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| Mexico City to vote on abortion | Mexico City to vote on abortion |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Mexico City's legislative assembly is to vote on whether to legalise abortion in the city, the capital of the world's second-largest Roman Catholic country. | Mexico City's legislative assembly is to vote on whether to legalise abortion in the city, the capital of the world's second-largest Roman Catholic country. |
| If passed as expected, abortions would be limited to pregnancies in the first trimester, only in Mexico City. | If passed as expected, abortions would be limited to pregnancies in the first trimester, only in Mexico City. |
| Mexico City currently allows abortion in cases of rape, if the woman's life is at risk or if there are signs of severe defects in the foetus. | Mexico City currently allows abortion in cases of rape, if the woman's life is at risk or if there are signs of severe defects in the foetus. |
| Catholic bishops in Mexico have spoken out against the proposed law. | Catholic bishops in Mexico have spoken out against the proposed law. |
| Mexico City's legislature, which represents the city's population of 20m, is dominated by the leftist PRD, the party of the mayor, Marcelo Ebrard. | Mexico City's legislature, which represents the city's population of 20m, is dominated by the leftist PRD, the party of the mayor, Marcelo Ebrard. |
| As legislators met, riot police kept rival demonstrators apart as they hurled insults at each other outside the assembly building. | |
| Court challenge | Court challenge |
| Opinion polls in Mexico, which is 90% Catholic, indicate people are evenly split on the issue. | Opinion polls in Mexico, which is 90% Catholic, indicate people are evenly split on the issue. |
| The assembly has courted controversy in Mexico before, recently allowing same-sex civil unions. It is currently considering legalising euthanasia. | The assembly has courted controversy in Mexico before, recently allowing same-sex civil unions. It is currently considering legalising euthanasia. |
| Opponents of the abortion law have promised to challenge it in the courts if it is passed. | Opponents of the abortion law have promised to challenge it in the courts if it is passed. |
| The authors of the draft law argue that at least 1,500 women have died in Mexico over the last decade as a result of illegal abortions performed in unhygienic backstreet clinics. | The authors of the draft law argue that at least 1,500 women have died in Mexico over the last decade as a result of illegal abortions performed in unhygienic backstreet clinics. |
| Many victims of rape are denied access to legal abortion, Human Rights Watch said in a report last year. | Many victims of rape are denied access to legal abortion, Human Rights Watch said in a report last year. |