International

Denmark will raise the limit for abortion from 12 to 18 weeks

The Danish center-left government announced this Friday an agreement with four more parties to raise the limit for abortion from 12 to 18 weeks, so this country would be among those with the latest deadlines in Europe, along with Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands.

The seven signatory parties – which total 124 of the 179 seats in Parliament – justified the decision by the need to give women “more time and possibilities to act according to the knowledge they acquire after the first examinations of the fetus and thus reinforce their right to decide for themselves,” according to a statement.

The text also alludes to the fact that medical techniques, technological possibilities and the diagnosis of the fetus have evolved in a “colossal” way in recent decades and that the current legislation on the subject – which dates back to 1973, when abortion was allowed in Denmark – has been “outdated.”

“After 50 years, it’s time for the rules of abortion to be adapted to their time. We reinforce women’s right to decide. There is no basis for the current limit from a medical point of view and nothing indicates that there will be many more or later abortions to extend the limit,” said the Minister of Health, Sophie Løhde.

Løhde alluded to the case of Sweden, where the 18-week limit applies since 1996 and abortions have not increased or changed when they are done.

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The motion will be presented in Parliament this year or the following and is expected to enter into force on June 1, 2025.

The agreement follows the recommendations made last year by the so-called Ethical Council, an advisory body of the Danish Parliament.

In addition to raising the pregnancy limit, the Government announced two other agreements: one to allow young women from 15 to 17 years old to have an abortion without needing the consent of the parents or a special commission; and another to unify the five existing regional commissions into a single national level.

Several non-governmental organizations, in addition to gynecologists and obstetricians, have long been lobbying for Denmark to modify the regulations on abortion.

“It’s a very good agreement, it’s an essential extension of women’s ability to decide,” said today the president of the Danish College of Physicians, Camilla Rathcke.

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International

Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.

NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.

Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”

An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.

“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.

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“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.

The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”

At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”

International

Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka

Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.

The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.

An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.

The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.

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Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.

Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.

Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.

Internacionales

Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages

May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.

In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.

Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.