News,

Legal action is being taken against the South African Health Minister after a nurse was allegedly barred from working in theatre because she refused to perform abortions. Doctors for Life International are demanding the immediate lifting of the bar and that Wilhelmien Charles be granted damages and an unconditional apology. A health department spokesman claimed that nobody is forced to perform abortions. [IOL.co.za, 24 August ] A Kenyan doctor has drawn attention to the use of inflated and falsified statistics by abortion advocates, during a presentation at Strathmore University. Stephen Karanja was speaking at a seminar organised by the university and the World Youth Alliance. [AllAfrica.com, 24 August ] The California campaign in favour of embryonic stem cell research has raised over $12 million this year, in spite of marked divisions among voters over the issue. This includes a $500,000 donation from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The initiative is backed by a number of businesses, medical groups and 21 Nobel laureates. [Monterey Herald, 24 August ] A group of pharmacies in Bromley, UK, are to hand out the morning after pill free to under-16s as part of a scheme funded by the Bromley Primary Care Trust. David Hamment, the PCT's teenage pregnancy coordinator said: "This service is to make emergency contraception accessible to young girls. It's a tragedy when you get 14-year-olds getting pregnant. It totally scuppers their life." [News Shopper, 23 August ] Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, commented: "It is the culture of promiscuity fuelled by the morning-after pill which is not only scuppering the lives of countless teenagers but of any unborn children conceived by them. Although teenage pregnancy is undesirable, it is a social problem which can be addressed by abstinence, not a disease to be eradicated through an abortifacient drug." [SPUC source] The director of the US National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) has criticised presidential candidate John Kerry for his stance on embryonic stem cell research. Douglas Johnson said that Mr Kerry was 'misrepresenting both current government policy and the scientific facts regarding medical research using human stem cells'. A member of Mr Kerry's staff stated that he is "absolutely not suggesting creating embryos for the sole purpose of research" but he has himself written that "the process of somatic cell nuclear transplant, commonly referred to as therapeutic cloning, should be protected." [Lifenews.com, 24 August ] The erroneously named 'Catholics' For a Free Choice organisation has opened an office in Chile, Catholic World News reports. CFFC has campaigned to have the Holy See expelled from the UN in the past but presents itself as a bona fide Catholic organisation and has caused considerable confusion in Chile as a result. [CWNews, 24 August ] Anne Furedi, the chief executive of the UK abortion provider BPAS has claimed that most late abortions are carried out on women who think their methods of contraception are foolproof. In a letter to the Evening Standard, she wrote: "These cases [late abortions] tend to include younger teens and women on reliable contraception who didn't consider they could be pregnant." [Evening Standard, 24 August]