Was John Paul II euthanased?
The deaths of popes offer rich pickings for scandal-mongers and conspiracy theorists. David Yallop sold 6 million copies of In God's Name, which argued that...
German politician backs euthanasia
Assisted suicide in English-speaking countries is generally associated with progressive politics. However, in Germany a right- wing politician has created a stir by offering to...
Californian euthanasia supporters find loophole
In California, supporters of assisted suicide have adopted a similar strategy. Having failed to persuade the State Legislature to legalise it, as in neighbouring Oregon,...
Nature backs drugs in sport
The world's leading science journal, Nature, has endorsed performance-enhancing drugs in sport. Its argument is based on the growing acceptance of drugs by ordinary people...
Screening leads to unnecessary abortions, says Israeli study
With fresh discoveries of disease genes announced almost weekly, more and more doctors are offering parents the possibility of having an abortion to prevent affected...
UK clinic to screen for Alzheimer’s
A couple who fear that they will pass on a gene for early-onset Alzheimer's disease have been given permission to screen their embryos to keep...
Enthusiasm for hybrid embryos spreads
Hybrid embryos are clearly the Next Big Thing in stem cell research. Hard on the heels of a decision by the UK's fertility authority to...
Sex-change operations leave patients satisfied
Despite significant complication rates, most sex-change surgery patients in Britain assert that they are happy with the outcome. According to a survey of 220 men...
Death in gene therapy trial raises questions
The mysterious death of an Illinois woman in a gene therapy clinical trial has raised questions about informed consent and the future of novel therapies...