Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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MI6 launches dark web portal to attract spies in Russia
MI6 is launching its own dedicated portal on the dark web in the hope of attracting new spies online, notably from Russia. Secure messaging platform Silent Courier aims to strengthen national security by making it easier for the intelligence agency to recruit, the Foreign Office said. Potential agents in Russia and around the world will…
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South African hospital worker arrested with human placentas in Mpumalanga
A South African hospital cleaner has been arrested after being found in possession of a bag of human placentas in eastern Mpumalanga province, police say. Rose Mnisi was allegedly seeking potential buyers for the human body tissue when she was picked up by security officers following a tip-off. “Upon being approached by police, the woman…
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Hugs as family of Barbie and Peter Reynolds reunite in Doha
A British couple freed by the Taliban after being detained for nearly eight months have reunited with their family in Qatar. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, who lived in Afghanistan for almost 20 years, were released on Friday morning through Qatari mediation, and later landed in Doha where they were met by…
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Drone strike on Sudan mosque kills 78, medic tells BBC
More than 70 people have been killed following a drone strike on a mosque in Sudan’s Darfur region, a senior medical source has told the BBC. Friday’s attack in the city of el-Fasher has been blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but the group has not taken responsibility. The RSF and the army…
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Judge dismisses Trump’s $15bn lawsuit against the New York Times
A US federal judge has struck down Donald Trump’s $15bn defamation lawsuit against the New York Times newspaper, citing issues with its contents. US District Judge Steven Merryday in his ruling on Friday said Trump had violated a federal rule requiring applicants to outline in a “short and plain statement” why they deserve relief from…
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Trump and Xi to meet as long-awaited TikTok deal approved
US president Donald Trump said he plans to meet Chinese Premier Xi Jinping in South Korea next month following a phone call in which the Chinese leader also approved of a deal to take control of TikTok’s US operations. Trump wrote on Truth Social the call was “productive” and the approval was “appreciated”, adding that…
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Estonia condemns ‘brazen’ airspace violation by Russian warplanes
Russian warplanes have violated Estonian airspace, the foreign ministry in Tallinn has said, condemning the incursion as “brazen”. It said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets “entered Estonian airspace without permission and remained there for a total of 12 minutes” on Friday over the Gulf of Finland. The ministry said it summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires…
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US TV hosts back Jimmy Kimmel and lampoon Donald Trump in free speech row
Ian YoungsCulture reporter and Katie RazzallCulture and media editor Watch: Jimmy Fallon among US talk show hosts sharing on-air reactions to Kimmel’s exit America’s late-night TV hosts have rallied behind fellow comedian Jimmy Kimmel after he was suspended by ABC in a row over comments he made about the killing of Charlie Kirk. Stephen Colbert…
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Trump’s hope to ‘take back’ Bagram airbase dismissed by Taliban official
A Taliban official has rejected the idea that the US could retake a key airbase in Afghanistan after President Donald Trump told reporters he wanted it back. Zakir Jalal, who works in the Taliban’s foreign ministry, said the idea of the US maintaining any military presence in Afghanistan was “completely” rejected during talks between the…
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First students evacuated from Gaza to study in UK
A group of 34 students in Gaza with places at British universities have been evacuated and are due to arrive in the UK within days. It is the first time since the conflict began that people have been helped to leave the Strip in order to study in the UK. They are now in a…
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