Iceland becomes fifth country to boycott Eurovision
Iceland joins Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands in saying it will boycott the 2026 contest.
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The Challenges to Europe’s Security Go Beyond Trump’s Lack of Support
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Keir Starmer appoints 25 Labour peers to strengthen support in House of Lords
Labour says appointments needed to balance upper house and chooses former advisers to No 10 and the chancellorKeir Starmer has appointed 25 Labour peers including a number of former senior government and party aides in a move to strengthen his hand in the House of Lords.Matthew Doyle, a former No 10 director of communications, and Katie Martin, a former chief of staff to Rachel Reeves, will be among those appointed to the upper house in a move first reported by the Guardian. Continue reading...

DHS confirms it will buy fleet of six Boeing 737 planes to carry out deportations – US politics live
Spokesperson says almost $140m contract to buy planes will ‘allow ICE to operate more effectively’House speaker Mike Johnson said today that he has yet to see the video of the boat strike that has been the subject of intense scrutiny and accusations of war crimes.The Republican speaker said he missed the classified briefing with Hegseth and Rubio this week because he was working with House GOP lawmakers on their emerging health care proposals. Continue reading...

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‘Coalition of the willing’ nations to hold call on ending war in Ukraine
Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and others to discuss peace plan as US tries to push through peace dealLeaders of the “coalition of the willing” group of nations will hold a video call on Thursday as chaotic American efforts to push through a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine reach a crunch moment.Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said his officials would hand over a revised version of a peace plan to US negotiators on Wednesday before the call with leaders and officials from about 30 countries. Continue reading...

Starmer, Merz and Macron take phone call with Trump on Ukraine peace talks – as it happened
European leaders confirm that they spoke with the US president earlier today about ‘the state of talks’ Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, is now delivering his opening speech.It’s a damning verdict on Maduro’s authoritarian rule in Venezuela, as he talks about a number of figures facing repression and torture from the regime.“As we sit here in Oslo City Hall, innocent people are locked away in dark cells in Venezuela. They cannot hear the speeches given today – only the screams of prisoners being tortured.”Venezuela has evolved into a brutal, authoritarian state facing a deep humanitarian and economic crisis. Meanwhile, a small elite at the top – shielded by political power, weapons and legal impunity – enriches itself.“A quarter of the population has already fled the country – one of the world’s largest refugee crises.Those who remain live under a regime that systematically silences, harasses and attacks the opposition.”“Venezuela is not alone in this darkness. The world is on the wrong track. The authoritarians are gaining.We must ask the inconvenient question: “Authoritarian regimes learn from each other. They share technology and propaganda systems. Behind Maduro stand Cuba, Russia, Iran, China and Hezbollah – providing weapons, surveillance and economic lifelines. They make the regime more robust, and more brutal.” Continue reading...
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Iceland to join boycott of Eurovision in protest at Israel’s involvement
Iceland joins four other nations in a boycott, after the organiser declined to hold a vote over Israel's involvement.