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They were forced into marriage and abused. Now women facing exploitation in China have a glimmer of hopeThey were forced into marriage and abused. Now women facing exploitation in China have a glimmer of hope

Female activists are working in the shadows to find and support vulnerable women they fear are being failed by authorities Last summer, Xiaocao, a softly spoken woman in her 40s, received a tip-off that in Lüliang, a small city in China’s Shanxi province, vulnerable women were being forced into marriages. ...

A moment that changed me: A WhatsApp message about a little-known sport made me an unlikely celebrity in JapanA moment that changed me: A WhatsApp message about a little-known sport made me an unlikely celebrity in Japan

I’d always wanted to represent my country at something, so when I learned about Mölkky, I got a team together It was December 2023 and I was searching in the attic for Christmas decorations when my phone pinged. I pulled it out of my pocket and found a WhatsApp message ...

‘In the past, there was lots of swearing and saying you were crap’: my day at the all-new Italia Conti stage school‘In the past, there was lots of swearing and saying you were crap’: my day at the all-new Italia Conti stage school

From Noël Coward to Martine McCutcheon, the famed institution has been hothousing talent for more than a century. Our writer finds there’s a softer approach these days – and a food bank When I walk into renowned stage school Italia Conti, in the smart building in Woking that has been ...

From the archive: Terrorists, cultists – or champions of Iranian democracy? The wild wild story of the MEK – podcastFrom the archive: Terrorists, cultists – or champions of Iranian democracy? The wild wild story of the MEK – podcast

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: They fought for the Iranian revolution – and then for Saddam Hussein. The US and UK once condemned them. But now their opposition ...