Canada

The National Parole Board denied the request of Robert Latimer, the Saskatchewan farmer who murdered his disabled daughter, for extended leave from his halfway house in British Columbia … According to an Angus Reid Public Opinion poll 67 per cent of Canadians think euthanasia should be made legal while 23 per cent are opposed. Just over four in ten (41 per cent) agreed that “legalizing euthanasia would leave vulnerable people without sufficient legal protection,” and 28 per cent said, “legalizing euthanasia would send the message that the lives of the sick or disabled are less valuable” … Quebec doctors are demanding that the federal and provincial governments decriminalize euthanasia. Gaétan Barrette, the head of Quebec’s Association of Medical Specialists, said to a legislative committee in Quebec City on Feb. 15 that the government should no longer ignore the common practice of euthanasia … The Student Society of McGill University’s General Assembly defeated a motion to ban the current pro-life club, Choose Life, or any future pro-life club on campus. While the motion prevents Choose Life from being permanently banned, the club is still under suspension following a SSMU vote last November … As a part of a new Department of Health and Social Services program, ‘I Respect Myself,’ Nunavut teens are receiving flavoured condoms to stop the growing spread of sexually transmitted infections … On Feb. 15, the group Conceivable Dreams rallied outside the Ontario legislature to demand provincial funding for IVF treatment, urging Premier Dalton McGuinty to fulfill a 2007 election campaign promise to help Ontario’s infertile couples … An organization that advocates for the rights of prostitutes raised $1,000 for Haitian relief through the Canadian Red Cross when the Canadian Escort Recommendation Board donated all of the proceeds of its website’s banner advertisements over the first week of February … Former Liberal MPP and current Toronto mayoral candidate George Smitherman and his “husband” have been permitted by the Toronto Children’s Aid Society to adopt a baby boy … The openly homosexual, former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray won in the Ontario by-election in Toronto-Centre … Syndicated medical columnist Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, the pen name of Ken Walker, advocated the mandatory sterilization of women who consume too much alcohol during pregnancy to avoid fetal alcohol syndrome in newborns: “Surely there must be legislators who believe that an innocent fetus has more rights than an alcohol-sodden mother. For babies’ sake, legislation should end this tragedy.” In previous columns, Gifford-Jones has noted his support for abortion.

United States

In an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews.com, Rep. Ron Paul (R, Tex.) questioned the wisdom of American pro-lifers seeking a “federal solution” to abortion. He said instead of waiting for Roe v. Wade to be overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States it would be better if Congress used Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution to limit the jurisdiction of federal courts on the issue of abortion and return it to the states. Paul admitted his solution would be imperfect because some states would still permit abortion, but many more would either restrict or ban the procedure … Planned Parenthood opened two new “super-centers,” one in Houston and another in Portland, Oregon … The Radiance Foundation is sponsoring an advertising campaign linking the racism of Planned Parenthood’s founder Margaret Sanger to the disproportionate number of African-American abortions committed in the United States. The campaign features billboards stating that “Black Children are an Endangered Species” and directing viewers to the website toomanyaborted.com.

International

The United Nations’ High Commission of Human Rights has urged Nicaragua to legalize abortion in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at stake. The Canadian representative at the HCHR’s meeting of the Periodic Universal Examination joined in calling upon the Central American country to study the possibility of creating exceptions to its abortion prohibition. Ana Isabel Morales, Nicaragua’s Minister of State, said: “The majority of Nicaraguan citizens believe that the right to life is important, that abortion is not an appropriate method of birth control.” Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both criticized Nicaragua’s abortion ban … The Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad reported that according to the Netherlands Health Care Inspectorate the number of women obtaining an abortion between 20 and 24 weeks has doubled since the government began offering ultrasound screenings in 2007 to pregnant women at 20 weeks to detect Down syndrome and spina bifida. The legal cut-off for abortion in the Netherlands is 24 weeks. Members of ChristenUnie, a Christian party, want to postpone the official ultrasound to the 24th week.