· News: Campaign to ease abortion law
· News: Councils facing £100m bill to care for sick and destitute migrants
· Comment: The real divide - deciphering David Cameron's plans to roll back the welfare state
Welcome to the daily news alert from SocietyGuardian.co.uk
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Today's top story - We must back all parents without making judgments, says chancellor
Gordon Brown has attempted to draw a clear division between himself and David Cameron over family policy, arguing that it is not the state's job to make "ideological judgments" such as rewarding marriage with tax breaks.
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MORE NEWS
· Abortion: Campaign to ease abortion law
A campaign launched today calls on the government to reform Britain's 40-year-old abortion law to let women have a termination without needing the consent of two doctors.
· Immigration: Councils facing £100m bill to care for sick and destitute migrants
The home secretary, John Reid, is facing demands from more than 100 councils who blame "chaotic" government immigration procedures for leaving them to support migrants assessed as having "no recourse to public funds".
· Health: Mothers-to-be warned of mercury threat
An international team of scientists have warned pregnant women of the dangers of eating some fish species because of mercury contamination.
· Health: Government to continue 'flawed' doctor interviews
The government has said it will continue interviewing junior doctors under a heavily criticised new recruitment system - despite ordering an urgent review of the scheme.
· Children: £2m payout in children's homes abuse claim
Alleged victims of sexual and physical abuse at children's homes across Manchester have been awarded more than £2m in compensation, their lawyer revealed yesterday.
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FEATURES AND COMMENT
· Politics: The real divide
David Cameron is setting up a false choice with his alternative notion of a welfare society, says Jim Bennett.
· IT: The evidence mounts on the need for expert witnesses
There is rising concern over the lack of any certification or register for those offering specialist knowledge on computers to courts, says Peter Warren.
· Women: Where are the female leaders of the future?
Despite the emphasis placed on diversity, the number of senior women in the civil service has dropped recently. Anna Bawden of Public magazine assesses who is coming through the ranks.
