King Charles leads VJ Day 80th anniversary commemorations in UK
While fighting in Europe ended in May 1945, the conflict with Japan continued until it signalled its intention to surrender on August 15 that year after atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States.
Charles will be joined by his wife Queen Camilla, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Japanese ambassador and veterans for a National Service of Remembrance to pay tribute to those who were killed in the final three months of the war.
There will be a flypast featuring historic military planes and a two-minute silence at midday.
'Eighty years since our victory in the Second World War, we pay our respects to the many who fought, were captured, and made the ultimate sacrifice in the Far East,' Starmer said in a statement.
'Our country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today.'
At dawn military bagpipers will perform at The Cenotaph war memorial in central London, at Edinburgh Castle and the National Memorial Arboretum in central England where the service of remembrance will be held later, the government said.
A piper will also perform at a Japanese peace garden to recognise the reconciliation between Britain and Japan in the decades since the war ended.
On Friday evening, dozens of buildings and locations across the country including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, and the White Cliffs of Dover will be illuminated to mark the anniversary. - Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Bolivia's indigenous folk's unique rituals for Mother Earth
Neyza Hurtado was three years old when she was struck by lightning. Forty years later, sitting next to a bonfire on a 4,175m mountain, her scarred forehead makes her proud. "I am the lightning,' she said. "When it hit me, I became wise and a seer. That's what we masters are.' Hundreds of people in Bolivia hire Andean spiritual guides like Hurtado to perform rituals every August, the month of Pachamama, or Mother Earth, according to the worldview of the Aymara, an Indigenous people of the region. Pachamama's devotees believe that she awakens hungry and thirsty after the dry season. To honour her and express gratitude for her blessings, they make offerings at home, in their crop fields and on the peaks of Bolivian mountains. "We come here every August to follow in the footsteps of our elders,' said Santos Monasterios, who hired Hurtado for a Pachamama ritual on a site called La Cumbre, about 13km from the capital city of La Paz. "We ask for good health and work.'Offerings made to Pachamama are known as mesitas (or "little tables'). Depending on each family's wishes, masters like Hurtado prepare one mesita per family or per person. A believer arranging an offering during the ritual on La Cumbre. Mesitas are made of wooden logs. On top of them, each master places sweets, grains, coca leaves and small objects representing wealth, protection and good health. Occasionally, llama or piglet fetuses are also offered. Once the mesita is ready, the spiritual guide sets it on fire and devotees douse their offerings with wine or beer, to quench Pachamama's thirst. "When you make this ritual, you feel relieved,' Monasterios said. "I believe in this, so I will keep sharing a drink with Pachamama.' It can take up to three hours for a mesita to burn. Once the offerings have turned to ash, the devotees gather and solemnly bury the remains to become one with Mother Earth. Carla Chumacero, who travelled to La Cumbre recently with her parents and a sister, requested four mesitas from her longtime spiritual guide. "Mother Earth demands this from us, so we provide,' the 28-year-old Chumacero said. According to her, how they become aware of Pachamama's needs is hard to explain. "We just know it; it's a feeling,' she said. "Many people go through a lot – accidents, trouble within families – and that's when we realise that we need to present her with something, because she has given us so much and she can take it back.' Maria Ceballos, 34, did not inherit her devotion from her family, but from co-workers at the gold mine where she earns a living. "We make offerings because our work is risky,' Ceballos said. "We use heavy machinery and we travel often, so we entrust ourselves to Pachamama.' An Aymara woman offering beer during the celebration of Pachamama in La Cumbre, Bolivia. — Photos: Reuters The history The exact origin of the Pachamama rituals is difficult to determine, but according to Bolivian anthropologist Milton Eyzaguirre, they are an ancestral tradition dating back to 6,000BCE. As the first South American settlers came into the region, they faced soil and climate conditions that differed from those in the northernmost parts of the planet, where winter begins in December. In Bolivia, as in other Southern Hemisphere countries, winter runs from June to September. "Here, the cold weather is rather dry,' Eyzaguirre said. "Based on that, there is a particular behaviour in relation to Pachamama.' Mother Earth is believed to be asleep throughout August. Her devotees wish for her to regain her strength and bolster their sowing, which usually begins in October and November. A few months later, when the crops are harvested in February, further rituals are performed. "These dates are key because it's when the relationship between humans and Pachamama is reactivated,' Eyzaguirre said. "Elsewhere it might be believed that the land is a consumer good,' he added. "But here there's an equilibrium: You have to treat Pachamama because she will provide for you.' People gathering on La Cumbre, a mountain considered sacred to Indigenous folk in Bolivia. — AP August rituals honour not only Pachamama, but also the mountains or "apus', considered protective spirits for the Aymara and Quechua people. "Under the Andean perspective, all elements of nature have a soul,' Eyzaguirre said. "We call that Ajayu, which means they have a spiritual component.' For many Bolivians, wind, fire, and water are considered spirits, and the apus are perceived as ancestors. This is why many cemeteries are located in the highlands and why Pachamama rituals are performed at sites like La Cumbre. "The apus protect us and keep an eye on us,' said Rosendo Choque, who has been a spiritual guide or yatiri for 40 years. He, like Hurtado, said that only a few select people can do they job. Before becoming masters, it is essential that they acquire special skills and ask Pachamama's permission to perform rituals in her honour. "I acquired my knowledge little by little,' Choque said. "But I now have the permission to do this job and coca leaves speak to me.' Hurtado said she mostly inherited her knowledge from her grandmother, who was also a yatiri and witnessed how she survived the lightning strike. "For me, she is the holiest person, the one who made me what I am,' Hurtado said. She said she finds comfort in helping her clients secure a good future, but her close relationship with Pachamama brings her the deepest joy. "We respect her because she is Mother Earth,' Hurtado said. "We live in her.' – AP
Daily Express
a day ago
- Daily Express
‘Our heartfelt wish for a future without war'
Published on: Sunday, August 17, 2025 Published on: Sun, Aug 17, 2025 By: Kan Yaw Chong Text Size: Kanako Tanaka speaking as the five Japanese students listened 'pass the story with honesty and care'. READ the heading again. A future without war – doesn't that echo the heartfelt wish of the whole world? yet it is a contride voice yon least expect from the side of a Japanese mother in the context of infamous Sandakan Death march. Remember her country incarcerated 2434 Aussie and British pows, all of them died except six, never see home sweet home again! Humiliated by defeat in Singapore, then held captives in a no-man's land for three years to build a military air strip for foe under gun point, all 2,434 bundled to Sandakan none survived except six! Lest we forget is a reminder to never forget, whatever or whoever it maybe. That's why I was suprised by what I heard and saw at the 80th anniversary Death March Sandakan Day commemoration Aug 14-15 this year. It takes a lot of raw courage for a Japanese mother to voice out loud at the Sandakan Day Memorial Welcome Dinner at the Sabah Hotel, Aug 14, when she knew she was addressing an audience who came to remember a near total annihilation of their relatives and countrymen 80 years ago. Noting her 'courage', British High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ajay sharma said: Now we have two sides to keep the death March story alive'. Here is a gem of a speech we publish verbatim. 'I am an ordinary mother' 'Good evening and Selamat Malam, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. 'My name is Kanako Tanaka, and I am an ordinary mother from Osaka, Japan. 'These students standing before you tonight are the daughters of some of my dearest friends. 'A few months ago, I happened to watch a Japanese documentary about the history of Sandakan created by Mr Yumoto, who is with us here this evening. 'The film left me with one urgent question. 'How can we ensure that that this story not only lives on, but truly takes root, especially among young people of Japan? 'One morning, I woke up with a clear thought in my mind. 5 Japanese students, 3 steadfast promises 'What if I brought Japanese students to Sandakan – so they could learn about this history firsthand? 'So I began reaching out to my friends, hoping to find some of their children who would be interested in taking part in a private trip to Sandakan. 'And now, I am here, accompanying five students who come from different families, schools, towns and even age groups – with up to ten years in age difference. 'They are Ryoko Obokata, Juri Okamoto, Karen Okamoto, Ryoka Yamasaki and Mariko Matsuo. 'However, they stand here tonight, ready to share three steadfast promises with all of you. 'They are Respect, Responsibility and representation. 'Respect for the past – for all those who lost their lives during this tragic chapter of history, and for the families who continue to carry their memories. 'Responsibility for the present – to learn what happened here in Sandakan, and to pass the story on with honesty and care. 'Representation for the future – these students are, in fact, our future itself. 'They are ready to receive the invisible baton passed from each and every one of you and they promise to carry it out throughout their lives- until they, in turn , pass it on to the next generation. Iconic origami cranes – symbol of peace, hope, healing in Japan 'Thanks to our friend Cynthia Ong, we have been kindly given permission to participate in tomorrow's (Aug 15) ceremony and to offer this – a thousand origami cranes. (The traditional origami crane is based on the large Japanese red crowned crane – a rare iconic species, known for their symbolic significance. Making 1,000 origami cranes is a tradition associated with granting wishes). 'Allow me to say a few words about what the thousand origami cranes means to the Japanese people. 'The origami cranes is a traditional symbol for peace, hope and healing in Japan. 'You may have seen them often offered at the Hiroshima Memorial Park. 'We folded each crane by hand, with our heartfelt wises for remembrance and a future without war.' Song wish for peace – Home sweet home 'Now please allow us to offer a song (Home sweet home – happy to be back home after long absence) 'We sing for all those who could never go back to their beloved families even after the war – and also for everyone here with us today. The song is originally an English folk song, but it is also widely known in Japan as a song that wises for peace. 'We hope this song brings to your heart back to your own sweet home. 'And may all our hearts reach out to those who longed to return home, but never could… Because as we all know… there's no place like home.' Indeed there is a blue print for a future without war in Thy kingdom come. 'We feel the weight of history beneath our feet': Corporal IT'S extremely special for us to be standing here; on ground that holds such deep meaning, not just for Australians, but for all who remember the sacrifices made during the Sandakan Death March. I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the people of Sabah and the Sabah Tourism Board for granting us access to unique and historically significant areas – most notably, the Lolosing River Valley. This would not be possible without your continued support and generosity. Your commitment to preserving and sharing this history ensures that the memory of those who served and sacrificed is kept alive for generations to come. This access has not only enhanced our experience but has given us a deeper understanding of the unimaginable hardships endured by the prisoners of war during the Sandakan Death March. Walking this ground is a solemn journey – one that brings history to life and connects us to the past in the most powerful of ways. As our good friend, Tham said: Each time an Australian completes this trek, we take a soldier home with us. This opportunity allows us to pause and reflect on the suffering, courage and resilience of those who walked this path before us. We are reminded of the strength of the human spirit in the face of unthinkable adversity. It is not just a trek – it is an honour. An honour to carry their memory. An honour to continue their legacy. And an honour to ensure that their stories are never forgotten. We sincerely hope that more Australians, especially our serving soldiers and veterans, will have the chance to experience this journey in the future. To stand where our heroes once stood. To feel the weight of history beneath their feet. And to pay tribute in the most personal and powerful way. On behalf of the team, we are honoured to carry this legacy with pride-thank you to Tham (their guide) and his crew, without each of them we wouldn't have been able to conquer the undulating terrain throughout this trek. Editor's note: This speech was given by Corporal Meghan Manuzic at the Sandakan Day Memorial Welcome Dinner at the Sabah Hotel on Aug 14, on behalf of the seven-member Australian Army who walked 100km of the Death March route from Telupid to the Last Camp, Ranau, between August 3-14, led by Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Hunter. The five other army trekkers are Warrant Officer Matthew Fuery, Sergeant Matthew Bickerton, Corporals Rebecca Ross, Angus McGregor, Sarah Kerr and Nathanael Bull. Sandakan Death March Heritage trail map launched THE full length of Sandakan Ranau Death march route is 260km long. Most tourists cannot walk that far, however interested they are. 'So the late General Manager of Sabah Tourism, Datuk Irene Charuruks, had a dream: We need a map that the local tourists can follow by car, she said to me one day,' recalled historian Lynette Silver, at the joint launching of the Sandakan Death March Heritage Trail Map at the Sandakan Day Memorial Welcome Dinner on Aug 14. Josephine Chai, STB Senior Marketing Manager, represented CEO Julinus Jeffrey Jimit, Jason Jay Paujik, Assistant Product Manager, Wilson Thomas, Deputy President of Sandakan and veteran Death March trekker, Tham Yau Kong participated in the joint launch. 'So we started on it and she had her people erect black and yellow signs along the route with POW route and then the rest of the idea was to produce a brochure. 'But somehow that went on the back burner and while we had the signs along the routes, we didn't go any further until Sabah Tourism Board now became interested with Tham and myself and they decided that we should complete Datuk Irene's dream,' Lynette said at the launch. 'So today is the culmination of Datuk Irene Charuruk's dream from many years ago to produce a map which can be followed by motorists, by anybody who's interested in the Death March story. 'I chose 15 key places which have the story historically, which is on the right hand side here and on the left you can see the Australian government map which shows you where to go.' 'So after 80 years, which is when this first map (Mud Map) was produced, we now have a situation where anybody in a car can follow the Death March route and appreciate Sabah's wartime history and Australia's wartime history and also that of the British. 'I've been at this, as you know, most of you, for a very long time, since 1993 when I started to investigate this whole story and I've been working with the Sabah government since 1999.' 'So, this is a culmination of a great deal of work on my behalf, on Tham's behalf, on the Sabah Forestry's behalf and the Sabah Tourism Board as well.' 'It's a very great honour for me to formally launch the Sandakan Death March Heritage Trail map and I do so with a great deal of pride,' Lynette concluded. According to Josephine, STB has both the hard copies and e-version of the map.
Borneo Post
a day ago
- Borneo Post
Memorial proposed in Serian to honour professor who documented Bidayuh life
Minos (fourth left) MDS councillors and officials are joined by some of the Mentu Tapu folks as they visit the hall that Geddes helped to build. KUCHING (Aug 17): A memorial and gallery to honour the late Prof William Geddes, the New Zealand academic who documented Bidayuh life in the 1950s, is being proposed at Kampung Mentu Tapu in Serian. Serian District Council chairman Dato Peter Minos said the council, together with Kedup assemblyman Datuk Martin Ben, is considering the initiative in recognition of Geddes' invaluable contributions to the Bidayuh community. He explained that Geddes had written the book 'Nine Dayak Nights' based on his experiences living with the Bidayuh community at Mentu Tapu. 'Geddes lived in Kampung Mentu Tapu from around 1950 to 1951 while conducting research on the Bidayuhs, then known as the Land Dayaks, on behalf of the British colonial government. 'His book Nine Dayak Nights and accompanying report remain classic references on Bidayuh culture and traditions,' Minos said in a statement. He noted that Geddes' works captured the community's history, customs and character with great depth and accuracy. As such, he strongly believes that setting up the memorial, albeit a modest one for a start, would be a fitting tribute for Geddes. 'This is the least we can do for this great man who did a good turn for the Bidayuhs. We must never forget our roots, and remembering Geddes is part of remembering our history,' he stressed. According to Minos, he was told Geddes returned to Kampung Mentu Tapu briefly in the 1970s and 1980s, and even helped build a small village hall, which still stands today, though no longer in use. He pointed out that although Geddes passed away many years ago, villagers of Mentu Tapu still remember him fondly. Minos, who visited the village recently, said the people expressed their gratitude to the professor for putting their community on the map. 'They told me, 'Geddes made our village famous. We really thank him for that.' It shows the depth of their appreciation and respect,' he said. Bidayuh life Kampung Mentu Tapu lead Peter Minos Prof William Geddes Serian
