Canadian soldier ‘gave unit cannabis cakes’
And other stories from the stranger side of life

A Canadian soldier has been accused of feeding cannabis-laced cupcakes to unsuspecting members of her artillery unit during a live fire exercise. Bombardier Chelsea Cogswell is facing 18 charges at a court martial, including administering a noxious substance and behaving in a disgraceful manner. Court documents state that members of the unit experienced symptoms including “dehydration, overheating, fatigue, confusion, dry mouth and paranoia”.
Man has wrong leg amputated at hospital
A hospital in Austria has admitted that a man had the wrong leg amputated during surgery. The 82-year-old was due to have his left leg removed but “human error” meant the right leg was amputated above the knee instead, the Freistadt Clinic has announced. Following the error, the unfortunate man needed to have the correct leg removed as well.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Grieving family given dead rat instead of baby
A hospital in Colombia also had a bad day when grieving parents who lost their baby girl during childbirth were allegedly given a dead rat instead of her body. Jari Daniela Velez and Daniel Alejandro Jaramillo say they were handed a huge rodent at the hospital in Tulua. Jari’s cousin, Majo Velez, said: “At the hospital they gave us a dead rat; I demand they give us the girl.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson Published
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published