The Joy of Six 1345

"Since Putin’s illegal invasion began on 24 February 2022, at least 19,546 Ukrainian children have been forcibly taken from their families and their homeland, although the true figure is likely to be much higher because Russia frequently targets vulnerable children without anyone to speak for them." Johanna Baxter, Labour MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, says there can be no true peace in Ukraine without the return of the children Putin has abducted.

Ricky Treadwell is not impress by the Liberal Democrats' Buy British campaign.

Will Forster, Lib Dem MP for Woking, wants the government to recognise the work of almshouse charities: "In Britain today, almshouses provide homes for over 36,000 people - fending off homelessness and loneliness, through having a history of facilitating supported living for the elderly, but also families and younger people."

Kanzi, a bonobo, who learned language, made stone tools and played Minecraft, died recently aged 44. Daniel W. Hieber asks what his remarkable linguistic abilities can teach us about language.

"In 1988, we lived in a monoculture. By the end of that summer, it seemed like pretty much everyone who had any interest in music at all had made a pilgrimage to Woolworths or Our Price and bought her debut album, Tracy Chapman. By autumn, those 11 songs had buried themselves deep into so many people’s lives, affecting our political thinking, romantic dreams, existential beliefs, Top 10 lists. All because of that one performance." Zadie Smith remembers Tracy Chapman's performance at the Free Nelson Mandela Concert.

Lynne About Loughborough celebrates the town's Art Deco industrial buildings.