Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing “acts of genocide” in Gaza by deliberately depriving Palestinian civilians there of adequate access to water. It says Israel’s actions include intentionally damaging water and sanitation infrastructure. The campaign group says this has probably caused thousands of deaths, which it says is also tantamount to “committing the…

Thirty-five children have been killed in a crush at a funfair in the south-west Nigerian city of Ibadan, with six others hospitalised, the police say. The event was advertised as free entry and drew a large crowd but so many people turned up that there was a crush as they struggled to gain entry. Residents…

As French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Mayotte to survey the damage caused by Cyclone Chido, the BBC’s Mayeni Jones says the devastation wrought by the storm is immediately visible to visitors. President Macron has pledged his support to the people of Mayotte – but many residents are still waiting for supplies like food and…

Reuters The Israeli military said it had targeted energy infrastructure in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa Israel has said its fighter jets conducted a series of strikes against military targets in Yemen belonging to the Iran-backed Houthi movement. An Israeli military spokesman said the targets included Red Sea ports and energy infrastructure in the capital Sanaa. Houthi-run…

AAKA Space Studio India’s first ‘analog’ space mission Hab-1 was tested in the mountains of Ladakh Could this egg-shaped structure be what the future home of Indian astronauts in space looks like? The Hab-1 – short for Habitat-1 – is Indian space agency Isro’s first-ever “analog mission” which means simulation of space conditions to prepare…

A plot to assassinate Pope Francis during a trip to Iraq was stopped following a tip-off from British intelligence, according to his upcoming autobiography. The Pope writes that, after landing in Baghdad in March 2021, he was told an event at which he was set to appear was being targeted by two suicide bombers. Both…

Mexico’s government has asked the US to extradite a senior drug cartel figure suspected in the murder of well-known journalist Javier Valdez in 2017. Valdez, known for his award-winning coverage of the drug trade, was gunned down in the city of Culiacán in May 2017. Mexican authorities say the journalist’s assassination was ordered by Dámaso…

For the uninitiated, sorting one’s trash can be a convoluted process in Japan – a country that boasts one of the world’s strictest garbage disposal rules. But in the city of Fukushima, things are about to get even tougher. Starting in March, the city government will go through bags of trash that fall afoul of…

A state of exceptional natural disaster has been declared in Mayotte as the French Indian Ocean territory reels from the devastation of Cyclone Chido. At least 31 people are reported by French officials to have died, while thousands are still missing after the cyclone tore through the small islands on Saturday. It the first time…

Getty Images At least 100 North Korean soldiers have been killed in fighting in the Ukraine war since entering combat on the Russian side earlier this month, a South Korean MP has said. Lee Sung-kwon, speaking to reporters after parliament was briefed by the country’s National Intelligence Service, said another 1,000 had been injured. He…