Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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The death of ‘soul of South African storytelling’ sparks grief and anger
Khanyisile NgcoboBBC News in Johannesburg Media 24 / Gallo Images The death of a much-loved star is normally followed by an outpouring of grief, but in South Africa last week’s loss of 75-year-old actress Nandi Nyembe also came with an outpouring of anger. People were distressed that in the last months of her life an…
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What could Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding look like?
Ana FaguyBBC News, Washington DC and Nardine SaadBBC News, Los Angeles Watch: “Please give me an invite” – Young Americans react to Taylor Swift’s engagement Jaws dropped and phones lit up around the world earlier this week as Taylor Swift and American football player Travis Kelce announced their engagement. Fans of the singer and professional…
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Barrier being built around besieged Sudan city, satellite images show
An extensive earthen wall is being built around the besieged Sudanese city of el-Fasher and is intended to trap people inside, according to research from Yale University. From satellite images, the university’s Humanitarian Research Lab has identified more than 31km (19 miles) of “berms” – as the raised banks are known – constructed since May…
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Trump’s tariff rebuke, Xi’s handshake and Putin’s oil are India’s latest foreign policy test
Soutik BiswasIndia correspondent Getty Images Modi and President Xi have met more than a dozen times since 2014 “This is a time for us to engage America, manage China, cultivate Europe, reassure Russia, bring Japan into play, draw neighbours in, extend the neighbourhood and expand traditional constituencies of support,” Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar wrote…
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US court rules many of Trump’s global tariffs are illegal
A US appeals court has ruled that most tariffs issued by US President Donald Trump are illegal, setting up a potential legal showdown that could upend his foreign policy agenda. The ruling affects Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs, imposed on most countries around the world, as well as other tariffs slapped on China, Mexico and Canada. In…
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Irish missionary freed after Haiti kidnapping
Jessica LawrenceBBC News NI NPH International Gena Heraty was among several people taken in Kenscoff, near Haiti’s capital The family of kidnapped missionary Gena Heraty in Haiti have said they are “relieved beyond words” at her release. Ms Heraty, who is originally from Westport in County Mayo, is the director of an orphanage in Haiti,…
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Volodymyr Zelensky rejects proposals for buffer zone to end fighting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected proposals for a buffer zone between Ukrainian and Russian forces as part of a peace deal, arguing it does not reflect the realities of modern warfare. “Only those who do not understand the technological state of today’s war propose a buffer zone,” he told reporters on Friday. His comments…
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Sexist Italian image-sharing website forced to shut after political outcry
Sarah RainsfordSouthern and Eastern Europe correspondent, Rome Getty Images/LaPresse via AP Italy’s prime minister said she was disgusted by the site while MEP Alessandra Moretti said it included incitement to rape An Italian website that posted doctored images of well-known women, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with obscene commentary, has announced its closure after a…
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Why has Kamala Harris’ Secret Service detail been withdrawn?
Bernd Debusmann Jr, at the White House Getty Images Unlike former presidents, vice-presidents are not guaranteed protection for the rest of their lives. President Donald Trump has cancelled former Vice–President Kamala Harris’ Secret Service detail, seven months after she left office following her unsuccessful presidential campaign. By law, the US Secret Service provides former vice-presidents…
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US to stop Palestinians attending UN meeting in New York
The US says it will deny or revoke visas for Palestinian officials wishing to travel to New York next month to attend the UN General Assembly session. Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed them for undermining peace efforts and for seeking “the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state”. The decision is unusual – the…
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