5 d. ago Revealed: Winston Churchill's emotive letter sent to his 'beautiful' first love while banged up in a South African prison

The future prime minister told Pamela Plowden it was 'not a very satisfactory address to write from' after he was imprisoned while covering the Boer War as a reporter.

Events

5 d. ago There Was, There Was Not review – how four women’s dreams are destroyed by the shock of war

Emily Mkrtichian’s feature debut was shot in the now defunct republic of Artsakh, a tender, intimate meditation on the impermanence of lifeWith a title taken from the traditional opening phrase of Armenian fairytales, Emily Mkrtichian’s feature debut hints at the impermanence of life itself. Shot in the now defunct republic of Artsakh, the film follows four extraordinary women who find their hopes and ambitions cruelly derailed by war. The breakaway state was formed in 1991, after decades of political discrimination under the Soviet Union and military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. For the predominantly Armenian population here, their peace has always been under threat.The personal journeys of Mkrtichian’s subjects feel even more remarkable in the face of these uncertainties. A judo champion, Sose aspires to represent her country at the Olympics; Siranush campaigns to be on the city council; and Gayane runs a support group for women. For those living in Artsakh, memories o...

Events

6 d. ago Orphans of history: the forgotten republic of Transnistria – photo essay

Photographer Didier Bizet has spent time documenting life in the self-proclaimed autonomous republic, which is not recognised by the international community. Its status raises complex questions about the identity of its inhabitants – Ukrainians, Russians, Moldovans and Bulgarians – in a land searching for direction and lacking a clearly defined national identityAmid the ongoing war in Ukraine and between the fragile borders that crisscross the former Soviet Union, the self-proclaimed Republic of Transnistria, which broke away from Moldova more than 30 years ago after a brief but bloody conflict, remains locked in deep political and diplomatic isolation.Home to about 450,000 people, Transnistria is a narrow strip of land wedged between Moldova and Ukraine, along the eastern bank of the Dniester River. Its de facto capital, Tiraspol, lies less than 60 miles from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa. Though small in size – about 125 miles long – the region holds outsized strategic importan...

Culture

1 week ago ‘Open hostility has become normalised’: Dutch Muslims fear rise of far right as general election looms

The poll is seen as a litmus test for the Netherlands and its democratic ideals, as activists decry a hardening of political discourse driven by Geert WildersThe drawing depicted two women; a young blonde with a friendly expression and a scowling older woman wearing a headscarf. On top of the image was a nod to this month’s general election in the Netherlands, along with the phrase “The choice is yours.”The social media post, made by the far-right, anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders, prompted a record 14,000 complaints to the country’s anti-discrimination hotline. “Many of those who called to report the image compared it to Nazi propaganda from the second world war,” the hotline said in a statement, adding that the 19 anti-discrimination agencies associated with the hotline had flagged the post to police, amid concerns that it could be an incitement to hatred. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago CIA tried to recruit Winston Churchill to broadcast Cold War propaganda into the Soviet Union

The British prime minister was one of several prominent figures approached in late 1958 to 'stimulate heretical thinking'.

Events

2 w. ago TalkTV’s Mike Graham taking break from breakfast show after controversial post

The journalist, who claims he was hacked, apologised for the Facebook post complaining about ‘multicultural bollocks’.

Culture

3 w. ago The Guardian view on EU accession for Ukraine: Orbán must not be allowed to call the tune | Editorial

In a critical phase, Brussels should find a way to bypass Hungary’s prime minister in the interests of European solidarityHosting European Union leaders in Copenhagen earlier this month, the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, described Europe as facing “the most difficult and dangerous situation since the second world war”. There have been other moments of high tension, such as during the 1980s when US cruise missiles were deployed in Germany in response to an escalating arms race with the Soviet Union. From next year, long-range missiles will be back on German soil, amid fears that recent Russian incursions into EU airspace herald a new and ominous phase of the war in Ukraine.As Donald Trump’s US continues to carry the status of an unreliable ally, European unity, cohesion and solidarity are of critical importance. But little of substance emerged from the Copenhagen talks. Disagreement persists, for example, over the advisability of leveraging €140bn of frozen Russian assets...

Politics

3 w. ago What historic decision led Prince Philip to 'clash heads' with Winston Churchill?

Philip once complained it felt like 'there were three people in the marriage' - himself, the Queen and Churchill.

Politics