The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna hasn't even started yet — and yet it has been at the center of heated debates for months. At issue isn't so much the spectacular pop shows themselves as the political tensions that, despite the competition's long-standing claim that it is apolitical, are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Today marks one year since India's four-day conflict with Pakistan Modi said Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's 'firm response against terrorism' The military operation was sparked by an attack on tourists in April last year, killing 26 people, mostly Hindu men Trump claims
With names like "Deutsche Jugend Voran" (German Youth Lead the Way ) or "Jung und Stark" (Young and Strong): far-right extremists are banding together across Germany to spread hatred and violence. For the past two years, security agencies and experts have been monitoring mounting acts of violence and far-right propaganda from within these circles.
Currently, diplomatic efforts are running parallel to ongoing violence. In mid-April in Washington, historic talks between Israel and Lebanon took place for the first time since 1993. Officially, the two nations have been at war since 1948.
Stephen Flynn, Westminster leader of the Scottish National Party, spoke with notable confidence: "There's going to be a constitutional shock on these isles," he told a British broadcaster, expressing hope that the SNP will prevail in Scotland and that Plaid Cymru will win in Wales.
Berliners lost 60 hours to traffic congestion last year, which is something Oliver Collmann is hoping to change. The engineer spent years working on software for self-driving cars before realizing he really wanted to use his skills for things "that are more in the general interest of humankind."
Trump's Iran Progress Claims, Oil Industry Profit From Iran War, Rubio Meets Pope Leo Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
The cost of mining in Indonesia Reporting by Katerina Barton Photography by Claire Harbage Graphics by Connie Hanzhang Jin Published May 7, 2026 Autoplay video? Over the past decade, Indonesia has rapidly grown its nickel industry and now produces more than half the world’s nickel supply.
India is transforming Great Nicobar Island, its southernmost territory in the Bay of Bengal, into a major strategic asset. Located at the tip of the Andaman and Nicobar chain, closer to Indonesia's Sumatra than to the Indian mainland, the island sits near the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.
Romanian governments rarely stay in power for long. The last time a Romanian prime minister completed a full term was between 2004 and 2008. Since the constitutional crisis of 2012, the country has had no less than 11 elected prime ministers, seven interim leaders and 19 different cabinets.
President John Mahama's call to criminalize so‑called "sex for jobs" marks one of the clearest signals yet that Ghana's leadership is willing to confront a practice that is widely acknowledged but rarely addressed head‑on.
Ukraine said on Wednesday that Russia had violated a unilateral ceasefire called by Kyiv by attacking Ukrainian cities overnight with more than 100 combat drones and three missiles.