Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Are the surprise airfield attacks a turning point for Ukraine?

    Are the surprise airfield attacks a turning point for Ukraine?

    Paul Adams Diplomatic correspondent Reporting fromKyiv, Ukraine SBU A screengrab of some of the drone footage released by Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday Three days on, and Ukraine is still digesting the full implications of Operation Spider’s Web, Sunday’s massive assault on Russia’s strategic aviation. On Wednesday, the agency which orchestrated the attack, the Security Service…

  • Saudi Arabia seeks to prevent heat deaths as Hajj pilgrimage begins

    Saudi Arabia seeks to prevent heat deaths as Hajj pilgrimage begins

    More than 1.4 million Muslims have begun this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, a year after 1,300 people died, mostly due to the extreme heat. Saudi authorities say they have stepped up safety precautions for the annual event. They have planted thousands of trees and installed hundreds of cooling units…

  • Gaza now worse than hell on earth, humanitarian chief tells BBC

    Gaza now worse than hell on earth, humanitarian chief tells BBC

    Jeremy Bowen International Editor World leaders ‘obligated’ to save lives in Gaza, says head of ICRC Gaza has become worse than hell on earth, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has told the BBC. In an interview at the ICRC’s headquarters in Geneva, the organisation’s president Mirjana Spoljaric said “humanity is…

  • Putin will seek revenge for Ukraine drone attack, warns Trump

    Putin will seek revenge for Ukraine drone attack, warns Trump

    Vladimir Putin has said he will have to respond to Ukraine’s major drone attack on Russian airbases, US President Donald Trump has warned. Speaking after a phone call with the Russian president, Trump said: “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.” Trump…

  • Killings near Gaza aid centre will deepen criticism of Israel’s new distribution system

    Killings near Gaza aid centre will deepen criticism of Israel’s new distribution system

    Jeremy Bowen International editor Getty Images Witnesses and international medical teams report terrible scenes of killing as Israeli troops opened fire in the hours of Tuesday before dawn on Palestinians who were converging on the new aid distribution site in southern Gaza. It was “total carnage” according to a foreign witness. An official statement from…

  • Eleven people die in crush at Bengaluru IPL victory parade

    Eleven people die in crush at Bengaluru IPL victory parade

    Eleven people have been killed and dozens injured in a crush outside a cricket stadium in Bengaluru, which was hosting a victory parade to celebrate the home team’s Indian Premier League win, the state’s chief minister said. Thousands of people had lined the streets on Wednesday to welcome the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) who beat…

  • BBC on the ground in Seoul as new president is announced

    BBC on the ground in Seoul as new president is announced

    Millions voted in Tuesday’s snap election triggered by former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over his failed martial law bid. Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party conceded defeat and congratulated Lee Jae-myung, who had fought this election as a referendum on martial law – promising to make sure it would never happen again. The…

  • Act now to save lives in Gaza, ICRC head urges world leaders

    Act now to save lives in Gaza, ICRC head urges world leaders

    Gaza has become worse than hell on Earth, according to the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric. Speaking to the BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen at the ICRC headquarters in Geneva, Spoljaric says what is happening in Gaza surpasses any acceptable legal, moral and humane standard. She calls on…

  • Vanuatu looks into revoking his golden passport

    Vanuatu looks into revoking his golden passport

    Getty Images Vanuatu authorities are looking at revoking Andrew Tate’s citizenship after it was revealed that he acquired a golden passport at around the same time as his 2022 arrest in Romania for rape and human trafficking. The self-described misogynist influencer acquired citizenship under a fast-track scheme for those who invest at least $130,000 (£96,000)…

  • Cologne evacuates thousands so WW2 bombs can be diffused

    Cologne evacuates thousands so WW2 bombs can be diffused

    The German city of Cologne is evacuating some 20,500 people from a large area in the city centre so experts can defuse three unexploded bombs from World War Two. The American bombs were discovered on Monday in a shipyard in the Deutz neighbourhood, the city said in a statement. Unexploded ordnance can still pose a…

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