News, A parliamentary group has concluded that the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are "difficult or impossible to meet" without curbing population growth. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health will publish a report later this month claiming ...

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News, The UK government has extended free provision of the morning-after pill to girls as young as 12 without their parents' knowledge. The programme to allow pharmacists to provide the pill without prescription had been tried experimentally, but is now to be extend to any area where local health ...

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News, Pro-life campaigners to hold nation-wide street witness. Pro-life campaigners are due to give silent witness to unborn babies killed in the 42 years since the implementation of the Abortion Act, as well as to the hurt caused to women by abortion. On Saturday 24 April, SPUC supporters will ...

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13 Nov Top storiesThe government has announced that the teaching of sex education will be compulsory from age five onwards in state schools in England [Department for Children, Schools and Families, 5 November] http://is.gd/4UdTl Paul Tully, SPUC general secretary, commented: "We condemn this explo...

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News, AbortionThe government has announced that the teaching of sex education will be compulsory from age five onwards in state schools in England [Department for Children, Schools and Families, 5 November] http://is.gd/4UdTl Paul Tully, SPUC general secretary, commented: "We condemn this exploita...

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News, The English high court has agreed to let a woman with multiple sclerosis seek a ruling on whether her husband may be prosecuted if he assists her plan to commit suicide overseas. Ms Debbie Purdy, 45, is considering going to Belgium or Switzerland accompanied by Mr Omar Puente. [BBC, 11 June]...

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News, An international medical conference in Lisbon, Portugal, has examined the serious psychological and medical consequences experienced by millions of women who have had abortions. The Conference on Human Life Studies, which was promoted by the Women in Action Association, noted that, according...

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News, The pro-life cause has suffered a political setback in the United States following the results of the mid-term elections for Congress. The Democrats have won control of the Senate and of the House of Representatives from the Republicans. Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, commented: "...

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News, A nurse on trial in Germany has admitted killing a number of patients in his care and has said that his actions were motivated by compassion but 'cannot be justified under any circumstances.' Stephan Letter, 27, faces 16 murder counts which he has asked to be converted to manslaughter charge...

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News, A man who was cleared of murder after he smothered his disabled son, Jacob, with a pillow and claimed it was a mercy killing has walked free from a court with a two-year suspended sentence. Andrew Wragg admitted manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. Judge Rafferty said she h...

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News, Many thanks to all those who sent in feedback to the recent changes in our news services. As a subscriber to our weekly news-summary list, you may have unsubscribed from the daily news-service. You may therefore be interested to know that, in response to the wide range of opinions from our ...

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News, British MPs have allowed the government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) bill to advance to its next stage, with 81% of those who voted backing the proposed law. Ms Geraldine Smith MP of the ruling Labour party expressed revulsion at the bill's proposals to allow hybrids and saviou...

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News, A parliamentary inquiry into abortion legislation in Britain has been advised that chemical abortions are safe to carry out at home. Abortion-inducing drugs are given in two doses with an interval of two days. Current law requires that both should be administered in a clinic or hospital, but...

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News, The parents of a severely disabled baby have won him the right not to have his ventilation switched off by medical staff. Mr Justice Holman ruled in the English High Court today that evidence for the boy's quality of life was sufficient that doctors should not withdraw life support from him....

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News, AbortionMembers of the European Parliament (MEPs) are calling for compulsory school-lessons to combat opposition to the Lisbon treaty, including claims that the treaty could result in abortion bans being over-turned. The calls are being led by the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) b...

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News, Mr Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, has expressed his support for a system of presumed consent for organ donation. This would mean that the organs of any person could be used for transplants after their death, unless they or their relatives specifically opted out. Britain currently ...

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News, A demonstration against China's one-child policy was this week held outside the Chinese embassy in London by SPUC's youth and student division. The silent protest drew attention to the forced abortions and sterilisations carried out under the policy, as well as to the injustices suffered by ...

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News, The HFEA has announced a public consultation over whether scientists should be allowed to create hybrid human-animal embryos. The Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority (HFEA) said it would not rule on any research applications until the consultation is completed in the autumn. The decisio...

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16-wee 21½-week baby

News, The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has responded to the US bishops on the withholding and withdrawing of food and water from patients who can assimilate food and fluids but are in a so-called 'permanent vegetative state' ('persistent non-responsive state'). The congrega...

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