Abortion-law move blocked

The ailing Pope John Paul II received a boost with the news that the upper house of parliament in his native Poland had blocked a move to liberalise the country's strict anti-abortion law.

The Pope is one of the fiercest critics of the proposed liberalisation, passed with a large majority in the lower house in July. In Poland, abortions are allowed only if pregnancy threatens life or health, results from rape or incest, or when the foetus is irreparably damaged. The Bill will be returned to the lower house, where it is likely to be approved again. Adrian Bridge - Budapest