News,

Top stories:

Andrea Bocelli, opera star, speaks out against abortion

Andrea Bocelli, the Italian opera star, has spoken about his opposition to abortion. In an interview in London, he said: “It is not Christian to go against someone. I am in favour of life. And, of course, personally I do not share the idea of being able to interrupt life arbitrarily." Mr Bocelli's mother had rejected pressure to have an abortion. [Telegraph, 14 November] http://goo.gl/LU11W

Pope says destroying embryos always wrong regardless of potential benefit

Pope Benedict XVI has said that the killing of human embryos is always wrong regardless of any potential benefit. He made the comments to participants in a conference on adult stem cell research at the Vatican. [AP via Yahoo!, 12 November] http://goo.gl/1QTNY Decades of destructive embryo research have provided no direct therapeutic benefits to patients. 

SPUC Pro-Life is speaking out against Dr Philip Nitschke, suicide promoter

SPUC Pro-Life is speaking out against the latest UK tour of Dr Philip Nitschke, the notorious promoter of suicide methods. It has contacted the venues where Dr Nitschke is due to appear to urge them to cancel his appearances. SPUC Pro-Life is also emailing other users of the venues, local MPs, local councillors and local religious leaders, urging them also to contact the venues to complain. [John Smeaton, 11 November] http://goo.gl/eT4aC

Other stories:

Abortion

• US woman soldier details pressure to have abortion [Mail, 15 November] http://goo.gl/Id248
• Famous UK art critic was saved from abortion [Mail, 14 November] http://goo.gl/BsPSK
• US abortionist admits: “Yes I am killing” babies [LifeNews.com, 14 November] http://goo.gl/TpDjk
• New test could lead to rise in abortion of babies with Down's [Mail, 13 November] http://goo.gl/jQJ5J
• Hundreds carry crosses in London anti-abortion prayer protest [Demotix, 12 November] http://goo.gl/6eCdT
• UK pharmacist refused to dispense morning-after pill on religious conscience grounds [Hartlepool Mail, 12 November] http://goo.gl/Rfdmj
• Obama defends Planned Parenthood funding at pro-abortion dinner [LifeNews.com, 11 November] http://goo.gl/Z5YrR
• Foetuses can sense mother's psychological state [Science Codex, 10 November] http://goo.gl/xZx2b
• Fr Paschal Ryan is setting a great pro-life example [John Smeaton, 10 November] http://goo.gl/ms0Sk

Embryology

• Breast milk may be promising source of stem cells [New Scientist, 14 November] http://goo.gl/VfHqy
• Apology as sperm destroyed at Cardiff IVF Wales clinic [BBC, 14 November] http://goo.gl/RQqlO
• Multiple births in UK rise 7 percent in past decade due to IVF [Mail, 10 November] http://goo.gl/gcf0I

Euthanasia

• Nazi-era remains exhumed near Austrian hospital may be euthanasia victims [BBC, 15 November] http://goo.gl/bp1PF
• New Scots Tory leader backs same-sex marriage [Christian Institute, 11 November] http://goo.gl/Yx84O
• New consciousness test won’t stop euthanasia by dehydration, says pro-life bioethicist [Wesley Smith, 10 November] http://goo.gl/gW28C
• New poll on Canadians' attitudes to end-of-life issues [NRLC, 10 November] http://goo.gl/bD6NA
• Was Norway’s Queen Maud euthanased? [BioEdge, 5 November] http://goo.gl/TVpZL

Population

• Wellwishers brave beatings to visit pro-life lawyer under house arrest in China [Guardian, 11 November] http://goo.gl/Oqjpj

Sexual ethics

• Contraceptive pill may have increased prostate cancer, suggests researchers [Telegraph, 15 November] http://goo.gl/j9dkn
• Gay clergy row threatens mass resignations from Church of Scotland [Guardian, 14 November] http://goo.gl/lVqbD
• Liverpool becomes the first UK city to have gay street signs [PinkPaper.com, 12 November] http://goo.gl/H3rHk
• Scottish opposition to gay marriage is strong and deeply held, says cardinal [Christian Institute, 11 November] http://goo.gl/cGQF2
• America's future depends on rights of family, says Republican presidential candidate [EWTN, 11 November] http://goo.gl/tB4An
• Illinois Catholic charity to split from diocese, offer same-sex adoptions [CNA, 11 November] http://goo.gl/1R4Tf
• Outbreaks of syphillis among UK teens [BBC, 10 November] http://goo.gl/ijT5n
• I found my mother's love letter to my dad [John Smeaton, 10 November] http://goo.gl/J5Nfa
• Families, not autonomous individuals, are basic units of society, Pope writes [Catholic Culture, 10 November] http://goo.gl/g1UIA
• 2 US companies drop discrimination against pro-family employees [National Organization for Marriage, 7 November] http://goo.gl/Wpfzh

General

• Cancer mother first to give birth following chemotherapy after pregnant bump encased in 1.5-tonne lead shield [Mail, 15 November] http://goo.gl/xDa1T
• The Catholic Herald apologises to readers for misjudged Terrence Higgins Trust advertisement [John Smeaton, 14 November] http://goo.gl/JFg6F
• SPUC's education manager to speak in Weybridge tomorrow (16 Nov.) [RSVP Pro-Life Youth UK, 15 November] http://goo.gl/GNRkM
• Brazilian Catholic bishop given pro-life award [LifeSiteNews.com, 14 November] http://goo.gl/ldlvy
• International pro-life conference declares war on culture of death [LifeSiteNews.com, 10 November] http://goo.gl/QD6O6

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