Nobel Prize-winning physicist Werner Heisenberg.

On:
In: Politics

Nobody has officially claimed responsibility for deploying the satellite-controlled machine-gun with “artificial intelligence” used to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in Tehran at the end of November. But you would get fairly short odds were you to bet on it being the Mossad, Israel’s aggressive – and notoriously inventive – foreign intelligence service. Israel has been carrying out what it calls “targeted killings” ever since its foundation in 1948. In his book, Rise and Kill First, leading Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman estimates the number of targeted killings at approximately 2,700. Israel’s intelligence agencies are renowned for the inventiveness of their assassinations. Wadi Haddad, the director of foreign operations of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), wasContinue Reading

Turkey: shaky economy destabilises Erdoğan's authoritarian presidency

On:
In: Politics

All is not looking rosy for Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s authoritarian president. Once feted for presiding over what was generally considered a regional success story, his stock is falling rapidly as the economic problems faced by his country pile up. In November, the inflation rate in the country soared to 14.03%, 1.5 points over the expected level and a 15-month high. The latest figures reflect a 2.3% rise in monthly consumer prices – and, ominously, the most significant price increases are for basic day-to-day necessities such as food, non-alcoholic beverages and transport. Meanwhile, the country has been experiencing another – and possibly more severe – crisis in the form of the devaluation of its currency. The falling value of theContinue Reading

On:
In: Sport

World champion Lewis Hamilton was Thursday given the green light to return to racing at this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix after recovering from coronavirus. Hamilton, 35, missed last Sunday’s Sakhir GP but the FIA and Mercedes both confirmed that he had passed a number of negative Covid-19 tests after completing a 10-day quarantine period in Bahrain. George Russell, who replaced Hamilton last week and came agonisingly close to a shock victory, will return to his Williams team. “The FIA, Formula 1 and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team can today confirm that Lewis Hamilton has returned a number of negative COVID-19 tests,” said a team statement. “He has completed his ten day quarantine in Bahrain and was freeContinue Reading

A pre-teen girl and her father consult with a female doctor.

On:
In: Health

The use of puberty blocking drugs to treat adolescents with gender dysphoria or incongruence has recently come under scrutiny following a decision by the UK High Court. Three judges ruled that children under 16 were unlikely to be able to give informed consent to undergo such treatment. The case has raised questions about the effects so-called puberty blockers have on adolescents, whether the drugs are safe and whether their effects are reversible. The difficulty in answering these questions is that the evidence for the use of these drugs on adolescents with gender incongruence is limited, and more research is needed. But while treating gender incongruence with puberty blockers is a relatively recent application, these drugs have been used on childrenContinue Reading

How to manage pain during childbirth: what the research says

On:
In: Health

There are many ways to control pain. Ken Tackett/Shutterstock.com Women have always used different methods to try and reduce pain during childbirth. Over the years these methods have included inhaling opiates, a warm compress, magical charms and even sprinkling animal dung in a hot drink. Anaesthesia started to be used in childbirth in the 1800s, typically involving ether or chloroform. Today, drugs such as nitrous oxide (gas and air), epidurals and pethidine are regularly used during labour. Epidural is the most comprehensive option, a type of anaesthetic that is injected into the back, numbing the nerves that carry the pain impulses. Pethidine is injected into the thigh or buttock. It works as more of a relaxant, by mimicking the naturalContinue Reading

Learning to cope with uncertainty during COVID-19

On:
In: Politics

artbesouro/Shutterstock Over the past nine months, the word “uncertainty” has cropped up time and time again across the news and social media worldwide. The pandemic has created uncertainty in nearly every aspect of daily life. This is not only down to worries over exposure to COVID-19 and access to medical care, but also concerns about the stability of the economy, job security, the availability of food and household supplies – and even when to book a holiday. We have needed to adjust and readjust our behaviour continually in response to changing risks and government guidelines. My research focuses on “intolerance of uncertainty” – when uncertainty leads to high levels of distress. Recent research has highlighted that intolerance of uncertainty isContinue Reading

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Werner Heisenberg.

On:
In: Politics

Nobody has officially claimed responsibility for deploying the satellite-controlled machine-gun with “artificial intelligence” used to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in Tehran at the end of November. But you would get fairly short odds were you to take a bet on it being the Mossad, Israel’s aggressive – and notoriously inventive – foreign intelligence service. Israel has been carrying out what it calls “targeted killings” ever since its foundation in 1948. In his book, Rise and Kill First, leading Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman estimates the number of targeted killings at approximately 2,700. Israel’s intelligence agencies are renowned for the inventiveness of their assassinations. Wadi Haddad, the director of foreign operations of the Popular Front for the Liberation of PalestineContinue Reading

How coronavirus is jeopardising the long-term recovery of stroke survivors

On:
In: Health

For many people a stroke is a life-changing experience that involves a long and difficult recovery. Shutterstock Every year in the UK more than 100,000 people have a stroke – a life-threatening event that occurs when blood supply to the brain is cut off. For those who survive, a stroke can result in long-term physical, cognitive, emotional and psychological consequences. The COVID-19 pandemic is having a drastic effect on the mental health and wellbeing of stroke survivors and their carers. This has coincided with vital post-stroke rehabilitation and support services being reduced or cut. As survivors struggle to adapt to post-stroke life with limited external support, the burden of care is increasingly being placed upon family members and carers. AtContinue Reading