No More Selective Abortion in China

In an attempt to right an imbalanced gender ratio, and as part of its aggressive single-child policy, the Chinese government will outlaw selective abortions of female fetuses. But is this a naïve stopgap? As this Reuters article points out, fixing the gender gap is far more complex since the cards remain stacked against Chinese girls once they make it out of the womb. --Dominic Sisti

China to Ban Brain Surgery for Drug Addiction

Xinhuanet notes that the Chinese Health Ministry, citing ethics concerns, has finally banned (and ceased financial support for) a brain surgery treatment for drug addiction. The surgery has been shown to cause personality disorders among other side effects.