BBC News with Julie Candler
Belgium MPs have voted to give terminally ill children the right to die regardless of age. Taking the law on euthanasia further than anywhere else. Despite protests from the Catholic Church, there was overwhelming support in parliament for extending a ruling from 2002 which allowed mercy-killing for adults. The legislation states that a child would have to be in a hopeless medical situation, in constant suffering, conscious and able to make the choice. Jacqueline Herremans, the director of Belgium's Right to Die Association supports the decision.
“It is difficult to be as I said happy about a vote that concerns children who are suffering. Children who will die before they have the possibility to become adults. But I have to say I am satisfied that it was possible to have that debate. And that it was possible for the Belgium parliament to have the courage to depenalize use of euthanasia for children as well.
The Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has announced he'll stand down on Friday after his own democratic party, the dominant party in Italy's ruling coalition voted for a change of government. Alan Johnston has the details.
Mr. Letta has led Italy's coalition government for nearly a year. But although he's been prime minister, he hasn't led his own faction, the Democratic Party. Its leadership contest was recently won by the young and ambitious mayor of Florence, Matteo Renzi. Relations between him and Prime Minister Letta soon became extremely fraught. And at a critically important faction meeting, Mr. Renzi openly called for a new government. The Party backed his demand. And Prime Minister Letta's position immediately became untenable.
President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan has rejected Washington's criticism of the release of 65 prisoners from Bagram prison. Mr. Karzai said the issue was of no concern to the US.
“If the Afghan judicial authorities decide to release a prisoner, it is of no concern to the US and should be of no concern to the US. And I hope that the United Stated will stop harassing Afghanistan's procedures and judicial authority and I hope that the United States will now begin to respect Afghan sovereignty.”
Washington said it had strong evidence against many of the prisoners who've been released.
At a major conference in London on the illegal wildlife trade, a group of 46 countries has promised to take action on poaching. The illegal wildlife trade is worth an estimated $19bn a year. The countries say its links to corruption and organized crime need to be investigated as a priority, the leaders of four African countries have promised to honor a ten-year moratorium on sales of ivory.
World News from the BBC
The United Nations Mission in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo says more than 70 people were summarily executed in late January and early February. It's said the killings were mainly committed by armed groups in north Kivu province, despite terror among the population. The UN intervention force has increased its presence in the area, having defeated the M23 rebel group in November last year.
The United Nations mediator Lakhdar Brahimi has said that senior American and Russian officials have pledged to do whatever they can to help the deadlocked peace talks on Syria. The US undersecretary of state and the Russian deputy foreign minister have come to Geneva in order to put more pressure on the Syrian government and opposition delegations. Mr. Brahimi said the UN was committed to finding a solution.
“It is a very very very complicated subject. Failure is always staring at us in the face. As far as the Untied Nations is concerned, we will certainly not leave one stone unturned, if there is a possibility to move forward.”
In Syria, a ceasefire in the city of Homs has been extended for 3 more days.
The United States has denied accusations that it's supported anti-government demonstrations in Kenya. The National Security Advisory Committee accused the American Aid Agency USAID of trying to overthrow the government by supporting activists. Police used teargas to disperse a protester in the city on Thursday. The Committee said it had credible documents showing USAID had funded such demonstrations.
The Italian football club Lazio has insisted that one of their players Joseph Minala form Cameroon is 17 years old as the player says after it was alleged he was actually 41. The club stated that the midfielder's birth certificate was legitimate. Minala, who's played in youth tournaments for the club also issued a statement, denying he told an African website that he had lied about his age.