Americans becoming more pro-life, says poll

WASHINGTON – A recent poll commissioned by the U.S. Family Research Council has found that most Americans believe abortion should not be permitted after signs of life can be detected. Sixty-one per cent of respondents disagreed that “abortion should be permitted after fetal brain-waves are detected,” while 58 per cent agreed that “abortion should not be permitted after the fetal heartbeat has begun.” Fifty-seven per cent of Americans described their own personal position as pro-life and only 21 per cent said abortion should be legal for any reason during the first three months of pregnancy. Just 10 per cent said abortion should be legal for any reason during the first six months of pregnancy, and only nine per cent felt abortion should be legal both at any time during pregnancy and for any reason.
 

Victory in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A group of prominent U.S. pro-life leaders has triumphed over pro-abortion forces in a legal battle aimed at silencing opposition to abortion in Puerto Rico. In a five-year-old case, local abortuaries had charged the pro-lifers with violating federal laws involving racketeering, extortion, and discrimination. But the abortionists capitulated last month, insisting only that pro-lifers should notify the abortuaries of plans for protests. The result was a major setback for the pro-abortion lobby, which had made a high-profile case with the employment of the New York-based law firm, the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy. The abortion industry was forced to drop claims for damages that would have amounted to more than $3 million.
 

Belize citizens protest gay cruise ship

BELIZE CITY, Belize - The Belize government took the brunt of protests from all sectors of Belizian society recently after it allowed a homosexual cruise ship to dock for a six-hour stay. Belizean law forbids homosexual acts and prohibits immigration by practising homosexuals as well as those who make money from homosexual behavior.
The Belize National Teachers’ Union condemned “the unnatural practice of homosexuality” and expressed concern that the government’s move might encourage the gay community to openly advance their lifestyle.
The Association of Evangelical Churches as well as the Baptist Association of Belize expressed concern about exposing children to “a most unwanted lifestyle.”
 

Abortion ballot in Portugal

 LISBON - Portugal’s government has agreed to hold a referendum on the country’s new abortion law. The decision came a day after the Portuguese parliament’s 116-107 vote last month to allow abortions on demand up to the 10th week of pregnancy. The law previously permitted abortions only for strict medical reasons as well as for fetal malformation or a perceived risk to a mother’s life. Pro-lifers demonstrated by the hundreds following passage of the bill. The referendum will likely be held in mid-June. The abortion law will be voided if the popular vote goes against it.
 

U.K. authority says it’s OK to clone humans

 LONDON - London’s Electronic Telegraph has reported that Ruth Deech, chair of Britain’s Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, is claiming researchers in England are permitted to clone human embryos under 1990’s Human Fertilization and Embryology Act. Deech claims the Act licensed experimentation  (including cloning) on babies within 14 days of conception. Her views were supported by Sir Colin Campbell, chair of the Human Genetics Advisory Commission. “We would never grant a licence for any treatment that would result in the production of an actual cloned baby,” said Deech.
 

Aussie abortionists charged

PERTH, Australia - An abortionist and an anesthetician have been charged with performing abortions in Western Australia, where abortion is illegal unless a pregnancy endangers the mother. Victor Chan and the unidentified anesthetician face up to 14 years in jail under a law that hadn’t been enforced for 30 years. The Australian Catholic Doctors Association estimates that less than half of one per cent of the 9,500 abortions that were performed in Western Australia each year complied with the law.
 

Condom, AIDS campaigns target of criticism

MEXICO CITY - Mexican Red Cross president Jose Barroso is calling on the government of President Ernesto Zedillo to suspend campaigns by companies and non-governmental organizations promoting the use of condoms. He said condom-promotion campaigns encourage promiscuity and argued that scarce medical resources should not be allocated according to the priorities of political correctness. Barroso comments have drawn support from the Mexican pro-life organization Pro Vida and the Catholic Church, but criticism from pro-abortion groups within Mexico and internationally. One AIDS-related group sent faxes and e-mail messages to various Red Cross headquarters around the world, charging that Barroso “is lacking in humanitarianism,” and must not remain as head of the Mexican organization.