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Briefly noted

For the second time in as many years, President Bush vetoed a bill June 20 that would have expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. However, in order to soften the political impact of nixing the popular legislation, Bush coupled his veto announcement with an executive order designed to promote other kinds of stem cell research that offer “new possibilities for progress without conflict or ethical controversy.” Bush vetoed the “Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007,” which the House and Senate earlier passed by wide—but not veto-proof—margins.

Christians in Iraq are in peril, church leader warns: Christianity may disappear from the country

A Christian leader from Iraq has warned that Christianity may disappear from his country if no action is taken to stem the hardships faced by this minority community in the predominantly Muslim country.

“Members of all religions—including both Islam and Christianity—are suffering now in my country, but Christians as a minority are in greater danger of seeing their historic churches disappear,” said Archbishop Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil, the Rome representative of the Syrian Catholic Church.