Living wills don’t work, says study
Living wills offer a false promise of control over end-of-life treatment, claims a study in the bioethics journal Hastings Center Report. Researchers at the University...
Conjoined twins have “well-adjusted, rich lives”
Conjoined twins can have such "well-adjusted, rich lives, made possible by the development of cooperation strategies" that we can all learn from them, suggests a...
Chicago IVF clinic creates five “saviour siblings”
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis of 199 eight-celled embryos has resulted in the birth of five saviour siblings, an IVF clinic in Chicago has announced. Writing in...
US exporting contraception to Afghanistan
Part of the US plan for rebuilding Afghanistan is the introduction of contraceptive products developed and marketed specifically for Afghans. With the slogan "Be a...
Embryos needed to cure diabetes, claims Harvard scientist
A vocal proponent of embryonic stem cell research, Harvard professor Douglas Melton, claims that there is "no evidence whatsoever for the existence of an adult...
Morning-after pills will not be sold over the counter in the US
The emergency contraceptive Plan B cannot be sold over the counter, the US Food and Drug Administration has ruled. The agency said that the application...
NZ euthanasia campaigner sentenced to 15 months jail
New Zealand's leading euthanasia campaigner was sentenced to 15 months jail this week for the attempted murder of her terminally ill mother. Although she can...
Gamete donor registry opens in UK
The UK is making it easier for people conceived with donor eggs and sperm to contact their genetic parents. It has set up a voluntary...
Whose fault is “genohype”: journalists or scientists?
A Canadian study has found that English-speaking media is surprisingly accurate in reporting on genetic research, even though it tends to overemphasise its benefits and...
UK nurse accused of hastening deaths to free up beds
A 47-year-old Welsh nursing sister is being tried for the attempted murder of four geriatric patients in order to free up hospital beds. The prosecution...
Swiss MP pushes European euthanasia
A Swiss member of the European parliament is lobbying the Council of Europe to decriminalise euthanasia, as the Netherlands and Belgium have already done. Dick...
Illegal organ market survives in Russia
After a year-long investigation, four Moscow doctors were arrested this week for plotting to murder a patient to supply a flourishing illegal trade in human...