28 h. ago China and Britain shared a mission to fight aggression and fascism. And we can work together today | Zheng Zeguang

As we remember VJ Day, let us also recall a spirit that can help us combat regional instability and climate changeZheng Zeguang is Chinese ambassador to the UKThis year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war. On Friday, there will be a two-minute silence at noon in the UK to honour the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. This is a moment not only for solemn remembrance, but also for reflection on the enduring bonds forged in the crucible of history – bonds that continue to resonate in our world today.At the darkest hour of the second world war, China and the UK fought on different fronts but shared a common mission: to defend humanity against fascism and aggression. Millions of lives were lost, cities razed, and families torn apart. Yet in that darkness, courage and solidarity illuminated the way forward. The Chinese and British peoples stood shoulder to shoulder, united by sacrifice and ...

Events

48 h. ago Organisation that uses a little horse power as therapy for young people marks 10 years

Ponies Help Children was initially set up to rescue abused and neglected ponies

Politics

69 h. ago Sashi Perera: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)

The lawyer turned comedian and author shares her favourite online lols, from Michael Bolton as Erin Brockovich to David Attenborough narrating tortoise sex Get our weekend culture and lifestyle emailI love the internet. People from the time before the internet always talk about how great that time was. They’re lying. Some things were exactly the same: there was love and war, and people pushed doors clearly marked “pull”, especially if someone was watching. But we had to bear these experiences without a tool to ferret out as much information as possible about anything or anyone at any time. So it was definitely a worse time.When a dial-up connection came into my life at 12, I threw myself at the internet with the intensity usually reserved for Backstreet Boys dances. I’ve aggressively communicated on every virtual platform since its inception, and the best bit is the link to all the funnies.Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend...

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2 d. ago Which choices contribute most to climate change? Most people miss the mark, one study found

It turns out many Americans misjudge which personal behaviors contribute most to climate change

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4 d. ago Israel warns Iran's Ayatollah to 'look up and listen for any buzzing when he emerges from his bunker' after Tehran publishes 'hit list' of Netanyahu and IDF chiefs

Katz made the threat on X in response to a list released by the Iranian regime of people in Israel's political and security leadership who Tehran has marked as targets to be assassinated.

Events

7 d. ago Spain’s economy is the envy of Europe, but the plight of its strawberry pickers tells another story | Tone Sutterud

Its migrant-powered GDP growth is lauded. If only the people who pick its fruit could be treated with dignity and respectI used to enjoy being able to buy strawberries in the supermarket in winter. But that was before I saw first-hand where most of the UK’s imported berries come from. The working conditions of migrant farm workers in southern Spain were something I never thought I would see in a European country. While others flounder, the Spanish economy is booming, in large part thanks to unusually high migration levels – but too many of the people propping it up are being treated disgracefully.At the end of Huelva’s berry-growing season in April, I sat having lunch at a roadside restaurant in town, as an endless stream of trailers with fruit logos on the side thundered past. At peak times, 2,000 of these lorries leave Huelva every day, laden with berries destined for the European market. More than 60% of the strawberries British people eat in winter were grown in the polytunnels ...

Politics

1 week ago Meghan Markle floors people with real age as fans gush she looks 'so fresh'

Meghan Markle is marking her birthday today and people have taken to social media to share their best wishes. Fans have also been gushing about how young the former actress looks

Politics

1 week ago ‘Poetry pulled me out of the abyss’: keeping culture alive in Kharkiv – picture essay

Eastern Ukraine’s biggest city is unsettlingly close to the Russian border and vulnerable to missile strikes, but there is a determination to maintain a cultural life, and a poetry festival is testament to the resilience and creativity of its peopleThe city of Kharkiv, just 18 miles from the Russian border, is a paradoxical mix of tended-to and broken. Public sculptures are wrapped and coddled in sandbags to protect them from missiles. Flowerbeds in parks are punctiliously maintained. The life of the streets is several notches quieter than you would expect from a European country’s second city – and yet, bookshops, coffee shops and restaurants are open and doing a steady business.People browsing the books at Pochaina market Continue reading...

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