There have been demonstrations outside the Dutch parliament in The Hague, following its decision to legalise euthanasia. The Netherlands has become the first country to allow doctors to end the lives of terminally ill patients who have expressed a wish to die, subject to a number of safeguards. The country's ruling coalition argued that it was a humane measure. Egbert Shueman of the opposition Christian Union party said the new law contained too many loopholes.
