You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

Hello, I'm Oliver Conway.

This edition is published in the early hours of Thursday,

the 7th of September.

Scientists in Israel have grown an almost exact replica of a human embryo

without using sperm or an egg.

The US has promised more military aid for Ukraine

on the day 17 people were killed in a Russian missile attack on a marketplace.

And later.

The Rolling Stones are back with a new album.

Also in the podcast, a nationwide manhunt is under way in Britain

as a terrorism suspect makes a rare escape from prison.

And four Roman swords believed to have been captured by Jewish rebels

are discovered in a remote cave in Israel.

Now, what constitutes life?

Well, scientists have managed to create a near-exact replica of a 14-day-old human embryo

without using sperm, an egg, or a womb.

The so-called model embryo contained all the cell types needed to develop and grow.

The scientists from the Weizmann Institute in Israel say their research aims to shed light

on the mysterious but crucial early days after conception.

It could lead to new breakthroughs in preventing early miscarriage

and in the development of new technologies for growing organs for transplant.

...