Mercy killing husband cleared of murder

An Italian appeals court has overturned the murder conviction of a man who disconnected his comatose wife’s life support system in a ruling that has ignited a debate on euthanasia.

One of Italy’s top cancer specialists and a former health minister, Dr Umberto Veronesi, praised the ruling for bringing the issue to the forefront. ‘‘It creates a debate about how we think about life,’’ he said today.