INTERNACIONAL
Grandmother arrested at abortion clinic warns of expanding free speech ‘buffer zones’
A grandmother in the U.K. who was arrested for holding a sign outside an abortion clinic is sounding the alarm against further attacks on free speech as lawmakers move to expand so-called «buffer zones» outside such facilities.
Rose Docherty, 74, was arrested in Glasgow, Scotland near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in February for holding a sign that read: «Coercion is a crime, here to talk if you want.»
Docherty was the first person to be arrested and charged under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act, which went into effect in September, the BBC reported.
The law prohibits any protests or vigils from taking place within 200m or 656ft of 30 clinics offering abortion services in Scotland, but the law specifies that the Safe Access Zone could be extended if considered appropriate.
Docherty’s arrest came just days after Vice President JD Vance highlighted the law as an example of free speech being under attack in the U.K.
Rose Docherty, 74, was arrested in Glasgow, Scotland near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in February for holding a sign that read: «Coercion is a crime, here to talk if you want.» (Rose Docherty)
UK WOMAN THREATENED WITH FINE FOR PRAYING WITHIN ABORTION FACILITY’S ‘BUFFER ZONE:’ ‘ GROSSLY ORWELLIAN’
Now, Gillian Mackay, the Green Party parliamentarian responsible for introducing the buffer zones legislation, has now suggested that the Scottish government consider expanding the area of prohibition on «influence» outside hospitals, according to ADF International, a Christian legal advocacy group.
Docherty has rejected a formal warning from the Crown Office – arguing that it was «unjust» – and is waiting to find out what action may now be taken against her.
In her first broadcast interview since her arrest, she told the BBC she had «no reason to regret» the incident, noting it was an «alarming» and «surreal» experience.
She said she had read the law and believed her actions did not violate the legislation.
«I gave consideration to what I was doing…I looked at the law and saw what it said I couldn’t do, and thought, OK, well, this is what I can do…I can offer to listen, and if anyone wants to come and speak to me, they can do so, only if they want to come and speak with me,» she told BBC’s Scotcast.
She said she is prepared to go to prison over the offense.
Docherty has also said that the government essentially wants to stamp out any opposition to abortion.
«I believe it wouldn’t matter where we stood…it wouldn’t matter how far they pushed the ‘buffer zone,’» she told ADF International, a Christian legal advocacy group.
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, left, poses for a photograph with Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay, right, in the lobby of the Scottish Parliament, in support of Mackay’s «buffer zones» bill on June 27, 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Ken Jack/Getty Images)
NEW ONLINE ‘MISINFORMATION’ BILL SLAMMED AS ‘BIGGEST ATTACK’ ON FREEDOMS IN AUSTRALIA
«It wouldn’t matter where we stood –201 meters, or 500 meters away – it seems the authorities would still try to crack down harshly and unfairly on individuals because the government simply disagree with their point of view. This is unjust – of course, there should be laws against harassment, and we all condemn such behavior. But merely offering conversations near a hospital is not a crime.»
Dr Greg Irwin, a doctor at the QEUH, was pictured confronting a group of protesters in February 2023, saying that they «cause emotional upset to patients, but also to staff members,» per the BBC. Groups have been protesting outside the hospital for 10 years, leading to the passing of the Safe Access Zones Act.
Mackay said patients and staff had told her that they still had to pass the protesters when attending the QEUH leading to distress.
«I think it’s appropriate that we take those concerns seriously and the government take a look at whether an extension is appropriate or not,» Mackay told the BBC.
The act allows ministers to extend the size of a buffer zone if it is decided that the existing zone is not adequate, a Scottish government spokesperson told the outlet.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested for praying silently outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham, England. (Alliance Defending Freedom UK)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Docherty isn’t the first person to be arrested outside abortion facilities.
For instance, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a prominent pro-life activist, was arrested twice in Birmingham for silently praying without any signs near an abortion facility within a buffer zone. She was arrested under a local law known as a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). She was later awarded $13,000 in compensation for wrongful arrests, according to Christian Today.
The U.K. has drawn international attention for its alleged clampdown on free speech. A number of people have been investigated and arrested for social media posts.
Costos y beneficios
Regreso al punto de partida
El presidente Donald Trump, a la izquierda, junto al primer ministro israelí, Benjamin Netanyahu, en el Ala Oeste de la Casa Blanca, el 7 de abril pasado. Foto AP
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to build a paper trail of former President Joe Biden’s autopen usage with the end goal of calling more hearings, passing legislation or amending the Constitution to best address «a mentally incapacitated president.»
Sen. Eric Schmitt, chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, is requesting special access under the Presidential Records Act to a trove of Biden-era documents and memos that chronicle his usage of an autopen.
In a letter to Secretary of State and Acting National Archivist Marco Rubio exclusively obtained by Fox News, Schmitt argued that creating a paper trail of key directives made toward the end of his presidency would help in «deciding which legislative remedy is most appropriate.»
TOP BIDEN AIDE ADMITS TO CONGRESS SHE DIRECTED AUTOPEN SIGNATURES WITHOUT KNOWING WHO GAVE FINAL APPROVAL
Neera Tanden, the former director of Biden’s Domestic Policy Council, testified for more than five hours Tuesday behind closed doors as part of House Republicans’ investigation into the former president’s mental acuity and his use of an automatic signature tool. (Getty Images)
«In particular, the increased use of the autopen to sign pardons, executive orders, and other documents as his Presidency progressed became a poignant symbol of President Biden’s mental decline and has created questions about the validity of those orders and pardons if President Biden did not direct the use of the autopen,» he wrote.
Schmitt requested access to a slew of documents, including memos about procedures for usage of the autopen, who was granted authority to use the autopen and emails from staff authorizing or requesting authorization for autopen usage.
SENATE HEARING ON WHO WAS ‘REALLY RUNNING’ BIDEN WHITE HOUSE KICKS OFF WEDNESDAY
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., arrives for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Dirksen building Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Getty Images)
He also requested access to all White House records after Nov. 1, 2024, that refer or relate to presidential pardons; that prioritize briefing books, memos and decision memos for pardons; and, eventually, access to all White House records after Nov. 1.
«With that information, the subcommittee will be better positioned to ensure that any potential proposed amendment will be sufficiently comprehensive so as to address any plausible contingency concerning a mentally incapacitated President,» Schmitt wrote.
«It would be challenging enough to amend the Constitution once — much less more than once if it then subsequently turned out not all contingencies around presidential incapacity were adequately considered.»
Schmitt’s letter comes after the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on Biden’s alleged mental decline while in office and how the autopen could have played a central role in his inner circle’s alleged attempt to skirt the Constitution while continuing to carry out the duties of the office.
EX-WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS TO TESTIFY ON WHO ‘REALLY RAN THE COUNTRY’ DURING BIDEN ERA
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while flying aboard Air Force One en route from Calgary, Canada, to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, late Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
It also explicitly mentions the closed-door, transcribed hearing with Biden’s former director of the Domestic Policy Council, Neera Tanden, conducted by the House Oversight Committee this week.
A source told Fox News Digital that during the transcribed interview, which lasted five hours, Tanden testified she had «minimal interaction with President Biden» in her role as staff secretary and that to obtain autopen signatures, she would send decision memos to members of Biden’s inner circle.
She said during the interview she was not aware of what actions or approvals happened between the time the memo was sent out and returned with approval.
However, Tanden’s opening statement, shared with Fox News Digital by her lawyer, Michael Bromwich, said that, as staff secretary, she was responsible for «handling the flow of documents to and from the President» and that she was authorized to direct that autopen signatures be «affixed to certain categories of documents.»
«We had a system for authorizing the use of the autopen that I inherited from prior Administrations,» Tanden said. «We employed that system throughout my tenure as Staff Secretary.»
She was later named director of Biden’s Domestic Policy Council and said she was no longer responsible for the flow of documents and was no longer involved in decisions related to the autopen.
«I would note that much of the public discussion on the subject matter of this hearing has conflated two very different issues: first, the president’s age and second, whether President Bident was in command as President,» she said. «I had no experience in the White House that would provide any reason to question his command as President. He was in charge.»
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Schmitt requested that access to the swathe of memos and communications be granted no later than July 16.
«It is important for this subcommittee to have a clear picture of President Biden’s decision-making capacity at the end of his presidency and to know the extent to which members of his inner circle possibly usurped the President’s decision-making authority,» he wrote.
Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
China confirmó el acuerdo sobre tierras raras y exportaciones con EEUU tras una nueva ronda de negociaciones en Londres
China y Estados Unidos alcanzaron un acuerdo definitivo sobre la exportación de bienes estratégicos, incluidas las tierras raras, tras concluir su última ronda de negociaciones en Londres. Así lo confirmó este viernes el Ministerio de Comercio chino mediante un comunicado oficial, en el que informó que ambos gobiernos “mantuvieron una comunicación cercana” tras el encuentro y que “con aprobación, ambas partes confirmaron los detalles del acuerdo”.
El documento aclara que, como parte del entendimiento, “China revisará y aprobará las solicitudes de exportación de bienes controlados que cumplan con las condiciones con arreglo a la ley”, en una clara referencia a las restricciones impuestas por Beijing a principios de abril sobre la venta de minerales críticos como las tierras raras. Estos recursos son fundamentales para industrias clave, como la defensa, la tecnología avanzada o el sector automotriz.
A cambio, Estados Unidos se compromete a eliminar “una serie de medidas restrictivas” adoptadas contra China, aunque el comunicado no detalla cuáles serán levantadas ni en qué plazos. Esta medida corresponde a lo pactado en la conversación del 5 de junio entre el presidente chino Xi Jinping y su homólogo estadounidense Donald Trump, que habilitó la reanudación de los contactos comerciales a nivel técnico.
“Se espera que EEUU y China encuentren un término medio y cumplan con los importantes consensos y requisitos alcanzados por los jefes de Estado”, señala el comunicado, refiriéndose al diálogo presidencial que facilitó la reactivación de las negociaciones formales en la capital británica.
La confirmación de este acuerdo por parte del gobierno chino se produce un día después de que Trump asegurara que “Estados Unidos firmó un acuerdo con China” en una declaración pública, aunque sin ofrecer precisiones. Según había adelantado el mandatario republicano a mediados de junio, el pacto incluye un arancel del 55 % impuesto por EEUU a productos chinos y un 10 % recíproco por parte de Beijing sobre bienes estadounidenses.
El acuerdo de Londres sella un marco de cooperación basado en el “consenso” alcanzado en la llamada presidencial, pero se mantenía pendiente de la ratificación final de ambos líderes. La firma llega tras una serie de tensiones renovadas, motivadas por acusaciones cruzadas de incumplimiento del pacto alcanzado en mayo en Ginebra, que dio origen a una tregua comercial de 90 días.
En el marco de ese entendimiento previo, China había reducido sus aranceles a productos estadounidenses del 125% al 10%, mientras que Washington rebajó los suyos del 145% al 30% sobre bienes chinos. Sin embargo, ambas partes se acusaron mutuamente de violar el acuerdo: Beijing denunció restricciones estadounidenses sobre la exportación de chips de inteligencia artificial y software de diseño de semiconductores, así como medidas migratorias contra estudiantes chinos. Washington, por su parte, criticó las limitaciones chinas sobre la exportación de tierras raras.
La disputa comercial entre ambos países se intensificó desde el regreso de Donald Trump a la Casa Blanca, con una renovada ofensiva arancelaria que reactivó la guerra comercial iniciada en 2018. Esta escalada ha derivado en una situación de embargo parcial, con efectos globales sobre cadenas de suministro y mercados estratégicos.
Con este nuevo acuerdo, China y Estados Unidos buscan desescalar las tensiones mediante compromisos mutuos en comercio y exportaciones clave. No obstante, aún queda por determinar cómo se implementarán las medidas anunciadas y si ambas partes cumplirán los plazos y condiciones fijados. Por ahora, el entendimiento representa un paso más en la volátil relación bilateral entre las dos principales economías del mundo.
(Con información de EFE y AFP)
Asia / Pacific,LIANYUNGANG
Fin del antidumping a termos: cómo puede impactar en los precios de los productos Stanley
Elecciones en Formosa: las fuerzas que intentan quebrar el histórico mando de Gildo Insfrán
Guillermo Francos interrumpió su informe de gestión luego de que una senadora K lo acusó de “mentiroso”
Dua Lipa le “robó” el celular a una fan y se grabó bajo la lluvia en medio de un show: el video
Panorama Internacional: guerra y paz, el orden mundial a golpe de mouse
Cómo consultar el padrón electoral de Formosa 2025
La China Suárez padece la peor traición de parte de Benjamín Vicuña
En el kirchnerismo insisten en que CFK recupere la libertad con el próximo gobierno: “Incluso puede ser antes”
Estados Unidos bombardeó tres instalaciones nucleares en Irán y escala el conflicto en Medio Oriente
La CGT llega a su punto máximo de ebullición interna y surge el “modelo Ubaldini” para elegir a su futuro líder
La Justicia rechazó el pedido de Cristina Kirchner para recibir visitas sin solicitar autorización previa
Nueve días de ataques de Israel abrieron paso al bombardeo de EEUU sobre la central nuclear de Fordow
Cómo consultar el padrón electoral de Formosa 2025
«,»type»:»raw_html»},{«content»:»¿Qué cargos se eligen en las elecciones de Santa Fe?»,»type»:»header»},{«content»:»En estas elecciones generales, los santafesinos elegirán:»,»type»:»text»},{«type»:»list»},{«type»:»custom_embed»},{«content»:»Es importante recordar que las...
A qué hora habla Javier Milei en el Congreso Libertario
La ciudad de La Plata se prepara para recibir este jueves a Javier Milei en el congreso organizado por La...
Qué es el Congreso Libertario donde hablará Milei
El presidente Javier Milei será el encargado de cerrar el congreso organizado por La Libertad Avanza (LLA). El evento generó...
-
INTERNACIONAL3 días agoLa guerra en Oriente Medio: el Pentágono contradice a Donald Trump y asegura que el bombardeo a Irán solo retrasó su plan nuclear un par de meses
-
POLITICA2 días agoCon un desempate de Magario, el Senado bonaerense aprobó la reelección indefinida de los legisladores provinciales
-
POLITICA3 días agoRenunció la jueza Julieta Makintach en la antesala de un juicio político en su contra