Australian Senate OKs cloning embryos

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061107/ap_on_he_me/australia_stem_cell

Australian Senate OKs cloning embryos

By ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press Writer 38 minutes ago

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's Senate narrowly voted Tuesday to lift the country's ban on cloning human embryos for stem cell research.
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The bill, which was approved 34-32, would relax rules on stem cell research and allow therapeutic cloning of embryos for medical research. The House of Representatives still needs to pass the bill before it becomes law, but lawmakers had expected the Senate to pose the biggest hurdle.

Scientists hope stem cell research will eventually lead to treatments or cures for diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, as well as spinal cord injuries, diabetes and arthritis.

The emotional debate on the legislation introduced by a former health minister, Sen. Kay Patterson, began Monday.