Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A frantic search for survivors is under way in central Texas after flash floods killed at least 32 people, including 14 children. Many were asleep when the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 ft (8m) in less than an hour in the early hours of Friday. Officials in Kerr County have said 27 children are…

Elon Musk says he is launching a new political party, weeks after a dramatic falling out with US President Donald Trump. The billionaire announced on his social-media platform X that he had set up the America Party and billed it as a challenge to the Republican and Democratic two-party system. However, it is unclear whether…

Colombian police have arrested the alleged mastermind of the assassination attempt against a presidential hopeful during a rally last month. Miguel Uribe, a conservative senator, was twice shot in the head in the capital, Bogotá, as he was campaigning for his party’s nomination in the 2026 presidential election. Police arrested a suspected criminal, Élder José…

The Namibian government has announced a temporary ban on state funerals amid criticism over the rising costs of these burials. Only President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has the power to exempt funerals from the moratorium, the government said. Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus made the announcement following a Cabinet meeting earlier this week. She…

Footballers Diogo Jota and André Silva have been honoured by their family, friends and teammates at a joint funeral in Portugal on Saturday. Jota, 28, was laid to rest alongside his brother, Silva, 25, after they died in a car crash on Thursday. Jota’s teammates Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson were seen carrying floral…

Simon Jack BBC business editor Getty Images As Donald Trump cheered the passage of his self-styled, and officially named, Big Beautiful Budget Bill through Congress this week, long-sown seeds of doubt about the scale and sustainability of US borrowing from the rest of the world sprouted anew. Trump’s tax-cutting budget bill is expected to add…

Georgina Rannard Climate and science correspondent Prof Daniel J Mayor @oceanplankton A tiny, obscure animal often sold as aquarium food has been quietly protecting our planet from global warming by undertaking an epic migration, according to new research. These “unsung heroes” called zooplankton gorge themselves and grow fat in spring before sinking hundreds of metres…

A controversial aid operation for Gaza backed by Israel and the US says two of its workers have been injured in an attack while giving out relief. Two militants threw grenades at the aid centre in Khan Younis, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said. It blamed Hamas for Saturday’s incident. The injured US workers are…

Devina Gupta BBC News Reporting fromKolhapur, Maharashtra BBC The earliest records of Kolhapur sandals date back to the 12th Century. The Western Indian town of Kolhapur has found itself in an unlikely global spotlight, as thousands of local artisans who hand-craft traditional leather footwear are mounting a collective attack on luxury fashion label Prada for…

Sofia Ferreira Santos BBC News Reporting fromGondomar, Portugal Reuters Footballers Diogo Jota and André Silva have been honoured by their family, friends and teammates at a joint funeral in Portugal. Jota, 28, was laid to rest alongside his brother, Silva, 25, after they died in a car crash on Thursday. Hundreds of locals and supporters…