IRELAND ‘YES’ TO ABORTION

Ban axed in landslide vote

CAMPAIGNERS hailed a “roar for dignity and decency” yesterday as Ireland voted to overturn its ban on abortion.

The country’s referendum resulted in an overwhelming 66.4% to 33.6% vote to drop the strict abortion rules.

The Eighth Amendment, which grants an equal right to life to the mother and unborn child, will now be scrapped.

Currently, terminations are only allowed when a woman’s life is at risk.

Orla O’Connor, co-director of the pro-reform Together For Yes group, said the result showed “a resounding roar from the Irish people”.

She added: “Our campaign will be forever indebted to those women and couples whose own bravery and dignity have moved hearts and changed minds – and, given the scale of the victory, changed the country.”

PM Leo Varadkar said the law would be changed by the end of the year. He added: “What we have seen today is a culmination of a quiet revolution that’s been taking place in Ireland for the past 10 or 20 years.

“The people have said that we want a modern constitution for a modern country, and we trust women and we respect them to make the right decisions and the right choices.”

Health minister Simon Harris added: “Under the Eighth Amendment, the only thing we could say to women was take a flight or take a boat, and now the country is saying no, take our hand, we want to support you.”

Theresa May is now facing calls to push for reform of Northern Ireland’s strict abortion laws.

2024. The first cub, a female called Nuan Nuan born in 2015, was sent back to China as part of a deal with Beijing to return cubs born in captivity at the age of two. The cub, which weighs nine kilos, played with a handler in an air-conditioned...