It’s the dramatic rise of China with its burgeoning economy that has put the Trump administration into a frenzy – with major implications both at home and abroad, argues MICHAEL BURKE
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Now it's 'clap for veterans' — good
We should still celebrate the achievements of those who helped defeat fascism in 1945, despite the jingoism of the VE day celebrations, writes TOM KING
DR DAVID GORDON SCOTT tells the story of the North Sands Massacre, Sunderland, as part of the ongoing work of remembrance of those killed by soldiers during the 1825 Seafarers Strike and the bicentennial commemorations on Sunday August 3
MATT KERR charts his bike-riding odyssey in aid of the Royal Marsden charity and CWU Humanitarian Aid
JOHN CALLOW tells of the rise, fall and rise again of a young martyr to the early French republic, Joseph Bara, whose short life was elevated by Robespierre and, later, others for its emotional and ideological appeal
April 9 1928 – July 26 2025
OLIVER SNELLING, a south London stonecarver and yeoman stonemason, relates how he is helping bring about a new festival next month
THE 75th anniversary of VE Day was supposed to be a grand affair. Alongside the usual bells and whistles of national celebration — cathedral services, flypasts, the Buckingham Palace balcony — we could look forward to street parties, dancing and a bank holiday to boot.
Then Covid-19 set the pandemic cat among the patriotic pigeons, and Hitler’s downfall must instead be celebrated at a distance: in the home, online and from eerily quiet television studios. Village halls throughout the land will be empty, no crowds shall fill the Mall.
However, as many have been keen to point out, the current crisis lends itself very well to the mythology of the second world war. No better time, surely, to “Keep Calm and (sort of) Carry On,” invoke the “Blitz Spirit” and join a nationwide chorus of “We’ll Meet Again.”
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As the Establishment stokes a culture war against gender recognition — not in favour of it — the left must unite in support of the trans community, says TOM KING
TOM KING marvels at the insights into the lived reality of the legionaries of the Roman empire revealed by 2,000-year-old artefacts
A play about choral singing, hedge funds and dementia proves to be an intricate exploration of family relationships and the redemptive power of music, says TOM KING
Playwright MARK RAVENHILL talks to Tom King about how the lockdown and its impact on care homes has been the catalyst for his new radio play
