Syam Sool

Dangerous abortions 'on the rise', says WHO

A rising proportion of abortions worldwide are putting women's health at risk, researchers say.

The World Health Organization study suggests global abortion rates are steady, at 28 per 1,000 women a year.
However, the proportion of the total carried out without trained clinical help rose from 44% in 1995 to 49% in 2008.
The Lancet, which carried the report, said the figures were "deeply disturbing".
Unsafe abortion is one of the main contributors to maternal death worldwide, and refers to procedures outside hospitals, clinics and surgeries, or without qualified medical supervision.
Women are more vulnerable to dangerous infection or bleeding in these environments.
Maternal mortality In developing countries, particularly those with more restrictive abortion laws, most abortions are unsafe, with 97% of abortions in Africa described this way.
To compile the figures - often a difficult task in countries where abortion is illegal - the researchers used surveys, official statistics and hospital records.
They concluded that while the abortion rate had fallen since 1995, that drop had now levelled off, and overall, the rise in world population meant that there were 2.2 million more abortions in 2008 compared with 2003.

In the developed world, the proportion of pregnancies ending in abortion fell from 36% in 1995 to 26% in 2008.

Countries with restrictive abortion laws did not have a corresponding decrease in abortion rate - in some cases, the reverse was true.
Professor Beverly Winikoff, from Gynuity, a New York organisation which pushes for access to safer abortion, wrote in the Lancet: "Unsafe abortion is one of the five major contributors to maternal mortality, causing one in every seven or eight maternal deaths in 2008.
"Yet, when abortion is provided with proper medical techniques and care, the risk of death is negligible and nearly 14 times lower than that of childbirth.
"The data continue to confirm what we have known for decades - that women who wish to terminate unwanted pregnancies will seek abortion at any cost, even if it is illegal or involves risk to their own lives."
Dr Richard Horton, the Lancet's editor, said: "These latest figures are deeply disturbing. The progress made in the 1990s is now in reverse.
"Condemning, stigmatising and criminalising abortion are cruel and failed strategies."
Kate Hawkins, from the Sexuality and Development Programme at the Institute of Development Studies, said: "Whether it is legal or illegal, women will seek abortions and obtain abortions.
"This study showed that in 2008, 86% of abortions took place in developing countries and that nearly half of all abortions worldwide were unsafe in 2008.
"That women continue to die in significant numbers because of unsafe abortion is a scandal and is an issue that the development sector should take seriously."

Support wanes in US Congress for anti-piracy bill

Backer Marco Rubio said the Senate "should take more time to address the concerns"

Eight US lawmakers have withdrawn their support for anti-piracy laws, after "blackout" protests on thousands of internet sites.

Two of the bill's co-sponsors, Marco Rubio from Florida and Roy Blunt from Missouri, are among those backing away.
Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia and blog service WordPress are among the highest profile sites to block their content.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has branded the protests as "irresponsible" and a "stunt".
The MPAA, Hollywood's primary advocate in Washington and a key supporter of the legislation, is led by former Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Dodd.
Both bills focus on responding to online piracy, specifically illegal copies of films and other media.
The bills would also outlaw sites from containing information about how to access blocked sites.
The BBC's Jonny Dymond says that with Mr Rubio and Mr Blunt withdrawing their support, the Senate bill - Protect Intellectual Property Act (Pipa) - that had looked likely to pass, now appears to be in trouble.
Mr Rubio is a rising star in the Republican party, and is often suggested as a viable vice-presidential choice for this year's Republican presidential nominee.

Muhammad cartoon row leads to resignation

University College London Union has asked the atheist society to remove the cartoon

The president of a London university atheist society has resigned over a row about an image of the Prophet Muhammad.

The society at University College London (UCL) published an image on its Facebook page showing "Jesus and Mo" having a drink at a bar.
A student Muslim group mounted a petition asking for its removal and the UCL Union also said it should go.
The atheist group has closed a counter-petition defending its "freedom of expression" but has not removed it.
UCL's Atheist, Secularist and Humanist society, said its president, Robbie Yellon, was stepping down to be replaced by former vice president Michael Thor.
"Robbie stepped aside because he signed up as president to organize events and run a student society," said Michael Paynter, secretary for the National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies.
"He did not appreciate the stress he would be under when dealing with a controversy like this, so he wanted to make way for someone else."
'No need' The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association is continuing with its protest against the image, saying it has wider implications.
Adam Walker, the association's national spokesperson, said the two student groups had worked well together in the past and said the offense was unnecessary.

"The principle is more important than who is being attacked - this time it is Muslims and Christians but in the future it could be atheists themselves.

"There is no need to print these things other than to cause offense and history has told us that these things cause offense."
He added: "I wouldn't say we're specifically pursuing UCL atheist society, it's more about the broader principle."
The image that started the controversy was taken from an online satirical comic called Jesus and Mo.
The twice-weekly comic strip, running since 2005, depicts Jesus and what creators say is a "body double" of the Prophet Muhammad talking to a barmaid.
The row has prompted debate on the internet with prominent academic and author Richard Dawkins backing the atheist society.
UCL Union (UCLU) said in a statement: "The atheist society has agreed they will take more consideration when drawing up publicity for future events.
"The society was asked to remove the image because UCLU aims to foster good relations between different groups of students and create a safe environment where all students can benefit from societies regardless of their religious or other beliefs."

NHS plans: Unions move to 'outright opposition'

The health bill is currently working its way through Parliament

The unions representing nurses and midwives have joined others in stating their "outright opposition" to the government's NHS plans in England.

The Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives had expressed concerns in the past, but said they were willing to work with ministers.
However, now they want the entire bill covering the changes to be dropped.
The government said it was disappointed as the bill would "empower" front-line staff to take charge of improving care.
The colleges' stance comes after a similar move by the British Medical Association last year.
It also mirrors the stance adopted by Unison, which represents a host of administration and support staff, such as porters.
The Health and Social Care Bill is still working its way through Parliament.
It is currently in the House of Lords and will be returning to the Commons soon, but changes are already being made on the ground to pave the way for the new system which kicks in in 2013.