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PAT ROBERTSON DEFENDS CHINA'S FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM

WASHINGTON, Apr 17, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Pat Robertson, founder and chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network and the celebrated host of the 40-year-running 700 Club program, disappointed hundreds of thousands of his fans Monday night as he defended China's notorious family planning program. In an interview on CNN's "Wolf Blitzer Reports" Robertson, founder and President of the Christian Coalition, was asked, "How do you balance your historic support for closer relation with China, improved trade relations with China, with what many conservatives complain about, specifically the so-called forced abortions in China?"

Robertson, who has spoken valiantly in favour of life in the United States, responded: "Well, you know, I don't agree with it. But at the same time, they've got 1.2 billion people, and they don't know what to do. If every family over there was allowed to have three or four children, the population would be completely unsustainable. ... So, I think that right now they're doing what they have to do. I don't agree with the forced abortion, but I don't think the United States needs to interfere with what they're doing internally in this regard."

When Blitzer asked for clarification, asking, "But in effect, won't your critics on the right be saying that Pat Robertson is justifying abortions in China?", Robertson avoided the issue and condemned only sex-selective abortions.

Read the full transcript from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0104/16/wbr.00.html

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FRANCE'S HEALTH MINISTER TO PUSH FOR ASSISTED SUICIDE

PARIS, Apr 17, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Dr. Bernard Kouchner, France's Minister of Health, has indicated that he is considering a law to allow assisted suicide. Reuters reports that a poll conducted Sunday showed 38 percent of the French were absolutely in favour of euthanasia in cases of unbearable suffering or terminal disease, and that another 50 percent would support doctors who end a person's life in certain cases. Only 10 percent expressed opposition to assisted-suicide. Kouchner, called the poll results a "fabulous breakthrough for our society."

Kouchner was quoted in an interview with Le Monde on Monday saying, "There's an unquestionable change in French public opinion. We have to adapt and try to behave in a more humane manner in cases of such difficulty ... It's time to debate the issue openly, without arrogance, preconceived ideas or ideological rhetoric ... Palliative care does not solve all the problems ... We will always face cases of another dimension, requests to end to a life, for a gentle way out, for assisted suicide."

Kouchner said he would initiate a debate at the health ministry with healthcare specialists and ethics experts.

For more see the Reuters report at:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20010416_1209.html

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US SUPREME COURT REFUSES APPEAL AGAINST LAW RESTRICTING PRO-LIFE PROTEST

WASHINGTON, Apr 17 (LSN.ca) - On Monday the US Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal brought by the Legal Center for the Defense of Life, which was arguing that portions of Clinton's 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act was unconstitutional.

The case initially involved over 20 pro-life picketers who were arrested by police over three separate incidents between 1996 and 1997, which took place outside a partial birth abortion clinic in Englewood New Jersey, just outside New York city. Edward J. Gilhooly, Executive Director of Legal Center for the Defense of Life told LifeSite that most of the pro-lifers were praying and there was no violence involved. Gilhooly also noted that the particular abortuary was known to commit some 1500 partial-birth abortions every year.

While all the charges against the pro-lifers were dropped, a judge did order a payment of $5000 total to be paid by all the defendants together. The federal Justice Department (under Clinton) was outraged that their request for a restricted zone of no-protest and additional fines was not granted. The legal counsel for the pro-lifers initiated the current appeal in an attempt to restrict the federal government's stifling of legitimate pro-life protest.

See the coverage from the Washington Post at:
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/courts/A23348-2001Apr16.html

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POPE DEMANDS UNITED NATIONS RESPECT THE RIGHT TO LIFE OF THE UNBORN

VATICAN CITY, Apr 17, 2001 (LSN.ca) - On April 7, Pope John Paul praised Brazil for its role in encouraging the United Nations to respect the right to life. In receiving the new ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Oto Agripino Maia, to the Holy See, the pope remarked on the "presence of Brazil in the United Nations and International Organizations." He said, "I hope that the principles inspired by this participation in the society of nations, are directed according to criteria whose fundamental objective is the respect of human dignity, especially in the case of unborn human beings, today seriously threatened by reproductive technologies which attempt to attack human life."

See the Vatican Information Service report (temporarily) at:
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/vis/dinamiche/b0_en.htm

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YAHOO! REMOVES PORN FROM ITS ONLINE STORE

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Apr 17, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Responding to the massive protest over its stocking of hard-core pornography at its online store, Yahoo.com announced that it "is removing adult-related products in Yahoo! Shopping." Only three days after the story was reported, Yahoo! recoiled from the heated public reaction and additionally said it "will no longer enter into new contracts for adult-related banner advertisements on the Yahoo! network. The implementation of these changes in the United States will take place over the next few weeks." In a press release, Jeff Mallett, Yahoo!'s president and chief operating officer noted the many complaints they had received and said, "We consistently strive to act responsibly and constantly evaluate our policies based on what our users tell us."

See the Yahoo release at:
http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release755.html

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LIFESITE NEWSBYTES

Cybercast News Service reports that International Planned Parenthood Federation, which promotes abortion, is urging youth to use sex as a means of having fun and to participate in programs that address the "real needs of young people instead of the needs adults think young people have."
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200104\CUL20010416a...

Britain's Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Wilson commented to The Telegraph that the use of amniocentesis testing during pregnancy for the purpose of "eliminat[ing]" most Down's children is "grotesque." Wilson, who has a son with Down's said, "I find it grotesque that 95 per cent of Down's children are eliminated as a result of amniocentesis. And to achieve the assumed social good, four times as many non-Down's kids are not born."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=003864436460684&rtmo=Vk4wFjGx&atmo=rrrrrrrq&...

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US NEWS ROUNDUP

The Bush Administration has protected parent's access to their children's medical information, including abortion. A press release from HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson says, "parents will have access to information about the health and well-being of their children, including information about mental health, substance abuse or abortion."
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2001pres/20010412.html

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