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This Europe Day we send a message of solidarity and friendship to British people

The UK may no longer be an EU member but, as the current health crisis shows, cooperation continues to be essential

On Saturday, for the first time in almost 50 years, we observe Europe Day without the United Kingdom as a member state of the European Union. As ambassadors and high commissioners representing the EU and its 27 countries in the UK, we are nonetheless very keen to mark the date with all the citizens of this great country and with the millions of EU nationals who live and work in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We celebrate Europe on 9 May because on this same day in 1950, exactly 70 years ago, in the aftermath of the devastating second world war, Robert Schuman, the Luxembourg-born foreign minister of France, laid the foundations of our collective endeavour. He said then: “Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity.”

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'I feel I've come home': can forest schools help heal refugee children?

They have a middle-class reputation, but one outdoor school near Nottingham is reconnecting disadvantaged 10-year-olds with nature and a sense of freedom

When Kate Milman was 21, she paused her English degree at the University of East Anglia to join protests against the Newbury bypass. It was 1996, and the road was being carved out through idyllic wooded countryside in Berkshire. She took up residence in a treehouse, in the path of the bulldozers, and lived there for months. It was a revelation. She lived intimately with the catkins, the calling birds, the slow-slow-fast change in the seasons. Despite being in a precarious position as a protester, she felt completely safe and her brain was calmed.

“You know when you go camping and go back to your house, and everything feels wrong? The lighting is harsh and everything seems complicated indoors. It just got under my skin, this feeling – that [living in the woods] is like being at home.”

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From stage star to Vogue cover: Why age cannot wither Judi Dench

She is the oldest person to grace the fashion bible’s cover – and she’s a hit on social media. Who says that getting older signals an end to vitality?


You can’t call Judi Dench lazy when it comes to contributing to society, but she’s been particularly dedicated to boosting morale of late. Who knows, perhaps she felt pressured to make up for her turn in the unhinged Cats film, where her feline character horrified viewers by appearing to wear a coat made of its own fur. Dench has provided vital comic relief during this time of crisis, predominantly with silly social media clips – a Twitter video of her wearing a novelty dog hat with pop-up ears in which she instructs us to “keep laughing” racked up 5.4 million views. Now she has supplied a far meatier pick-me-up by becoming, at 85, British Vogue’s oldest cover star.

Related: Judi Dench becomes British Vogue's oldest cover star

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'I'm losing my teenage years': young contend with life in lockdown

Teenagers affirm evidence that suggests they are particularly struggling with coronavirus crisis

When, in late February, Betsy Sheil turned 16, she thought she was staring down the end of secondary school, not the beginning of global pandemic.

“I was going to finish year 11 and do my GCSEs, then I was going to have a really long summer with my friends, hopefully go abroad – have that summer that everyone has.”

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Labour urges extended eviction ban amid risk of huge job losses

Five-point plan to protect renters comes as poll shows 1.7 million people fear unemployment

Labour is calling on the government to draw up emergency measures to protect renters beyond June as polling shows up to 1.7 million people in the private sector fear that they will lose their jobs this summer.

Dire economic forecasts released this week, including a Bank of England warning that the country faces its worst recession in 300 years, has prompted Labour to rapidly escalate its call for current protections for the rented sector, like the three-month ban on evictions in England and Wales, to be extended.

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Aberfan teacher Rennie Williams dies aged 86

Williams was recognised for her bravery after 1966 school disaster in which 144 people died

A teacher who led pupils to safety during the Aberfan school disaster has died aged 86.

Rennie Williams, from Merthyr Tydfil, was recognised for her bravery when a colliery spoil tip collapsed on to Pantglas primary school and a number of surrounding buildings on 21 October 1966. A total of 116 children and 28 adults were killed in the disaster.

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‘Every stone will be uncovered’: how Georgia officials failed the Ahmaud Arbery case

Systemic flaws within Glynn county’s district attorney offices led to a lack of action against the men involved in this ‘modern lynching’

In the days and weeks after Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed, multiple Glynn county law enforcement officials failed to thoroughly investigate his death and, in one case, refused to allow police officers to make arrests, the Guardian has learned.

Related: Ahmaud Arbery is dead because Americans think black men are criminals | Benjamin Dixon

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Little Richard, rock'n'roll pioneer, dies aged 87

His 1955 song Tutti Frutti, with the lyric ‘awopbopaloobop alopbamboom’, and a series of follow-up records helped establish the genre and influence a multitude of other musicians

Little Richard, one of the pioneers of the first wave of rock’n’roll, has died. He was 87.

Richard – whose real name was Richard Penniman – had been in poor health for several years, suffering hip problems, a stroke and a heart attack.

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Coronavirus app has changed the way the Isle of Wight sees itself

Islanders are coming to terms with unexpected publicity from the contact-tracing pilot project


Last Sunday, we woke to the news that the Isle of Wight really had been chosen as the pilot location for the NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app, the idea having been floated by the leader of the council at the start of the previous week.

Thus a manic week began here at News OnTheWight, where we’ve been pumping out stories as usual, taking part in national media briefings, delving into details of the app and exploring privacy issues while dealing with queries from media outlets from around the world. All sorts of organisations started pushing press releases supporting the app – the most unexpected being the Church of England.

When Matt Hancock, the health secretary, announced at last Monday’s press conference, “Where the Isle of Wight goes, Britain follows”, there was a collective spitting out of tea on the island and beyond. Of course there were the predictable jibes – “How do I install the app on my fax machine?” was one of the best we heard, and once again, creativity was ignited with memes and T-shirts.

With such attention, locally it felt like little else but the app was discussed.

How has the app gone down? Lots of people seem to be jumping on board, claiming any perceived privacy downsides as a small price to pay. Others, with earlier smartphones, were excluded. Older residents overheard in the post office said they really wanted to use the app but their steam-powered mobile phones weren’t capable.

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Imagine the UK getting rid of road rage, congestion and exhaust fumes for ever | Susanna Rustin

Britain is a latecomer to decarbonising transport but changes under lockdown and initiatives abroad could spark a revolution

  • Coronavirus – latest updates
  • See all our coronavirus coverage
  • It was a grim irony that the best transport news in ages was buried in the first few days of the coronavirus lockdown. On 26 March, the government published a document, Decarbonising Transport, which went further in facing up to the problem of emissions from air and vehicle traffic than most campaigners had dared to hope for.

    The challenge is enormous. In 2016, transport overtook energy to become the single biggest source of domestic emissions. Motor vehicles on their own are responsible for around a fifth of the total. On aviation, the UK is the world’s third-worst polluter, behind China and the US.

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    'You can't ask the virus for a truce': reopening America is Trump's biggest gamble

    With states opening even as Covid-19 rages on, the president is rolling the dice on his career – and tens of thousands of lives

    On Monday the Republican governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, a close ally of Donald Trump and frequent visitor to the White House, opened his daily coronavirus briefing with a big announcement. “Today is May 4,” he said, “the first day of loosened restrictions statewide.”

    With his declaration, Ricketts placed Nebraska at the vanguard of America’s reopening. Churches can now open their doors to worshippers, wedding bells and funeral dirges will be heard once more, hospitals can reschedule elective surgeries, and most Nebraskans will be able to resumehaving their hair cut, nails manicured, bodies massaged and skin tattooed.

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    Gangs take bigger risks to smuggle drugs into lockdown Britain

    Consignments are being moved in bulk across borders as Covid-19 cuts off normal routes, say police

    Organised crime groups are taking increasingly audacious risks as they attempt to smuggle large quantities of drugs into lockdown Britain, senior police figures say.

    Analysing the latest operations of transnational criminal networks, the National Crime Agency’s head of drug threat said that police were making more significant seizures during the pandemic than normal.

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    Uplifting Words Of Encouragement Through Animal Illustrations

    We could all use a daily dose of uplifting these days. And when we think of the word "uplifting," many things come to mind such as; cats, cats, cats, and more cats. 

    But if we places that aside we also think of @TheLatestKate, the Instagram Queen of positivity through beautiful animal illustrations. 

    If you're in need of a pick-me-up, take a moment and read through these lovely inspirational messages. And if you need even more, you can also follow @TheLatestKate on Instagram for daily motivation. 




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    Common Animal Sounds In Languages Around The Globe

    This is neat! We've never given much thought as to what "sounds" languages around the world would give certain animals. 

    Not to sound naive but we definitely thought "meow" was universal for the sound a cat makes... turns out, not so much. 

    Creator of this super interesting and well-drawn graphics is freelance illustrator James Chapman. You can follow his Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter to be kept up-to-date with these fanasinating graphics! Did you know, in English, we say dogs go "Woof," but in Romanian they go "Ham Ham?"

    Just something to think about. 




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    Top 25 Memes of The Week - Cheezburger Users Edition #143

    Huzzah! It's the moment we've all been waiting for -- Cheezburger's classic LOLCats

    Your ultimate source for the newest, and cutest, cat memes! All of which are created by our very own users! If you want to check out more cat memes that we know will make you laugh, check out Lolcat. If you have some funny ideas and would like to submit them, take a look at our Meme Builder

    We love our user's original cat memes! 




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    Meet The Newly Adopted Faces Of The Week (25 Images + 5 Vids)

    Ready to smile? Each week we are featuring the newly adopted pets of the week! Is there a lovelier sight than an animal being adopted?! We wholeheartedly thank those who have adopted, providing animals with a loving, comfortable and warm home. There's literally nothing better. 

    We're seeing a lot of new furry faces being adopted due to the new regulations, and while we absolutely adore seeing so many adopted faces, please remember that a pet is for life. The decision to adopt one is one that should be thought through thoroughly.  

    For those of you who are thinking about getting a pet, just remember; adopt, don't shop. 

    If you recently adopted a pet, shoot us an email to be featured in next weeks list! 




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    Touken Ranbu's 8th Stage Play Casts Former Takarazuka Actress as 1st Female Cast Member

    Ryō Tsukamoto, Yuzuki Hoshimoto also join cast




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    Yakuza: Like a Dragon Game Gets Release on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC

    7th game in Yakuza series debuted in Japan for PS4 on January 16




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    The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Fantasy Light Novels Get TV Anime

    Story of minor noble's talentless son with access to secret training dungeon




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    Trigger's SSSS.Dynazenon Anime Reveals Cast, Visual

    Daiki Hamano, Junya Enoki, Shion Wakayama, Yuichiro Umehara, Chika Anzai star




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    The Legend of Super Normal City Kashiwa Project Gets TV Anime, 4th Season

    3rd season of shorts promoting city in Chiba prefecture airs on July 6




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    Scarlet Nexus Game Gets Release for PS5, PS4, PC

    RPG to also launch on Xbox Series X, Xbox One




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    Inuyasha Anime Gets Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon TV Spinoff This Fall

    Rumiko Takahashi designs Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's daughters for reunited Sunrise team





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    Neighbors Go Full Petty, Guy Tows In Pro Revenge

    We love a good neighbor revenge story. People can turn real petty on their neighbors, and sometimes that pettiness is addressed with a calculated, borderline genius, pro revenge. In this case, the dude had had enough of his neighbors' rampant pettiness, and how they'd park in his spots. So, he towed in a whole lot of "redneck hardware" and parked it out front of their place, when the moment presented itself. Just imagining what those two weeks must've been like for those neighbors; oh boy. 

    Get some more neighbor revenge goodness over here with this entitled neighbor who tasted his own medicine.





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    Hilarious Scottish Twitter Gems

    Man, we love the Scottish Twitter. It's clearly the best Twitter. One can really get a taste for the Scottish culture through their tweets. It's particularly fun to read the tweets out loud. If you really commit to it, you might actually sound Scottish for a hot second. While, of course, you have no idea what you're saying. 




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    Freeloading Housemates Get Introduced To Court System

    Man, these people sound like a ball of toxic energy. You have the one dude offering nothing but generosity and understanding to the rest of the roommates, who are basically going around, freeloading, and taking advantage of one's good nature. A kind of icky feeling can arise just thinking about it. Well, the freeloading roommates ultimately learned their lesson, and were introduced to the court system. Maybe that will set them on a different path in the future. Who knows? 





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    Amusing Images of Confusing Double-Takery

    The brain works really hard to make sense of the constant stream of information coming at it, and for the most part it does a pretty good job. That said, a small shift in perspective can turn unassuming situations into double-take inducing photos of intriguing perspective. Your brain is doing its best, but at times it's name match against double-take causing images of skewed perspective.




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    Karen Demands Spiciest Wings, Doesn't Get Refund

    Anyone who has worked in retail or the service industry has had to deal with wildly entitled customers, like this Karen who lied to a restaurant owner's face. There are customers out there, who, out of some weird desire to bully people and get their way, will even demand a service that will potentially hurt them, like this Karen who demanded a "fresh" donut straight from the fryer oil.  When trying to understand how someone can be so ruthlessly rude to the people around them, it helps to get some insight from people who know Karens explaining what that's like.




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    Terrifying Signs that make their Message Clear

    There are many hazards in this world, and appropriately there are many ominous signs that speak the language of fear. You never know it there could be some hidden mine shaft or risk of monkey attack. Whether they're warning of some totally extreme danger or their scary in their own right, it's usually best to pay attention to spooky signs.




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    Plumber's Customer Won't Pay In Full, Sweet Grout Revenge Ensues

    Man, this is a fine example of why it pays to be a reasonable, good human being, and not mess with your servicemen. This plumber was just doing his job, to the requirements asked of him, and the clients decided to make a mess of the whole peaceful operation. Clearly, they were trying to skip out on paying the whole bill. So, the plumber was extra sweet with finishing up the job. What might seem like a petty revenge on the surface, really evolves to be more of a cold and calculated pro revenge that likely haunted the folks for a long while after the job was "done."




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    Trashy Behavior that Belongs on Mount Garbage

    If you're like anyone else, it's hard to escape garbage moments made possible by shortsighted people who aren't thinking with everyone's best interest in mind. There are crook landlords, people stealing crap, and some massive disrespect just floating around the world. This trashiness belongs on Garbage Island.




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    Company Cuts Dad's Vacation Time, IT Revenge Ensues

    This company thought they'd just cut dad's vacation time with no backlash. Well well, dad was having none of it. What followed was a smooth, calculated case of malicious compliance. Dad nailed it. 




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    Lying Producer Wants Free Talent, Gets Denied

    It's amazing that people still think that it should be common practice to demand work from artists and not have to pay them, but luckily there are times like this when they get called on their BS. The crazy entitlement and unreasonable demands just make them out to be more and more of an utter jerk that no one wants to deal with.




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    Manager Tries To Fire Employee, Ends Up Out Of Job

    This manager was power tripping all over the place. Fortunately, the employee was ready to take their revenge, and the manager's fraudulent practices end up being their ultimate undoing. We love a good revenge story where the manager gets what was coming to them in the end. 




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    Tyrannical Landlord Scams Tenants, Gets Dealt Justice

    We love nothing more than when a shady, greedy, all around bad landlord gets dealt the justice that was coming their way. It's a welcomed moment to see the tenant come out victorious over the landlord's stupid antics.





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    Cosplay Contest Announced, Plus Dresden Coloring Pages!

    The headline says it all! Let’s dive right in. Costume Contest We had such fun with our Fanart Contest that we want to honor another section of the Dresden fandom’s creatives: cosplayers and cosplay photographers! Read all the rules, then submit your Cosplay Contest entries to yearofdresden@gmail.com by May 12th. Coloring Pages Running low on [...]








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    Earth Day at 50: How an idea changed the world and still inspires now

    Coronavirus will overshadow Earth Day's golden anniversary, but the movement's successes are worth celebrating, says Gary Paul Nabhan




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    Mysterious ‘Planet Nine’ on the solar system’s edge may not be real

    Strange orbits of distant space rocks have been used to infer that the solar system has an unseen ninth planet, but those orbits may be less strange than we thought, meaning there is no need for a new planet




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    Not getting enough sleep may make you misread emotions on Zoom calls

    Getting less sleep for five nights in a row can make you view other people’s expressions more negatively, including facial reactions seen over video calls




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    Huge volcanic eruption in 2018 was triggered by torrential rains

    The eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano in 2018 was caused by heavy rains – suggesting that extreme weather from climate change could lead to more eruptions




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    Pocket-sized device tests DNA in blood samples for genetic conditions

    A cheap, lightweight smartphone-heated device can test for DNA in blood, urine and other samples in a fraction of the time it takes to test in a lab




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    Research volunteers won't be told of their coronavirus genetic risk

    Half a million people taking part in the UK Biobank, which gathers genetic information for researchers to study, won't be told if they turn out to be genetically vulnerable to the coronavirus




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    Drinking coffee appears to cause epigenetic changes to your DNA

    Coffee has been linked to changes on our DNA that affect how active certain genes are. The finding may help explain some of coffee's touted health benefits