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So a neutron star is kind of about the size of Chicago.
Unexpected elements from the BBC World Service.
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Hello, and welcome to NewsHour.
It's coming to you live from the BBC World Service studios in central London.
I'm Tim Franks, and we're beginning the program with that rare type of political debate.
It's intensely emotional, it's complex.
It deals with one of the greatest things of all, the way we die, or at least some of us.
And it involves a large minority of lawmakers saying that they don't just feel torn, that they simply don't quite know how they're going to vote, and that the chances are they'll make up their minds only when they've listened in detail to the arguments.
As I say, it's a rare sort of debate, and it's been going on today for the best part of five hours.
In the British Parliament, it's on what's called assisted dying, legislation to allow doctors in England and Wales to help some terminally ill people to die when they choose.
The vote in the House of Commons in Westminster is due to happen while we're on air.
Unusually, this is not a government bill.
It's coming from a backbench Labour Member of Parliament, Kim Ledbeater.
She said that the current system was failing and robbing those who were terminally ill and suffering of choice.
Any one of us or our loved ones could be unfortunate or unlucky enough to receive a terminal diagnosis.
And I struggle to see how it is fair or just to deny anyone the autonomy, dignity and personal choice that we might want to take control of our final weeks.
And the right to choose does not take away the right not to choose.
Amen.