Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Students from Sunita L Williams Elementary School in Needham, Massachusetts were given the opportunity to virtually speak to Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams. One student asked if it was difficult to drink from space, prompting Williams to demonstrate how they do it. Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore have hit the six-month mark in space after becoming…

Getty Images A Boeing plea deal intended to resolve a case related to two fatal crashes of its planes has been rejected by a US judge. The plane maker had originally agreed with the US government in July to plead guilty to one count of criminal fraud, face independent monitoring, and pay a $243m (£191m)…

French President Emmanuel Macron said he will name a new prime minister “in the coming days”, after Michel Barnier resigned following a no-confidence vote in parliament. In a 10-minute address to the nation on Thursday, he rejected opposition pressure to stand down, vowing to stay in his post “fully, until the end of the mandate”…

A strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of northern California, according to the US Geological Survey. A tsunami warning was initially issued along the coasts of both northern California and southern Oregon following the quake, but has since been rescinded. The earthquake’s epicentre hit closest to the town of Ferndale, California, a…

Ivory Coast’s beloved staple, attiéké – made from fermented cassava flour – has officially been added to Unesco’s list of intangible cultural heritage. Attiéké, pronounced atchekay, is a kind of couscous made from ground cassava roots. It is so well-loved that many people have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Nicknamed “Ivorian couscous”, it is…

A nun is among 24 people arrested in northern Italy in connection with a mafia investigation, Italian police have said. The nun, named in Italian press as Sister Anna Donelli, was arrested for allegedly acting as a go-between for the ‘Ndrangheta mafia and its jailed gang members. Police also arrested two politicians and seized more…

Syrian rebels say they have taken control of the major city of Hama, after the military withdrew its troops amid fierce battles. The leader of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, declared “victory” in the city and vowed there would be “no revenge”. Earlier, a rebel commander said HTS fighters…

Calin Georgescu, the fringe nationalist politician leading the presidential race in Romania, has told the BBC that he would end all support for Ukraine if elected. He is facing a second-round run-off in the elections on Sunday, where he will run against Elena Lasconi, a former TV presenter who is campaigning on a firmly pro-EU…

The number of people who have been reported missing in the violence-wracked Mexican state of Sinaloa has doubled since two rival factions of a drugs cartel started a bloody battle for control of their criminal organisation. According to official figures, more than 200 people have disappeared since the two factions of the Sinaloa cartel declared…

Tim P. Whitby / Stringer/Getty Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo attend the Wicked premiere in London A South Carolina mother is suing toy company Mattel after it mistakenly printed the address of a pornographic website on the packaging of a doll. The company released the singing dolls last month ahead of release of the film…