Latest news with #WorldWar
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
In defence of Canada and its war efforts
Following King Charles's speech in Canada (27 May), it is time to challenge the repeated claim by Donald Trump that Canada has been a freeloader on America with regard to defence. In the first world war, Canada lost around 61,000 people out of a population of 8 million. US combat deaths were 53,000 from 100 million. In the second world war, both nations lost similar proportions of their populations. Canada supplied quality and technical skills for the frontline, from the tunnellers of Vimy Ridge, portrayed in the Canadian parliament chamber, to the strategic bomber crews (40% Commonwealth) and the corvettes that protected American ships in the Battle of the Atlantic. In Britain, we benefited from Canadian generosity. The US charged interest for decades on its postwar loan to the UK, while Canada donated $1bn. Prof Nick BosanquetYork Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Kyiv ready to take 'big steps towards peace': Ukraine delegation source
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (AP) ISTANBUL: Ukraine is ready to take "big steps" to make progress towards peace at a second round of talks with Russian officials in Istanbul on Monday, a source in Kyiv's delegation told AFP. The two sides are expected to exchange plans on how they want to end the three-year Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe's largest conflict since World War. "The Ukrainian delegation came to Istanbul with a clear agenda and readiness to take big steps toward peace," the source said. It added in written comments to AFP that Russia had still not provided its roadmap for how to halt the fighting to Ukraine, the United States, or Turkey. "If they came with the flexibility to take real steps toward peace, on our side we are ready. If they are ready to move forward, not just repeat the same previous ultimatums, then there may be good and big news today," the source said. Ukrainian officials in Istanbul separately have met with representatives from Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom ahead of talks with Russian delegates, Kyiv's foreign ministry spokesman said. "The sides coordinated positions ahead of today's meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations. Members of the Ukrainian delegation reiterated Ukraine's commitment to peace efforts," the spokesman said.
Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Newtown dramatics society to host 90th anniversary shows
Newtown Amateur Dramatic Society was formed in 1934 and put on its first play – The Barrett's of Wimpole Street – early the following year. Ninety years later, the society is still going strong and entertaining the people of Newtown and beyond with regular dramatic performances at its own Powys Theatre in Canal Road. During its long and proud history, the society has faced and survived everything from a World War to the Covid epidemic and has shared over 240 plays and other entertainments with its audiences. Initially, these were performed at local venues such as St David's Church hall, the old Victoria Theatre and village halls throughout the area until, in 1969, after immense planning and hard work the society achieved its long-term aim of acquiring a permanent home and its very own theatre. To celebrate the epic milestone of its 90th anniversary, the society is mounting a unique event in July to which everyone will be very welcome. Conceived and written by Peter and Julia Francis and involving many members of the society, it will aim to both entertain and inform. The multi-media production is to involve music, projected photographs, narration and extracts from plays which the society has performed during the 90 years of its existence. Preparation has involved making use of local newspaper reports, the memories of members past and present as well as the society's vast archive of programmes, posters and photographs, not to mention minutes of meetings and financial accounts. Alongside all of this and open to all members of the audience will be an exhibition in the theatre foyer of costumes and memorabilia reflecting the highlights and memories of ninety years 'treading the boards'. The special event will take place at the Powys Theatre on Thursday, July 10 and Friday, July 11 at 7.30pm with a matinee performance at 2.30pm on Saturday, July 12. Tickets will be available from
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Illinois man has spent 40 years rebuilding a WWII-era B-17 bomber in his barn
A man in Marengo, Illinois, is on a mission to fully restore a World War II-era B-17 bomber—a project he's been diligently working on in a roadside barn for the past 40 years. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Mike Kellner began his journey in high school after hearing that a junkyard in Maine was looking to offload the abandoned remains of the historic bomber. The asking price was '$7,000 or best offer' for a collection of disassembled parts. Kellner loaded the 75-foot aluminum behemoth onto a house trailer (he had to extend it by about 10 feet) and hauled it halfway across the country with a pickup truck. It's lived in his barn ever since. Kellner shared the decades-long story of his restoration project with local outlet WGN earlier this week. And unlike many World War II-era roadside relics, this one isn't just collecting dust. Kellner has spent countless hours working to restore the plane to its former glory, performing his own repairs, adding finishing touches, and tracking down an array of rare and hard-to-find parts. Word of his efforts spread, attracting other aviation enthusiasts who have volunteered their time over the years to assist with the restoration. Kellner documents the entire process on a Facebook page, which features thousands of update posts dating back to 2010. He doesn't just want the project to be something pretty to look at—he wants it to fly. 'It is a piece of history, and I would like the opportunity to fly it,' Kellner told WGN. Popular Science reached out to Kellner for more details but has not heard back. The B-17 was the most iconic bomber used by the US military during the second World War. Its origin actually traces back a decade earlier to 1934, when the Army Air Corps approached Boeing with an ask to design and develop a massive plane capable of carrying bombs at 10,000 feet and for more than 10 hours. The military wanted a new breed of bomber that would be able to travel beyond enemy lines at great distances and drop bombs with precision. It needed to be able to reach altitudes high enough to fly outside of the range of enemy antiaircraft artillery. The eventual B-17 featured a state-of-the-art Norden bombsight to maintain accuracy even at extreme altitudes. Early versions of the B-17 entered production in 1937, but manufacturing ramped up significantly after the U.S. officially entered World War II in 1941. The bomber that eventually flew missions behind enemy lines featured four engines—a major upgrade from the then-standard two—and was equipped with a smattering of gun turrets, including ones in the nose, upper fuselage, and tail. This cornucopia of munitions, combined with the aircraft's mammoth size, earned it the nickname 'Flying Fortress.' The B-17 currently being resurrected in Kellner's barn reportedly carries two names. One, 'Desert Rat,' is painted in bold yellow lettering on the aircraft's exterior. The other, 'Tangerine,' was discovered later, scrawled somewhere inside the unclear how much longer Kellner will need to make his dream of flying the Desert Rat a reality. The task seems like a daunting one for someone working part-time on a shoestring budget but then again, few would have likely predicted he would have made it this far to begin with. You can keep up with all of Kellner's progress by following his official Facebook page here.
India Today
7 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Ex-Russian President's World War III warning to Trump after his Putin criticism
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned Donald Trump of another World War breaking out after the US President said Vladimir Putin was "playing with fire" by refusing to engage in peace talks with a stark warning to Trump, who has been projecting himself as a global peace messiah, Medvedev tweeted, "Regarding Trump's words about Putin 'playing with fire' and 'really bad things' happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing - WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!"advertisement The fresh exchange between the Cold War adversaries came amid Trump's growing frustration with Putin as Russia continued with its strikes on Ukraine, thumbing its nose at the US President's repeated calls to engage in ceasefire STRING OF ATTACKS ON PUTINIn his latest broadside, Trump accused Putin of "playing with fire" while emphasising that "really bad things would have already happened in Russia" without his intervention."What Vladimir Putin doesn't realise is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He's playing with fire!" Trump posted on Truth Social on Trump did not specify what the "really bad" things were. The scathing remarks come days after he called Putin "absolutely crazy" following Russia's drone attack on Ukraine's Kyiv over the weekend that left 13 dead. On Tuesday, Russian forces also captured a part of Ukraine's northeastern Sumy have always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!" Trump said on string of harsh criticisms coincides with the Trump administration's apparent change in its outlook towards its European allies and the US have all urged Putin to accept an immediate and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days. However, the Kremlin has kept the US and Ukraine Watch
