News,

Amnesty International, the human rights group, has criticised the Dominican Republic for moves to ban abortion. The country's congress is considering a new constitutional provision to guarantee the right to life from conception to natural death. In a press release, Amnesty admitted that, although "international human rights law...already protects prenatal life", banning abortion "could lead to violations of women's human rights". [Amnesty International, 9 June]

A transgendered woman, mistakenly reported as being a man, has given birth for a second time. Tracy Lagondino, now known as Thomas Beattie, retains female reproductive organs despite operations to change her identity to that of a man. She first gave birth in June last year. [Daily Mail, 10 June]

A British television presenter has written of how caring for his sick mother has led to his opposition to euthanasia. Charles Ottley has cared for 14 years for his mother, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Mr Ottley wrote: "I believe it's worth fighting for every moment of life - which is why I was so dismayed to hear in the past few days that there are 800 British people on a waiting list for Dignitas". [Daily Mail, 9 June]

The abortion centre run by George Tiller, the American abortionist who was murdered last month, is to close permanently, his family have announced. Operation Rescue, the pro-life group which moved its headquartes near to Tiller's centre in Wichita, Kansas, said that it intended to remain in the city. Tory Newman, Operation Rescue's leader, said: "I want to see [abortion centres] close through peaceful, legal non-violent means". [BreakingNews.ie, 10 June]

A leading pro-life politician has lost her seat in the European parliament. Kathy Sinnott, formerly MEP for Ireland South, was narrowly defeated in this month's elections. Pat Buckley of the European Life Network, said that: "The outcome of the election was greatly influenced by the current economic crisis and Kathy was the target of a deliberate smear campaign which cost her critical support." The Libertas party, who also fielded pro-life candidates, suffered defeats in Ireland. [European Life Network, 10 June]

The Catholic bishops of Peru have requested that the Catholic bishop of Canada cease funding pro-abortion groups in south America. An investigation by LifeSiteNews, the international pro-life/pro-family news agency, revealed that the Canadian Catholic Organization of Development & Peace (D&P), funded by the Canadian bishops' conference, funds pro-abortion groups around the world. In a letter to the Canadian bishops, the Peruvian bishops said: "It is very disturbing to have groups which work against the Bishops of Peru by attempting to undermine legal protection for the right to life of unborn children, be funded by our brother bishops in Canada." [LifeSiteNews, 9 June]

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To subscribe to SPUC's email information services, please visit www.spuc.org.uk/em-signup. The reliability of the news herein is dependent on that of the cited sources, which are paraphrased rather than quoted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. © Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, 2018