News, 7 June 2001
Rotary International, which describes itself as a global network for
community volunteers, has reiterated its support for the pro-abortion
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Frank Devlyn, president of
Rotary, said that his organisation was joining forces with the UNFPA
to fight the "population explosion". He said that Rotary would only
contribute to family planning initiatives [many of which entail the
promotion of abortion and abortifacient methods of birth control] when
this was in accordance with the cultural and religious values of the
local population. [
The Age, 7 June]
The Alberta College of Pharmacists has decided not to request the
power to dispense the abortifacient morning-after pill without a
doctor's prescription. Pharmacists in the Canadian province had voted
by 68 percent in favour of the change [see
news digest for 4 June],
but this represented only a small proportion of all the pharmacists
because only about 30 percent of them voted at all. Members of the
college have directed their executive council to consider promoting
the reclassification of the morning-after pill as a drug available
from pharmacists nationwide rather than at a provincial level. [
The
Edmonton Sun, 5 June; via Pro-Life E-News]
Almost nine out of 10 Americans oppose human cloning, according to a
national opinion poll. The survey, conducted by Gallup, indicates that
89 percent believe that the cloning of humans should not be allowed.
[
Gallup, 7 June]
The government of Western Australia is considering whether to abolish
laws which prohibit the genetic screening of test-tube babies. A
parliamentary select committee recommended over two years ago that
pre-implantation genetic testing should be allowed to screen out
babies with conditions such as Down's syndrome or cystic fibrosis, but
not to determine sex or physical characteristics. A spokeswoman for
Bob Kucera, the health minister, confirmed that the issue was under
consideration. [
The West Australian, 5 June]
A 24-year-old American farm worker has been sent to prison by a county
court in New York state for second-degree abortion. Danny R Court had
pleaded guilty to the offence after admitting spiking his pregnant
girlfriend's drink with a drug used to abort calves. [AP, 6 June; via
Pro-Life Infonet]
An American chemistry professor has resigned from her academic post in
order to fight the US Food and Drug Administration's ban on
reproductive human cloning. Professor Brigitte Boisselier, director of
Clonaid, said: "I'm fighting for the freedom of choice of reproduction
... if you want to reproduce using your genes only, because it is an
option now, you should be allowed to do that." Professor Boisselier is
a bishop of the Raelian cult, which regards cloning as the key to
eternal life. [
The Syracuse Newspapers, 6 June; also see
news digest
for 11 October 2000]
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