Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Somali beauty-salon owner dies trying to reach French island of Mayotte
The family of beauty-salon owner Fathi Hussein are deep in mourning at their home in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, following her horrific death at sea after a deal she struck with migrant smugglers to take her to the French island of Mayotte went wrong. “We were told by survivors that she died from hunger,” the 26-year-old’s…
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Ancient Indian ritual where humans become gods
AFP Each theyyam performance is both a theatrical spectacle and an act of devotion For nearly 300 years, a family’s ancestral house in India’s southern state of Kerala has been the stage for theyyam, an ancient folk ritual. Rooted in ancient tribal traditions, theyyam predates Hinduism while weaving in Hindu mythology. Each performance is both…
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Trump picks Jared Kushner’s father for ambassador to France
President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday that he has selected Charles Kushner as his pick for ambassador to France. Mr Kushner is a real-estate developer and the father of Jared Kushner, husband of his daughter Ivanka Trump. Trump pardoned Mr Kushner during his first term, waving away a federal conviction in 2020. In a post to…
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Trump nominates ex-aide to lead FBI
US President-elect Donald Trump has picked a former aide, Kash Patel, to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an agency the nominee has often criticised. A former US defence department chief of staff in the first Trump administration, Patel has been a steadfast supporter of the incoming Republican president. Separately, Trump said Saturday that he…
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A decade of protest is now a defiant memory
Getty Images Hong Kong saw explosive pro-democracy protests in the last decade – but hopes for a freer city have faded in the wake of Beijing’s crackdown The memories began rushing back as Kenneth strolled through Hong Kong’s Victoria Park, once a focal point for the city’s resistance to China. As a child, Kenneth would…
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Georgia protests continue for third night after EU talks halted
Reuters Protesters have taken to the streets of Tbilisi for the third night in a row to protest against the government’s decision to put EU accession negotiations on hold. Large numbers of riot police have been deployed around the country’s parliament, the focal point of the ongoing protests, which have seen police have deploy water…
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Thousands visit memorial to former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
Joel Gunter/BBC The crater left behind by the massive Israeli air strike that killed Hassan Nasrallah was lit up in red for the event Thousands of people have descended on the site where former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by an Israeli air strike, after the group allowed access to the area for the…
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Syrian troops withdraw from Aleppo as rebels advance
Russia has carried out air strikes on parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo after areas were seized by rebels opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. Recent days have seen the most significant offensive against the Syrian government in years and the withdrawal of its military from Aleppo, the country’s second largest city.…
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Five reported killed in Israeli strike in Gaza
EPA The wreckage of a car seen following an Israeli strike in southern Gaza Five people have reportedly been killed in an air strike in Gaza that Israel said was targeting someone who took part in the 7 October attacks. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the target of the strike also worked at the…
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World Beekeeping Awards axe honey prize due to fraud
The World Beekeeping Awards have announced that there will not be any prizes for honey next year because of concerns about fraud in the global supply chain. It’ll be the first time that the popular cupboard staple has been excluded from the event. Apimondia – the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations – said in a…
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