Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
-
EU tries to get closer to South America with trade deal
The European Union has signed a trade deal with four of South America’s biggest economies. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called the agreement a “truly historic milestone” in an “increasingly confrontational world”. A previous agreement in 2019 never came into force because not all EU member states were willing to ratify it. If…
-
Extremist who murdered South Africa’s Chris Hani to be deported to Poland
Reuters Janusz Walus said he killed Chris Hani to stop communism A notorious far-right extremist, convicted of murdering South African anti-apartheid hero Chris Hani, is set to be deported to his native Poland, the government has said. Janusz Walus, 71, gunned down Hani outside his home in 1993 at a tense time when the country…
-
US jury orders payout for family of teen who died on theme park ride
A Florida jury has ordered an amusement ride manufacturer pay $310m (£243m) to the family of a teenage boy who fell to his death on their drop ride at an Orlando theme park in 2022. Tyre Sampson weighed 43kg (94lbs) more than the ride’s 129kg limit, when he plunged 30m (98ft) from the ride, which…
-
Thousands flee Syrian city Homs as rebels advance further
Getty Images Syrian rebels declared victory in Hama on Thursday as the country’s military withdrew from a second major city Tens of thousands of people are fleeing Syria’s third-largest city Homs in fear that Islamist-led rebels will continue to advance towards the capital, Damascus. The rebels seized Hama to the north on Thursday, a second…
-
Muslim couple forced to sell house after protests by Hindu residents
Anoop Mishra Residents protest against former house owner and Muslim couple who purchased the property A Muslim couple in India have been hounded out of their newly-purchased home by their Hindu neighbours who said they would not allow them to live there because of their religion. Hindu residents of the posh TDI City – an…
-
J-pop star and actress found dead at 54
Japanese actor Miho Nakayama was found dead in a bathtub in her Tokyo home on Friday. She was 54. Ms Nakayama found success as a singer in the 1980s and 90s – at the height of J-pop’s influence – but was best known for starring in the 1995 film Love Letter. An acquaintance discovered Ms…
-
Moment former president’s statue toppled in Hama
A statue of the late Syrian president, Hafez al-Assad, the father of President Bashar al-Assad, has been torn down in the city of Hama. Syrian rebels say they have taken full control of the country’s second major city, after the military withdrew. The leader of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed…
-
Why there’s no song and dance around India’s killer air
Screengrab from Pink’s trailer Amitabh Bachchan wore a mask in some scenes in the 2016 Bollywood film Pink In the 2016 Bollywood hit Pink, a scene introducing Amitabh Bachchan’s character shows the actor emerging from his home on a winter morning into Delhi’s smog-filled streets, wearing a mask. The mask and Delhi’s smoggy air feature…
-
Three climbers feared dead on New Zealand’s tallest mountain
Police in New Zealand say they believe three men who went missing days ago on Aoraki Mt Cook – the country’s tallest mountain – are dead. Americans Kurt Blair (56) and Carlos Romero (50) and an unnamed Canadian national were reported missing on Monday when they failed to meet their flight out from the mountain.…
-
Biden considering pre-emptive pardons for Trump critics
Outgoing US President Joe Biden is considering pre-emptive pardons for prominent critics of his successor Donald Trump, multiple people familiar with the discussions have told CBS, the BBC’s US partner. That is in a bid to shield them from potential retribution after Trump – who has vowed to take revenge against those who have opposed…
Got any book recommendations?