Author: staff
By Tokunbo Salako with  Published on 15/05/2026 – 12:14 GMT+2 Football’s world governing body, FIFA, has announced details of its historic half-time show at the World Cup final in New Jersey this July. The climax of the highly anticipated sporting contest at the MetLife Stadium will feature a star-studded performance headed, no pun intended, by Madonna, Shakira and boy band BTS. Curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, it’ll be first time FIFA has staged a show during its flagship event. Keen to match the global reach and lucrative advertising pull of the American Football’s Superbowl, FIFA is taking a big page out of…
“They defended Ukraine in Mariupol and at Azovstal, in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kyiv sectors, and at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant,” Zelenskyy added. Trump announced earlier this month he had brokered a three-day ceasefire, which included the prisoner exchange deal between Kyiv and Moscow. But Russia’s Ministry of Defense made no mention of a U.S. role when it confirmed 205 Russian soldiers had returned home Friday, crediting the United Arab Emirates with having provided “humanitarian mediation efforts.” President Zelenskyy thanked “everyone working to bring our people home.” This is the second time the U.S. brokered…
Published on 15/05/2026 – 12:01 GMT+2 Denmark’s Queen Margrethe has undergone an angioplasty procedure after being admitted to hospital this week for chest pain, the palace said in a statement on Friday. The court said the queen had “a balloon dilation of a coronary artery” at Copenhagen’s main hospital Rigshospitalet, where she was admitted on Thursday. The queen, who has been a chain smoker for much of her life, was in “good condition” but would remain in hospital for “a few more days,” the palace said. Margrethe, who abdicated in 2024 and turned 86 on 16 April, attended Sweden’s King…
The death toll from Russia’s large-scale drone and missile attack on Ukraine, one of the largest attacks in the past four years, rose to 24 people, Ukrainian emergency services said on Friday. Dozens of others were injured. The attack, which primarily targeted the capital Kyiv, began as a rare daytime attack on Wednesday and continued into Thursday. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 675 attack drones and 56 missiles, mainly at Kyiv, adding its air defence units had downed 652 of the drones and 41 missiles. The attack targeted homes, residential apartment blocks and other civilian infrasturcture. In…
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Thursday that Barcelona star Lamine Yamal had made Spain “proud” for waving a Palestinian flag at a victory parade that sparked Israeli accusations of “inciting hatred.” The 18-year-old forward drew attention for brandishing a Palestinian flag during an open-top bus parade through Barcelona on Monday as the Catalan giants celebrated their second straight La Liga title. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz lashed out at the Spain star on Thursday, saying he chose to “incite hatred” against his country. “I hope a great and respected club like Barcelona distances itself from these remarks and…
Keir Starmer woke up in No.10 Downing Street this morning, but for how much longer? After a week of turmoil, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has finally made his move, and the roadmap to a British leadership change is suddenly visible. Here’s what you need to know: Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is seeking a return to Parliament via a by-election in Makerfield triggered by MP Josh Simons’ resignation). If he wins, the path to challenge Starmer becomes clear. Labour’s ruling NEC officers are expected to meet today to decide if they will allow Burnham to run. But this is…
Published on 15/05/2026 – 11:06 GMT+2•Updated 11:08 Vienna is hosting its 70th anniversary, but the “United by Music” motto is under its heaviest strain yet. Let’s look what’s behind the glitter. With only 35 participating countries, the lowest level since 2003, the competition is struggling to survive the grit of real-world geopolitics. Europe is witnessing its largest boycott ever, with five nations, so Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland, pulling out over Israel’s inclusion. And in a move of direct protest, Slovenia has replaced the live broadcast with a documentary series titled “Voices of Palestine.” Even inside the arena,…
Europe’s militaries are moving rapidly from experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI) to integrating it into core defence capabilities. On Monday, Germany and Ukraine launched the “Brave Germany” programme, which will include approximately 5,000 joint AI-enabled medium-range strike drones. The Berlin-Kyiv agreement is the latest example of accords, projects and deals struck throughout the continent to integrate AI systems into decision-making systems and weapons in Europe’s arsenal. We take a closer look at what’s been done so far to integrate different forms of AI into military operations. What AI already exists in Europe’s militaries? European militaries have been using AI in…
Published on 15/05/2026 – 10:07 GMT+2 Italy has consolidated its leading role in beach tourism with 525 beaches across the country awards Blue Flags by the Foundation for Environmental Education (Fee). The award ceremony, which took place in Rome on Thursday, saw 14 new entries and three failed reconfirmations. Awards also went to 87 nautical tourist landings and 23 lakes. The ranking of Italian regions by Blue Flags Italy has 11.6% of the world’s Blue Flags this year. Liguria is in the lead at a regional level, with 35 locations including two new ones: Andora and Taggia. Puglia and Calabria…
“I expect a great and respected club like FC Barcelona to distance itself from these statements and make it unequivocally clear that there is no place for incitement or for support of terrorism,” Katz said in a post on X. Sánchez hit back by saying the teenager had “only expressed the solidarity with Palestine felt by millions of Spaniards. Another reason to be proud of him.” The new spat follows last month’s bid by Spain and three other EU members to end the bloc’s association agreement with Israel, which was ultimately rejected by other foreign ministers. Sánchez is the most vocal EU…