Alexei Navalny was killed by Russia with dart frog toxin, 5 European countries say
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny attends a rally in support of political prisoners in Prospekt Sakharova Street in Moscow, Russia on September 29, 2019. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a rare lethal toxin found in poison dart frogs from South America, according to a joint statement from the UK, France, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany.
The European partners said they are confident in their determination based on analyses of samples from Navalny which confirmed the presence of the lethal toxin, Epibatidine.
“Navalny died while held in prison, meaning Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison to him,” the statement read.
Alexei Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, said in a social media post she “was certain from the first day that my husband had been poisoned, but now there is proof: Putin killed Alexei with chemical weapon.”
Navalnaya said she is grateful to the countries who have worked on the investigation.
“Vladimir Putin is a murderer. He must be held accountable for all his crimes,” she said.
Russian officials did not immediately comment on the report.
Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — The Eurovision Song Contest slogan is “United By Music,” but the music competition’s organizers are seeing some cracks in that unity.
A discordant note has been struck in that unity over Israel’s participation in the contest over the war between Israel and Hamas and the humanitarian crisis it precipitated.
Four European nations say they will not take part in the popular international song competition next year after Israel was cleared to participate. State broadcasters in the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia cited the ongoing war in Gaza as their reason for withdrawing.
The war started after Hamas launched a surprise terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed roughly 1,200 Israelis and took about 251 people hostage. Israel responded by declaring war, vowing to eradicate Hamas, the organization that has been de facto governing Gaza and has been designated by the U.S. as a terrorist group. The death toll in Gaza had surpassed 70,000 as of Wednesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
Both sides agreed to a ceasefire, which has broadly held, this October.
“Culture unites, but not at any price. What has happened over the past year has tested the limits of what we can uphold,” Taco Zimmerman, head of the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, said in a statement. “Universal values such as humanity and press freedom have been seriously compromised, and for us, these values are non-negotiable.”
Ireland’s broadcaster RTÉ directly cited the war in its statement.
“RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk,” it wrote.
Ireland has won the Eurovision Song Contest seven times, and is tied with Sweden for the most wins ever. The Swedish group ABBA famously got a boost into worldwide stardom from its Eurovision win for “Waterloo.”
“The situation in Gaza, despite the ceasefire and the approval of the peace process, and Israel’s use of the contest for political purposes, make it increasingly difficult to maintain Eurovision as a neutral cultural event,” Alfonso Morales, secretary general of Spain’s broadcaster RTVE, said in part in a statement.
Spain is part of what’s known as the Eurovision’s “Big 5” — the participants whose broadcasters provide the most, financially, to the contest and have the biggest viewership. The UK, France, Germany and Italy are the other members of this group, and performers representing these countries get automatic entry into the Eurovision final.
A representative for Slovenia’s broadcaster also cited the war in Gaza, and said the Israeli government had been using the contest for political gain.
During this year’s Eurovision, Yuval Raphael’s song “New Day Will Rise” reached second place — it was beaten by Austrian singer JJ’s “Wasted Love.”
The Israeli government was accused by other countries’ broadcasters of manipulating the voting system during this year’s Eurovision. Amid the controversy, the EBU announced new changes to tighten voting rules, but Eurovison Song Contest Director Martin Green told the BBC that Israel did not break the rules.
At a meeting in Geneva on Thursday, the European Broadcasting Union — the organizing body of the contest — and member broadcasters from participating nations gathered to discuss new voting guidelines and contest rules. They did not take a vote on Israel’s participation, which cleared the way for the country to compete.
Four European nations say they will not take part in the popular international song competition next year after Israel was cleared to participate. State broadcasters in the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia cited the ongoing war in Gaza as their reason for withdrawing.
“I am pleased that Israel will once again participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, and I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations, and cross-border cultural understanding,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote, in part, in a post on X after the Geneva meeting.
Israeli broadcaster KAN was critical of the backlash
“The attempt to remove KAN from the contest can only be understood as a cultural boycott,” one representative said during the meeting.
But some broadcasters — like Britain’s BBC — expressed support for Israel to compete.
Opposition to Israel’s participation had been brewing since 2024, when protesters demonstrated outside the arena in Malmo, Sweden.
Israel first joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973. Four Israeli acts have taken home the Eurovision trophy since, most recently in 2018.
The final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Vienna, Austria, on May 16.
thousands of people gather in Enghelab Square for a pro-government demonstration after Iranian state media confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 1, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
(LONGDON) — The interim leadership council of Iran has been formed following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, Iranian state TV reported Sunday.
The interim leadership council will include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the judiciary and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, who was selected as the representative of the Guardian Council.
According to the Islamic Republic constitution, the Guardian Council consists of 12 members: six “faghihs,” or Islamic jurists, and six Muslim “experts” in various areas of law.
Watch ABC Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET for an ABC News special “Shockwaves: The Attack on Iran” to see the latest on the unfolding situation in the Middle East. Stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
Pezeshkian — who sources told ABC News was targeted in Saturday’s joint U.S.-Israel attack — resurfaced on Sunday on Iranian state TV. He said that the interim leadership council has started its work following the death of Khamenei.
In a taped video message broadcast on the Iranian state TV, Pezeshkian said that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic are “powerfully crushing the enemy’s bases.”
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, appeared in a television interview in Iran on Sunday and commented on the death of Khamenei, saying, “The passing of a great personality has wounded the hearts of all of us.”
“Americans should know that by stabbing the hearts of the Iranian nation, their hearts will be stabbed,” Larijani said. “What they did in a cruel way towards the Iranian leadership has angered the people so much that they will never achieve their goals.”
He also said a temporary leadership council would be formed of the president, the head of the judiciary, and one of the jurists of the Guardian Council.
A spokesperson for the Guardian Council said, “The country’s constitution provides for the current situation and the leadership council will be in charge until the leadership is determined.”
According to the law, the leadership must be determined as soon as possible, given the war conditions. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said 40 Iranian commanders were also killed in Saturday’s attack that President Donald Trump described as a “massive and ongoing operation” against Iran and its Middle East proxies.
The IDF said the Israeli Air Force struck and eliminated seven members of the top Iranian security leadership who had gathered at several locations in Tehran.
Among those eliminated in the strikes was Abdolrahim Mousavi, who served as chief of staff of the armed forces, according to the IDF.
Mousavi served as one of the highest senior military ranking officials and was the successor of Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, who was killed in the opening strike of “Operation Rising Lion” in June 2025.
The majority of the highest-ranking senior military officials of the Iranian security leadership were also killed, the IDF said.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is seen returning after leaving police custody, following his arrest on February 19, 2026 in Sandringham, Norfolk. Peter Nicholls/Getty Images
(LONDON) — The U.K. Government will consider introducing legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession once the police investigation has concluded, ABC News learned Friday.
Andrew is currently 8th in line to the throne.
Investigations continued Friday after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — formerly known as Prince Andrew and the younger brother of King Charles III — was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released under investigation.
Police confirmed that searches being conducted in Norfolk have now concluded, while searches in Berkshire remain underway and that Mountbatten-Windsor has not been charged. The former prince was pictured returning to Sandringham in Norfolk on Thursday night.
In a statement on Thursday, Thames Valley Police said it had “arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.”
There have been no senior royals arrested in recent history.
Under United Kingdom law, an arrest requires police to have reasonable grounds to suspect an offense has taken place and reasonable grounds for believing that it is necessary to arrest the person in question.
In a statement issued on Thursday, King Charles III said, “I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.”
“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation,” Charles added.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”
Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on Thursday follows the emergence of documents detailing communication between Andrew and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has previously denied wrongdoing with respect to Epstein.
In late 2010, Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to share sensitive information stemming from his role as the U.K. trade envoy with Jeffrey Epstein, who had just months earlier completed his sentence in Florida for solicitation of a minor into prostitution, emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice suggest.
Emails sent by Mountbatten-Windsor show the former prince passing along what he described as “confidential information” stemming from his government role to Epstein. Other emails sent by his former liaison suggest that Mountbatten-Windsor discussed Epstein’s connections in his personal dealings.
“It’s undoubtedly a threat to the monarchy,” ABC News royal contributor Robert Jobson said Thursday of Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, noting the historic and “seismic” nature of a police raid taking place at a royal estate.
“I think some people, many people, younger people included, will argue, what is the point of an institution that’s unelected when you’ve got criminality, or potential criminality, actually unfolding like this and members of the royal family being arrested and cautioned … to give evidence under oath in an interview?” Jobson said on “Good Morning America.” “It’s shocking.”
