Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Moon dust ‘rarer than gold’ arrives in UK from China
Georgina Rannard Climate and science reporter Kate Stephens and Tony Jolliffe BBC climate and science team Tony Jolliffe/BBC News The specks of dust must be kept free from contamination on Earth The first samples of Moon rock brought back to Earth in nearly 50 years have arrived in the UK – on loan from China.…
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Continuity the key for Pope seen as unifier
Aleem Maqbool Religion editor Getty Images Cardinal Prevost meeting with Pope Francis (R) in February 2025 The fact that the conclave was over quickly suggests that from the outset, a significant number of the voting cardinals felt Robert Prevost was the one amongst them best equipped to take on the challenges a pope faces. In…
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The park ranger who alerted world to Sycamore Gap tree’s fate
Martin Lindsay Senior Investigations Reporter BBC The tree – now no longer nestling in its gap – was one of the most photographed in the world Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers have been found guilty of cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree. The deliberate felling of the tree on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland angered…
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Trump misspeaks and calls toy firm Mattel a country
Donald Trump has accidentally called toy firm Mattel a country while threatening further tariffs. The US president misspoke when saying tariffs are “misunderstood” in business. He cited Mattel, which is famous for making Barbie dolls, as an example of a country thinking about counter-tariffs. His comments came as the UK and US agreed a tariff…
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Turkish Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk to be released on bail
A federal judge has ordered the release of a Turkish student at Tufts University who is being held in Louisiana after US immigration officials arrested her in Massachusetts. Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, testified virtually at a court hearing on Friday, where US District Judge William Sessions said the student met all the conditions needed for release…
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Mercenary and coup plotter dies
Former British Army officer and mercenary Simon Mann, who was part of a coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea in 2004, has died of a heart attack while exercising, friends confirmed. The 72-year-old made millions of pounds from protecting businesses in conflict zones before he took part in the failed attempt to overthrow the west African…
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Mexico sues Google over ‘Gulf of America’ name change
Mexico is suing Google for ignoring repeated requests not to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America on Google Maps for US users, President Claudia Sheinbaum says. She did not say where the lawsuit had been filed. Google did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment. On Thursday, the Republican-led House of…
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US confirms plan for private firms to deliver Gaza aid despite UN alarm
Yolande Knell Middle East correspondent Imogen Foulkes Geneva correspondent BBC A third of community kitchens in Gaza – one of the last lifelines – have been forced to shut down in the past two weeks due to food and fuel shortages according to the UN The US has confirmed that a new system for providing…
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Government hits out at Trump Afrikaner refugee plan
South Africa has criticised the US amid reports it could receive white Afrikaners as refugees as early as next week. A document seen by the BBC’s US partner, CBS, describes the potential resettlement as a “priority” for President Donald Trump’s government, however the timing has not been publicly confirmed by the White House. In a…
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Steve Rosenberg reports from Russia’s Red Square on Victory Day
Russia has held its annual Victory Day parade marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. Vladimir Putin was joined by China’s Xi Jinping for the commemorations, with Russia saying 27 world leaders were attending the 80th anniversary event. Security had been tightened after days of Ukrainian strikes targeting the capital city. A three-day ceasefire…
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