Author: staff

No Venice Biennale has ever been apolitical, but global affairs have deeply marked this year’s edition already. A week into the 61st international art exhibition, there have been protests against Russia and Israel’s participation, pavilions closing and threats to cut funding. The atmosphere is strikingly at odds with the late curator’s vision for the event, encapsulated in the theme ‘In Minor Keys’. Koyo Kouoh aimed to reorient the show away from the “anxious cacophony of the present chaos raging through the world” to focus on softer tones of emotion, connectivity and grounding. Despite the high-profile demonstrations, the pavilions and exhibitions…

The countries sitting out this year’s 70th anniversary contest (Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland) say their decision is due to Israel’s war in Gaza — which was sparked by a violent attack on Israel by Hamas militants — and the resulting humanitarian crisis it has triggered.   De Tender said the EBU is “engaging with” and “listening to” those countries to try to get them “back on board next year.” But he said in the end the public broadcasters in those countries need to listen to their audiences and make their own decisions about participation.   Those calling for Israel’s exclusion from the song contest point to the fact…

Published on 16/05/2026 – 11:28 GMT+2 The meeting of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers concluded on Friday in Chisinau, Moldova. Top of European leaders’ agenda were unwavering support for Ukraine, the strengthening of democratic security, the fight against information manipulation and foreign interference, as well as the management of migration flows. Among the most important decisions, taken on Italy’s initiative, the standout measure is the adoption of a new interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights, which could facilitate the expulsion of some migrants, including to “repatriation centres” in third countries. What the Council of Europe declaration…

Published on 16/05/2026 – 10:26 GMT+2 US President Donald Trump’s warning to Taiwan against formally declaring independence from China has prompted a response from the island’s foreign ministry, which reasserted that it’s a “sovereign democratic country.” During a state visit to Beijing this week, Trump said that while his policy towards Taiwan had not changed, he was against the idea of it declaring independence from China and seemingly questioned why the US would send military support in the event of an invasion. “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent and, you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to…

Published on 16/05/2026 – 10:14 GMT+2 The Italian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement announcing that the Maldivian Coast Guard has begun dives to recover the bodies of the four missing Italian divers involved in Thursday’s incident. According to the Farnesina, Minister Antonio Tajani is in contact with Italy’s ambassador in Colombo, Damiano Francovigh (who is also responsible for the Maldives), and the honorary consul in Malé, Giorgia Marazzi. They are on board the Coast Guard support vessel “Ghazee” to follow the recovery operations. Eight Maldivian divers are currently taking turns in the water. The first two, ministry sources confirm,…

Published on 16/05/2026 – 8:45 GMT+2 US and Nigerian forces have successfully carried out an operation to eliminate an Islamic State leader, US President Donald Trump said. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, IS’s second in command globally, “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.” “He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” he added. Trump, who described al-Minuki as “the most active terrorist in the world,” went on to thank the…

As music lovers gear up for the much-anticipated Eurovision 2026 final this Saturday night, several people use the opportunity to turn the event into a shared night out, rather than staying home to watch TV. In the UK, this has led to a surge in demand for communal watch-party venues, such as screening rooms, cinemas and live music venues. Enquiries for these locations jumped 73% on an annual basis in the run up to the final, according to Tagvenue, mainly led by London, Manchester and Birmingham. However, this phenomena is becoming more common across continental Europe as well, with several…

American and Nigerian forces killed a leader of the Islamic State group in Nigeria in a joint operation carried out Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said early Saturday. “Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” Trump said a social media post that offered few details. Al-Mainuki was viewed as the key figure in Islamic State organizing and finance, and had been plotting attacks against the United States and its interests, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed official. “He will…

The march, and a pro-Palestinian demonstration expected to take place at the same time, drew intensive police planning, with 4,000 officers, armored vehicles, helicopters, drones and for the first time facial recognition technology deployed to keep order in the capital.  Nationally, Robinson is seen negatively by 47 percent of adults across all voter groups, compared to 17 percent who have a positive opinion of him. But the poll shows the extent to which Reform’s backers are sympathetic to the most extreme end of activism on the right.  With Reform now consistently topping opinion polls — and winning elections across the country…

Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, demanded an apology from Spain for human rights violations committed during that era. In 2024, the current president did not invite King Felipe to her inauguration, saying neither he nor the Spanish government had responded to the request. However, comments last October by the Spanish foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, acknowledging there had been “pain and injustice” in the two countries’ shared history, appeared to improve relations. The king went further in March, when he told the Mexican ambassador in Spain that there had been “a lot of abuse” during the conquest, which “cannot…