The Latest: Bulgarian singer Dara wins this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna

Bulgarian singer Dara’s dance anthem “Bangaranga” won the Eurovision Song Contest held on Saturday in Vienna, her country’s first ever win in the competition. Tight security and rainy weather failed to dent the enthusiasm of the contest's fans — or that of the critics who said Israel should not have been invited to the party.

The up-tempo pop banger “Bangaranga,” was a mood elevator on the stage early in the night and earned 516 points while Israel followed in second place with 343.

Missing from this year’s spectacle were five countries — Spain,, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland, high-profile absentees who boycotting in protest of Israel’s inclusion in the contest following the war in Gaza.

But after a week’s buildup, acts from 25 countries took the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle arena to battle for the continent’s pop crown in what was the 70th rendition of the contest.

Here is the latest:

Dara beat 24 other competitors in the grand final.. The song’s infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine was a hit with both viewers and national juries.

The song earned 516 points while Israel followed in second place with 343. Moments after she was named the winner, Dara launched into “Bangaranga” for a second time Saturday night.

Winners are decided by a mix of votes from national juries and the viewing public who vote online, by phone or by text message.

Juries award points to their favorite acts on a scale of 1 to 12. The hosts will go to a spokesperson from each of the 35 countries that competed, who will announce which country will receive the coveted “douze points” — 12 points.

After that, the public vote from each country is added in, and the leader board can change dramatically. It’s a slow process that builds suspense and milks the tension of the competition.

Norway’s Jonas Lovv and his entry “Ya Ya Ya” offered simple, repetitive power chords, silky-smooth vocals and a chant-along chorus that spans nation and language as the crowd cheered along, “Ya Ya Ya.”.

Romania’s entry was a Lady Gaga ’s nu-metal sister, Alexandra Căpitănescu, with her “Choke me.” And for the final entry, Austria's Cosmó with “Tanzschein” was a disco, techno-pop romp — and an ideal way to close the night’s performances.

After all 25 Eurovision finalists performed their songs, the audience is treated to a period of interval entertainment while voting lines remain open a bit longer while votes from across Europe and beyond are tallied.

Finland’s entry electrified, an early favorite in the competition with “Liekinheitin,” or “Flamethrower,” an animated mashup of pop singer Pete Parkkonen’s anguished vocals and violinist Linda Lampenius’ fiery fiddling.

Alicja, the entry for Poland, was betting on voters awarding big points to big vocals with her song “Pray” bringing up images of gospel music. Lion Ceccah, a prominent figure in Lithuania’s drag scene,iwas responsible for one of the more interesting entries with his trilingual “Sólo Quiero Más” (“I Just Want More”), an emotive synth-pop that plays out like a film noir.

Sweden’s Felicia wore a facemask as she rendered her “My System,” which wasn’t for the faint of heart. Cyprus’ Antigoni delivered a joyous “Jalla,” a summery pop song that weaves in traditional Cypriot instrumentation, including çifteli and lute, making it the perfect soundtrack to the beach vacation in your brain.

Italy's classist vocalist Sal Da Vinci sand his heart out to a new love with “Per Sempre Sì,” a fun vintage romp for those who miss the Eurovision of yore.

Croatia’s Lelek channeled something ancient and powerful with their goth-y folk “Andromeda.” Their stacked harmonies were only emboldened by their physical appearance: The women wore marks on their face and body meant to look like the same used to repel the Ottoman Empire.

The U.K.’s Look Mum No Computer with its “Eins, Zwei, Drei” was a thoughtful critique of the mundanity of labor but also catchy, synth-pop and goofy. Their stage design was also one of the most fun: soulless rectangular desks became imaginative platforms, like an alternative universe nightclub in space.

From France, Monroe’s “Regarde!” was strong on classism over all and judging by the cheers in the room – an effective one.

After the halfway mark, with just 10 performances remaining, Moldova’s rapper Satoshi performed the cheekily patriotic “Viva, Moldova!” with his full heart, in several languages, in a chorus so addictive it almost recalls the anthemic work of anthemic Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap.

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 saw her raised into the air above a glittery piano. Id she wins, a European country would likely host for Australia next year.

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

Aidan’s big-feelings “Bella,” Malta’s Eurovision entry, was all about romance: strings, big belts, swooning instrumentation. It was also one of few Eurovision entries from Malta to feature the Maltese language.

The Czech Republic put their hopes in Daniel Žižka’s “Crossroads,” a restrained pop ballad that builds to a triumphant chorus. Bulgaria’s Dara, a veteran pop performer at this stage, delivered an up-tempo pop banger “Bangaranga,” easily one of the most animated tracks of the bunch this year. And on stage, it was a mood elevator.

Even before the show’s halfway mark, there was already fire, smoke, animal prints and lots of sunglasses worn inside. Lavina, a metal band from Serbia, performed in a digital rainfall as well as burst of flames in studded leather, “Mad Max”-looking costumes.

Albania’s Alis used a smoke-filled stage with digital wings and a clock, inviting a woman depicting a mother onto the stage in a traditional folk dress for his driving, gloomy track, “Nân.” Sarah Engels of Germany added pyrotechnics to her “Fire,” naturally, and Delta Goodrem of Australia added a shimmering golden piano, fire and enough wind machines to power a small town.

Greece’s Akylas was playful with his pounding house track “Ferto,” dressed in tiger-striped shorts and a knit hat and using a scooter to glide along the stage, adding human statues. Ukraine needed only beams of light, a blowing curtain effect and Leleka’s powerhouse vocals as she delivered “Ridnym.”

Denmark’s all-Danish-language Eurovision entry was first with Søren Torpegaard’s “Før Vi Går Hjem,” which he delivered with the specific skillset of someone who has starred as Tony in “West Side Story,” Angel in “Kinky Boots” and Romeo in “Romeo & Juliet.”

Sarah Engels followed, representing her home country of Germany with “Fire.” As the second performer of the night, she took the opportunity to bring pyrotechnics to the stage.

Then came Noam Bettan’s “Michelle” — Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision, which has drawn criticisms. Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland withdrew from the competition this year, choosing not to participate to protest Israel’s inclusion.

Most recently, Bettan’s performance was disrupted by protesters during the first semifinal on Tuesday; chants of “Stop the genocide!” were heard in the crowd. At the final, it wasn’t immediately clear if that continued.

Belgium’s Essyla took the stage with “Dancing on the Ice” — a cool ride with its chilly vocal performance and Billie Eilish-informed production, followed by Albania’s Alis.

Protesters called for Israel to be excluded from Eurovision demonstrated near the contest arena ahead of the final. Several hundred marched, with chants of “all of Vienna hates the ESC,” a reference to the Eurovision Song Contest.

They were kept well away from the venue which lies behind a police security cordon.

Demonstrator Echo Vinasha Lex said it was “important to protest against that idea that the song contest is not political. The song contest is a very political event.”

At the start, a filmed opening montage showcased Austria’s majestic scenery as a paper boat made its way to Vienna — a reference to 2025 Eurovision winner JJ’s storm-tossed performance of “Wasted Love.”

The show opened with a performance by last year’s winner, the operatically trained Austrian singer JJ, and an Olympic-style flag parade of the 25 finalists. Then it was on to performances by the musicians, who have just 3 minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner.

The hosts for the extravaganza on Saturday are Michael Ostrowski, an Austrian actor best known for German-language comedy films, and Victoria Swarovski, a model, singer, TV presenter and heir to the Swarovski crystal and luxury goods business.

The head of the Eurovision Song Contest has urged viewers to put politics aside and enjoy the “brilliant, wonderful, heartfelt show” that is the competition’s grand final.

As the contest turns 70 with calls for Israel to be kicked out over the conduct of its war in Gaza and a five-country boycott, Eurovision director Martin Green said the contest is a chance for a few hours to “close the curtains to the outside world and dream that something else is possible.”

He told a news conference that for 70 years Eurovision has given “voice to the voiceless” and celebrated marginalized communities.

“Here’s to the next 70 years,” he said.

Dara from Bulgaria performs the song "Bangaranga" and celebrate onstage after winning the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Lavina from Serbia performs the song "Kraj Mene" during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Performers on stage as voting results are collected during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Lelek from Croatia performs the song "Andromeda" during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Demonstrators protest against Israel ahead of the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Satoshi from Moldova performs the song "Viva, Moldova!" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Delta Goodrem from Australia performs the song "Eclipse" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland perform the song "Liekinheitin" during the first semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Demonstrators protest against Israel ahead of the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran is taking “too long to negotiate a deal” and that “now they will have to pay the price.”

Trump made the comment on his Truth Social platform.

It wasn’t clear what exactly that would mean for Tehran. It came after the countries exchanged fire earlier Wednesday.

Trump wrote: “They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!”

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States launched airstrikes early Wednesday against Iran after blaming Tehran for the crash of an American attack helicopter, and Iran fired back at countries in the region — another escalation that threatened to derail efforts to end the war.

Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan — all of which host U.S. troops — came under Iranian fire. It was the second time this week that back-and-forth strikes have tested the ceasefire after Iran and Israel targeted each other on Monday, and it again raised the question of how much pressure the deal can take before it cracks.

While U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that negotiations with Iran to end the war are making progress, he has repeatedly vacillated between expressing such optimism and warning that he was ready to return to all-out war. Iran, meanwhile, has proved resilient despite having faced weeks of heavy bombing, betting that its ability to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial passageway for the world’s oil and natural gas — gives it a strong bargaining chip.

Both countries seem to be looking for a way to end the conflict — if they can manage to sell it as a win at home. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing much more difficult goals: the collapse of Iran’s theocratic government, the elimination of its nuclear program, and the destruction of the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. That will make compromise much harder.

Since the U.S. and Israel started the war with attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, the conflict has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices around the world, and made many basics, including food, more expensive. Brent crude oil, the international standard, was at more than $91 a barrel on Wednesday, up more than 25% since the start of the war.

In the latest strikes, U.S. fighter jets targeted “air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites,” the military’s Central Command said. Iran acknowledged strikes around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, but gave no details on the damage.

“The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters,” Central Command said.

Iran’s top diplomat vowed that there would be a response, and Tehran later claimed attacks in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

Jordan said it shot down five incoming missiles, which Iran said targeted the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The base has hosted American F-35 fighter jets and other aircraft.

Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency carried a military statement saying there were no injuries and that explosives experts examined the debris from the interceptions.

Bahrain and Kuwait said they intercepted incoming fire, without elaborating.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the American attacks as a violation of Iranian sovereignty in calls with his counterparts from Turkey and Saudi Arabia “and emphasized the inherent right of self-defense, including reciprocal action,” according to a post on his office's Telegram channel.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in televised comments Wednesday that in light of the new attacks, Iran would review its stance on negotiations to end the war.

The exchanges of fire came a day after a U.S. Army attack helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with an Iranian drone, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. It wasn’t clear whether the collision was intentional.

A drone boat rescued both of the helicopter’s aviators, and Trump said they were uninjured.

Guards aboard a cargo ship off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden exchanged fire with gunmen in a small boat and repelled their attack, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have said they will resume their attacks against Israel-affiliated ships in the Red Sea. Somali pirates have also become more active in the region.

The UKMTO later reported a fire in the engine room of a tanker in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, saying one person had been hurt and two others aboard were missing. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fire.

Before he accused Iran of downing the U.S. helicopter, Trump expressed renewed optimism over negotiations with Iran, but didn’t say why there was reason for hope.

While Trump, wary of high gas prices and upcoming congressional elections in November, seems to be looking for a quick win, he is also making demands that will be tough for Iran to swallow.

The U.S. wants to see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. While Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, that uranium is a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels.

Iran is refusing to give up the uranium and demanding relief from sanctions. It also wants the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in place, something rejected by Trump.

It's not clear how those differences can be bridged — and Trump has repeatedly threatened to walk away from the talks. On his Truth Social platform overnight he seemed to be warning again that he was ready to return to all-out war, posting a clip from the American TV series “The West Wing” with actor Martin Sheen as president bellowing: “We don’t come back with a proportional response, we come back with total disaster!”

Meanwhile, Iran has continued to insist that any deal to end the war must also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. Instead, Israel has intensified its military campaign against the militant group.

Israel's military said on Wednesday it launched multiple strikes in southern Lebanon over the past day, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

An airstrike on a village east of Tyre killed at least six people, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported.

Associated Press writers David Rising in Bangkok; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Michelle L. Price in New York; and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.

People take shelter as air raid sirens warn of incoming Iranian missiles in Ramat Gan, Israel, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A projectile streaks through the sky over central Israel during an Iranian missile attack, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A cleric checks his cell phone on stage in front of a screen displaying portraits of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, during a pro-government gathering in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A woman walks past a mural depicting a U.S. aircraft carrier under missile attack in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)