KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — A Rwandan suspect charged in connection with the 1994 genocide died in a hospital while in custody in The Hague, Netherlands, a U.N. court said Saturday, three years after the court declared him unfit to continue standing trial.

Félicien Kabuga, 91, was accused of encouraging and bankrolling the mass killing of Rwanda’s Tutsi minority. His trial began in 2022, nearly three decades after the 100-day massacre that left 800,000 dead.

In 2023, the judges declared him unfit to continue standing trial because he had dementia and said they would establish a procedure to continue hearing evidence without the possibility of convicting him.

On Saturday, the U.N. International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals said in a statement that Kabuga died while hospitalized in The Hague, and the medical officer of the U.N. Detention Unit was notified immediately.

An investigation into his death has been ordered to establish the circumstances of how he died, the statement said.

An arrest warrant for Kabuga was issued in 2013, and a $5 million bounty was announced. He was arrested in 2020 in France, and his trial started in 2022.

Kabuga was charged with genocide, incitement to commit genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, as well as persecution, extermination and murder. He pleaded not guilty. If he had been convicted, he would have faced a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

After the court declared him unfit to stand trial, he remained in detention, pending the resolution of the issue of his provisional release to a state willing to accept him on its territory.

His lawyer had said that he wouldn’t return to his home country, Rwanda, which had offered to take him, as he feared he would be mistreated.

The declaration that he was unfit for trial angered many genocide survivors in Rwanda, who felt his crimes deserved the maximum sentence.

The genocide was triggered on April 6, 1994, when a plane carrying President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down and crashed in the capital, Kigali, killing the leader who, like the majority of Rwandans, was an ethnic Hutu. Kabuga’s daughter married Habyarimana’s son.

This year’s event is taking place in Austria, following the country’s win last year.

With 25 countries taking part, viewers in the UK can vote for any of the other 24 countries involved.

Here is how those watching in the UK can vote in tonight’s contest.

How to vote in Eurovision 2026 in the UK

In the UK, you can vote online and can vote up to 10 times.

You can also vote using the Eurovision app, which can be downloaded on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

All votes cost 15p each to cast, whether you use the website or the app.

As the UK is a participating country, instructions on how to vote will be on screen during the broadcast.

Viewers in the UK cannot vote for their own country, and any votes from the UK for the UK act will not count.

Voting will open just before the first song is performed and will stay open through all the performances, and for approximately 40 minutes after the last song has been performed.

How does scoring work in Eurovision?

In the final, the scores for each country are calculated on both the results of the public televoting and the results of the national juries.

For the national jury vote of each country, the score of each song in each country is 12 points for the top-ranked country, 10 points for the second country, eight points for the third country, seven points for the fourth country, and down to one point for the song having obtained the tenth-best rank.

The points awarded from the public vote from each country for each song works by adding 12 points to the song that obtained the highest number of votes.

From here, 10 points go to the song with the second most votes, eight to third, seven to the next, down to one for the tenth-highest.

Look Mum No Computer is the UK’s entry for Eurovision this year (Image: BBC/EBU)

The audience in each participating country will award a total of 58 points, and the audience voting online from non-participating countries will also award a total of 58 points.

The jury in each of the 37 participating countries will also award a total of 58 points.

The winner is the act with the highest combined points.

Recommended reading:

What is the running order for the Eurovision 2026 final?

Denmark will open the show, with Austria performing last.

The UK’s entry, Look Mum No Computer, will perform his song, Eins, Zwei, Drei, 14th.

Here is the full running order for Eurovision 2026:

1. Denmark: Søren Torpegaard Lund – Før Vi Går Hjem
2. Germany: Sarah Engels – Fire
3. Israel: Noam Bettan – Michelle
4. Belgium: ESSYLA – Dancing on the Ice
5. Albania: Alis – Nân
6. Greece: Akylas – Ferto
7. Ukraine: LELÉKA – Ridnym
8. Australia: Delta Goodrem – Eclipse
9. Serbia: LAVINA – Kraj Mene
10. Malta: AIDAN – Bella
11. Czechia: Daniel Zizka – CROSSROADS
12. Bulgaria: DARA – Bangaranga
13. Croatia: LELEK – Andromeda
14. United Kingdom: LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER – Eins, Zwei, Drei
15. Monroe – Regarde!
16. Moldova: Satoshi – Viva, Moldova!
17. Finland: Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen – Liekinheitin
18. Poland: ALICJA – Pray
19. Lithuania: Lion Ceccah – Sólo Quiero Más
20. Sweden: FELICIA – My System
21. Cyprus: Antigoni – JALLA
22. Italy: Sal Da Vinci – Per Sempre Sì
23. Norway: JONAS LOVV – YA YA YA
24. Romania: Alexandra Căpitănescu – Choke Me
25. Austria: COSMÓ – Tanzschein

Are you watching Eurovision this year? Let us know in the comments.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published new guidance explaining what banks and financial institutions may be asked to check under new benefit Eligibility Verification powers

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued fresh guidance outlining what banks and financial institutions may be required to examine under new benefit Eligibility Verification powers.

The new framework is part of the UK Government’s broader effort to tackle fraud and error within the welfare system and will initially cover people receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Through the Eligibility Verification Measure (EVM), banks may be obliged to review accounts in receipt of certain DWP benefits and flag cases where accounts display particular “eligibility indicators” connected to benefit regulations.

The DWP stated the reviews are intended to help detect incorrect payments resulting from fraud, claimant error or official error, while also stopping people from accumulating substantial overpayments that subsequently require repayment.

According to the new Code of Practice on Eligibility Verification Notices, banks could be requested to highlight accounts where savings surpass benefit thresholds, reports the Daily Record.

For Universal Credit, this might involve accounts containing more than £16,000, which represents the upper capital limit for the benefit.

The guidance also indicates the DWP may seek information relating to evidence a claimant has remained abroad longer than benefit rules typically permit.

Nevertheless, the DWP emphasised there are stringent legal restrictions on what banks can disclose. The Code stipulates that financial institutions are forbidden from disclosing transaction details, which means the DWP is unable to access what people are purchasing, where they shop, or their individual spending patterns.

Banks are equally prohibited from sharing “special category data”, including details relating to political opinions, religious beliefs, ethnicity, or health information.

The guidance states: “DWP is prohibited by law from sharing personal data with financial institutions under this power, and from requesting transaction information and special category data.”

What banks cannot share

The document further clarifies that the DWP is not permitted to request banks to search for named benefit claimants.

The code also repeatedly stresses strict limits apply to the information banks can provide.

DWP said financial institutions are prohibited by law from sharing:

• Transaction histories
• Spending information
• Financial statements
• Special category data such as political opinions, religion or ethnicity

Rather than this, financial institutions would apply eligibility criteria across their own systems, returning only limited information where accounts satisfy the indicators outlined in an Eligibility Verification Notice (EVN).

The information that may be passed on to the DWP includes account details, names and dates of birth associated with accounts, and particulars demonstrating how an account met the eligibility indicator.

Examples might include confirmation that savings surpassed a certain threshold, or evidence that an account had been regularly used outside the UK.

The DWP emphasised that information returned by banks does not automatically indicate that an individual has acted improperly. The Code states: “No decisions about benefit entitlement will be made automatically on this information alone.”

Rather, the DWP must examine the information alongside existing evidence held within a claim before determining whether further investigation is warranted.

The guidance further confirms that a “Test and Learn” rollout phase will take place, initially involving a limited number of financial institutions prior to any wider expansion.

Throughout this period, the DWP has stated it will evaluate the system’s effectiveness, the reliability of the data, and whether protective measures are functioning as intended before proceeding with broader implementation.

The DWP estimates that benefit fraud and error led to £9.6 billion in overpayments during the 2025/26 financial year.

VIENNA (AP) — The Eurovision Song Contest reached its sequin-drenched final on Saturday, with tight security and rainy weather failing to dent the enthusiasm of fans, or the opposition of critics who think Israel shouldn’t be invited to the party.

After a week’s buildup, acts from 25 countries are taking to the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna to battle for the continent’s pop crown. Millions of viewers around the world will cast judgment on a fiery Finnish violinist, a Moldovan folk rapper, a Serbian metal band and many more at Eurovision’s 70th anniversary event.

The campy, colorful contest has been likened to the World Cup with songs instead of soccer. And like global sports, it often becomes entangled in politics. The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotting in protest.

Israeli competitor Noam Bettan was cheered as he performed “Michelle,” a rock ballad in Hebrew, French and English. Earlier in the week, four people were ejected for trying to disrupt his semifinal performance. Then came “Dancing on the Ice,” a techno-ballad by Belgium’s Essyla.

Ukrainian singer Leléka offered the ethereal, beautiful “Ridnym,” and Australian star Delta Goodrem showed what a diva should be like with her slick midtempo ballad “Eclipse” — and a bravura performance that sees her raised into the air above a glittery piano. A European country would likely host for Australia next year if she wins.

Serbian metal band Lavina provided a dramatic change of pace with the angsty “Kraj Mene.”

Newcomers looking to grasp the eclectic essence of Eurovision and its interplay of pop and politics should look no further than two of the fan favorites to emerge during a week that saw two semifinals ahead of the grand finale.

Rapper Satoshi’s ebullient “Viva, Moldova” is a bouncy, pro-European song from a country moving toward the European Union after decades in Moscow’s orbit. Greek artist Akylas’ song “Ferto,” or “Bring It,” provides a playful take on conspicuous consumption in a country still scarred by the economic wounds of the 2008 financial crisis.

Both are likely to score highly with viewers, though national juries, which tend to be more impressed by technical excellence, may be less impressed. Winners are chosen by a mix of votes from the two, translated into points by a system confusing even to Eurovision fans. The act with the most points wins, and their country gets to host the competition next year.

Finland is the favorite in betting odds with “Liekinheitin,” or “Flamethrower,” a fiery duet between the singing of pop star Pete Parkkonen and the fiddling of classical violinist Linda Lampenius.

But Eurovision often produces surprises.

Street protests opposing Israel’s inclusion over the conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza have been smaller in Vienna than at the 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden and last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland.

Hundreds marched near the contest arena before Saturday’s final, some holding placards saying “Block Eurovision.” Pro-Palestinian groups also staged an outdoor concert on Friday under the banner “No stage for genocide.”

“Inviting Israel on such a beautiful stage as the Eurovision Song Contest stage is an affront to all the people who believe in humanity, who believe in love and togetherness,” said Congolese-Austrian artist Patrick Bongola, one of the organizers.

The five-nation boycott is a revenue and viewership blow to an event that organizers say was watched by 166 million people around the world last year. This year’s field of 35 contestants is the smallest since 2003.

Still, Eurovision is eyeing expansion, with a spinoff Eurovision Song Contest Asia due to take place in Bangkok in November.

Eurovision director Martin Green urged viewers to put politics aside and enjoy the “brilliant, wonderful, heartfelt show” that is the competition’s grand final.

Vuletic says political controversy is nothing new. The first Eurovision boycott was in 1969 — ironically, by Austria, which refused to send a delegation to Spain under dictator Francisco Franco.

“We’ve seen very politicized editions of the contest in the recent past,” Vuletic said, including the 2009 contest in Russia, Azerbaijan’s turn as host in 2012 and the 2024 competition in Sweden, marred by protests and the expulsion of a competitor after a backstage altercation

“All of them were very much mired in political controversy, yet Eurovision continues,” he said.

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Viewers in participating countries can vote up to 10 times by phone or text message during and for a short time after the show, but aren’t allowed to vote for their own country’s act. Viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries can vote online at www.esc.vote.

___

Associated Press writers Hilary Fox and Philipp Jenne in Vienna contributed to this report.

The 53-year-old is co-hosting the final of the 70th anniversary of the competition alongside Victoria Swarovski

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest host, Michael Ostrowski, was heard addressing the ‘comments’ being made as he took to the stage for the grand final of the competition on Saturday (May 16) night, which caused the same distraction.

The 53-year-old is co-hosting the final of the 70th anniversary of the competition live from the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna, Austria, alongside Victoria Swarovski, a TV presenter who also happens to be an heir to the famous jewellery brand.

The event opened with a performance from last year’s Austrian winner JJ, who sang as the acts introduced themselves with the famous flag parade.

It was then Denmark’s Soren Torpegaard Lund who kicked off the competition, the first of 25 acts to take to the stage on the night to vie for the Eurovision title, as he performed his song For Vi Gar Hjem.

But as mentioned, it was host Michael causing a distraction thanks to his funky outfit. The actor and screenwriter, who has appeared in over 40 films throughout his illustrious career, was seen sporting what appeared to be a purple velvet ensemble, featuring a plunging neckline and gold accessories.

And viewers were quick to take to social media. @knuddelwuddelll said: “When you gotta host #Eurovision at 8pm but want to be in bed by 8:30pm #eurovision.” @jonoread joked: “Really craving a Cadbury’s Dairy Milk after seeing his outfit #eurovision.” @neilatkin37 commented: “That male #Eurovision presenter has forgotten his suit and only has his PJs on.”

@About_Time_Too echoed: “Nice to see the host turn up in just Pjs. #eurovision.” @Geraint2019 posted: “The male host looks like he is dressed in some rather fancy pyjamas #Eurovision.” @chingo1970 added: “#Eurovision sponsored by Cadbury’s Dairy Milk #Eurovisión2026 #Eurovisión.”

And it seems the comments didn’t go unnoticed as he spoke about the millions of viewers getting involved in the commentary during the live show. “I’ve even received some great fashion advice. Thank you very much for all the compliments.” When co-host Victoria said it was ‘all part of the tradition’, Michael added: “Come on, keep on posting. And more importantly, keep enjoying the show. Let’s spend this incredible night together.”

Outgoing Liverpool star Mohamed Salah issued a brutal statement following Friday evening’s defeat to Aston Villa and former England star Paul Robinson has shared his thoughts

Paul Robinson believes Mo Salah’s angry outburst was triggered by a falling out with Liverpool boss Arne Slot. The Egyptian forward has endured a difficult season at Anfield this term, having fallen out of favour under the Dutchman.

Liverpool fell to their 12th Premier League defeat of the season against Aston Villa, which triggered Salah to launch into a furious rant on social media.

Asked for his response, the former Premier League goalkeeper believes Salah’s issues with Slot have been bubbling away in the background all season.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: “I’m not surprised in all honesty. You could see that in his body language and the way that he played. You could see that he’s been frustrated all season.

“I mean, the relationship with the manager has been fragmented for a long time since he was left out of the side. And I think he’s just echoing the voices of the Liverpool supporters that have watched their team and they’ve watched their team in a slow demise, really, this season in their style of play.

READ MORE: Mohamed Salah drops bombshell Liverpool statement and demands immediate changeREAD MORE: Jamie Redknapp ‘struggling’ with Arne Slot sack talk as Liverpool boss told he ‘has to go’

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FB PAGE! Latest Reds news and more on our dedicated Facebook page

“It’s been a very full possession-based team, choosing to turn back and rotate and keep possession and play in a very narrow way with possession in favour of creating opportunities.

“I just think the style of play didn’t really suit him and he’s not really been enthused with the way the manager has tried to play him.”

Salah now has just one game left as a Liverpool player, with that set to come next weekend against Brentford at Anfield. Slot could have a decision to make over his place in the side following his outburst.

“I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champion,” Salah wrote on Instagram. “It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that.

“Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies.

“That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it.

“Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games. Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family. I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on. As I’ve always said, qualifying to next season’s Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen.”

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Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.