Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP It was Gisèle Pelicot’s decision to open the case to the public that has given the trial international significance Judges in the French city of Avignon will hand down verdicts on 51 men on Thursday in a mass rape trial that has turned a 72-year-old woman into a feminist icon. For almost a…

Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, said his country is exhausted by war and is not a threat to its neighbours or to the West. Speaking to the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen in Damascus, Sharaa said sanctions on Syria should be lifted and that his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), should be de-listed as a terrorist…

France’s highest court has upheld a corruption conviction against former President Nicolas Sarkozy, brushing aside his appeal. Wednesday’s ruling by the Cour de Cassation means that Sarkozy – who was in power from 2007 to 2012 – must now wear an electronic monitoring bracelet for a year. Sarkozy, 69, reacted by saying he was not…

The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has said the country is exhausted by war and is not a threat to its neighbours or to the West. In an interview with the BBC in Damascus, he called for sanctions on Syria to be lifted. Sharaa led the lightning offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime…

The embattled speaker of Liberia’s House of Representatives has been questioned by the police after a huge fire at the West African nation’s legislature. Residents of the capital Monrovia woke up on Wednesday morning to see thick black smoke and flames rising from the Capitol building. The flames destroyed the entire joint chambers of the…

At least 13 people have died after an Indian naval speedboat lost control and hit a passenger ferry off the coast of Mumbai, a navy spokesperson said. Three navy personnel are among the dead, while more than 100 people have been rescued, Maharashtra state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said. Footage of the incident posted online…

BBC Heavy transport aircraft pictured at Hmeimim air base on 13 December Russia is moving a large amount of military equipment in Syria, signalling preparations for a partial withdrawal, analysts say. Satellite images reveal a build-up of military vehicles at a Russian-controlled port and airbase in western Syria. Transport aircraft also appear to have arrived…

A forensic expert, three police officers and a music impresario have been jailed for covering up the 2015 murder of Venezuelan rapper Canserbero. Canserbero, who had been named best Spanish-language rapper by Rolling Stone magazine, was drugged and stabbed to death by his manager, Natalia Améstica. Améstica and her brother then threw his body from…

BBC Geir Pedersen said the international community was ready to help and support Syria’s new leadership It is vital that Syria’s new leadership keeps its promises to respect the rights of all the country’s diverse religious and ethnic groups, according to UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen. Mr Pedersen, speaking to the BBC in Damascus, said…

Reuters Tens of thousands of people are still without access to water in Mayotte after the French Indian Ocean territory was devastated by Cyclone Chido, as rescuers race to find missing people. Preliminary figures from France’s interior ministry report 22 people have died, but Mayotte’s prefect has warned the toll could rise to thousands. Health…