- Roma stroll past Udinese as fans protest De Rossi sacking
- Horschel outduels McIlroy to win PGA Championship play-off
- Audiences summon 'Beetlejuice' to top of N. America box office for third week
- Stones salvages point for Man City against 10-man Arsenal
- Egypt fears 'all out' regional war: foreign minister to AFP
- Last-gasp Boniface gives Leverkusen victory, Stuttgart outclass Dortmund
- Scholz's party beats far-right AfD in east German state vote: projections
- Olympic champion Evenepoel retains world title in 'toughest time trial'
- Horschel's eagle beats McIlroy in PGA Championship play-off
- Mourners at commander's funeral express loyalty to Hezbollah
- Norris hails his 'mega' McLaren after dominant win at Singapore
- Monaco beat Le Havre to join PSG at the top of Ligue 1
- Scholz's party narrowly leads far-right AfD in east German state vote: exit polls
- New leftist president vows to 'rewrite Sri Lankan history'
- UN adopts pact to tackle volatile future for mankind
- Leclerc hails Ferrari fightback from torrid Singapore GP qualifying
- Belgian Evenepoel retains world title in 'toughest time trial'
- Sosa rescues point for Forest against Brighton
- Last-gasp Boniface gives Leverkusen victory over Wolfsburg in seven-goal thriller
- Swiss voters reject environment, pensions reforms: official results
- No fairytale ending for Ricciardo after 13 years in Formula One
- Israel and Hezbollah urged to step back from the brink
- What is the UN's 'Pact for the Future'?
- Norris dominates Singapore Grand Prix to cut Verstappen's title lead
- From bullets to ballots: Sri Lanka's comrade president-elect
- McLaren's Lando Norris wins Singapore GP to narrow F1 title race
- UN adopts pact promising to build 'brighter future' for humanity
- Military escalation not in Israel's 'best interest': White House
- Marxist leader declared Sri Lanka's president-elect
- Classes resume at Bangladesh university at heart of protests
- 'Barely anyone left': Sudan's El-Fasher devastated by fighting
- 'Warrior' Joshua vows to fight on despite Dubois mauling
- Martin extends MotoGP lead as Bastianini wins at Misano and Bagnaia crashes out
- New French government instantly under pressure on multiple fronts
- Australia's Brown adds world title to Olympic time trial gold
- Russian strike on Ukraine's Kharkiv wounds 21
- UK's Starmer rules out austerity as Labour conference opens
- Swiss voters reject environment, pensions reforms: projected results
- Israel says 'landed blows' on Hezbollah as Lebanon violence intensifies
- Roma CEO steps down amid anger over club icon De Rossi's sacking
- Incoming French government under pressure on multiple fronts
- Hezbollah rockets strike near Israel's Haifa as UN warns of 'catastrophe'
- Haddad Maia roars back to beat Kasatkina in Korea Open final
- All-rounder Ashwin powers India to 280-run Test win over Bangladesh
- Failed Springbok 'gamble' sets up rugby championship decider
- Lebanon strikes send Israelis to shelters as UN warns of 'catastrophe'
- Far-right AfD eyes new win in east German state vote
- Tony Popovic set to become new Socceroos coach - reports
- All-round Ashwin powers India to big Test win over Bangladesh
- NZ chase 275 to win first Sri Lanka Test after Patel bags six
Japan trials over-the-counter 'morning-after' pill
Japan began a pilot project on Tuesday selling over-the-counter "morning-after" contraceptive pills, but campaigners criticised the scheme as far too small and called for all restrictions to be lifted.
Rights groups have long complained that the emergency contraceptive was only available in socially conservative Japan with a doctor's prescription and a trip to a clinic or pharmacy.
This put many women off, particularly rape victims and teenage girls, according to campaigners.
Under the pilot project, the pill, which can prevent pregnancy within 72 hours of sex but becomes less effective with time, was set to be available at 145 pharmacies.
However, women still have to show ID and take the medication in front of a pharmacist, according to the website of the Japan Pharmaceutical Association.
The minimum age for over-the-counter purchase is 16 years old, though those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
The price was set between 7,000-9,000 yen ($47-61).
The Emergency Contraceptives at Pharmacies Project campaign group said the trial was not enough.
"The selection of pharmacies was very strict. The pill is available only at 145 drugstores, or 0.2 percent of the total of 60,000 in Japan," the organisation's co-chair Asuka Someya told reporters.
Someya also said that the parental consent requirement sets high hurdles for minors.
"There are many who say they cannot talk to their parents about possible pregnancy. It's going to be difficult if they have to talk about their sexual experiences and concern about pregnancy," she said.
"We have again requested the health ministry to make the pill available fully and rapidly at pharmacies" without restrictions, Someya said.
The pilot project follows an overwhelmingly positive reaction to a health ministry public consultation this year, with 97 percent of the 46,000 respondents in favour.
The World Health Organization says on its website that emergency contraception "should be routinely included within all national family planning programmes".
More than 90 other countries allow the morning-after pill without a prescription, according to campaigners.
Ch.Kahalev--AMWN