International surrogacy and the narrow legal idea of what makes a family legitimate

By Katie Tonkiss, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Aston University

A recent family court judgment in the UK highlighted ethical issues with the practice of international surrogacy. The case is thought to be the first to come before a court in the UK involving a surrogate who gave birth in China, where surrogacy is illegal. It raised numerous concerns – including about the welfare of the surrogate and child, the use of sex selection and the child’s immigration status and nationality.

Surrogacy is a growing practice in the UK, with the number of births…

Read complete article

~	More than water: villagers in South Africa mapped a river’s importance to daily life

~	Mining, water and trust: how Namibia’s geoscientists see their role with communities

~	AI and blockchain are coming to African farms: 4 things must happen for farmers to benefit

~	US midterms: why a Democrat Congress could mean less political gridlock, not more

~	Why Trump, Xi, and Putin can’t carve up the world like the ‘big three’ leaders of 1945

~	The Democrats’ ‘blue tsunami’ is a strong repudiation of Donald Trump. Now, they will look to replicate it in 2028

~	Speaking in a second language may shift your moral compass – but it can’t overpower it

~	Why are Australians so interested in the US midterms?

~	Why an Ebola outbreak in Africa doesn’t mean an epidemic in Britain

~	Why so many British pubs are closing down