Stem cell processes unpatentable if embryos destroyed: EU court
“The use of human embryos for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes which are applied to the human embryo and are useful to it is patentable,” the ECJ said in a statement. “But their use for purposes of scientific research is not patentable.”It added: “A process which involves removal of a stem cell from a human embryo at the blastocyst stage, entailing the destruction of that embryo, cannot be patented.”Stem cell scientists had feared a decision to uphold the legal opinion of Advocate General Yves Bot, which was handed down in March, could hobble research and development into an area that is expected to provide many 21st-century medicines.
Force India to sell stake to Sahara group - source
Mallya and Sahara Chairman Subrata Roy are due to hold a
joint news conference later on Wednesday, but the agenda was not
known and spokesmen for both companies declined to comment on
the stake sale.Force India was formed in 2007 when a consortium led by
Mallya and Dutch entrepreneur Michiel Mol bought the loss-making
Spyker Formula One team and later renamed it Force India.India is set to host its maiden Grand Prix on Oct. 30 at the
120,000-capacity circuit on the outskirts of Delhi.Some media reports last week said Mallya planned to sell the
team to the Sahara group, but this was denied by the liquor and
aviation baron.”As Team Principal, I will continue to run the team and I
have no plans whatsoever to exit,” he had said.Mallya has a profitable liquor business, but is facing rough
weather in aviation.His Kingfisher airline, India’s second-largest private
airline, which has never reported a profit, recently announced
plans to exit the low-cost part of the airline business and
focus on the premium model to reduce debt.The auditors of Kingfisher have said that the firm needs
extra cash as the airline struggles to survive in a challenging
market.Force India, whose current drivers are German Adrian Sutil
and Britain’s Paul Di Resta, are currently placed sixth in the
Formula One constructor standings.The Sahara group, which also supported the Indian hockey
team, had bid $370 million to became owners of the Pune
franchise in cricket’s Indian Premier League in October, 2010.
(Writing and additional reporting by Sudipto Ganguly; editing
by Rosemary Arackaparambil and Vinu Pilakkott; to query or
comment on this story, email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
