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Belgium MPs have voted to give terminally ill children the right to die regardless of age. Takingthe 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 allowedmercy-killing for adults. The legislation states that a child would have to be in a hopelessmedical situation, in constant suffering, conscious and able to make the choice. JacquelineHerremans, 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 amsatisfied that it was possible to have that debate. And that it was possible for the Belgiumparliament 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 owndemocratic party, the dominant 1 party in Italy's ruling coalition 2 voted for a change ofgovernment. Alan Johnston has the details.

Mr. Letta has led Italy's coalition government for nearly a year. But although he's been primeminister, he hasn't led his own faction 3, the Democratic Party. Its leadership contest wasrecently won by the young and ambitious mayor of Florence, Matteo Renzi. Relations betweenhim and Prime Minister Letta soon became extremely fraught 4. And at a critically importantfaction 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 65prisoners from Bagram prison. Mr. Karzai said the issue was of no concern to the US.

“If the Afghan judicial 5 authorities decide to release a prisoner, it is of no concern to the USand should be of no concern to the US. And I hope that the United Stated will stop harassingAfghanistan's procedures and judicial authority and I hope that the United States will nowbegin 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 haspromised to take action on poaching. The illegal wildlife trade is worth an estimated $19bn ayear. The countries say its links to corruption 6 and organized crime need to be investigated asa priority, the leaders of four African countries have promised to honor a ten-yearmoratorium on sales of ivory.

World News from the BBC

The United Nations Mission in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo says more than 70people were summarily executed in late January and early February. It's said the killings 7 weremainly committed by armed groups in north Kivu province, despite terror among thepopulation. The UN intervention 8 force has increased its presence in the area, havingdefeated the M23 rebel group in November last year.

The United Nations mediator 9 Lakhdar Brahimi has said that senior American and Russianofficials have pledged to do whatever they can to help the deadlocked 10 peace talks on Syria. TheUS undersecretary of state and the Russian deputy foreign minister have come to Geneva inorder to put more pressure on the Syrian government and opposition 11 delegations 12. 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 asthe Untied 13 Nations is concerned, we will certainly not leave one stone unturned, if there is apossibility 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 14 that it's supported anti-government demonstrationsin Kenya. The National Security Advisory 16 Committee accused the American Aid Agency USAIDof trying to overthrow 17 the government by supporting activists 18. Police used teargas to dispersea protester in the city on Thursday. The Committee said it had credible 19 documents showingUSAID had funded such demonstrations 15.

The Italian football club Lazio has insisted that one of their players Joseph Minala formCameroon is 17 years old as the player says after it was alleged 20 he was actually 41. The clubstated that the midfielder's birth certificate was legitimate 21. Minala, who's played in youthtournaments for the club also issued a statement, denying he told an African website that hehad lied about his age.