Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time on Saturday in a final overshadowed by five countries’ boycott over Gaza, claiming a dramatic victory despite another big public vote for Israel that again secured it second place.
The garish and usually good-natured competition involving pop acts from countries across Europe and beyond, now in its 70th year, was plunged into crisis by a dispute over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, a response to the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
The public broadcasters of heavyweights Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland, as well as Iceland and Slovenia, chose not to take part in protest at Israel’s participation.
Israel has alleged a global smear campaign against it. Its performance at the final was not, however, marred by any obvious protests, unlike Tuesday’s semifinal.
“This is unbelievable. I don’t even know what’s going on right now,” Bulgaria’s entrant Dara told a press conference after winning with her thumping, crowd-pleasing dance track “Bangaranga” that avoided politics altogether.
The song touches on themes of empowerment and surrendering to the night. It also left many puzzled as to its meaning.
“Bangaranga is a feeling that everybody gets in themselves. It’s the moment that you choose to be in love and not fear,” Dara said when asked to explain the song in the “green room” where artists await the results.
“This is a special energy … Once you feel (at) one with nature and your universe, you feel the harmony that you can be whatever you want to be and that everything is possible,” she said. (JapanToday)
The UK’s economy saw surprise growth in March, despite the month seeing the first impact of the Iran war.
The economy grew by 0.3%, confounding analysts’ forecasts of a small contraction, although the effects of the conflict are expected to hit growth later this year.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there were signs that consumers and businesses brought forward spending in March due to fears over future price rises brought about by the war.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the growth figures showed the government had “the right economic plan”, but warned a Labour leadership contest risked “plunging the country into chaos”.
Economic growth in the first three months of the year was 0.6%, the ONS said, led by a rebound in areas such as retailing and construction.
The quarterly growth is the fastest for a year, and is also the highest of all the G7 countries to have reported data so far. Last month, the IMF warned that the UK would be the hardest hit from the war of the world’s advanced economies.
The ONS said there had been signs of so-called front-loading in March, with some businesses it surveyed “cited activity being bought forward in anticipation of increases in costs because of conflict in Iran”.
One such area was car sales and leasing. The ONS said retailers had reported that motorists were stocking up on fuel as prices rose sharply.
Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, said some drivers may have been given a “nudge” to buy an electric vehicle (EV) in March because of rising fuel prices.
Yael Selfin, KPMG’s chief economist, said the impact of the Iran war was likely to be more pronounced in the second quarter of the year.
“Households are under renewed pressure as energy and petrol prices climb. Food costs are also expected to rise, with disruptions to fertilisers and other essential inputs,” she said.
“These increases are likely to weigh on disposable incomes, dampening demand and posing a significant challenge to economic activity over the coming months.”
Siblings Kennady and Boston Mace run a play centre in Chelmsford, Essex. They have noticed how families are having to cut down on spending.
“We’ve got our own children so we appreciate how expensive a day out can be,” Boston said.
“Everything’s going up… we’ve got a limit on what we can charge so the profit margin is getting smaller and smaller.”
Kennady added that where families used to use the centre as an all-inclusive venue, there are more visitors paying for activities but not food – “which is understandable … money’s a lot tighter”.
Boston said the centre has endured the Covid pandemic, a fire, a flood and a theft, but “this seems [to be] the most difficult period we’ve had” in their 13 years in business.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the BBC the economy “is growing strongly” and that she would set out more support for families and businesses affected by the war next week.
But in a reference to the current speculation about the prime minister’s position, Reeves said: “We shouldn’t put [economic stability] at risk by plunging the country into chaos at a time when there is conflict in the world but also at a time when our plan to grow the economy is starting to bear fruit.”
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride said the “chaos surrounding the Labour leadership is destabilising Britain’s economy”.
“This week, borrowing costs hit their highest level in 30 years as Labour leadership contenders competed to promise even more spending, borrowing and fantasy economics.”
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said the latest growth figure was “already in the rear-view mirror” because of the war.
“Instead of tackling the cost of living, the government is consumed by infighting.” (BBC)
WhatsApp has introduced private chats with its AI chatbot which not even the tech company will be able to read in a new “incognito” mode.
It means neither the user nor the AI’s responses will be monitored if the feature is activated, and past conversations will disappear from the chat for the user.
Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, said he felt people wanted to have private conversations with AI on sensitive subjects including health, relationships and finances and didn’t want them to be accessible.
But a cyber security expert has told the BBC this could lead to a lack of accountability for WhatsApp if things go wrong, as they would have no access to chat history.
WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which also owns Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.
When Meta AI was added to WhatsApp last year, it was criticised by some users angry at not being able to turn it off.
But in May 2025, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg said Meta AI had reached a billion users across its apps.
“We’ve heard from a lot of people that they feel some discomfort about sharing [personal] information with the company, yet they want the answers,” Cathcart said of the latest announcement.
Currently most AI companies do store some data from chatbot use, and outside of businesses who pay premiums for enterprise accounts, that data can also be used to train future models of the product.
Zuckerberg described it as the “first major AI product where there is no log of your conversations stored on servers”.
The technology behind WhatsApp’s incognito mode is not the same as the end-to-end encryption the platform uses to protect other messages, but it is “the equivalent,” Cathcart added.
Prof Alan Woodward, a cyber security expert at Surrey University, said there was a low risk of compromising WhatsApp’s existing security by introducing a second system.
However there are concerns about how incognito mode could hide AI malfunction or abuse.
A number of AI companies, including OpenAI and Google, have been the subject of wrongful death lawsuits.
Woodward said there was a risk of a lack of accountability for the AI’s responses.
“Personally I think what you ask an AI should remain private as some people ask it very personal matters – but you are placing a great deal of trust in the AI not to lead users astray,” he told the BBC. (BBC)
Manchester City kept the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Brentford, while Liverpool were booed off after a 1-1 draw against struggling Chelsea on Saturday.
With three games of the season left for both title contenders, City closed to within two points of the Gunners, who face a tricky trip to relegation-threatened West Ham on Sunday.
After a dramatic 3-3 draw at Everton on Monday, Pep Guardiola’s men could not afford another slip up if they were to retain hope of a seventh title in nine years.
A resolute Brentford, still in the running for European football themselves next season, held out until the hour mark when the in-form Jeremy Doku curled into the top corner.
Erling Haaland backheeled in a second to move four goals clear of Brentford’s Igor Thiago in the battle for the Golden Boot.
Haaland then turned provider for Omar Marmoush to score what could be a vital third in stoppage time.
“We will see, it is not in our hands,” said Guardiola. “We will do our job and wait.”
City cut the goal difference gap on Arsenal to one and now must hope the Hammers cause an upset in a huge clash at both ends of the table at the London Stadium.
Arsenal face already-relegated Burnley and Crystal Palace, days before the play in the Conference League final, in their final two games. (JapanToday)
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have been holding talks in the Chinese capital, Beijing, with a raft of meetings and events taking place on Thursday and Friday.
The US leader was greeted with a gun salute, cheering children and a tour of the stunning 15th Century Temple of Heaven.
Trump is also joined in Beijing by tech bosses, including Tesla’s Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and Trump’s son Eric.
On Thursday evening, a lavish banuquet at the Great Hall of the People was held in honour of the occasion.
BBC reporters were able to see the banquet menu, with the main course including lobster in tomato soup, Beijing roast duck and pan-fried pork bun.
Dessert options included trumpet shell-shaped pastry and tiramisu.
In a banquet speech, President Xi called it a “historic visit”, adding “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” and “Make America great again” can go hand in hand.
China-US relations are the most important bilateral relations in the world, Xi says.
Their relations concern the well-being of the two countries of 1.7 billion population, and the interests of over 8 billion people in the world, he added.
Trump spoke, saying he received a “magnificent welcome like no other”.
He then invited Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to visit the White House on 24 September.
Among those spotted at Thurday’s banquet were Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Eric and Lara Trump.
Musk was accompanied by his son X Æ A-12.
Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday evening, where he was greeted by youths waving American and Chinese flags as he walked the red carpet with Vice President of China Han Zheng.
On Thursday, Trump was welcomed at an arrival ceremony with Xi at China’s Great Hall of the People.
After shaking hands, Trump and Xi walked the red carpet and inspected Chinese troops who lined up in impeccably neat rows.
Dozens of children also lined up along the red carpet and waved mini flags and bouquets.
Joining Trump on his trip to China are some of the US’s top business leaders, including Tim Cook of Apple, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, and Larry Fink of BlackRock.
Jensen Huang, the boss of Nvidia, a company which has been central to the US-China technology rivalry, was reportedly a last-minute addition. (BBC)
Tottenham Hotspur took a small and potentially crucial step towards retaining its Premier League status after drawing at home with Leeds United 1-1 on Monday.
Spurs, just above the drop zone, moved two points clear of relegation rival West Ham.
Tottenham went ahead in the 50th minute with a lovely strike by Mathys Tels.
However, Tels’ foul on Ethan Ampadu with 15 minutes left led to a Leeds penalty that Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted with aplomb.
Spurs takes on Chelsea away and Everton at home in their last two games, while West Ham is away at Newcastle before facing Leeds at home on the final day of the season.
One of the two will join the already relegated Burnley and Wolves in next season’s Championship.
Spurs came into the game on a high after two consecutive victories but though they dominated the first half in terms of possession and shots on goal they didn’t break the deadlock until five minutes into the second half.
Pedro Porro’s corner kick was cleared to an unmarked Tels, who coolly struck into the far corner of the net from 20 meters out. It was the center forward’s first goal since Jan. 7.
Tels, however, turned villain 24 minutes later when his high foot was adjudged to have made contact with Ethan Ampadu’s head inside the box.
The referee pointed to the spot and Calvert-Lewin, who was denied a first-half penalty after a video review, confidently dispatched the spot kick.
Both sides suffered through an edgy last few moments and a remarkable 15 minutes of added time but there were no more goals and Spurs, for whom goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was outstanding. They will content themselves that their destiny remains in their hands.
“We played a good game but there was big pressure,” Tottenham coach Roberto De Zerbi said. “We didn’t play calmly. We wanted to win immediately without passes. When you are fighting for relegation you can’t play every game calmly.
“Leeds played a good game and we hope they play like that against West Ham in the next game.”
Spurs have taken eight out of a possible 12 points since De Zerbi’s debut defeat at Sunderland on April 12.
“We deserve to stay up,” he said. “We will fight until the end. . . . Even if we had won today it wouldn’t have been finished yet.”
Hull will play Southampton or Middlesbrough in the Championship playoff final after second half goals from Mo Belloumi and Joe Gelhardt gave it a 2-0 win over Millwall in London.
Belloumi’s 64th-minute strike with his left foot broke the deadlock in the second game of the two-leg affair and Gelhardt made sure with a low shot that squirmed past the Millwall goalkeeper.
The win means Hull have one match to secure a place in the Premier League for the first time since it was relegated in 2017. (JapanToday)
French President Emmanuel Macron urged investment in Africa on Monday as he co-hosted an economic summit in Kenya, after defending European involvement on the continent.
The European leader, speaking at the University of Nairobi, said Africa “needs investment to become more sovereign”, replacing aid with economic opportunities.
Speaking in French, Macron said that previously European chiefs would lecture African leaders on what they needed, but, “this is no longer what Africa needs or wants to hear”.
“That’s just as well, because we, too, no longer have the means, if we’re being honest,” he said.
Ahead of the summit, in an interview with the magazines Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report, the French leader said he first strongly condemned colonialism when he came to power in 2017.
In contrast, the United States and China were locked in a trade standoff, with no respect for the rules, he added.
On critical minerals and rare earths, China, he said, “operates according to a predatory logic: it does the processing at home” and creates “dependencies with the rest of the world”.
Macron, leading the two-day summit aimed at renewing France’s engagement with Africa after years of strained ties with its former colonies, said Europe was instead promoting “a strategy of autonomy” for both continents.
Central to transforming Africa’s fortunes should be an overhaul of international finance, to set up a system of financial guarantees to bring in private investment, he added. (Channels)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged Monday to prove the “doubters” in his own party and among the electorate wrong as he struggled to fight off growing demands to step down after devastating local election results for his Labour Party.
Starmer said he would “face up to the big challenges” and restore hope to the country, in part by forging closer ties with the European Union, six years after the UK’s acrimonious departure from the bloc.
“I know I have my doubters and I know I need to prove them wrong, and I will,” Starmer said during a speech in London intended to kickstart his fightback against detractors.
It did not appear to have the intended effect. In the hours after the speech a steady stream of Labour lawmakers spoke to the media or posted on social media saying Starmer should resign, either now or soon.
Several of those calling for him to go were ministerial aides, in an apparently coordinated move aimed at putting pressure on Starmer’s Cabinet to deliver an ultimatum, perhaps at its weekly meeting on Tuesday.
Labour has been plunged into gloom by heavy losses last week in local elections across England and legislative votes in Scotland and Wales. The elections have been interpreted as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he swept to power in a landslide less than two years ago.
Starmer’s government has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and been hamstrung by repeated missteps and policy U-turns on issues including welfare reform. He has been further hurt by his disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to Washington.
Last week’s elections saw Labour squeezed from both right and left, losing votes to both Reform UK and the “eco-populist” Green Party. The result reflects the increasing fragmentation of British politics, long dominated by Labour and the Conservatives.
Starmer had hoped to regain momentum with his speech and an ambitious set of legislative plans to be set out in a speech Wednesday by King Charles III at the State Opening of Parliament.
In Monday’s speech, he vowed to prove to millions of people “tired of a status quo that has failed them” that the government is on their side.
He said Labour is in “a battle for the soul of our nation,” and warned Britain will go down “a dark path” if Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Nigel Farage, comes to power.
Starmer told an audience of party lawmakers and activists that the government will take control of Britain’s energy, economic and defense security and make the country fairer. He announced plans to nationalize what is left of the once-mighty British Steel, a move that could save some industrial jobs in an area where working-class voters have deserted Labour for Reform UK.
Starmer also pledged to put Britain “at the heart of Europe” and forge closer ties with the 27-nation EU. Farage, who spearheaded the Brexit campaign, and Reform UK oppose any move to get closer to the EU.
Brexit has been a drag on the British economy, and President Donald Trump’s “America First” economic and foreign policy has spurred Britain to seek closer defense, security and economic cooperation with its European neighbors.
Labour supporters are largely anti-Brexit, which failed to deliver the benefits its backers promised. But Starmer has been reluctant to reopen a debate that bitterly divided the country. He has ruled out seeking to reenter the EU, or to rejoin the bloc’s customs union or single market, things that would make a big economic difference.
British politics allows parties to change leader midterm without the need for a new election.
None of the high-profile Labour politicians considered potential challengers to Starmer — including former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham — has yet called for him to resign.
Rayner did not explicitly call for Starmer to quit, but accused him of presiding over “a toxic culture of cronyism” and said the government must “stay true to Labour and social democratic values” and ease the cost of living for working people.
Labour lawmaker Catherine West, who had vowed to trigger a leadership challenge if Monday’s speech didn’t mark a major turning point, said she would hold off for now, though she urged Starmer to resign by September.
More than 60 other lawmakers, out of Labour’s total of 403, also urged him to announce a departure date, with the number ticking up in the hours after the speech.
“I don’t think we saw a plan from the prime minister this morning in order to implement the kind of change that this country needs,,” lawmaker Chris Curtis told Sky News.
Another legislator, Joe Morris, said: “the message from last week’s elections was clear: The prime minister has lost the confidence of the public.”
But some who attended Starmer’s speech said kicking out the man who led them to victory in 2024 would be counterproductive.
“You can’t be changing prime ministers two years in,” said Kevin Craig, a former local councilor in London. “It’s really important we stay grown-up now.” (JapanToday)
President Bola Tinubu has arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya, in the early hours of Monday to participate in the Africa/France Summit.
Tinubu’s aircraft touched down at approximately 00:18 a.m. local time. He was received on arrival by the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi; the High Commissioner of Kenya in Nigeria, Isaac Parashina; along with senior Kenyan government officials and members of Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in Kenya.
The Africa/France Summit will be co-hosted by William Ruto of Kenya and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Tinubu’s participation, according to the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, highlights Nigeria’s enduring commitment to advancing African unity, deepening regional economic cooperation, and fostering strategic partnerships to accelerate sustainable development across the continent.
The summit brings together heads of state, policymakers, business leaders, development partners, and key stakeholders from across Africa and beyond to deliberate on innovative pathways for economic transformation, trade expansion, digital innovation, infrastructure development, climate resilience, and collective prosperity for the continent.
During the event, Tinubu is expected to engage in high-level bilateral and multilateral discussions to strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic and economic relations with fellow African nations while reaffirming Nigeria’s leadership role in shaping the continent’s future.
His attendance reflects the administration’s steadfast dedication to promoting Africa-driven solutions to continental challenges and advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda through strategic international engagement.
The President is accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu; the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari; the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.
Others are the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPCO); the Minister of State designate for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye; the Director General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Omotenioye Majekodunmi; and the Nigerian Ambassador to France, Amb. Ayodele Oke. (Channels)
The King has led birthday tributes to Sir David Attenborough, sending his “warmest congratulations” to the environmentalist who has reached 100 years of age.
The monarch said in a birthday card message how the pair have known each other for more than 60 years, having first met in 1958, and their “paths have crossed many times since”.
He was shown writing the card in a clip at the conservationist’s birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The 77-year-old royal said Sir David has revealed “the beauty and wonders of nature to audiences around the world in new and marvellous ways”.
He added that the broadcaster has shared the King’s “determination to highlight the urgent need to protect and preserve” Earth for future generations.
The King said he and the Queen were “delighted” to learn he will be celebrating the milestone and on behalf of the whole country wished him a very happy birthday.
Animals could then be seen delivering the letter across land, sea and air, before Sir David could be seen holding his royal birthday card aloft in the venue.
The card’s journey was initially thwarted by a fallen tree – only to be saved by the creatures, including an eagle, a fox, a red squirrel and an otter that travel across the UK to ensure that the wildlife presenter receives his royal dispatch.
The Prince of Wales spoke of his “profound” friendship with Sir David, adding that his children have grown up with the broadcaster’s “incredible storytelling” and that he has been a “guiding light” in efforts to protect the natural world.
He said in his speech: “David, for decades, your voice has been a constant in our lives, guiding us through rainforests and oceans, over mountains and into the very fabric of life.”
The audience in the Royal Albert Hall all sang happy birthday at the conclusion of the event.
The King and Queen also shared a carousel of photographs of Sir David on the official Royal Family Instagram account.
The caption read: “Wishing Sir David Attenborough a very happy 100th birthday. Enjoy your special celebration this evening!”
Sir David Beckham also marked Sir David’s big day with a post on his Instagram account captioned: “Happy 100th Birthday to our National Treasure.”
Meanwhile, fellow environmentalist and Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio called Sir David “one of the most enduring champions of our shared planet” in an Instagram post.
The Royal Albert Hall celebration was just one of many events to mark the broadcaster’s birthday, including a takeover of the Piccadilly Lights in central London, displaying a birthday message for Sir David.
The naturalist said he has been “completely overwhelmed” by goodwill messages and thanked well wishers “most sincerely”. (SkyNews)
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