World Briefs

U.K. in euthanasia hurry

LONDON – The disability rights group No Less Human condemned the short time allowed for giving evidence to the Joint Select Committee on the Draft Mental Incapacity Bill, a parliamentary inquiry into the government’s proposals to legalize euthanasia by neglect. The committee has called for all evidence to be submitted by Sept. 1. Alison Davis, a spokeswoman for No Less Human, said, “It is scandalous that such a controversial issue of public concern as euthanasia by the deliberate starvation, dehydration and neglect of disabled people is being rushed through and buried during the summer recess, when not only most parliamentarians but countless concerned individuals will be away on holiday.” Society for the Protection of Unborn Children political secretary Anthony Ozimic said if the bill is passed, it “will be the first comprehensive law in the world allowing euthanasia by neglect and may become a model for all common-law countries.”

Bizarre gay cannibalism murder

KASSEL, Germany – Prosecutors filed murder charges against one of two men who met on the internet and agreed that one of them would kill and cannibalize the other, following the 2001 death of a 42-year-old man. Armin M. was charged with murder after prosecutors determined that while the victim agreed to be killed, it was not an assisted suicide. The day he died, the victim, known only as Bernd Juergen B., completed his will and left all his possessions to his homosexual roommate, “Rene.” The accused allegedly recorded his crime on videotapes and CD-ROMs, while some of the victim’s remains were found in the accused’s freezer. Armin M. allegedly has made further solicitations of victims willing to be killed and eaten. The accused has not been charged with cannibalism as it is not a crime under German law.

Slovak pols refuse to sign abortion bill

BRATISLAVA – Pavol Hrusovsky, the speaker of the Slovak parliament, and Deputy Speaker Bela Bugar have promised not to sign legislation legalizing abortion until the 24th week of pregnancy “in cases of genetic defects.” Slovak President Rudolf Schuster has said he would not even consider signing the bill without the signatures of the speaker or deputy speaker. The legislation would allow a health ministry directive to be implemented and the issue is expected to be settled before the courts.

Inflated stats used to promote abortion

JAKARTA – Muhadjir Darwin, an Indonesian researcher, has claimed that there are more than two million illegal abortions in his country annually. Darwin added that they are committed by unlicensed health workers and in unsafe conditions. He also said that most abortions are committed on single women, victims of rape, and married women whose contraception had failed – the so-called harder cases. However, Darwin provided no data backing up his abortion claim. Under Indonesian law, abortion is allowed only if the pregnancy endangers a woman’s life. Pro-lifers note that exaggerating the number of illegal abortions is a common tactic abortion advocates use to liberalize abortion laws.

Peru cabinet turns pro-abort

LIMA – Amid falling poll numbers for the government, most of the Peruvian cabinet submitted their resignations to Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, including Health Minister Fernando Carbone and Prime Minister Luis Solari, both of whom were strongly pro-life. The two, who were recently berated in the international media for not approving wide distribution of the abortifacient “morning-after” pill, were under constant attack from feminist groups. Newly installed Prime Minister Beatriz Merino was once a member of the pro-abortion feminist group Manuela Ramos, and new Health Minister Alvaro Vidal is in favour of abortifacient morning-after pills.