Antidepressants can save lives. At best, they work. At worst, they are a sticking plaster, hopefully enabling people to hold it all together until they get other help in the form of talking therapies. Either way, they are not supposed to be long-term medication. But whether depression is now better diagnosed or we live in…
Myanmar court rejects final appeal by jailed Reuters journalists
The highest court of Myanmar has denied the final appeal of the two Reuters journalists who were imprisoned for their reporting on the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, upholding the seven-year prison sentence and dashing the last hope that justice would be served. The swift ruling, by Myanmar’s highest court, was a devastating blow to…
Japanese city gets its first ever female politician
Misuzu Ikeda has struck a rare blow for Japanese women in politics by becoming the first female candidate to be elected to the local assembly in the southern city of Tarumizu. Ikeda hugged supporters on Sunday night when she finished third out of 17 candidates for the 14-seat assembly in Tarumizu, which is officially recognised…
Leader of militia at US border boasted of training to kill Obama – FBI
The leader of an armed group that is stopping undocumented migrants who cross into the US from Mexico once boasted about training to assassinate Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and George Soros, an FBI agent said in court papers on Monday. Larry Mitchell Hopkins, leader of the United Constitutional Patriots (UCP), whose camouflage-wearing armed members claim…
Jared Diamond: So how do states recover from crises? Same way as people do
It is hard to imagine that the renowned environmental historian Jared Diamond’s new book Upheaval could have arrived in the UK at a more timely moment. The subtitle screams its urgent relevance: How Nations Cope with Crisis and Change. If that advice isn’t needed by our political class right now, you wouldn’t want to see…
California authorities seek woman who dropped seven puppies in dumpster
Authorities are trying to identify a woman who was captured by security cameras tossing seven newborn puppies into a dumpster in southern California. The Riverside county Department of Animal Services released surveillance video of the woman pulling up to a dumpster behind an auto parts store in Coachella on Thursday afternoon. The video showed her…
Tripoli hit by airstrikes as Haftar steps up assault on Libyan capital
Several airstrikes, including the first alleged use of armed drones in the conflict, shook Tripoli overnight in an escalation of the United Arab Emirate-backed assault on the Libyan capital led by Khalifa Haftar. The allegations about the use of drones were made by the Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli, and supported by…
Canada avalanche: bodies of three renowned mountaineers found
The bodies of three world-renowned professional mountaineers – two Austrians and an American – were found Sunday after they went missing during an avalanche on a western Canadian summit, the national parks agency said. American Jess Roskelley, 36, and Hansjörg Auer, 35, and David Lama, 28, of Austria went missing late Tuesday at Banff National…
Mike Pompeo says ‘several’ US citizens killed in Sri Lanka attacks
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday “several” US citizens died in a series of explosions in Sri Lanka that killed at least 290 people and left 500 injured. That toll was expected to rise. Thirty-six foreigners were reported to be among those killed in attacks which targeted churches and hotels and were thought…
Sri Lanka explosions: what we know so far
A series of explosions has rocked Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. Here is what we know so far: At least 290 people have been killed and 500 more injured in a series of explosions targeting churches holding Easter services and hotels in Sri Lanka. Most of the dead are believed to be Sri Lankans, but…