Latest news with #Nitschke
United News of India
11 hours ago
- Sport
- United News of India
Australia look to strike perfect WC balance with warm-up call
Sydney, July 18 (UNI) Australia will play just one official warm-up match ahead of the upcoming ICC Women's Cricket World Cup as they seek to strike the right balance between acclimation and ensuring players remain fresh for the demands of the tournament proper. The ICC released the warm-up match schedule for the tournament in India earlier this week, with every team bar Australia set to play two practice games between September 25 and 28. Reigning champions Australia will meet 2022 runners-up England at the BCCI Centre of Excellence 1 Ground in Bengaluru on September 27, but they will already have spent more than a fortnight in the subcontinent nation at that point, with a three-game ODI series against India scheduled for New Chandigarh and New Delhi from September 14-20. Speaking to Australia coach Shelley Nitschke explained that preceding ODI series, combined with the demanding schedule of the tournament proper, was the major factor in the call to pass up a second warm-up game. "The last game of the bilateral series is the 20th of September, then our warm-up game against England is the 27th, so that just gives us a bit of time to travel, recover and really get make sure we're fresh to go for the World Cup on the back of the bilateral series," Nitschke said. "We thought taking another couple of days and just having the one warm-up, to give ourselves every chance to be ready but to also be fresh, was the best approach, considering we'll have already been there for two weeks getting used to the conditions. "We haven't had a lot of ODI cricket in this (recent) period, so to get over there a bit earlier, play three games against a really good opposition, get used to the conditions, get used to the country, get over our jet lag, and just really start to settle in was just too good an opportunity probably to pass up and hopefully that puts us in a good position to be ready to go come round one of the World Cup." Nitschke conceded they would have liked the opportunity to play a warm-up match at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which will host a semi-final and the final and where Australia do not play a group game. "That's something we've spoken about ... maybe if we'd had a second warm-up game that could have been there, but I think a lot of the players have had a chance to play there through the WPL, and have enough experience there," Nitschke said. "Ideally, we would love to have a game there, but that wasn't to be (and) we didn't want to trade off the time to refresh after that bilateral series." Australia have had a lengthy winter lay-off ahead of the 50-over tournament in India, with their last series a T20I tour of New Zealand in March. Their most recent one-day series was the 50-over leg of the multi-format Ashes in January, but Nitschke said the nationally contracted players had been preparing for the tournament through a series of camps held at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. Most of those players will fly to England later this month for The Hundred, while others including Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Kim Garth, Darcie Brown and Tess Flintoff will turn out for Australia A in a series of 50-over matches against India A in Queensland next month. "It's all been going pretty well, as good as can be expected," Nitschke said. "It's been nice to get (the players) up here and to get out on turf through this time of the year is always a bonus. "I think the players are ready now to get into some competition. "It's massive to have The Hundred to get back into competition and game mode ... and then for those not going to The Hundred, having the A series for them to filter through is also a massive bonus, just to get some games under our belt before we head across to India." Five of the eight competing teams will be stationed in Bengaluru for the World Cup warm-up period, which will also feature India A. Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh meanwhile will prepare for the tournament in Colombo, which is serving as the neutral venue where Pakistan will play all of its group matches and any finals they qualify for. UNI BM
Metro
21-06-2025
- Health
- Metro
Inventor of the 'Tesla' of suicide pods 'vows to bring device to UK'
Philip Nitschke enters a 'suicide pod' known as 'Sarco' in Rotterdam, The Netherlands (Picture: AP) The inventor of the controversial 'Sarco' suicide pod has vowed to bring it to Britain, after the bill to legalise assisted dying passed its final vote. History was made yesterday in the Commons as a total of 314 MPs voted in favour of the proposal – a narrow victory that would allow adults who are terminally ill, subject to safeguards, to be assisted to end their own life. The legislation will go to the next stage of scrutiny in the House of Lords but the bill is expected to become law. Euthanasia activist Philip Nitschke said he hoped to use his Sarco suicide capsule – dubbed the 'Tesla of assisted dying' – in the UK following the vote. He received the nickname 'Dr Death' for facilitating the world's first legal assisted suicides in the 1990s. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Nitschke told The Times: 'As soon as we know that the final legislation is in place we'll start enthusiastically pursuing the option of using the device in the UK. 'We will be looking to find UK-registered doctors to assist and of course someone who wants to use it and satisfies all of the requirements under the law. 'The doctors involved would know that this would attract attention and possible close scrutiny, which by and large most doctors are not enthusiastic about, so we'd have to find someone who's a little crusading.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page Polls have shown the UK public is broadly in favour of legalising assisted dying. Findings published by YouGov on the eve of the vote revealed almost three-quarters (73%) of people support the measures, with 16% opposed. Nitschke is behind several inventions linked to euthanasia, which remain greatly controversial despite the changing attitudes across the world. In 1995, when assisted dying was briefly legalised in Australia's Northern, he created a suicide machine named 'Deliverance' by linking up his laptop to a syringe of deadly chemicals. Nitschke's prototype 'Sarco' euthanasia pod in Venice The doctor then followed with 'the Coma machine', 'the Exit bag' and then 'Sarco', an at-home pod. The machine allows users to assist their own suicide rather than rely on an operator. The person inside pushed a button that injects nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber, causing death by suffocation. Last September, a 64-year-old American woman became the first person to take her own life inside a 'Sarco' capsule at a remote woodland retreat in Switzerland. But the use of the suicide pod was suspended shortly after as the woman was found inside with strangulation marks on her neck, and Swiss police opened an investigation into the case. What are the main measures in the assisted dying bill? Kim Leadbeater has said she deliberately named her proposal the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to ensure it only ever applies to people who can no longer be treated. It would apply to people in England and Wales aged over 18 who: have an untreatable, inevitably progressive illness or disease and are expected to live no longer than six months have the mental capacity to make a decision, and a clear, settled and informed wish to end their own life have not been coerced or pressured by any other person into making that decision have made two separate declarations, signed and unsigned, about their wish to die Two separate doctors would need to make assessments that the person is eligible, and applications would be reviewed by a panel including a senior legal figure, a psychiatrist and a social worker. 'Periods of reflection' – the first lasting seven days, the second lasting 14 – would be built into the process. If the person gets to the end of the process, they would then administer the fatal substance themselves. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: MP leading push for assisted dying 'confident' historic vote will pass Arrow MORE: TV doctor Hilary Jones 'willing to help patients end life with assisted dying' Arrow MORE: Suicide pod activist Florian Willet takes his own life after arrest over woman's death
The Irish Sun
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Suicide pod inventor ‘vows to bring device to UK' after assisted dying vote despite mystery over ‘murder' of woman
THE inventor of the controversial Sacro "suicide pod" has vowed to bring the death device to the UK - despite it facing scrutiny over the alleged murder of a woman. It comes as MPs on Friday passed a landmark assisted dying bill in a knife-edge final vote. Advertisement 4 The Sarco pod on 23 September at the location where it was allegedly used Credit: AFP 4 The Sarco's inventor Philip Nitschke enters the pod in a demonstration Credit: AP 4 MPs have voted in favour of legalising assisted dying by 314-291 votes 4 Campaigners in favour of the assisted dying bill gathered outside the Houses of Parliament today to celebrate the result Credit: AFP Terminally ill adults are set to be given the legal right to end their lives. The decision paves the way for the biggest shake-up in end-of-life care in decades after weeks of furious lobbying on both sides. The Bill now moves to the House of Lords for further scrutiny before it can become law . If passed, it would mean adults in Advertisement read more on the pod Dr Philip Nitschke, It is a human-sized pod which replaces the oxygen inside it with nitrogen, causing death by hypoxia. Dubbed the "Tesla of euthanasia", it is self-operated by a button on the inside, providing death without medical supervision. A camera inside records their final moments, and the video is handed to a coroner. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Dr Nitschke said: 'As soon as we know that the final legislation is in place, we'll start enthusiastically pursuing the option of using the device in the UK. 'We'll be looking to find UK-registered doctors to assist, and of course, someone who wants to use it and satisfies all of the requirements under the law. First woman to die in 'suicide pod' may have been strangled, prosecutor claims "The doctors involved would know that this would attract attention and possible close scrutiny, which by and large most doctors aren't enthusiastic about, so we'd have to find someone who's a little crusading.' Dr Nitschke invented the Sarco in 2012. Advertisement Last year, he developed a double pod that could be used by a couple who wish to die together, He said: 'If we were able to make use of the device available in the UK, there would be quite a few more applications, I imagine, because people want to die in their own home, or more importantly, be able to take the Sarco to some nice place in the UK rather than having to try and go to some strange country.' The suicide pod activist started the process of assisted dying using the pod last year with The Last Resort organisation - an assisted dying group based in Switzerland. However, the pod became the centre of an alleged murder investigation after the first woman to die inside it was allegedly found with strangulation marks on her neck. Advertisement The anonymous woman, 64 and identified as an American citizen, set up in a forest in Switzerland . The woman is said to have initiated the dying process herself by pressing a button while lying in the pod in the middle of the forest. What measures are included in the bill? THE Assisted Dying Bill is one step closer to becoming law, meaning terminally ill adults are set to be given the legal right to end their lives. But the Bill - which has undergone significant changes at each stage - doesn't come without strict safeguards. Many things have been stripped out, so what remains? APPROVAL FROM DOCTORS AND AN EXPERT PANEL When the Bill was originally proposed, it was planned that a High Court judge would have the final say in each and every case. It comes after Labour's Kim Leadbeater had dismissed warnings that judges couldn't handle the cases due to scarce capacity, insisting her Bill would be the 'most robust' in the world. But Ms Leadbeater amended her legislation. The last-minute tweak, proposed just hours before MPs began debating However, applications will now need the approval of two doctors and a new expert panel. This will be made up of a legal figure, psychiatrist and social worker — a key change from the original plan. EATING DISORDERS MPs accepted an amendment ruling out eligibility for anyone seeking to die solely due to stopping eating or drinking. Ms Leadbeater stressed the Bill would exclude those with eating disorders. It followed concern over the wording of the potential law would provide a loophole for those with anorexia to end their own lives. The Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olne tabled the amendment. The Royal College of Psychiatrists also expressed concern over any people with mental disorders such as anxiety or depression using the Bill in a similar way. END-OF-LIFE CARE Another amendment requiring ministers to assess the impact on palliative care within a year also passed. Charity Marie Curie warning this alone would not "make the improvements needed" in end-of-life care. REFLECTION PERIOD Some parts of the Bill have stayed the same, however. Two doctors must be independently satisfied a person is eligible for assisted dying. The medics must do their assessments at least seven days apart. There must be a 14-day "reflection period" if the High Court decides the patient can undergo assisted dying. If the two doctors are still satisfied once the period has been completed, the patients will be prescribed lethal drugs. THE PAPERWORK Brits who want to end their lives early must show have the mental capacity to make a choice about ending their life. They must also be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish, free from coercion or pressure. If the patient can prove this, they will then have to make two separate declarations, witnessed and signed, saying they want to die. WHAT IS IN THE BILL? The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill applies to those over 18, who are living in England or Wales, and have been registered with a GP for at least 12 months. They must have the mental capacity to make the choice. They must be informed and free from coercion or pressure before making the choice. According to the Bill, they must have a terminal illness and be expected to die within six months. It requires them to declare their wish twice, both witnessed and signed. Two doctors must be satisfied that these requirements are met before the application is approved. A doctor would prepare the substance being used to end the patient's life, but the person would take it themselves. Coercing someone into declaring they want to end their life will be illegal, with a possible 14-year prison sentence. However, a forensic expert who checked her body shortly after she died found injuries near her neck that appeared similar to strangulation marks. The American woman was reportedly terminally ill and had been dying for two years. Advertisement She was diagnosed with Osteomyelitis - a disease that could have manifested the alleged injury marks on her neck - according to Dutch media. But her death raised a host of legal and ethical questions in Switzerland, where active euthanasia is banned but assisted dying has been legal for decades. Cops took several people into custody, including Dr Florian Willet, the president of The Last Resort organisation. The right-to-die activist, 47, took his own life. Advertisement He suffered a mental breakdown after being arrested by Swiss Police last year, according to Dr Nitschke. As part of the probe, prosecutors investigated whether he strangled the woman, but that was ruled out. Willet was released in December after being held in pre-trial detention for 70 days. He reportedly died in Germany with the help of a specialist organisation, though it is not known exactly how he died. Advertisement YOU'RE NOT ALONE EVERY 90 minutes in the UK, a life is lost to suicide. It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, Heads Together, Mind, Papyrus, Samaritans,
Scottish Sun
20-06-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Suicide pod inventor ‘vows to bring device to UK' after assisted dying vote despite mystery over ‘murder' of woman
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE inventor of the controversial Sacro "suicide pod" has vowed to bring the death device to the UK - despite it facing scrutiny over the alleged murder of a woman. It comes as MPs on Friday passed a landmark assisted dying bill in a knife-edge final vote. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The Sarco pod on 23 September at the location where it was allegedly used Credit: AFP 4 The Sarco's inventor Philip Nitschke enters the pod in a demonstration Credit: AP 4 MPs have voted in favour of legalising assisted dying by 314-291 votes 4 Campaigners in favour of the assisted dying bill gathered outside the Houses of Parliament today to celebrate the result Credit: AFP Terminally ill adults are set to be given the legal right to end their lives. The decision paves the way for the biggest shake-up in end-of-life care in decades after weeks of furious lobbying on both sides. The Bill now moves to the House of Lords for further scrutiny before it can become law. If passed, it would mean adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live will be allowed to apply for a medically assisted death, under strict safeguards. Dr Philip Nitschke, who invented the bizarre-looking Sacro pod used in assisted dying, said he hoped to use the device in the UK. It is a human-sized pod which replaces the oxygen inside it with nitrogen, causing death by hypoxia. Dubbed the "Tesla of euthanasia", it is self-operated by a button on the inside, providing death without medical supervision. A camera inside records their final moments, and the video is handed to a coroner. Dr Nitschke said: 'As soon as we know that the final legislation is in place, we'll start enthusiastically pursuing the option of using the device in the UK. 'We'll be looking to find UK-registered doctors to assist, and of course, someone who wants to use it and satisfies all of the requirements under the law. First woman to die in 'suicide pod' may have been strangled, prosecutor claims "The doctors involved would know that this would attract attention and possible close scrutiny, which by and large most doctors aren't enthusiastic about, so we'd have to find someone who's a little crusading.' Dr Nitschke invented the Sarco in 2012. Last year, he developed a double pod that could be used by a couple who wish to die together, The Times reports. He said: 'If we were able to make use of the device available in the UK, there would be quite a few more applications, I imagine, because people want to die in their own home, or more importantly, be able to take the Sarco to some nice place in the UK rather than having to try and go to some strange country.' The suicide pod activist started the process of assisted dying using the pod last year with The Last Resort organisation - an assisted dying group based in Switzerland. However, the pod became the centre of an alleged murder investigation after the first woman to die inside it was allegedly found with strangulation marks on her neck. The anonymous woman, 64 and identified as an American citizen, died last year inside the controversial capsule set up in a forest in Switzerland. The woman is said to have initiated the dying process herself by pressing a button while lying in the pod in the middle of the forest. What measures are included in the bill? THE Assisted Dying Bill is one step closer to becoming law, meaning terminally ill adults are set to be given the legal right to end their lives. But the Bill - which has undergone significant changes at each stage - doesn't come without strict safeguards. Many things have been stripped out, so what remains? APPROVAL FROM DOCTORS AND AN EXPERT PANEL When the Bill was originally proposed, it was planned that a High Court judge would have the final say in each and every case. It comes after Labour's Kim Leadbeater had dismissed warnings that judges couldn't handle the cases due to scarce capacity, insisting her Bill would be the 'most robust' in the world. But Ms Leadbeater amended her legislation. The last-minute tweak, proposed just hours before MPs began debating the Bill in February, sparked a backlash — throwing its future into doubt and turning former supporters cold. However, applications will now need the approval of two doctors and a new expert panel. This will be made up of a legal figure, psychiatrist and social worker — a key change from the original plan. EATING DISORDERS MPs accepted an amendment ruling out eligibility for anyone seeking to die solely due to stopping eating or drinking. Ms Leadbeater stressed the Bill would exclude those with eating disorders. It followed concern over the wording of the potential law would provide a loophole for those with anorexia to end their own lives. The Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olne tabled the amendment. The Royal College of Psychiatrists also expressed concern over any people with mental disorders such as anxiety or depression using the Bill in a similar way. END-OF-LIFE CARE Another amendment requiring ministers to assess the impact on palliative care within a year also passed. Charity Marie Curie warning this alone would not "make the improvements needed" in end-of-life care. REFLECTION PERIOD Some parts of the Bill have stayed the same, however. Two doctors must be independently satisfied a person is eligible for assisted dying. The medics must do their assessments at least seven days apart. There must be a 14-day "reflection period" if the High Court decides the patient can undergo assisted dying. If the two doctors are still satisfied once the period has been completed, the patients will be prescribed lethal drugs. THE PAPERWORK Brits who want to end their lives early must show have the mental capacity to make a choice about ending their life. They must also be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish, free from coercion or pressure. If the patient can prove this, they will then have to make two separate declarations, witnessed and signed, saying they want to die. WHAT IS IN THE BILL? The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill applies to those over 18, who are living in England or Wales, and have been registered with a GP for at least 12 months. They must have the mental capacity to make the choice. They must be informed and free from coercion or pressure before making the choice. According to the Bill, they must have a terminal illness and be expected to die within six months. It requires them to declare their wish twice, both witnessed and signed. Two doctors must be satisfied that these requirements are met before the application is approved. A doctor would prepare the substance being used to end the patient's life, but the person would take it themselves. Coercing someone into declaring they want to end their life will be illegal, with a possible 14-year prison sentence. However, a forensic expert who checked her body shortly after she died found injuries near her neck that appeared similar to strangulation marks. The American woman was reportedly terminally ill and had been dying for two years. She was diagnosed with Osteomyelitis - a disease that could have manifested the alleged injury marks on her neck - according to Dutch media. But her death raised a host of legal and ethical questions in Switzerland, where active euthanasia is banned but assisted dying has been legal for decades. Cops took several people into custody, including Dr Florian Willet, the president of The Last Resort organisation. The right-to-die activist, 47, suffered a mental breakdown after being arrested by Swiss Police last year, according to Dr Nitschke. As part of the probe, prosecutors investigated whether he strangled the woman, but that was ruled out. Willet was released in December after being held in pre-trial detention for 70 days. He reportedly died in Germany with the help of a specialist organisation, though it is not known exactly how he died.
India Today
04-06-2025
- Health
- India Today
Euthanasia advocate arrested in suicide pod case kills himself, cites trauma
Dr Florian Willet, a leading euthanasia advocate and co-president of The Last Resort, died by assisted suicide in Germany following months of psychological trauma stemming from his arrest in Switzerland, as reported by Sky News. He was was the only person present during the death of a 64-year-old American woman who used the Sarco pod—an assisted suicide device—in a forest cabin in Merishausen, northern Switzerland, in September 2024. The Sarco pod, developed by Exit International and valued at over $1 million, is designed to allow a person to initiate the assisted dying process by pressing a button inside the capsule, Sky News further arrested Willet at the scene and placed him in pre-trial detention for 70 days. Prosecutors alleged that the pod had malfunctioned and claimed the woman suffered injuries consistent with strangulation. Exit International refuted the allegation, saying that the assisted suicide was filmed, and the footage was submitted to authorities. 'There was no foundation for the allegation,' Exit International said in a statement. Dr Willet had described the woman's death as 'peaceful, fast and dignified.'The Sarco pod's inventor, Dr Philip Nitschke, confirmed Willet's death and defended the pod's functionality. 'I was pleased that the Sarco had performed exactly as it had been designed to provide an elective, non-drug, peaceful death at the time of the person's choosing,' he said. He added that Swiss legal advice confirmed the device's use was within the his release from detention in early December, Willet reportedly became a 'changed man.' According to Dr Nitschke, 'his spirit was broken,' and he 'seemed deeply traumatised by the experience of incarceration and the wrongful accusation of strangulation.'Willet sought psychiatric help in Zurich during Christmas but discharged himself before New Year's Eve. In January, he fell from the third floor of his Zurich apartment. Dr Nitschke said he 'did serious damage' and was later diagnosed with an acute polymorphic disorder triggered by the stress of pre-trial Last Resort said that the arrest had left Willet "broken." The group, affiliated with Exit International, was founded by Willet to support the use of the Sarco inputs from Sky News and BBC
