Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who served almost nine years in office after seizing power in a 2014 military coup, has announced he is leaving politics

If you thought prosthetic hands were too advanced for people living hundreds of years ago, think again. Archaeologists have found the remains of a man who died in Medieval Germany, who had prosthetics in place of several fingers. The grave was found by pipeline workers in Freising, a town near Munich. The Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation said: “Even for experienced archaeologists, this was a particularly special find: a skeleton in which parts of the fingers of its left hand are missing.” The archaeologists removed the metal from the man’s skeleton to restore and analyse it. They came to the conclusion that he had lost his fingers at some point in his life. Walter Irlinger, deputy of the general conservator at BSOMP, said: “The hollow prosthetic on the left hand replaced four fingers. The index, middle, ring and pinky fingers are individually formed out of sheet metal and are immobile. The prosthetic fingers lie slightly curved, parallel to one another.” The prosthetic also had scraps of fabric and leather, suggesting that the fingers had a leather cover, and were tied to the hand using straps. There was also a gauze-like material inside the fingers, which may have acted as a cushion for the man’s skin from contact with the metal. That period of German history included the Thirty Years’ War, which ended in 1648, which would have increased the need for amputations and prosthetics. One of the most famous amputees from the time was Götz von Berlichingen – or “Götz of the Iron Hand”. He was a German knight who lost his right hand from a cannon injury at the siege of Landshut in 1504. “In the past, prosthetics looked very much like what they were replacing,” said Jacky Finch, a researcher in the KNH Center for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester. “Nowadays, implants are placed in the sensory system to control nerve action, rather than devices attached to the body by straps or artificially powered.” The BSOMP statement continued: “Doctors at that time were already thinking about how they could make life easier for amputees. “In central Europe, there are currently around 50 similar prostheses from the late middle ages to early modern age that are known.” How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris admitted he “desires for other things” and is contemplating what life could look like away from the north London club at “the end of an era.” The 36-year-old retired from international duty with France in January, one year after signing a contract extension that would keep him at Spurs through to the end of next season. There has been speculation, however, that the goalkeeper might have already played his last game for the side he joined in 2012 following his season-ending thigh injury against Newcastle in April. Lloris told French newspaper Nice-Matin: “We are coming to an important moment, whether for the club or for me. It’s the end of an era. I have desires for other things, I will ask myself quietly to study what will be possible. “But I don’t forget that I still have a year of contract with Tottenham and that in football it is always difficult to predict what will happen. “What is essential at the moment is to recover well from my injury. I’m on vacation but I continue to talk and do my training. My goal is to be on top in July, then we’ll see what the future holds for me.” Lloris acknowledged Spurs, who finished eighth this term after securing a Champions League berth last season, had failed to live up to expectations and cited injuries as part of the problem. He said: “We failed as a team by not being able to reverse the course of things. It’s disappointing but it’s part of the life of a top-level football club. The most important thing is to prepare as well as possible for next season and to learn from our mistakes.” The Frenchman did not rule out a return to Nice, where he started his senior career before moving to Lyon and then north London, though he was adamant he was not forcing his current club into a move. He added: “Nice is my city, my club, my roots. There is a season that must end, as best as possible, with the goalkeepers in place. I am not demanding, I have never forced things. We’ll see where fate takes me.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live