Category World News

Twenty-seven European nations that are signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) want the treaty changed to restrict migration.

Opponents say altering it will weaken fundamental human rights protections in place for years.

So what are the arguments?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Michael O’Flaherty – Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights and former director of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency

Jennifer Nader – Cofounder of the Compassion in Politics think tank in London

Swiss Eurovision winner Nemo said they will return their 2024 victory trophy because Israel is being allowed to compete in the pop music competition.

The singer, who won the 2024 edition with operatic pop track, The Code, posted a video on Instagram showing them placing the trophy in a box to be sent back to the Geneva headquarters of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

“Eurovision says it stands for unity, for inclusion and dignity for all people,” Nemo said, adding that Israel’s participation amid its ongoing genocidal war on Gaza showed those ideals were at odds with organisers’ decisions.

The EBU, which organises Eurovision, cleared Israel last week to take part in next year’s event in Austria, prompting Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland to announce they would be boycotting the contest.

“When entire countries withdraw, it should be clear that something is deeply wrong,” Nemo said on Thursday.

On Friday, contest director Martin Green said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that organisers were “saddened that Nemo wishes to return their trophy which they deservedly won in 2024”.

“We respect the deeply held views Nemo has expressed and they will always remain a valued part of the Eurovision Song Contest family,” he added.

Next year’s Eurovision is scheduled to take place in Austria’s capital, Vienna, after Austrian singer JJ won the 2025 contest in Basel, Switzerland. Traditionally, the winning country hosts the following year.

“This is not about individuals or artists. It’s about the fact that the contest was repeatedly used to soften the image of a state accused of severe wrongdoing, all while the EBU insists that this contest is non-political,” said Nemo.

“Live what you claim. If the values we celebrate on stage aren’t lived off stage, then even the most beautiful songs become meaningless,” they added.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 70,369 Palestinians, according to the territory’s health authorities.

Washington, DC – The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the administration of US President Donald Trump’s construction of a sprawling ballroom connected to the east wing of the White House.

The lawsuit filed on Friday targets one of Trump’s signature initiatives: a 90,000-square-foot (27,432-square-metre) addition to the seat of the US executive branch.

Preservationists have previously criticised the transformative project for altering the character of the iconic building and for the Trump administration’s failure to follow the proper review process. However, the lawsuit on Friday is the first formal effort to halt construction.

“The White House is arguably the most evocative building in our country and a globally recognised symbol of our powerful American ideals,” Carol Quillen, the president of the organisation, said in a statement.

“As the organisation charged with protecting places where our history happened, the National Trust was compelled to file this case,” she said.

The filing charges that the Trump administration has violated several laws in beginning construction of the ballroom, including failing to file plans with the National Capital Planning Commission; failing to prepare an environmental assessment; and failing to obtain congressional approval for construction in a federal park.

It further states that the totality of the administration’s actions violates the property clause of the US Constitution, which “reserves to Congress the right to dispose of and make all rules regarding property belonging to the United States”.

The organisation had previously sent a letter to the National Capital Planning Commission, the National Park Service, and the Commission of Fine Arts calling for a pause in construction.

The Trump administration has not immediately responded to Friday’s lawsuit but has maintained that planning and construction of the ballroom have been conducted in compliance with the law.

In October, Trump aide Steven Cheung, in a post on X, accused the organisation of being “run by a bunch of loser Democrats and liberal donors who are playing political games”.

Presidential priority

Trump, a real estate magnate known for a personal taste that tends toward the garish and gilded, has championed the construction of a new ballroom.

The president began demolishing a portion of the White House’s east wing in October. He said the ballroom will seat nearly 1,000 people, up from the 650 seats the administration had previously announced.

The price has ballooned from $200m to $300m, although the administration has maintained that the funding is coming from private donors.

While Trump has sought to transform the powers of the executive office and reshape the wider US government, the construction would be the most lasting physical change in Washington, DC, since he took office.

Critics have said the ballroom would dwarf the White House’s current 55,000-square-foot (16,764-square-metre) footprint and disrupt the balance of the smaller east and west wings.