Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood James Harrison with his grandson, Trey, in an earlier picture One of the world’s most prolific blood donors – whose plasma saved the lives of more than 2 million babies – has died. James Harrison died in his sleep at a nursing home in New South Wales, Australia on 17 February,…

Despite growing international pressure, the Democratic Republic of Congo is standing firm on its decision not to have direct talks with the M23 rebel group that has made major advances in the east of the country in recent months. Last week, the UK government added to calls for the group to be part of an…

Reuters “Bruised but motivated,” was how one of Volodymyr Zelensky’s entourage described how they had been feeling, as a small group of journalists crammed into what felt like an even smaller room at Stansted Airport. The British state had done its best to give the Ukrainian president “all bells and whistles” when he arrived in…

Several Arab states and the UN have condemned Israel for blocking the entry of all humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Egypt and Qatar said the Israeli move on Sunday violated a ceasefire deal, while UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described it as “alarming”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country acted because Hamas…

Imogen Foulkes Geneva correspondent, BBC News Badrutt’s Palace Hotel Swiss hotels, such as Badrutt’s Palace in St Moritz, attract the world’s wealthiest people The world is a very insecure place right now – conflict, climate change, and fears of recession dominate the headlines. But for some people, things are going rather well – the wealthy.…

President Zelensky has told the BBC the minerals deal between the US and Ukraine remains “ready” to sign despite the public showdown between him and the Trump administration on Friday. He was asked about the future of the deal, which would grant the US access to Ukraine’s rare mineral reserves, by Laura Kuenssberg. “It is…

Emily Damari Family Emily Damari lost two fingers after being shot during the 7 October 2023 attacks A British-Israeli hostage released by Hamas after 15 months in captivity has said her scars represented “freedom, hope and strength” as she underwent a series of surgeries for her injuries. Emily Damari, 28, was shot in the hand…

Reuters Lancaster House may have been bathed in sunshine as European leaders gathered to chart a way forward for Ukraine. But there was a cloud hanging over the summit amid the gilt-edged grandeur of the former royal townhouse in central London. It came in the form of a question – was it all worth it?…

The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo has accused Rwanda of dressing up prisoners in military uniforms in an effort to pass them off as newly-captured rebels linked to the Rwandan genocide. It comes after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo said they had captured fighters from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation…

Watch in full: The remarkable exchange between Zelensky, Vance and Trump Most Republicans have backed US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance following their public row in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Senator Lindsey Graham suggested Zelensky should resign, adding that Friday’s altercation had imperilled future US military support for Kyiv,…