Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Donald Trump has welcomed home American schoolteacher Marc Fogel after he was released from prison in Russia, with the US president saying Vladimir Putin had got “not much” in return. Trump said that another detainee would be freed on Wednesday without giving their name. Mr Fogel, a 63-year-old former diplomat, landed at Joint Base Andrews…

President Donald Trump has once again insisted the US will take control of the Gaza Strip, as he met Jordan’s King Abdullah at the White House on Tuesday. It was their first meeting since Trump announced his proposal to take over the enclave and move its population of two million Palestinians to other countries in…

Israel’s prime minister has warned Hamas it will end the ceasefire in Gaza and resume intense fighting if the Palestinian group “does not return our hostages by Saturday noon”. Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered Israeli forces to amass inside and around Gaza in response to Hamas’s announcement that it was postponing freeing more hostages…

Italian police have launched a series of raids targeting Mafia clans operating in and around the Sicilian capital Palermo. More than 1,200 officers were involved in the operation, which the military Carabinieri force said was aimed at “dismantling” the area’s Mafia. The raids, the biggest for several years, were seen as a bid by Italian…

Steve Bannon, a long-time ally of President Donald Trump, has pleaded guilty to defrauding donors who paid for a wall on the US-Mexico border. Bannon received a sentence of conditional discharge for three years, which means he will not serve jail time under a plea agreement. The US Department of Justice accused Bannon and three…

A Swedish woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for committing genocide and war crimes against the Yazidi people after she joined jihadist group Islamic State (IS) in Syria. Lina Ishaq, 52, was found guilty of holding three Yazidi women and six Yazidi children as slaves in Raqqa between 2014-2016 in September last…

Watch: Rubiales says he had consent for World Cup kiss Luis Rubiales has told a court that Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso gave her consent before he kissed her at the Women’s World Cup final in 2023. The former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is on trial accused of sexual assault and attempting…

Getty Images US President Donald Trump has announced a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imports. He has already introduced a 10% tax on all products from China – which has responded with its own measures – and has threatened to introduce tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico. Trump says tariffs will boost…

A unique drainage pipe at a reservoir in Northern California has been activated for the first time in six years, creating a mesmerising whirlpool which resembles a plughole. Higher than normal water levels have triggered the feature at the Monticello Dam in Napa County, according to local water agency officials. It’s the first time this…