Interview by Claudia Hammond | BBC News | 7 July 2017

Could Donald Trump's plan to ban US funding for global organisations that offer abortion advice stop women from accessing contraception? President of Women Deliver, Katja Iversen, talks to Claudia about the likely consequences of the ban, often known as the ‘Global Gag Rule’. She says this controversial policy will actually increase numbers of abortions and maternal deaths, and impact other services like immunisations offered at integrated clinics.

Research in the gastronomic capital of France hopes to reveal how the foods we eat influence our risk of getting cancer. Scientists at a biobank in Lyon are analysing blood samples from more than half a million people to see if certain foods increase the risk of bowel cancer. Thousands of compounds produced by different foods have been identified – to see if they can be linked to cancers. The role of microbes living in the gut will also be examined.

E-books score better than paper books in helping to improve language development in very young children according to a new American study. Reading on a tablet computer with a parent increased levels of interaction with very young children – but educational psychologist Gabrielle Strouse says toddlers still love the tactile nature of paper books.