Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Dark arts in Hollywood – how the publicity smear machine changed
BBC “She’s a phony, but I guess the public likes that…” This is the line that actress Joan Crawford is said to have declared about film star Bette Davis. The back-and-forth sniping between the pair played out in public in the 1930s and 40s. “Bette is a survivor… She survived herself,” Crawford also apparently remarked.…
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How Alzheimer’s left him alone in his final days
Reuters Reporters gathered outside the gated community where Hackman and his wife died Actor Gene Hackman was alone. The two-time Academy Award winner didn’t make any calls and missed meals. Medical experts say it’s possible the 95-year-old, who was in declining health and suffering from advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, did not even realise his…
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French lawmakers seek to bring back village bars
Lawmakers in France have overwhelmingly backed a bill making it easier to open bars in villages – a move aimed at reviving social life in small rural communities. In a 156-2 vote on Monday, MPs decided to loosen strict restrictions on new bar permits to sell alcohol. The bill still needs a Senate approval to…
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Kurdish-led SDF agrees to integrate with government forces
A Kurdish-led militia alliance which controls north-eastern Syria has agreed a deal to integrate all military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state, the country’s presidency says. The agreement says the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will cease hostilities and hand over control of the region’s border posts, airport, and vital oil and gas fields.…
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How JD Vance sees the world
Mike Wendling BBC News, Chicago BBC An argument in the White House tore apart the US alliance with Ukraine, shook European leaders and highlighted JD Vance’s key role in forcefully expressing Donald Trump’s foreign policy. The vice-president has come out punching on the global stage – so what is it that drives his worldview? Vance’s…
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Ukraine partial ceasefire plan ‘has promise’, Rubio says ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia
Reuters Marco Rubio said he hoped the pause in US aid to Ukraine could be “resolved” but that Tuesday’s talks “would be key to that”. America’s top diplomat has said that he sees promise in Ukraine’s proposal for a partial ceasefire to end the war with Russia, ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia between US…
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Facebook ‘worked hand in glove’ with China, claims ex-director
BBC Sarah Wynn-Williams says she watched Facebook grow from “a front row seat” A former senior Facebook executive has told the BBC how the social media giant worked “hand in glove” with the Chinese government on potential ways of allowing Beijing to censor and control content in China. Sarah Wynn-Williams – a former global public…
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Syrian Alawite families flee to Lebanon after violence
At least 6,000 Syrians are believed to have crossed into neighbouring Lebanon in the last few days to escape violence in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus. The area is a stronghold of Syria’s ousted former President, Bashar al-Assad, and hundreds of civilians have been killed there by the new government’s security forces. BBC…
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JD Vance’s cousin criticises him for ‘belittling’ Zelensky
EPA Vice-President JD Vance said President Zelensky should be more grateful for US support during the heated White House exchange US Vice-President JD Vance’s cousin has criticised him and President Donald Trump for “belittling” Volodymyr Zelensky during the three men’s Oval Office showdown in February. “There’s a certain level of decorum that I expect from…
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Vanuatu PM cancels passport of former IPL cricket chief
The prime minister of Vanuatu has ordered the cancellation of a passport issued by the island nation to fugitive Indian businessman Lalit Modi, who is wanted by Delhi in a corruption case. The order came three days after India confirmed that Mr Modi had got citizenship of Vanuatu, a string of more than 80 islands…
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