Myanmar monk attempts suicide at famous temple

A Buddhist monk slashed his throat in a suicide attempt at Myanmar's most sacred temple, the scene of several pro-democracy protests that erupted a year ago, witnesses said Wednesday.

A trustee of the Shwedagon temple said the monk became desperate after running out of money to pay for medical care. It was the second suicide attempt by a monk at the pagoda this year.

The temple has a history as a center for mass political gatherings, and was a focus for Buddhist monks and pro-democracy protesters last September.

Tuesday's attempted suicide occurred at a time when the authorities have tightened security in Yangon and other cities to try to prevent …