China’s Octomom highlights a booming surrogacy business
There is an extraordinary story behind the photo above. These babies are allegedly the children of one wealthy couple in Guangzhou. The wife had twins...
The danger of being a doctor in a war zone
Dr Abd-al-Razzaq Jbeiro, secretary-general of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, was shot and killed two weeks ago on a highway near Damascus. Dr Abd-al-Razzaq Jbeiro,...
Georgia Supreme Court strikes quashes assisted-suicide law
The Georgia Supreme Court has struck down a central provision of a state law that criminalised some assisted suicides because it breaches free speech rights....
Lesbian couple “betrayed” by gay father who wants to see his son
A lesbian couple in the UK say they feel “bitter and betrayed” because their gay sperm donor is demanding weekend and holiday contact with his...
An Obama misstep?
Has President Obama made a major political miscalculation at the beginning of an election year? He has announced that his administration will force employer-provided private...
Mobile euthanasia squads launched in the Netherlands
Six euthanasia flying squads of a doctor and a nurse will begin making house calls in the Netherlands on March 1. The teams will visit...
Neuroscience as the military’s new weapon
Doctors are not the only professionals excited about rapid advances in neuroscience. The military and the police are following advances closely, creating the possibility of...
Single-embryo transfers? Fugedaboudit, says NY IVF doctor
Single-embryo transfer should be the gold standard in IVF, argue many European fertility specialists. The risk of multiple pregnancies is too high, with dangers for...
Dutch celebrate a decade of euthanasia with a film festival
The world’s first euthanasia film festival is being held in Amsterdam, sponsored by the Dutch Right to Die lobby (NVVE). This week, from February 6...
Do we need a morality pill?
Hi there, The bioethicist Peter Singer tweeted the other day that he had just co-authored an article in the New York Times about a morality...
Lost in surrogacy’s Bermuda Triangle
Just when you thought that surrogate motherhood could not get more bizarre and complicated, a news flash comes from Hyderabad, the centre of the Indian...
Scores of UK patients die with bedsores, infections and malnutrition
New figures show that 75 patients are dying in UK hospitals and care homes each day with conditions potentially caused by neglect. In 2010, over...