■ United States
State moves to ban abortion
South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds has signed legislation that would ban most abortions, a law he acknowledged would be tied up in court for years while the state challenges the 1973 US Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. The bill signed on Monday would make it a crime for doctors to perform an abortion unless the procedure was necessary to save the woman's life. It would make no exception for cases of rape or incest. Planned Parenthood, which operates the state's only abortion clinic, in Sioux Falls, immediately pledged to challenge the measure.
■ Canada
Horse gets hero's send-off
Hundreds of dignitaries, police officers and ordinary citizens paid tribute on Monday to Brigadier, a police horse on the Toronto force that was killed in the line of duty. Speakers praised the special bond between rider and mount, while the officer who was in the saddle when an irate motorist rammed the horse known as "Brig" struggled to express the depth of his loss. ``Today I'm grateful to be able to say goodbye to my partner, and tell him that being in the saddle will never be the same,'' Constable Kevin Bradfield said through tears during his eulogy. Brigadier, killed Feb. 24, was given a hero's send-off at a large sports stadium. The driver who hit him is charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.
■ Defense
Britain, France ink ship pact
Britain and France signed an agreement on Monday to jointly develop a new generation of aircraft carriers which the British Ministry of Defense said would be "the largest and most powerful warships ever constructed in the UK." A memorandum was signed by French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and her British counterpart, John Reid, on the sidelines of an EU defense meeting in Innsbruck, Austria. A statement by the British ministry said France will pay Britain £100 million (US$175 million) for access to work Britain has already done on the project. London has committed around £450 million to the 65,000 tonne vessel's design and will make a final decision on building the carriers next year.
■ Brazil
Logger attacks activists
The head of an agricultural cooperative attacked a group of about 50 Greenpeace activists with knives as they protested illegal logging in the Amazon on Monday, the group said. Jose Donizetti Pires de Oliveira did not injure anyone, but he damaged a banner and cars, Greenpeace said. Brazilian authorities fined Donizetti1.49 million reals (US$703,200) in January for illegally cutting down trees on 995 hectares of jungle.
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