Plans for the city to forge a potential new international partnership between Leeds and the city of Kharkiv is being discussed by Leeds City Council.
The two cities, which sit more than 2,0000 apart, could be potentially twinned after a meeting with local councillors in Leeds yesterday.
The new relationship between the two locations would be the latest expression of solidarity from Leeds after the country was invaded by Russia earlier this year in February.
The city of Kharkiv currently shares twin city status with both the French city of Lille and Czech Republic's Brno, two of Leeds’s own twin cities.
Since the outbreak of the war, Kharkiv has faced continuous shelling, with around a third of the city’s 1.4 million residents evacuated from their homes.
Image: Leeds City Council
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “The people of Leeds have opened their hearts and homes to the citizens of Ukraine, who have faced unimaginable suffering and upheaval amid the devastating impact of a needless war.
“This new partnership between Kharkiv and Leeds would cement forever the relationship between our two cities, which has remarkably blossomed even in the face of so much suffering.
“It would also stand as a lasting symbol of peace, unity and co-operation for generations to come.”
So far, Leeds has demonstrated compassion by sending goods to those in need, including vans full of donations.
Back in March, The Ukraine Aid Appeal, sponsored by the Leeds Charity Lunch, took two vans over to the country in a week-long trip that saw the likes of Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow at the send-off.
In addition to this, the official Leeds Together for Ukraine appeal, which also launched earlier this year, has managed to raise more than £140,000 raised to help refugees forced from their homes, and donations still coming in from locals.
Mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekov said: “We are proud to be reaching out across borders and boundaries to foster a new and special relationship with Leeds at this traumatic time for Ukraine.
“Both our cities have a unique heritage and history, which will last far beyond this conflict, and we look forward to sharing, growing and learning together for many decades to come.”
Regardless of the outcome of the meeting, Leeds City Council is still encouraging the city to get involved in the Leeds Together For Ukraine appeal, which was launched by Leeds City Council and administered by Leeds Community Foundation.
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”