Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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One woman’s fight to free her brother from Japan’s death row
Getty Images Hideko Hakamata, 91, fought half her life to free her brother – the world’s longest serving death row inmate When a court declared Iwao Hakamata innocent in September, the world’s longest-serving death row inmate seemed unable to comprehend, much less savour the moment. “I told him he was acquitted, and he was silent,”…
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Syria’s musicians await their future under HTS rule
Siin experience Syria has a thriving electronic music scene and many now wonder what comes next In the midst of the scramble for a new Syria, the country’s musicians are warily eyeing the Islamist rebel leadership and hoping to build on hard-won achievements made during the almost 14-year civil war. The conflict gave energy and…
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Faced with turmoil, a defiant Trudeau hangs on for now
Getty Images It was one of the worst weeks of his political career, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was ringing in the season. At the Liberal Party’s annual holiday gathering, Trudeau put on his party face, despite being blindsided the day before by the snap resignation of one of his most trusted allies, Finance…
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US avoids government shutdown after bill passes Congress
The Democratic-controlled US Senate has voted to pass a budget deal to avert what would be the first US federal government shutdown since 2019, only hours after the House of Representatives approved the same legislation. The budget deal was passed shortly after a midnight deadline passed. It does not include a demand from President-elect Donald…
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Rio’s ‘narco-pentecostal’ gangs use religion to dominate favelas
Daniel Arce-Lopez/BBC Rio gangsters mix religion and crime as they take over territory When police in Rio de Janeiro seize blocks of cocaine and bundles of marijuana they may well find them branded with a religious symbol – the Star of David. This is not a reference to the Jewish faith, but to the belief…
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Warriors, water and a white horse: Photos of the week
A selection of news photographs from around the world. Luis Tato/AFP A Maasai warrior competes in a traditional high-jump event at the Maasai Olympics in Kajiado, Kenya. Roberta Ciuccio/AFP Residents of Coronationville queue for water amid a continuing crisis in water supplies in Johannesburg, South Africa. Roman Pilipey/AFP Anna and her mother wait to be…
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Five unanswered questions from the trial
Gisèle Pelicot: ‘I never regretted decision to make trial public’ French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot walked out of a court in southern France for the last time on Thursday after her ex-husband was jailed for 20 years for drugging and raping her, and inviting dozens of strangers to also abuse her over nearly a decade.…
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Sega considering Netflix-like game subscription service
Sega Sonic x Shadow Generations sold more than 1 million copies in a single day when it launched in October Sega is considering launching its own Netflix-like subscription service for video games, a move which would accelerate gaming’s transition towards streaming. There are already a number of similar services on the market – such as…
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Relatives of inmates attempt to break into prison
A riot inside a prison in the southern Mexico state of Tabasco has left seven inmates dead, leading to family members attempting to break inside to check on their relatives. Four police officers and six other inmates were left injured in the incident, which broke out in the town of Villahermosa on Thursday. The BBC’s…
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Volkswagen agrees deal to avoid Germany plant closures
Volkswagen has reached a deal with the IG Metall trade union which will avert plant closures in Germany and avoid immediate compulsory redundancies. The two sides have, however, agreed to cut more than 35,000 jobs across the country in a “socially responsible manner” by 2030, in order to save some €15bn (£12.4bn). Germany’s largest carmaker…
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