News,

US scientists believe that it may one day be possible to create animal-human hybrids to supply organs for transplants. Researchers at the University of Nevada intend to try injecting an animal foetus with human bone marrow stem cells in an attempt to produce a chimera. Donor organs from the chimera would be less likely to be rejected by the human patient, they hope. [ BBC, 18 December ] An ex-girlfriend of Ian Huntley, the man who was convicted yesterday of the killing of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, has claimed that he deliberately caused his former wife to have a miscarriage. Janine Oliver claimed that he pushed his wife down the stairs and beat her until she suffered internal bleeding resulting in a miscarriage. She stated: "I can imagine if he can kill an unborn child and he has moods like he does, he can kill two 10-year-olds." [Ananova, 17 December ] The Voluntary Euthanasia Society has unanimously accepted Dr Irwin's resignation as chairman, following his admission that he planned to help euthanasia campaigner Patrick Kneen to kill himself. Gilly Vincent, the acting chairman, commented: "The board agreed Dr Irwin's conduct was incompatible with his continuing as a director of VES. The board has now accepted his resignation and is appreciative of his contribution in resolving this issue." [The Independent, 18 December ] A Milwaukee woman may face criminal charges after she signed an abortion consent form for her son's underage girlfriend, pretending to be her aunt. The girl's mother went to the police after she found out about the abortion. The woman concerned, who also paid for the abortion, claimed that she had been 'their last hope'. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 December ] A US Food and Drug Administration panel has recommended that the morning after pill should be made available over-the-counter after heated arguments about whether or not the pill causes an abortion. Some 2.4 million US women have taken the pill after it was introduced in 1999 and the rate is expected to rise sharply if the FDA accepts the panel's recommendation. The US Catholic bishops' conference and Concerned Women of America both appealed to the panel against the application, whilst the American Medical Association supported the change. [Yahoo News, 17 December ] Ohio's ban on partial birth abortion has been approved in a federal appeals court. The three-judge panel found that the new law is not unconstitutional, though the inventor of the procedure, Martin Haskell, has said that he will appeal the decision. [Lifenews.com, 17 December ] A report released by New Zealand's Abortion Supervisory Committee has revealed that the country has trouble with the 'recruitment and retention' of abortionists and is having to fly them in from abroad. In spite of the unwillingness of New Zealand medical personnel to perform abortions, the country's abortion rate remains high. [LifeSite, 17 December ] Two pro-life lawyers face ruin after their lawsuit against Planned Parenthood failed, Lifenews.com reports. Richard Ackerman and Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation charged Planned Parenthood of America with knowing about and failing to report hundreds of child abuse cases. In spite of evidence which included public records and Planned Parenthood's own files, a superior court judge dismissed the charges as 'frivolous' and awarded PPA's attorneys $15,000. According to Mr Kreep, one of them has threatened to go to their office and start removing furniture and computers, as Planned Parenthood having tried for years to close the pro-life firm. [Lifenews.com, 18 December ] Pro-lifers are winning the demographic battle, according to the Population Research Institute, having an average of three children compared with pro-abortion people who have an average of one child. Brian Clowes of Human Life International carried out the initial investigation and noted that there were "significant, even striking differences in fertility between the two groups." [Lifesite, 18 December ]