Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Jihadist motivation in Munich attack, prosecutors say

    Jihadist motivation in Munich attack, prosecutors say

    Paul Kirby Europe digital editor VIFOGRA/PAUL/EPA-EFE The attacker admitted using his Mini Cooper to drive into the crowd in Munich An Afghan man arrested on suspicion of driving into a crowd of people in Munich, injuring 36, has admitted carrying out the attack and appears to have had a religious motivation, say prosecutors. Munich public…

  • US infant mortality rises in states with abortion bans, study finds

    US infant mortality rises in states with abortion bans, study finds

    Getty Images The overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022 has polarised communities in the United States Infant mortality rates have increased in US states which have enacted abortion bans following the landmark ruling overturning the nationwide right for women to access the procedure, a new study has found. According to researchers, there were an…

  • Hamas releases name of three hostages to be freed on Saturday

    Hamas releases name of three hostages to be freed on Saturday

    Hamas has released the names of three hostages due to be freed on Saturday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, after days of fears over the future of the ceasefire. They are Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov, Argentine-Israeli Yair Horn, and US-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen. Israel has said it will resume bombing if the three are not…

  • Pope Francis to be admitted to Rome hospital for bronchitis, Vatican says

    Pope Francis to be admitted to Rome hospital for bronchitis, Vatican says

    Pope Francis will be admitted to hospital in Rome to undergo treatment and tests for bronchitis, the Vatican has said. The 88-year-old will arrive at the Gemelli hospital after his morning audiences on Friday, a short statement said. The Pope has had bronchitis symptoms for several days and has delegated officials to read his prepared…

  • LA vehicle swept into ocean as rain hits fire ravaged area

    LA vehicle swept into ocean as rain hits fire ravaged area

    Large debris and mud flow pushed a Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) vehicle into the Pacific Ocean in Malibu on Thursday. The LAFD member was able to leave his car and went to hospital with minor injures, fire officials said. The storm brought torrential rain to LA County, affecting fire-ravaged neighbourhoods and causing mandatory evacuation…

  • Chernobyl reactor shield hit by Russian drone, Ukraine says

    Chernobyl reactor shield hit by Russian drone, Ukraine says

    A Russian drone attack has hit the radiation shelter over the damaged reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. The overnight strike hit the shelter of the plant’s destroyed former fourth power unit, causing a fire that has since been extinguished, he added. Russia has not yet commented. As…

  • Ukraine fears what Trump’s peace might look like

    Ukraine fears what Trump’s peace might look like

    James Waterhouse Ukraine correspondent Reporting fromMalokaterynivka BBC/Matthew Goddard Oleksandr is out of work after the loss of his fishing business “I have no plans for the future at all,” says Oleksandr Bezhan, standing next to an empty, frozen paddock where he used to work as a fisherman on the bank of the Dnipro river in…

  • Trump launches plan to target countries with ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

    Trump launches plan to target countries with ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

    Getty Images US President Donald Trump is sharpening plans to hit exports from countries that he says have trade policies that are unfair to the US. On Thursday, Trump signed a memo that instructed staff to develop custom tariffs for each country, taking into account features such as their existing tariffs, exchange rates, trade balances…

  • What is Doge and why is Musk cutting so many jobs?

    What is Doge and why is Musk cutting so many jobs?

    James FitzGerald and Holly Honderich BBC News, London and Washington DC Watch: Musk defends government cuts in surprise White House appearance A new advisory body created by US President Donald Trump and led by the world’s richest man has been tasked with cutting US government jobs and other spending. Elon Musk is leading this effort…

  • TikTok returns to Android and Apple app stores in the US

    TikTok is again available on the US app stores of Apple and Google, after President Donald Trump postponed enforcement of a ban of the Chinese-owned social media platform until 5 April. The popular app, which is used by more than 170 million American users, went dark briefly last month in the US as the ban…

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