Voluntary End News Today

Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife committed legally assisted suicide by euthanasia simultaneously this week.

Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife committed legally assisted suicide by euthanasia simultaneously this week.

[Sam's original lede] A Dutch medical federation removed the age limit for patients who desire to hasten their lives by ceasing to eat and drink, allowing young people who no longer wish to live to die by starvation and dehydration.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- A Dutch court on Wednesday upheld the Netherlands ban on assisted suicide, a setback for activists who said the prohibition infringes on their right to determine when their lives end.

The Netherlands is the first nation to legalize doctor-involved euthanasia. However, the country does not approve suicide assisted by non-physicians.