Troy Newman, US Anti-Abortion Activist, To Be Deported After Losing Appeal To Enter Australia

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A U.S. anti-abortion activist on Friday lost his appeal against the cancellation of his visa to enter Australia and will now be deported after he attempted to illegally enter the country.

Troy Newman was detained at Melbourne Airport on Thursday after landing on a flight from the United States and tried to enter Australia despite having his visa revoked earlier in the week.

Newman sought to appeal the decision to revoke his visa, though a spokesman for the Australian High Court told Reuters that the presiding judge had ruled against the U.S. activist.

Newman did not appear in court for the ruling.

He will now be deported from Australia.

The U.S. campaigner said in a Facebook posting earlier this week following the decision by Australia to cancel his visa that his views had been misrepresented.

Critics of Newman, however, point to a previous book, in which he questions why women who have abortions are not charged with murder.

The rejection of Newman's visa comes days after Australia said it would refuse a visa to U.S. hip-hop star Chris Brown, because of the singer's history of domestic violence.

Australia's newly installed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has renewed efforts to fight domestic violence following a spate of high-profile deaths.

(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Michael Perry)