life imprisonment.But now,...

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PressCampaigners gather at Capitol Hill

Hundreds of abortion rights supporters anticipating a showdown between senators debating health care legislation gathered at Washington's Capitol Hill on Wednesday.The throng were calling on senators to keep new abortion restrictions out of the health care bill. Conservative Democratic Senator...

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PressSenate health care bill vote starts

The Senate cast its first votes on remaking the nation's health care system Thursday, approving an amendment to safeguard coverage of mammograms and preventive screening tests for women under a revamped system.The 61-39 vote on a provision by Democrat Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and Republican...

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PressStreet abortion drugs targeted

An African health department has been called upon to investigate the use of drugs being sold on the street to terminate pregnancies.Following a report that showed the drug Misoprostol, which induces early labour, was being sold on the streets of Soweto, the African National Congress (ANC) has...

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PressAbortion guidance 'misleading'

Government advice on abortion in Northern Ireland must be re-written to make clear what doctors can and cannot do, a High Court judge has ruled.Lord Justice Girvan ordered ministers to withdraw medical guidance after the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) claimed it did not...

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PressVerdict expected on abortion advice

The High Court in Northern Ireland is expected to deliver an outcome on the government's abortion advice, after campaigners started a legal challenge against the guidelines.The guidelines, which were published in March this year, have met with opposition from anti-abortion campaigners, who claim...

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PressSpain abortion Bill clears hurdle

A Bill to make it easier to get an abortion in Spain has cleared a major parliamentary hurdle.The Socialist government, in its first big test in parliament, won enough support to defeat amendments that would have blocked the proposed law.The Socialists, along with smaller-party allies, voted...

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PressGroups move against abortion bill

Pro-choice campaigners are petitioning the US Senate to act against a bill toughening abortion restrictions.The move comes after groups were caught off-guard by a last-minute change to the proposals by Democrat Bart Stupak in the House of Representatives.The Center for Reproductive Rights, a...

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PressCity passes law on abortion signage

Pregnancy centres in the US city Baltimore must post advisory signs if they do not provide abortions or birth control referrals or face a $150 fine, under new city council legislation.The bill was passed on Monday night and needs a signature from the mayor to be finalised.Thought to be the first...

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PressAbortion accused to change defence

Seemingly contradicting his own public statements, an attorney for the man accused of gunning down a Kansas abortion provider has argued in court documents that his client has an "absolute right" to present a defence that argues the killing was justified to stop abortion.A defence motion made...

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PressKennedy communion ban over abortion

A scion of the Kennedy clan in the US has reportedly been refused communion by a Roman Catholic bishop because of his support for abortion rights.Congressman Patrick Kennedy has told the The Providence Journal newspaper in Rhode Island: "Bishop Thomas Tobin instructed me not to take communion,...

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PressUS politics divided over abortion law

A US Congressman has vowed to fight to remove the provision in the House of Representatives health care bill that stops the use of federal funds covering abortions.However, Paul Hodes, Democrat Representative for New Hampshire, refused to commit himself to the group of Congressman who have...

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PressMexico to consider abortion ban

Veracruz has taken steps to push Mexico's Congress towards outlawing abortion, after the state legally declared life begins at conception.Congress previously passed federal law to permit abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, but the 32 individual states can pass their own abortion laws....

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PressAbortion leads US political battle

The abortion issue has exposed a split in President Barack Obama's Democratic Party and threatens to damage gains made by the party in recent elections.The liberal wing of the Democrats has battled repeated Republican attempts to limit abortion. However, a rising number of moderates in the party...

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PressUS Health care bill omits abortion

Abortion was left off the health care reform bill which passed the US House of Representatives, after some late debating.Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi dropped abortion from the bill, which passed by 220-215 votes, to receive the support of moderate pro-life Democrats and the United States...

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PressCCTV cameras for abortion clinic

An abortion clinic in the US has installed an advanced security system to ensure the safety of its staff and patients after a doctor was shot and killed in May.Dr George Tiller, who had been well-known for carrying-out late-term abortions, was killed outside the Women's Health Care Services...

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PressBritain tops European abortion list

Britain has overtaken France as the abortion capital of Europe, with teenage pregnancies driving up the number of abortions.Half of all pregnancies among girls under 18 in Britain now end in termination, while the teenage pregnancy rate increased by almost a third over the past decade. Britain,...

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PressAbortionist killed "to save babies"

The alleged killer of late-term abortionist Dr George Tiller has said that he will tell a court his shooting was justified in order to protect unborn children.Scott Roeder told the Associated Press from prison that he wanted his trial to focus on the danger to "pre-born children and the...

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PressLegal NI abortions rise in 2008

Official figures released by the Department of Health have revealed that legal abortions carried out in Northern Ireland averaged almost two per week in 2008.The figures, revealing that 92 women had an abortion last year and 79 women underwent a termination the previous year, were brought to...

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PressAnti-abortion protesters arrested

A dozen anti-abortion activists have been arrested outside the offices of United States House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi after a protest against a health care bill.US Capitol Police spokeswoman Sergeant Kimberly Schneider said the charges made against the activists - protesting...

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PressAbortion notification law halted

The parental notification law on abortion has been stopped by a judge in the US state of Illinois, just hours after it was given the go-ahead by a state agency.An Illinois medical disciplinary board had ruled that the state could begin enforcing a law requiring the parents or guardians to be...

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PressAbortions blamed on 'education gap'

Around 33% of abortions carried out at an Adelaide hospital are performed on international students, research has found.The University of Adelaide says the procedures are most common among Chinese students, with an asserted limited sexual knowledge being blamed for the rate of terminations...

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PressParents to be informed of abortions

Parents in Illinois are to be informed when a girl aged 17 or under seeks an abortion, under a controversial abortion rule which comes into force this week.The state parental notification law has been subject to legal challenges for more than three decades but is set to take effect from Tuesday...

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PressKorean doctors to refuse abortions

More than 680 doctors in Seoul have pledged to stop carrying out abortions, the Korea Times has reported.The newspaper claims the obstetricians made the promise at a meeting on Sunday night to highlight what they see as the doctor's important role in protecting human life."Countless foetuses...

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PressAbortion funding sparks hellish contest

Anti-abortion activist Randall Terry is calling on people to burn effigies of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this Halloween, as part of a "Burn in Hell" video contest to protest the health care legislation in Congress.Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, said...

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PressCalls to change abortion guidelines

Pro-life campaigners have called for radical changes to be made to abortion laws at a hearing in the High Court.The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (Spuc) is seeking a review of Government guidelines issued in March, which it says contain legal errors, and misrepresent the law in...

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PressAbortion call to counter death rate

Plans are being made by health ministers in West Africa to tackle the high maternal mortality rate (MMR) by passing safe abortion laws.Ministers from the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) are urging its member states to agree legislation which would lower pregnancy-related death among...

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PressCampaigners appeal on abortion rules

Anti-abortion campaigners are set to launch a legal challenge to government guidelines on abortion in Northern Ireland.High Court advice published in March this year is the focus of the row, with the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children arguing that it should be quashed as it claims it...

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PressIsraeli abortion law under review

Israeli women will have the limits on their ability to get abortions abolished if a law under review in the country's parliament - the Knesset - is approved.Women wishing to terminate a pregnancy in the middle-eastern country must currently receive approval from a hospital committee - although...

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PressOklahoma state abortion law blocked

A proposed US state abortion law intended to "scare women to death" has been blocked pending consideration by a judge.House Bill 1595 wants information about patients who have abortions to be published on an Oklahoma state website, and would oblige doctors to ask 37 personal questions.These...

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PressAbortion rights protests in Peru

A bill proposing the legalisation of abortion in some cases has prompted widespread for-and-against demonstrations in Peru's capital city Lima.Supporters and opponents of the bill, which seeks to allow abortions in cases of rape, incest or foetal deformity, shouted slogans and fought police...

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PressUganda's unsafe abortion rate high

A new report has revealed that women in Uganda are suffering a high level of unsafe abortions due to a lack of family planning services.The US-based Guttmacher Institute found that the unmet need for the services was at 41%.The report, Abortion Worlwide: A Decade of Uneven Progress, examined the...

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PressOklahoma to publish abortion details

A new law to be introduced in the US state of Oklahoma will require women seeking abortion to reveal a host of personal details which will be posted on a public website.Women wanting to terminate pregnancies will have to answer 34 questions, including details about their race, age, education and...

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PressRepublican abortion amendments

Two controversial amendments relating to abortion are to be reintroduced by Senate Republicans when health care reform legislation is debated in the chamber, CQ Today reports.The amendments were previously rejected last month by both the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education,...

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PressAbortion campaign on fourth plinth

An abortion rights campaigner has occupied the empty fourth plinth in London's Trafalgar Square in a stunt arranged by Alliance for Choice in Northern Ireland.Spokeswoman Goretti Horgan was originally allocated time on the plinth to campaign for women to be allowed to have abortions in Northern...

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PressPeruvian bishops criticise abortion bill

Roman Catholic bishops in Peru have criticised a bill which would legalise abortion in cases of rape and foetal deformity, describing it as a "death penalty" for embryos in a nation where capital punishment remains illegal. "Life is a right from its conception... any attempt to justify the...

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PressGirl beats abortion murder charge

The US state of Utah has ruled that it is legal for a woman to have herself beaten up in order to induce an abortion.According to a report in the Desert News, a 17-year-old girl was originally charged with solicitation of murder for doing just that.But a judge has now ruled that the action falls...

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PressConcern despite reduction in abortions

Increased use of contraception means the number of women having an abortion or unintended pregnancy is dropping worldwide, but not enough is being done to protect those women who are forced to have unsafe, illegal abortions in many developing countries, a report says.The Guttmacher Institute, a...

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PressAustralians support abortion rights

Most Australians now support the right of women to have abortions on demand, according to an election study reported in the Brisbane Times.It says that 77% of winning candidates in the 2007 federal election favoured unrestricted abortion rights, as do a clear majority of both Labour Party and...

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PressAbortion patients to be protected

Patients entering Chicago abortion clinics will be protected from pro-life protesters after it was revealed a measure will be signed preventing campaigners from harassing people within 50 feet of a medical facility.Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, will sign the measure after the City Council...

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PressUS abortion law change rejected

A bid to tighten anti-abortion laws in the US has been rejected by the Senate Finance Committee.Moves to strengthen anti-abortion provisions in the health reform legislation were defeated 13:10. While women's groups will be pleased with the outcome, it will anger some Roman Catholics who are...

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PressTreaty to leave abortion law intact

A potential change to the country's abortion law is one of the main issues Irish voters will be considering when they take to the polls on Friday to decide on the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty.The EU has promised nervous residents of the staunchly Catholic nation that a 'yes' vote would...

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PressQuebec abortion clinics closure threat

Three abortion clinics in Montreal, Canada, may be forced to close by new health laws that require sterile operating rooms rather than just sterilising surgical equipment. Bill 34 says that abortion clinics must adopt to the same guidelines as specialist facilities that provide procedures such...

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PressMagazine fined for abortion slur

A Roman Catholic magazine has been fined for likening a heroine of Poland's abortion-rights movement to a Nazi, and describing her as a killer.The magazine, Gosc Niedzielny, must pay Alicja Tysiac the equivalent of about £7,000, and apologise.Judge Ewa Solecka said that while Catholics are...

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PressJamaicans urge guilt over abortions

Most Jamaicans believe that women should feel guilty after having an abortion, according to a poll for the pro-life religious charity Mustard Seed Communities.The survey had sought reactions to the statement: "Women go through great depression after an abortion, and they should feel guilty...

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PressFear over 'back-alley' US abortions

Fears have been voiced that "back alley" abortions may result from efforts to stop the US government subsidising legal terminations.A pro-life congressional group is supporting health-care reform amendments which would prevent federal subsidies being used to help buy any insurance policy that...

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PressChilean women seek legal abortions

Chilean women have rallied in the centre of the capital Santiago to persuade the government to decriminalise abortions.The country is one of only three in the world - the others are also in Latin America - that completely ban terminations, even for rape victims or mothers with health...

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