Europe

A group of Turkish women angry that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared abortion to murder have branded him a "woman's enemy" and planned to protest the government on Tuesday.

Erdogan reportedly made the controversial comments on Friday at a population conference where he labeled abortion a conspiracy to curb Turkey's economic growth.

"You either kill a baby in the mother's womb or you kill it after birth. There's no difference," the Turkish PM said, according to AFP. He also compared abortion to Uludere, referring to the botched attack on Kurds by Turkish warplanes in December that claimed 34 lives. more >>

Around 40 people were arrested in Moscow on Sunday after gay activists demanding the right to hold a gay pride parade in the Russian capital clashed with Orthodox Christians protesting against homosexuality.

Gay rights activists first gathered outside the city council building, The Associated Press reported, where counter-demonstrators expressed their belief that homosexuality is a sin. Police quickly moved in to try and prevent violence between the two groups, but that did not stop gay rights activists from attempting a second protest at city hall, where more people were arrested.

Police put the number of those detained at around 40 people, and revealed that although the majority were gay activists, Christian demonstrators who pushed against police buses were also arrested. more >>

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck northern Italy on Tuesday, just over a week after the same region was shaken by a 6.0-magnitude quake. The death toll is currently at 10 people.

Alberto Silverstri, mayor of San Felice sul Panaro, told Italy's SkyTG24 that the situation is "very serious," as some people remain trapped under rubble.

The quake struck near Modena at around 9 a.m. local time and several aftershocks with magnitudes 5 and above followed. Many buildings, including factories and churches, have been destroyed. more >>

A final vote by the Church of England on women bishops is set to go ahead in July, although protests from liberals this week threatened to push it back further.

Traditional voices within the Anglican community managed to get in some final amendments on Monday on a law being reviewed by the Church over the position of women in the clergy, which has angered liberals who stand in opposition to all-male priests and bishops.

The House of Bishops from the Church of England approved legislature on Monday paving the way for allowing women bishops, but only after including some key amendments for those holding more conservative theological views. Among the exceptions was a provision for those uncomfortable with women bishops to submit themselves to an alternative male bishop if they so choose. more >>

The Church of England took a step toward allowing women to become bishops on Monday when the House of Bishops approved some widely-debated legislation after making only a few amendments.

During the meeting, the House approved some key amendments for those who hold to more conservative theological views, The Telegraph reports, including an exception that would allow those who are opposed to women bishops to submit themselves to an alternative male bishop if they felt the need to do so.

"The legislation now addresses the fact that for some parishes a male bishop or male priest is necessary but not sufficient," the House said in a statement. more >>

World-renowned atheist Richard Dawkins says he supports the mission of England's Department for Education to make sure every public school in the nation has a copy of the 1611 translation of the King James Bible.

"A native speaker of English who has never read a word of the King James Bible is verging on the barbarian," said Dawkins in a column he wrote for The Guardian.

The author and evolutionary biologist even went as far as to say he would have donated to the cause had he been given the opportunity to do so. more >>