Zelenskyy reports intense fighting in Pokrovsk, Kyiv forces hold Kupiansk
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that the most difficult situation on the front line remains the eastern city of Pokrovsk, wh...
The Netherlands has joined four European nations in pledging to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel remains in the line-up, citing concerns over Gaza and press freedom.
Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS confirmed on Thursday that the Netherlands will boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest unless Israel is excluded, adding to mounting pressure on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
AVROTROS said it could “no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation,” referencing “severe human suffering in Gaza” and claiming “proven evidence of interference by the Israeli government” during the 2025 contest. It also raised concerns about press freedom and the use of Eurovision “as a political instrument.”
The Netherlands joins Slovenia, Iceland, Spain and Ireland in announcing conditional boycotts of the 2026 event, set to be held in Vienna in May.
Spain’s Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun said this week that Israel’s participation would “normalise” the ongoing conflict and urged the EBU to act. He described Israel as a “genocidal government” and reiterated calls from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in May to exclude the country, drawing comparisons with Russia’s 2022 ban following its invasion of Ukraine.
Israel has in the past strongly denied that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide and says they are justified as self defence.
The EBU has extended its deadline for penalty-free withdrawal from the contest to December, when a final decision on Israel’s inclusion is expected. The 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to take place in Vienna, with semi-finals on 12 and 14 May and the final on 16 May.
A small, silent object from another star is cutting through the Solar System. It’s real, not a film, and one scientist thinks it might be sending a message.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
British actress Prunella Scales, best known for playing the formidable Sybil Fawlty in comedy show "Fawlty Towers", has died age 93, her sons said in a statement on Tuesday.
American media personality Kim Kardashian said she had been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, U.S. media outlets reported on Thursday.
The Louvre's ageing security camera system failed on Sunday to detect the thieves in time to prevent their historic heist, the museum's director said on Wednesday as the museum reopened to visitors.
The Louvre, one of the world’s most visited museums, saw its priceless 19th-century crown jewels stolen in just seven minutes.
Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist of the legendary rock band Kiss known for its powerful sound, theatrical performances, and signature makeup has died at 74, his family announced Thursday.
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