Free Republic

President Trump said Friday he plans to make a “major statement” on Russia early next week — as the Senate considers legislation to force his hand on sanctions after months of threats from the commander-in-chief. “I think I’ll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday,” Trump told NBC News in a phone interview Thursday. “You’ll be seeing things happen,” Trump told a reporter Friday morning on the White House lawn when asked about an overnight Russian drone attack that damaged a maternity hospital in Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv.

The National Maternity Hospital will begin accepting referrals for abortion services from Monday, 7 January. In a new section on its website, titled “Unplanned Pregnancy Support Services”, the hospital said it would take women from its catchment area of South Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare. Referrals will only be accepted from GPs or community-based services such as the Irish Family Planning Association and the Well Woman Clinic. Regulated abortion services have been legal in Ireland since President Michael D. Higgins signed the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill into law on 20 December. Hospitals and GPs have been working with...