The United States senate has rejected provisions passed by the House of Representatives to remove all federal funding from Planned Parenthood, America's largest provider and promoter of abortions. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council described such funding as "wasteful". The provisions would also have removed all federal funding for abortions in the District of Columbia [Earth Times, 9 March] http://bit.ly/h09awr
Spanish girl beats cancer with umbilical-cord stem cells
A girl with brain cancer has been cured using umbilical-cord stem cells, says a stem-cell bank in Spain. The bank says it is the first such cure in Spain. [CNA, 8 March] http://bit.ly/gBTXlb The use of umbilical-cord stem cells are an ethical alternative to using embryonic stem cells.
UK doctors consistently oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide, suggests study
A new study suggests that doctors in the UK have opposed both euthanasia and assisted consistently over the past two decades. Researchers from Limerick, Ireland, used 16 key studies into doctors' attitudes between 1990 and 2010. The researchers found that opposition to euthanasia and assisted suicide was strongest among religious doctors. [Medical News Today, 9 March]
Other stories:
Oxford professor wants IVF and embryo tests to select for intelligence [Wesley Smith, 9 March] http://bit.ly/gnJMja
UK deputy prime minister's wife calls for cord blood donations [London Evening Standard, 9 March] http://bit.ly/eIyBrY
Man who assisted wife's suicide will not be prosecuted [Daily Mail, 9 March] http://bit.ly/fjAbH9