Roe v. Wade has been challenged in South Dakota 6th March, 2006 : Governor Rounds has signed legislation to ban most abortions in South Dakota, and has set a challenge to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion. The bill will make it a crime for doctors to perform abortions unless the procedure was necessary to save the woman's life, and makes no exception for cases of rape or incest.

The British ferry, the Herald of Free Enterprise, capsized after leaving Zeebrugge, Belgium in the English Channel on route to Dover with the loss of more than 140 passengers when the cargo doors were not closed allowing sea water to flood the ship through the car deck entrance. It is Believed the person in charge of closing the door had fallen asleep in the bunk. As a result, 188 people died.