Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Salman Rushdie knife attack suspect goes on trial

    Salman Rushdie knife attack suspect goes on trial

    Getty Images The man charged with stabbing writer Sir Salman Rushdie is facing trial in the US, with jury selection starting on Tuesday. Hadi Matar is charged with attempted murder and assault over the August 2022 incident that left Mr Rushdie blind in one eye. Mr Matar, 27, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.…

  • Thousands evacuate Santorini after earthquakes shake Greek island

    Thousands evacuate Santorini after earthquakes shake Greek island

    Thousands of residents are fleeing Santorini after hundreds of earthquakes were recorded near the Greek island in the last 48 hours. About 9,000 people have left the island since Sunday, with additional emergency flights scheduled to leave on Tuesday. More than 300 earthquakes have been recorded in the past two days near the island, and…

  • South Africa’s Anglican Church apologises over exposing children to risk

    South Africa’s Anglican Church apologises over exposing children to risk

    The Anglican Church of Southern Africa (Acsa) has apologised for failing to protect the public from the risk posed by a prolific British child abuser who had moved to South African in 2001. Senior barrister John Smyth, who died in South Africa in 2018 at the age of 77, abused over 100 children and young…

  • Five ways China is hitting back against US tariffs

    Five ways China is hitting back against US tariffs

    Michael Race Business reporter, BBC News Getty Images The trade war between the world’s two biggest economies has escalated after China hit back against the introduction of tariffs by the US with measures of its own. Beijing has set out to target specific American goods with retaliatory taxes, among other measures, following the blanket 10%…

  • Five people shot at school in central Sweden

    Five people shot at school in central Sweden

    BBC Five people have been shot at a school in central Sweden, police say. The shooting happened in Örebro, 200km west of Stockholm, on Tuesday afternoon. Police say the extent of the injuries is unclear. The incident took place before13:00 local time and officials are urging residents to stay away from the school. This breaking…

  • Five sentenced to death after murdering woman they said was a witch

    Five sentenced to death after murdering woman they said was a witch

    Five men have been sentenced to death by hanging in Nigeria’s Kano state for the 2023 murder of a woman they accused of witchcraft. The convicted men attacked Dahare Abubakar, 67, as she was working on her farm, beating and stabbing her to death. Ms Abubakar’s family went to the authorities and the suspects were…

  • BBC joins Gazan girl, 2, in Jordan on journey to life-saving treatment

    BBC joins Gazan girl, 2, in Jordan on journey to life-saving treatment

    Two-year-old Palestinian Habiba al-Askari suffers from a rare disease that has cut off the blood supply to her limbs. Doctors treating her said she needed to be evacuated to a hospital outside of Gaza to save her life, and some of her limbs. Jordan has been trying to get Israeli permission to evacuate her for…

  • Rebels declare ceasefire in DR Congo for ‘humanitarian reasons’

    Rebels declare ceasefire in DR Congo for ‘humanitarian reasons’

    The alliance of rebel groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have declared a humanitarian ceasefire starting on Tuesday. In a statement, the group – which includes the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels – cited “humanitarian reasons” for the ceasefire, after it has been capturing territory in eastern parts of the country. The UN said at least…

  • Israeli hostage’s family demand answers over fate of his wife and children

    Israeli hostage’s family demand answers over fate of his wife and children

    Reuters Israeli hostage Yarden Bibas embraces loved ones after being released by Hamas The family of an Israeli hostage freed over the weekend have made a plea for information over the fate of his wife and children. Yarden Bibas, 34, was released on Saturday along with two other hostages being held by Hamas in exchange…

  • Trump tariffs: Who is winning the cold war on trade

    Trump tariffs: Who is winning the cold war on trade

    Watch: ‘I’m getting angry and anti-American’ – Canadians on tariff threat President Donald Trump has suspended for 30 days the hefty tariffs on Mexico and Canada that he threatened after last-minute negotiations with the two US neighbours. He can point to concessions on border and crime enforcement as a victory. But Canada’s Justin Trudeau and…

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