Month in review

Belgian Parliament voted to legalize euthanasia, becoming just the second country to do so. ... Christian Democrats win Dutch elections and they are reportedly readys to re-examine euthanasia law and liberal drug laws. Albert Jan Maat, a CDA member of the European parliament, said: "The reality is that people are not so keen on euthanasia as on greater possibilities of care and palliative treatment, and this is a request that gained ground when euthanasia was legalized in the country." ... A.J. Levinson, one-time executive director of the now-defunct Concern for Dying which promoted the concept of living wills, a document that allows a person to outline one's wishes for end-of-life care, died in Manhattan at the age of 73 ... The Supreme Court of Michigan rejected a request by euthanasia activist and convicted murderer Jack Kevorkian for a new trial. Kevorkian is serving a 10-25 year sentence for a so-called mercy killing that was filmed and broadcast on American network television. ... The Hawaiian Senate voted 14-11 to defeat a bill that would have allowed physician-assisted suicide.

Zenit reports that Italian Life Assistance Centres in Italy have saved 55,000 children since they began operating 25 years ago, including 6,000 last year. ... Russia legislature votes 260-4 to ban all human cloning for five years. ... A report in the Medical Journal says that New Zealand is one of the few developed countries to experience a dramatic rise in the number of abortions during the 1990s, with the rate rising from 14 to 19 per 1,000 women aged 15-44. ... United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics releases fertility numbers, showing British birth rate at the lowest level since records began. The birth rate is 1.64, well under the 2.1 to maintain a stable population. ... Swiss voters decide on June 2 whether to legalize first trimester abortions. While officially illegal, there are an estimated 12,000-13,000 abortions committed annually in Switzerland. ... Swiss pro-lifers demonstrating across the country were attacked by pro-abortion thugs wearing hoods.

A report in Fertility and Sterility says Chinese women who have acupuncture while undergoing in-vitro fertilization treatment increase their likelihood of conceiving by nearly 50 per cent. Researchers are at a loss to explain the increased success rate. ... Journal of the American Medical Association reports on a Danish study that finds breast-feeding can improve IQ ... Doctors at Ottawa Hospital used adult stem cells taken from multiple sclerosis patients to attempt to cure them of their disabling condition. The stem cells were obtained from the patients' own bone marrow. Dr. Mark Freedman said, "In four cases, we've had four successful grafts with no evidence of any active disease."

Ontario gay lifestyle magazine Fab asks various celebrities what Marc Hall, an Oshawa high school student who won the right to bring his same-sex date to the prom, should wear for the occasion. Much Music's George Stoumboulopoulos says, "I think Marc Hall should go to the prom dressed as a priest because they seem to be able to get away with everything." ... National Post reports "the average male spends about 33 per cent of his time online viewing 'adult content'." Online porn financial analysts worry, however, "There are now too many porn sites chasing too few male eyes." ... Reuters reports that pornographic magazine Penthouse is beleaguered by a myriad of problems as circulation has dropped to 650,000 from one-time high of five million ... The Mail reports that British clothes retailers will sell the "Tammy line" of padded bras and g-string underwear targeted to girls as young as nine-years-old. Child advocate Megan Burns says, "Nine-year-old girls should not be thinking of clothing in a sexual way and that's what a padded bra does." ... Toronto Star personal ad reads: "Stable gay couple, looking for experienced gestational carrier. Please send reply with confirmation..." A gestational carrier?