Memorials have been held across the West to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day) – signifying the end of World War Two. Crowds took part in a national two-minute silence at 12:00 BST led by the King, Queen and Prime Minister Keir Starmer from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Britain's King Charles on Friday released a message commemorating the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which marks the Allied victory over Japan and the end of World War Two, reflecting on current conflicts and warning that the cost of war reaches far beyond battlefields.