Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Itamar Ben Gvir taunts prominent Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti
New footage shared on social media shows the far-right Israeli minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, taunting the most prominent Palestinian prisoner, Marwan Barghouti, in his cell. The Palestinian Authority has condemned the video. Its Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh described it as “the epitome of psychological, moral and physical terrorism.” The 13-second-long video clip is the first time…
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Sidelined Ukrainians look on as Trump and Putin meet for Alaska talks
Joel Gunter Reporting from Kyiv EPA Five thousand miles from Alaska, and feeling left out, Ukrainians were bracing themselves on Friday for the outcome of negotiations to which they were not invited. The talks, between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, will begin later in the day with no seat for…
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Flash floods kill more than 160 in Pakistan
At least 164 people have died in the last 24 hours in heavy monsoon floods and landslides in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Most of the deaths, 150, were recorded by disaster authorities in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in northern Pakistan. At least 30 homes were destroyed and a rescue helicopter has also crashed during operations,…
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French man arrested over spying allegation
Mali’s military rulers say they have arrested a French national on suspicion of spying for his country in an attempt to destabilise the African nation. In a statement read on national television late on Thursday, the junta alleged that Yann Vezilier was working “on behalf of the French intelligence service”. Mr Vezilier is yet to…
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Global plastic talks collapse as countries remain deeply divided
Global talks to develop a landmark treaty to end plastic pollution have once again failed. The UN negotiations, the sixth round of talks in just under three years, were due to end on Thursday but countries continued to negotiate into the night in the hopes of breaking a deadlock. There remained a split between a…
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Afghan whose details were in UK data breach at risk from Taliban if deported, son tells BBC
An Afghan man, whose details were accidentally leaked by the UK in a major data breach, has been detained in Pakistan for imminent deportation alongside several family members, his son told the BBC. The BBC has seen documents which appear to confirm the man was part of Afghan special forces units who worked alongside British…
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Zambia’s ex-president and the undignified row over his body
Kennedy Gondwe BBC News in Lusaka Getty Images “It’s coming home!” – a phrase indelibly linked to English football fans – has now gained currency among some Zambians in the battle over what to do with the body of former President Edgar Lungu. The 68-year-old died two months ago in South Africa where he was…
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Alaskans share anger and hope as Trump and Putin fly in
Jake Lapham BBC News in Anchorage BBC Hanna Correa and her son Milan attend a protest in Anchorage “Putin is supposed to be in jail, and he just comes to Alaska like that.” Hanna Correa is amongst a sea of Alaskans waving Ukrainian flags on road leading into Anchorage. “When I entered through that parking…
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Perseids meteor shower seen in skies above UK
The annual Perseid meteor shower has been passing through the night sky across the UK and around the world over the past few nights. The bright meteors are formed when dust particles fall from the Swift-Tuttle comet and burn up on entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Astronomers at Astro Dog, a small Scarborough-based astronomy company, captured…
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US warns of additional tariffs on India if Trump-Putin peace talks fail
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Washington could increase secondary tariffs on India. He said the decision would depend on the outcome of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. “We’ve put secondary tariffs on Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see, If things don’t…
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