Abortion pills ordered online were shown to put women's health at risk.
The BBC reports that a woman was reported to police in Northern Ireland and charged in connection with using abortion pills after she sought medical help. No information about the woman, or details of the case, were given.
The purchase and use of abortion pills is illegal throughout the UK. The BBC investigated pills being sold online, and tests found that one set of drugs, from India, were not licence for use in the UK.
"There are risks associated with this drug's use," said Dr Paul McCague of the School of Pharmacy at Queen's University in Belfast.
"Of particular concern with this drug would be the heavy bleeding which is a relatively common adverse effect.
"And a number of women will actually require a blood transfusion."
Amnesty International has used the story to call for the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-37789341
DUP slams "shamelessly unbalanced" Stormont seminar
In Northern Ireland, a DUP party MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) has criticised the organisers of a Stormont- supported seminar after it emerged that only pro-abortion guest speakers will appear.
The seminar is entitled "Abortion policy and law: key considerations" and is part of the Knowledge Exchange Seminar series, described as a forum that encourages debate on a wide range of research findings, with the overall aim of "promoting evidence-based policy and law making within NI".
The DUP's Nelson McCausland said: "What is proposed for the KESS seminar next month is shamelessly unbalanced and totally unfair. It is presented as the sharing of impartial academic expertise but is simply providing a platform for academic activists."
This opinion piece in the Belfast Telegraph spells out the backgrounds of the speakers.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/dup-slams-abortion-debate-as-unfair-35164710.html
Amnesty International protests prosecution of illegal abortionists in South Korea
Amnesty International has called on the South Korean government to withdraw proposed rules that would increase the penalty for doctors who perform illegal abortions.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a revision of a rule on "inappropriate medical practises" that could increase the penalty for doctors performing illegal abortions from the current one month suspension to a possible maximum of 12 months.
Amnesty said that prosecuting illegal abortionists would "only perpetuate the existing criminalization of abortion in South Korea" and called on "states to decriminalize abortion in all circumstances".
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/10/south-korea-stop-criminalization-of-abortion/
Paul Tully, General Secretary of SPUC Pro-Life, said: "Protecting babies and their mothers from illegal abortions is exactly what a compassionate government should try to do. Since Amnesty started campaigning for abortion in 2007, it has become more and more extreme in its policies. It raises the question of whether Amnesty is more concerned to promote the state sponsored execution of babies than to protect people from torture and violence."