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Post-war reconstruction - China returns to normal life following victory over Japan in WWII *ARCHIVE*

Post-war reconstruction - China returns to normal life following victory over Japan in WWII *ARCHIVE*

"Archive footage from the 1940s shows China's post-war reconstruction after the end of armed conflict with Japanese forces during the 'War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression' and the conclusion of WW2. Chinese soldiers can be seen holding Japanese military flags they had seized, while Japanese prisoners of war are shown being given cigarettes. The video also shows wounded Chinese servicemen receiving rations and eating. The leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong, is seen arriving and giving a speech at a military academy located in a mountainous area. The footage also features young men and women constructing houses on the slopes of the mountains. Art school students can also be seen practising outdoors under the supervision of their teachers. Furthermore, the video depicts a group of children in the playground of a preschool, laughing and having fun while enjoying their meals together. The Second Sino-Japanese War between China and the Japanese Empire had its roots in 1931 with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, becoming the largest Asian war in the 20th century. It was reported to have resulted in the deaths of around 20 million people, mainly Chinese civilians. Following WW2, Japan formally surrendered on September 2, 1945, after the Soviet declaration of war, as well as the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. China holds its landmark 80th anniversary Victory Parade in Beijing on September 3, attended by many world leaders and dignitaries."

'What is there to talk about?' - Russia's Polyansky questions presidential peace dialogue, citing Zelensky 'in no mood' for territorial compromise

'What is there to talk about?' - Russia's Polyansky questions presidential peace dialogue, citing Zelensky 'in no mood' for territorial compromise

"Russia's Deputy UN envoy Dmitry Polyansky questioned the point of peace talks between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky if the Ukrainian leader continues to reject Moscow's key demands, while speaking at the Security Council session in New York City on Friday. "What is there to talk about if Zelensky publicly states that he is in no mood to discuss the territorial issue? […] The head of the Kiev regime also very unequivocally states that no one can prevent Ukraine from joining NATO, which also goes against the words of President Trump," he stated. The diplomat persisted, "If the overdue Ukrainian president is not ready for such a discussion and is generally unwilling to make any compromises, [...] it is not entirely clear why he insists on meeting with Russian President Putin." The remarks come after US President Donald Trump met Putin in Alaska earlier this month and held separate talks with Zelensky and European leaders in Washington DC. Polyansky also accused the West of blaming Russia for civilian casualties while ignoring that they result solely from "falling debris from downed missiles or drones, or from Ukrainian air defence missiles directly crashing off course." "We did indeed, on the night of 27-28 August, hit objects related to the military-industrial complex of that country as part of the task of demilitarising Ukraine," he confirmed, adding that "62 percent of Ukraine's key military-industrial complex enterprises have already been damaged." The envoy further proclaimed that Ukraine deliberately positioned military infrastructure in populated areas, noting it is "not surprising that Ukrainian air defence missiles again fell on residential neighbourhoods. This is what caused the damage to UK and EU mission buildings and the deaths of civilians in partially destroyed homes." The statement followed Ukrainian Air Force reports that Russia launched 598 drones and 31 missiles overnight Thursday, of which 563 drones and 26 missiles were downed, with impacts in 13 locations and debris in 26 areas. Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO. Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed rounds of sanctions on Moscow."

'What is there to talk about?' - Russia's Polyansky questions presidential peace dialogue, citing Zelensky 'in no mood' for territorial compromise

'What is there to talk about?' - Russia's Polyansky questions presidential peace dialogue, citing Zelensky 'in no mood' for territorial compromise

"Russia's Deputy UN envoy Dmitry Polyansky questioned the point of peace talks between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky if the Ukrainian leader continues to reject Moscow's key demands, while speaking at the Security Council session in New York City on Friday. "What is there to talk about if Zelensky publicly states that he is in no mood to discuss the territorial issue? […] The head of the Kiev regime also very unequivocally states that no one can prevent Ukraine from joining NATO, which also goes against the words of President Trump," he stated. The diplomat persisted, "If the overdue Ukrainian president is not ready for such a discussion and is generally unwilling to make any compromises, [...] it is not entirely clear why he insists on meeting with Russian President Putin." The remarks come after US President Donald Trump met Putin in Alaska earlier this month and held separate talks with Zelensky and European leaders in Washington DC. Polyansky also accused the West of blaming Russia for civilian casualties while ignoring that they result solely from "falling debris from downed missiles or drones, or from Ukrainian air defence missiles directly crashing off course." "We did indeed, on the night of 27-28 August, hit objects related to the military-industrial complex of that country as part of the task of demilitarising Ukraine," he confirmed, adding that "62 percent of Ukraine's key military-industrial complex enterprises have already been damaged." The envoy further proclaimed that Ukraine deliberately positioned military infrastructure in populated areas, noting it is "not surprising that Ukrainian air defence missiles again fell on residential neighbourhoods. This is what caused the damage to UK and EU mission buildings and the deaths of civilians in partially destroyed homes." The statement followed Ukrainian Air Force reports that Russia launched 598 drones and 31 missiles overnight Thursday, of which 563 drones and 26 missiles were downed, with impacts in 13 locations and debris in 26 areas. Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO. Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed rounds of sanctions on Moscow."

Country diary: Barn owlets that feel like miracles | Nicola Chester

Country diary: Barn owlets that feel like miracles | Nicola Chester

Inkpen, Berkshire: It’s been an awful year for their breeding numbers, yet here we are, at our back garden gate, watching two young adults that feel like our own Most evenings at dusk, we take a last cup of tea out to watch the barn owls from the back garden gate. A pair has used the box in our neighbour’s field ever since we put it up five years ago, and for the first time, they have raised two chicks. This is heartening enough, but it feels almost miraculous considering 2025 has been so bad for barn owls. It’s thought poor grass growth in a hot, dry year has suppressed numbers of their main prey, voles and mice, which were already low from natural fluctuations. And so, over spring and summer, we have watched as each fluffy owlet emerged from the box and tiptoed along the oak branches like ghouls. We’ve watched their parents sweep in to feed them – sometimes at worryingly long intervals – the siblings waiting on the nestbox platform, turning their heads upside down, snapping at flies. We have seen them fledge, bouncing from tree to tree above the old paddock, then out to measure and survey Home Field. Continue reading...