Dana Rosemary Scallon, the pro-life former politician, has called upon Irish voters not to be afraid to vote no in Friday's referendum on the Lisbon treaty. In a press statement, Mrs Scallon said that the guarantees obtained by the Irish government from the European Union (EU) on abortion are "worthless". She also said that "voting no will protect Ireland's Constitution in matters such as the definition and protection of the family, children's rights, parent's rights [and] the protection of life and the child embryo". [John Smeaton, 29 September] http://is.gd/3Ok71
Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, has announced that pregnant 16 and 17-year-olds will no longer receive council flats and will be housed in dedicated hostels instead. Speaking at the Labour party's annual conference, Mr Brown referred to the problem of "children having children" and said: "It cannot be right for a girl of 16 to get pregnant, be given the keys to a council flat and be left on her own." [Daily Mail, 30 September] http://is.gd/3Oe17 Mr Brown also announced changes to government childcare. [Daily Mail, 30 September] http://is.gd/3OH3H SPUC is greatly worried that government-appointed social workers will be assigned to oversee the pregnant teenagers, considering the government's ardent promotion of abortion.
Hundreds of Polish medics have called upon Polish parliamentarians to reject the legalisation of IVF and urged them to back ethical alternatives. In an open letter to a major newspaper, the professionals wrote that "artificial fertilization entails risk of embryo death" and "violates the dignity of men, women and children". They also said that NaProTechnology is more effective than IVF. [LifeSiteNews.com, 29 September] http://is.gd/3Ojct
Other stories:
SPUC campaign alert on this Friday's Council of Europe vote [SPUC, 29 September] http://is.gd/3Oc2d
Spanish archbishop says "abortion is repulsive to reason" [Catholic News Agency, 29 September] http://is.gd/3Ogae
Seriously-ill mum refused abortion advised by doctors, mum & boy well [Christian Institute, 28 September] http://is.gd/3OjIH
UK IVF clinics to be rated for first time on likely chances of successful births [Times, 30 September] http://is.gd/3Odd4
Holy See deplores aid programmes tied to population control [Zenit, 29 September] http://is.gd/3OjZ0
One-fifth of all Scots births to mothers aged over 35 [Herald, 29 September] http://is.gd/3OeOL
Briton accompanied wife for Swiss assisted suicide [This is Devon, 29 September] http://is.gd/3OcIu
Six jailed over baby adoption fraud in Vietnam [PA via Channel 4, 29 September] http://is.gd/3Ocox