Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza on Friday (15 May), including a child, as Israel said it had launched an operation targeting Hamas military commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
Every year on 15 May, Palestinians across the Middle East mark Nakba Day - a commemoration of the mass displacement that accompanied the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
The Eurovision Song Contest opened in Vienna on Tuesday amid heightened political tensions, as Israel competed in the first semi-final despite a boycott by five European broadcasters over the war in Gaza.
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has passed a law establishing a special military tribunal to try hundreds of Palestinian's accused of taking part in the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, in a move lawmakers say is aimed at addressing national trauma.
Brazilian activist Thiago Avila returned to Brazil late Monday (11 May) after being deported from Israel. He alleges he was tortured and mistreated during 10 days in detention following the interception of a pro-Palestinian aid flotilla attempting to reach Gaza.
Israel has deported two foreign nationals after an inquiry into their involvement in a Gaza‑bound flotilla. Israeli authorities have previously detained over 100 activists, accusing them of attempting to breach the naval blockade on Gaza, allegations many of those involved have denied.
Loyalists of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas won most municipal races, election officials said on Sunday (26 April). Reuters reported that elections were held for the first time in nearly two decades in the central Gaza city of Deir al‑Balah, which is governed by Hamas.
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections on Saturday (25 April), marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. The vote in Deir al-Balah is being watched closely as a rare indication of public sentiment, including towards Hamas.
Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenia has confirmed it will not air the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, joining a widening boycott over Israel’s participation.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th of April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” have held discussions with Dubai‑based logistics giant DP World over potential roles in managing supply chains and infrastructure projects in Gaza, Reuters reports, citing the Financial Times, which reported on Tuesday.
Israeli strikes killed at least five people across the Gaza Strip on Monday (20 April), Palestinian health officials said, as clashes were reported between Hamas fighters and an Israeli-backed militia.
An average of at least 47 women and girls were killed each day during the war in Gaza, according to new figures released by UN Women.
Millions of Orthodox Christians across the globe celebrated Easter, known as Holy Pascha, on Sunday (12 April) with midnight liturgies, candlelight processions and deeply rooted local traditions reflecting centuries of faith.
At least 10 people have died and several others were wounded after an Israeli airstrike on a neighbourhood outside a school sheltering displaced Palestinians on Monday (7 April), according to health officials.
The armed wing of Hamas has said it will not accept calls to disarm while key conditions of the Gaza ceasefire remain unmet, highlighting growing tensions around efforts to extend the ceasefire.
French police detained European Parliament member Rima Hassan in Paris for several hours on Thursday as part of an investigation into an alleged “apology for terrorism”, following a social media post linked to a deadly attack in Israel in the 1970s.
Amid ongoing devastation in Gaza, small efforts are helping to support children affected by months of conflict. One initiative in Khan Younis offers a brief escape and a moment of relief for some of the youngest victims of the war.
Israel reportedly launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran on Friday (20 March), a day after U.S. President Donald Trump told it not to repeat its strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure, which sharply escalated the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian father, mother, and two of their children as they drove in West Bank on Sunday (15 March), Palestinian health authorities said, and the Israeli military said the incident was under review.
Although against international humanitarian war, targeting desalination plants and other key locations is increasingly being used as a way of making an opponent weaker in battle. Water-related violent events have increased rapidly since 2022.
Israeli strikes killed five people in Gaza on Thursday (26 February), according to health officials in the territory. The Israeli military said separately that it had killed a militant who posed an imminent threat to its forces in southern Gaza.
A group of sick and injured Palestinians and their caregivers left Gaza through the Rafah border crossing on Wednesday (25 February) for medical treatment abroad, as limited evacuations continue under tight restrictions.
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