News,

The Medical Treatment (Prevention of Euthanasia) Bill made good progress during two meetings of its House of Commons committee yesterday. Amendments which would have detracted from the main purpose of the bill did not succeed. The committee's proceedings can be read on the web at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmstand/c/st000216/am/00216s01.htm The state of Nicaragua has made 25 March the national day of the unborn, and cites the country's constitution in support of the move. The government's official gazette quotes the constitution's guarantee of the right to life and its "special protection [for] the process of human reproduction, covering the woman throughout the pregnancy." The day will first be celebrated next month. [Zenit, 16 February, 2000] Mr Massimo d'Alema, the Italian prime minister, has urged his fellow-citizens to have more children in order to improve the country's economy. [Metro, 17 February, 2000] This bulletin is privately circulated by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, www.spuc.org.uk, 5/6 St Matthew Street, London, United Kingdom, SW1P 2JT, +44 20 7222 3763. The reliability of the news herein is dependent on that of the cited sources. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. Please forward this bulletin to other interested parties. To unsubscribe, send an appropriate email to information@spuc.freeserve.co.uk