Latest news with #WorldWarI-era
Newsweek
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Gen Z History Buff Stunned To Find Wartime Message in Jane Austen Novel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A 26-year-old history enthusiast's unique find has sparked a wave of online fascination after she showed off the World War I-era message she discovered tucked inside a book. Meg, from the U.K., who would prefer to keep her full name private, had shared the worn edition of the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice to Instagram on November 10, 2024. She flipped open the front page to show two poignant handwritten notes. One was addressed to the recipient of the gift and was signed off, "with love, from Eyre, Christmas 1915." The second, written below in a different hand, adds a somber footnote: "Eyre was reported missing on the Battle of Somme." The short clip, posted under @historywithmegs, has been liked almost 100,000 times to date. The discovery—likely missed by countless hands that handled the book over the decades—has captivated viewers, many commenting in awe at the glimpse into a personal story from a war now more than a century past. "I was actually shown the copy by one of my colleagues at my old place of work, Bookends bookshop in Carlisle, England," Meg told Newsweek. "The store is run alongside Bookcase, an antiquarian and secondhand bookshop, and we would often marvel at the many treasures held there during quiet times or on our breaks. Meg looks into the camera lens, left, and shares the inside of the book with viewers, right. Meg looks into the camera lens, left, and shares the inside of the book with viewers, right. @historywithmegs "I believe it had come into the store either through a donated collection, or as stock bought at an estate sale or auction," Meg said. Her video struck a chord with her audience, many of whom expressed admiration for the simple act of love preserved in the fragile pages of the book. In her caption, Meg wrote: "Lest we forget … This amazing little piece of social history has survived over 100 years and two world wars and continues to speak of kindness and humanity in its legacy … Today is an important time to reflect, remember and commemorate." Meg's caption, paired with the emotional nature of the find, helped the video resonate widely, turning the artifact into a symbol of remembrance ahead of Veterans Day. "It has been amazing to see the way that people online have connected with the post and the story behind the book," Meg said. "I think it is wonderful that this simple act of kindness, the Christmas gift of a book, is still inspiring people and touching lives over a hundred years later." Meg poses inside two British historical attractions. Meg poses inside two British historical attractions. @historywithmegs For Meg, the find is more than a moment of historical curiosity—it is a personal tribute to the humanity behind the war and the young lives lost. "Of course, the poignant inscription, referencing the fact that Eyre was declared missing in action at the Battle of the Somme, adds a whole new dimension, too," she said. "I hope that, by sharing the book on social media, I have contributed in some small way to preserving Eyre's legacy of kindness." The Battle of the Somme, which began in July 1916, remains one of the bloodiest campaigns in British military history, with more than 1 million men wounded or killed over the course of the monthslong offensive. The brief message in the book—spared by time and fate—offers a rare and intimate window into the individual stories lost in the scale of war. "As the First World War becomes evermore distant, it is incredibly important that we remember the lives of young people like Eyre who were involved in the conflict," Meg said. "Eyre was not just a soldier; he was a human being, with his own dreams and loves and hopes. "I think that this little book does a beautiful job of reflecting this," the finder added.
Express Tribune
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood' trailer reveals time travel twist
The first full trailer for Outlander: Blood of My Blood has dropped, and with it, a major revelation that deepens the series' time-travel mythology. In a twist that redefines the Outlander universe, Claire's parents are revealed to have also passed through the standing stones and landed in 18th-century Scotland. The upcoming Starz prequel will follow two intertwined love stories across different time periods. The first centres on Jamie Fraser's parents, Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser, set in the early 1700s Scottish Highlands. The second focuses on Claire's parents, Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp, during World War I-era England. However, the trailer reveals that Henry and Julia's story takes an unexpected turn when they travel through time and encounter Jamie's parents in the past. This connection between the Fraser and Beauchamp families, long before Claire and Jamie ever met, marks a significant twist for longtime fans. It suggests that time travel is more deeply rooted in Claire's lineage than previously thought. The trailer teases sweeping romance, dramatic wartime backdrops, and familiar Outlander faces, including Murtagh, Colum, and Dougal MacKenzie, as well as Mrs. Fitz, Jocasta, and Lord Lovat. There's no shortage of kilts, castles, and emotional tension, all staples of the franchise. Blood of My Blood is set to premiere on Friday, August 8 at 9/8c on Starz, with a 10-episode first season. The spinoff is helmed by longtime Outlander showrunner Matthew B. Roberts, with Maril Davis and Ronald D. Moore as executive producers. Series author Diana Gabaldon is serving as a consulting producer. With its bold narrative choice, the prequel offers not just new love stories, but a deeper look into the legacy of time travel that shapes the Outlander saga.
The Hill
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Dutch intelligence services say Russia has stepped up use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Two Dutch intelligence agencies said on Friday that Russia is increasing its use of prohibited chemical weapons in Ukraine, including the World War I-era poison gas chloropicrin. The Netherlands' military intelligence and the security service, together with the German intelligence service, found that the use of prohibited chemical weapons by the Russian military had become 'standardized and commonplace' in Ukraine. According to the findings, the Russian military uses chloropicrin and riot control agent CS against sheltering Ukrainian soldiers, who are then forced out into the open and shot. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for more sanctions against Moscow, and continued military support for Kyiv. Brekelmans, who stayed on in a caretaker role after the Dutch government collapsed last month, said that he doesn't want to see the use of chemical weapons become normalized. Lowering the threshold for use 'is not only dangerous for Ukraine, but also for the rest of Europe and the world,' he said in a statement. Russia has signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans the use of chloropicrin and CS as weapons. The convention's watchdog, The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, has found several incidents in Ukraine involving CS, but the group hasn't conducted a full investigation, which must be requested by the member states. The executive committee for the OPCW is holding a regular meeting next week, where it's expected to discuss the conflict in Ukraine. Russian authorities didn't immediately comment on the findings, but they have denied using chemical weapons in the past, instead alleging that Ukraine has used the banned substances. According to Ukraine, Russia has carried out 9,000 chemical weapons attacks in the country since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. In 2024, the U.S. State Department said that it had recorded the use of chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops. ___ Follow the AP's coverage of the war at
04-07-2025
- Politics
Dutch intelligence services say Russia has stepped up use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine
THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Two Dutch intelligence agencies said on Friday that Russia is increasing its use of prohibited chemical weapons in Ukraine, including the World War I-era poison gas chloropicrin. The Netherlands' military intelligence and the security service, together with the German intelligence service, found that the use of prohibited chemical weapons by the Russian military had become 'standardized and commonplace' in Ukraine. According to the findings, the Russian military uses chloropicrin and riot control agent CS against sheltering Ukrainian soldiers, who are then forced out into the open and shot. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for more sanctions against Moscow, and continued military support for Kyiv. Brekelmans, who stayed on in a caretaker role after the Dutch government collapsed last month, said that he doesn't want to see the use of chemical weapons become normalized. Lowering the threshold for use 'is not only dangerous for Ukraine, but also for the rest of Europe and the world,' he said in a statement. Russia has signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans the use of chloropicrin and CS as weapons. The convention's watchdog, The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, has found several incidents in Ukraine involving CS, but the group hasn't conducted a full investigation, which must be requested by the member states. The executive committee for the OPCW is holding a regular meeting next week, where it's expected to discuss the conflict in Ukraine. Russian authorities didn't immediately comment on the findings, but they have denied using chemical weapons in the past, instead alleging that Ukraine has used the banned substances. According to Ukraine, Russia has carried out 9,000 chemical weapons attacks in the country since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
San Francisco Chronicle
04-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Dutch intelligence services say Russia has stepped up use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Two Dutch intelligence agencies said on Friday that Russia is increasing its use of prohibited chemical weapons in Ukraine, including the World War I-era poison gas chloropicrin. The Netherlands' military intelligence and the security service, together with the German intelligence service, found that the use of prohibited chemical weapons by the Russian military had become 'standardized and commonplace' in Ukraine. According to the findings, the Russian military uses chloropicrin and riot control agent CS against sheltering Ukrainian soldiers, who are then forced out into the open and shot. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for more sanctions against Moscow, and continued military support for Kyiv. Brekelmans, who stayed on in a caretaker role after the Dutch government collapsed last month, said that he doesn't want to see the use of chemical weapons become normalized. Lowering the threshold for use 'is not only dangerous for Ukraine, but also for the rest of Europe and the world,' he said in a statement. Russia has signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans the use of chloropicrin and CS as weapons. The convention's watchdog, The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, has found several incidents in Ukraine involving CS, but the group hasn't conducted a full investigation, which must be requested by the member states. The executive committee for the OPCW is holding a regular meeting next week, where it's expected to discuss the conflict in Ukraine. According to Ukraine, Russia has carried out 9,000 chemical weapons attacks in the country since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
