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• The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest saw a significant decline in viewership, drawing 131 million viewers—35 million fewer than the previous year. • Organizers attribute the drop to boycotts by five countries protesting Israel's participation, with notable viewing decreases in Britain (3.7 million), Poland (3.8 million), and France (3.3 million). • Despite the overall decline, Bulgaria secured its first-ever victory with Dara's song "Bangaranga," and the event maintained strong engagement among viewers aged 15 to 24 at 54.8%.

• Eurovision's grand final saw a total loss of 35 million viewers this year, with significant declines recorded in Britain (3.7 million), Poland (3.8 million), and France (3.3 million). • The viewership drop follows boycotts by Ireland and four other nations over Israel's participation, with Ireland's RTÉ choosing not to air the live broadcast. • Despite the losses, the event maintained an average viewing share of 42.6% across 35 markets, peaking at 93% in Finland and 54.8% among viewers aged 15 to 24.

• The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest saw a significant decline in viewership, drawing 131 million viewers—a drop of 35 million compared to the previous year. • Organizers attributed the decline to boycotts from five countries protesting Israel's participation, with notable viewing losses in Britain (3.7 million), Poland (3.8 million), and France (3.3 million). • Despite the overall dip, the event maintained strong engagement among youth, with a 54.8% viewing share for those aged 15 to 24, and peak popularity in Finland at 93%.

Zulkernain Ahmed was in pursuit of a group on bikes when he hit Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb, who was walking on pavementTwo brothers have been jailed for killing a 16-year-old boy who was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” when he was hit while walking by a car being deliberately driven at a group on bikes.Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb, who had come to the UK “in search of safety and a better life”, was hit by the vehicle, driven by 21-year-old Zulkernain Ahmed in Sheffield in June 2025. Continue reading...

Mackenzie Swift entered the River Don in Mexborough on Saturday evening and failed to emergeA body has been found in the search for an 11-year-old boy who went missing after entering the River Don in South Yorkshire on Saturday.Mackenzie Swift entered the river in Mexborough at around 8pm and failed to emerge, prompting a police search. Continue reading...

Girl pulled from River Wharfe in Burnsall, Yorkshire, on Sunday, with temperatures dropping down to average on MondayA 13-year-old girl has died after going into a river and a boy is missing as the water-related death toll reached at least 15 amid a heatwave.The girl was pulled from the River Wharfe in Burnsall, near Skipton, North Yorkshire, on Sunday evening. She was airlifted to hospital where she was pronounced dead, North Yorkshire police said. Continue reading...

• Boy George, the lead singer of Culture Club, received a lifetime achievement award at the British LGBT Awards in central London. • The honor was presented as a surprise by renowned French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier. • Organizers granted the accolade to recognize Boy George's significant and lasting contributions to British musical culture.

On Saturday, Donald Trump said talks with Tehran were going well and an agreement to end the war was ‘largely negotiated’. On Sunday, the US launched strikes on Southern Iran. By Thursday, Donald Trump had circulated a draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies.This week, as the US-Iran deal remains in a precarious state, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group about why Trump keeps changing his mind on what to do to end the warArchive: AP, Reuters Continue reading...

• Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh is facing a boycott from an Indian film union following his decision to exit the upcoming movie Don 3. • The backlash stems from accusations that Singh disrespected the cultural significance of a specific scene, though the actor has since issued a formal apology. • This controversy follows a pattern of past friction, including Singh's involvement in a 2015 comedy roast that led to police complaints regarding obscenity.

The Park Slope Food Coop boycott vote follows tensions and rifts among members and larger communityMembers of a storied food co-operative in Brooklyn have voted to boycott about a dozen products from Israel and Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine – capping years of contentious debate over a conflict half a world away that has threatened to rip apart a landmark institution for liberal New Yorkers.The Park Slope Food Coop vote, which took place Tuesday night during a three-hour virtual meeting attended by about 7,000 of the co-operative’s 17,000 members, follows months of dueling campaigning that one local rabbi opposed to the boycott described as a “proxy war”. The boycott is supposed to impact some brands of tahini, peppers and persimmons as well as other products. Sixty-seven percent of participants voted in favor of the boycott. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer announces review after three boys were given youth rehabilitation orders for rape of two girlsThe court of appeal will review the non-custodial sentences given to three teenage boys for the rape of two girls, Keir Starmer has announced.The boys, two of whom were 15 and one aged 14 at the time of sentencing, were given youth rehabilitation orders after the judge in the case said he wanted to “avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily” and support their reintegration into society. Continue reading...

Ellen Roome, whose son, Jools Sweeney, was 14 when he died, wants a ban put in place for under-16sThe mother of a teenager who believes he died in a TikTok challenge gone wrong has said that Downing Street has been too slow to move towards a social media ban for under-16s, and accused the government of “kicking it down the road”.Ellen Roome, the mother of Jools Sweeney, 14, is among the families who will meet Keir Starmer on Tuesday as a consultation into the social media ban closes this week. Continue reading...

Dominic Grieve says people are ‘perfectly entitled’ to ask Richard Hermer for review of teenagers’ sentencesAppeal judges would be unlikely to criticise the attorney general, Richard Hermer, if he asked them to review “unusual” non-custodial sentences handed to three teenage boys convicted of raping two girls, one of his predecessors has suggested.Dominic Grieve, who also served as home secretary, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the goal of rehabilitating offenders – particularly younger ones – needed to be balanced with providing deterrence. Continue reading...

Boys, aged 15, given youth rehabilitation orders for two separate attacks against two girls in Hampshire A judge’s decision not to jail two teenage boys who raped two girls has been described by one of the victims as a “rock straight in my face”.A trial at Southampton crown court heard the girls were raped in two separate attacks in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, the first attack on 26 November 2024 and the second on 17 January 2025. Continue reading...

• Fatboy Slim headlined the first day of Radio 1's Big Weekend, which took place at Herrington Country Park in Sunderland. • The dance-focused event featured a high-energy closing set where the DJ performed his new track "Zone" alongside singer Poppy Baskcomb. • The performance was marked by a large-scale spectacle, including a confetti cannon that turned the sky purple over the main stage.

The BBC series and its breakout teen stars have been lauded as a much-needed antidote to crueller, more toxic entertainmentAs he takes a break from searching for walnuts in the ancient forest of Arslanbob, western Kyrgyzstan, 19-year-old Kush Burman reflects on his relationship with his travelling companion and best friend, Jo Diop.“I think it’s only in the past couple of days that I’ve realised how much I value having Jo here,” he says, his eyes wet with tears. “I just really appreciate the fact that Jo’s always up for sort of looking after me, in a way. I don’t think Jo will understand, like, the difference it makes. Continue reading...

Boys physically overpowered and then filmed attacks on teenage victims in separate incidents in HampshireThree teenage boys convicted of knife-point rape and other serious sexual offences against two teenage girls in Hampshire have not been given custodial sentences because the judge said he “should avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily”.The boys, who were aged between 13 and 14 at the time of their offences, physically overpowered and sexually assaulted the girls, who were aged 14 and 15, in separate incidents two months apart. Continue reading...

• Global OTT platforms like Prime Video are implementing India-specific edits and censoring international shows, such as *The Boys*, to comply with local sensibilities. • These modifications are driven by a need for legal risk management and the desire to avoid regulatory backlash in the Indian market. • The trend has sparked significant viewer frustration, with critics arguing that self-censorship compromises artistic integrity and may inadvertently drive audiences toward piracy.

• Spain has announced a boycott of the current Eurovision Song Contest due to the continued participation of Israel. • The decision follows repeated expressions of disapproval from Spanish authorities regarding Israel's presence in the competition. • This move has left Eurovision fans divided, highlighting the tension between the contest's non-political goals and the geopolitical conflicts surrounding the participants.

Top House Democrat calls out SEC schools for silenceCampaign comes as states move to redraw voter mapsHakeem Jeffries, the top US House Democrat, has amplified calls for Black athletes to boycott public universities in states that have moved to limit voting rights, saying an “unprecedented moment, featuring an unprecedented attack on Black political representation” requires an “unprecedented response”.Jeffries’s comments came Tuesday as the NAACP launched its “Out of Bounds” campaign. The campaign targets universities in eight states – Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia – whose athletic programs generate more than $100m in revenue. Those eight states have moved to draw new voter maps after the supreme court’s Louisiana v Callais decision severely weakened the Voting Rights Act. Continue reading...

Wife of former PM, who encountered Worboys in 2007, says parole refusal last week was ‘huge relief’Carrie Johnson, the wife of the former prime minister Boris Johnson, has said there could be “up to 1,000, if not more”, victims of the black-cab rapist, John Worboys.Johnson, who helped bring the serial sex attacker to justice, said she had been contacted by more women who believed they had been assaulted by him. Continue reading...

Eight southern states have moved to draw new maps after Callais decision, severely weakening the Voting Rights ActThe NAACP on Tuesday launched a campaign urging Black athletes, their families, alumni and fans to boycott athletic programs of public universities in states that “have moved to limit, weaken or erase Black voting representation”.In the announcement of the “Out of Bounds” campaign, the civil rights giant name-checked eight states – Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia – whose flagship public athletic programs generate more than $100m in annual revenue. Each of those states has moved to draw new maps to limit Black voting representation, following the supreme court’s Louisiana v Callais decision severely weakening the Voting Rights Act. Continue reading...

Odai Shanah details being among the children forced to huddle in a classroom during attack at the Islamic CenterA nine-year-old boy has described witnessing Monday’s deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, saying that he “saw bad stuff” and huddled in closet during the attack.Odai Shanah, whose mother emigrated from war-torn Gaza and settled in southern California two decades ago, told Reuters that he heard a barrage of gunshots coming from outside the walls of the mosque complex, which also houses an Islamic day school. Continue reading...

Parole Board tells victims of black cab rapist that it had decided against open conditions or releaseThe black-cab rapist John Worboys has been denied parole for the second time.The Parole Board told his victims on Thursday that it had decided against either releasing Worboys or allowing him to move to open conditions within prison. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Queensland MP says ‘I think everybody should be thinking about their political future’ after devastating result for CoalitionGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNationals MP Colin Boyce is considering shifting to One Nation after the Farrer byelection saw the Coalition’s vote tank to about 20% of the primary vote.Speaking to the Guardian in Albury after One Nation recorded its historic victory in the House of Representatives, the MP for the central Queensland seat of Flynn said the result was a “wake-up call”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Tim Grattan-Kane says similar crimes still happening with rise of drink spiking in overstretched system as ITV releases drama on caseThe police officer in charge of solving the case of the “black-cab rapist” John Worboys says similar crimes could still be happening today as the criminal justice system is “close to exploding”.Tim Grattan-Kane was the senior investigating officer of the team who arrested Worboys in 2008 after they pieced together the accounts of numerous women who had reported being given drugged champagne by a London taxi driver, who then assaulted them. Continue reading...

Terry Reed, who had previously been convicted for sexually abusing two other minors, could be imprisoned for 40 yearsSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A suburban New Orleans religious pastor has been convicted of sexually molesting two minors in what is the third instance of a man called “the worst kind of predator” being found guilty of abusing teen boys.Terry Reed, 66, cited biblical verses and scripture to “manipulate, normalize and justify his sexual behavior” with the two victims at the center of the newest case against him, according to a statement from Louisiana state prosecutors. Continue reading...

• Shakira announced a new collaboration with Afrobeats star Burna Boy titled 'Dai Dai' for the FIFA World Cup 2026, teasing it from New York. • The track is positioned as an official tie-in for the global soccer tournament set for 2026 across multiple host countries including the United States. • This marks Shakira's return to high-profile music projects following her past World Cup performances, blending pop with Afrobeats influences.