87 m. ago How the war in Ukraine reduced Putin’s ‘Victory Day’ military parade to a shadow of its former self

In both 2023 and 2024, there was only one tank on display, a Soviet-era T-34

Events

5 h. ago Irish broadcaster requests discussion over Israel’s Eurovision participation

RTÉ asks European Broadcasting Union to discuss matter after 72 former contestants call for Israel’s exclusionIreland’s public broadcaster has asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for a discussion about Israel’s inclusion in the Eurovision song contest, as 72 former contestants called for the Israeli broadcaster Kan to be banned from next week’s event in the Swiss city of Basel.The director general of Ireland’s RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst, said in a statement on Wednesday that he was “appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza, and the fate of Israeli hostages”. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Putin to rival Eurovision with Russia's own song contest after Ukraine war ban

Russia was banned from entering the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine, but it seems Vladimir Putin doesn't want the country to miss out on the fun

Politics

5 h. ago Israel’s participation in Eurovision is ‘very complicated’, says RTE boss

Mr Bakhurst said RTE would not pull the Irish entry out of the song contest in May.

Politics

7 h. ago VE Day: Starmer warns of Second World War parallels with 'hatred, tyranny and evil' of Putin's Ukraine war

The Prime Minister highlighted that war is raging again in Europe 80 years on since the Nazis were defeated

Events

7 h. ago Remember Monday make huge announcement before Eurovision Song Contest 2025

The UK's 2025 Eurovision Song Contest representatives Remember Monday have confirmed that they will be heading off on their biggest tour to date.

Culture

12 h. ago How Putin uses the USSR's victory in World War II to rally support for him and the war in Ukraine

Hardly any other country marks the end of World War II with the same fanfare and fervor as Russia, for which the victory over Nazi Germany 80 years ago remains a source of immense pride and a defining moment of history

Politics

15 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Period of Putin’s ‘ceasefire’ for Victory Day begins

Kremlin jams internet as it seeks to protect visiting foreign leaders; Ukraine’s SBU says drones hit Russian arms factories. What we know on day 1,170 The period of an unagreed ceasefire called for by Vladimir Putin began on Thursday morning as the Russian president seeks cover for Victory Day events. Ukraine has dismissed it as a “game” designed to protect Putin’s parade rather than a genuine step towards peace. Foreign leaders including China’s Xi Jinping are visiting the Russian capital for Victory Day celebrations. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, has offered a 30-day ceasefire as suggested in US-brokered talks, but the Kremlin has refused.The Kremlin was forced on Wednesday to say it was taking “all necessary measures” to ensure the safety of foreign leaders due to attend its flagship 9 May parade after days of Ukrainian drone attacks closed airports across Russia, disrupting about 350 flights due to carry about 60,000 people. The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov sai...

Events

20 h. ago 'Sleepy' Joe Biden wakes up to launch scathing attack on Donald Trump and Ukraine war

In his first interview since leaving the White House, the former American president said it was 'foolish' to think Putin would stop if territory in Kyiv was conceded

Politics

22 h. ago Vance says Russia was 'asking for too much' in its initial Ukraine peace offer

Vice President JD Vance says Russia was “asking for too much” in its initial peace offer as the United States looks to bring about an end to the war in Ukraine

Politics

24 h. ago JD Vance says Russia is 'asking for too much' to end its war with Ukraine days after US warned it will no longer mediate in Moscow

US vice president JD Vance has accused Russia of 'asking for too much' to end its invasion of Ukraine, just days after the US said it would no longer mediate peace talks. 

Events

24 h. ago Trump claims reinstating Russia for FIFA World Cup could 'incentivize' Putin to end Ukraine war

Vladimir Putin’s country has been banned from international competitions since its illegal invasion of Ukraine three years ago

Politics

26 h. ago ‘The pain, the tears, it’s all there’: how Putin’s war has left Ukraine haunted by its past

For occupied parts of Ukraine, Russia’s war and the propaganda fuelling it has forced many to relive the horrors of previous warsMariia Sinhayevska was 11 when the Germans occupied her village, near Zaporizhzhia in south-eastern Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. She can still remember some German words from the year she spent in school under occupation. The soldiers were friendly, she said, though not if you were suspected of being a Communist or a Jew.“There was a place about three kilometres away where people used to say the ground was breathing; it was where the Germans put the bodies of all the people they had shot,” she said. Continue reading...

Politics

26 h. ago How VE Day and Putin’s war are forcing Ukrainians to relive their painful past

As Russia marks 80 years since the second world war with wild celebrations, in Ukraine the tone is very differentMariia Sinhayevska was 11 when the Germans occupied her village, near Zaporizhzhia in south-eastern Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. She can still remember some German words from the year she spent in school under occupation. The soldiers were friendly, she said, though not if you were suspected of being a Communist or a Jew.“There was a place about three kilometres away where people used to say the ground was breathing; it was where the Germans put the bodies of all the people they had shot,” she said. Continue reading...

Politics

29 h. ago Best Eurovision party decorations for 2025: Get ready for the big night

It’s nearly time for the weirdest and the wonderful show. Set the stage for your own 2025 Eurovision Song Contest party

Politics

29 h. ago Who is the UK entry for Eurovision 2025? Meet the band already making waves

The UK will be represented by Remember Monday at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland - but who are they and how did the band form?

Politics

29 h. ago Who is the UK Eurovision entry? All you need to know about the band and where you have seen them before

The UK will be represented by girl pop country group Remember Monday at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, with the trio set to perform What the Hell Just Happened?

Politics

30 h. ago How Eurovision 2024 was wildest ever with act banned, booing crowds and huge blunder

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was full of drama and controversy, which organisers will no doubt be hoping to avoid this year

Events

30 h. ago Donald Trump suggests Russia should be offered return to next year's World Cup as 'incentive' to end Ukraine war

Speaking alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the first meeting of his World Cup taskforce, Trump admitted he was unaware that Russia are banned from the tournament.

Politics

36 h. ago Ukraine’s strong economy is a great asset, but the US mineral deal shows how fragile it could be | Luke Cooper

Kyiv still relies heavily on foreign support for its war effort, and it has agreed to difficult terms to keep the US on sideDespite Russia’s occupation of its territory, missile attacks on its infrastructure and the enormous human costs of the war, Ukraine’s economy has been impressively resilient. Its effective military resistance against a much stronger adversary is in fact underpinned by this successful economic management. Rather than face institutional sclerosis or even collapse, Ukraine’s state capacity has been strengthened by the conflict. Through a combination of tax revenue collection and substantial networks of voluntary fundraising, the state has dramatically increased the size of its armed forces, invested in defence production and maintained a decent level of public infrastructure.State spending on soldiers’ wages, infrastructure and logistics – including public sector procurement from private firms – has had a positive knock-on effect, supporting demand in the civilia...

Economics