Tag Archives: World War II

During World War II, hundreds of thousands of women and girls from China, the Korean Peninsula, Southeast Asia and other countries and regions were forcibly conscripted by Japanese militarists as sex slaves and experienced horrific sexual violence, both mentally and physically Manila, Philippines | Xinhua | Surviving Filipino women sexually enslaved by …

Warsaw, Poland | Xinhua | Poland had asked for the intervention of the United Nations (UN) over World War II reparations with Germany, a Polish deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday. “The United Nations system offers instruments for dialogue as well as for introducing the international community to the scale of …

Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA |    Formal events recognizing Japan’s surrender in World War II took place throughout Europe this weekend, but in America, celebrations were muted. Still, U.S. vets spoke out, while pundits and historians looked ahead to a future with more international cooperation and detente. “When word came that …

Milan, Italy | AFP |  Facing its deepest recession since World War II and with business confidence collapsing, the coronavirus pandemic is hitting Italy’s economy hard. Business confidence in the eurozone’s third largest economy in May plummeted to its lowest level since official statistics institute ISTAT started the index in March …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Major social advances have often emerged from the depths of disaster: the Black Death brought an end to serfdom, and Britain’s welfare state emerged from the ruins of World War II. As the coronavirus outbreak took hold, many governments brought in policies previously dismissed as …

Berlin, Germany | AFP |  Europe marks 75 years since the end of World War II in a sombre mood Friday as the coronavirus pandemic forces the cancellation of elaborate ceremonies even as Berlin declares an exceptional holiday for the first time. Chancellor Angela Merkel will join President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Many sportsmen were forced to put their careers on hold to fight in World War II. The conflict cut short the lives of some, including England Test cricketer Hedley Verity and German Olympic long jumper “Luz” Long, but others survived to forge careers after the …

Rome, Italy | AFP |  A sleek new bridge in Genoa built in record time is being acclaimed in Italy as a model for rebuilding the economy by investing in major infrastructure projects. Such stimulus is sorely needed as the country slides towards its worst recession since World War II because …

Belgrade, Serbia | AFP |  Before his death 40 years ago, Josip Broz Tito, the charismatic and controversial leader of former Yugoslavia, privately shared a “regret”, his grandson recalls. Speaking to AFP by phone, 72-year-old Joska, who proudly shares the name Josip Broz, summons the words of an illustrious grandfather who …

Munich, Germany | AFP |  Jean Boehme still remembers the number of the Nazi concentration camp block where he lived as a child: 31C. He went to school in block 33, and recalls that a nearby watchtower was transformed into a makeshift bistro. Boehme, now 73, grew up on the site …