The French National Assembly has begun a marathon debate on legalising same-sex marriage after months of public protests and counter-protests.

The bill, promised by President Francois Hollande during his election campaign last year, allows for same-sex marriage and adoption(усыновление)by gay parents.

Mr Hollande's Socialists and their allies(союзники) command enough parliamenta ... Read more »

Stem cells given in the vital period immediately after a stroke may aid recovery, suggest researchers.

Rats injected with stem cells 30 minutes after a stroke(инсульт) had almost normal brain function restored within a fortnight(2 недели).

The Bolivian research team say the method has potential in human trials.

Current best practice is to treat many patients with "c ... Read more »

At least 20% of people, including half of schoolchildren, were infected with swine flu during the first year of the pandemic in 2009, according to data from 19 countries.

It is thought the virus killed 200,000 people around the world.

A World Health Organization-led study looked for evidence(подтверждение) of the body's immune system fighting the virus.

It showed large numbers of people had been ... Read more »