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NKARA, Turkey (AP) – Old foes Turkey and Greece will test a five-month-old friendship initiative Monday when Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visits Ankara. The two NATO members, which share decades of mutual animosity, a tense border and disputed waters, agreed to sideline disputes last December. Instead, they´re focusing on trade and energy, repairing cultural ties and a long list of other items placed on the so-called positive agenda. Here’s a look at what the two sides hope to achieve and the disputes that have plagued ties in the past: Mitsotakis is to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan...

VIDEOHere are a couple of Eurovision LOSERS, in every sense of the word, from Ireland and the UK. Somehow Eurovision has devolved into a Flaunt Fest Freak Show in which talent has split the scene. The funniest thing is contestants such as these idiots that have been supporting Hamas during the Eurovision contest would be IMMEDIATELY tossed off the rooftops if they ever ventured to places such as Gaza or Iran.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by Swedish police in Malmö on Saturday for attending a pro-Palestinian protest outside the Eurovision venue. Thunberg, who was wearing a keffiyeh, was escorted away from the event by the cops, according to footage from the incident. Police said in a statement that they had “handled a number of unauthorized public gatherings” and taken several people into custody, but it was not immediately clear if Thunberg was among them or faced any charges. “I’m here to show we think it is outrageous and inexcusable for Eurovision to let Israel participate while committing a genocide,”...

A pentacle surrounded by a circle of fire and two figures with an ostentatiously satanic look. This is the performance at Eurovision 2024, currently being held in Sweden, by the Irish singer 'Bambie Thug', born Bambie Ray Robinson in 1993, competing with the song Doomsday Blue. And we could stop here, since the images speak for themselves. Broadcast on unified European networks, the Eurovision Song Contest is the continent's most popular music competition, now in its 68th edition and with the participation of 37 countries. In short, a sort of European Top of the Pops; and Ireland’s diabolic spectacle will...

The climate activist has been hauled away as demonstrators clashed with armed riot police outside the final venue and yelled 'Shame on you' at fans before show kicked off. A video shows the 21-year-old being dragged away by uniformed officers in high-vis vest as photographers flock around her. Swedish news sight Visegrad 24 stated on social media that Thunberg is a 'repeat offender' and has been detained.

Switzerland's Nemo has claimed the 2024 Eurovision trophy, becoming the first nonbinary winner in the contest's history. They explained ahead of the final that their song “The Code” is about discovering their identity. Nemo dominated the international jury vote for a total of 591 points ahead of second-placed Croatia.

Eden Golan's 'ring of steel' security motorcade ahead of Eurovision final in Malmo. The Israeli singer has been subject to threats and backlash from pro-Palestinian groups and fellow contestants who have appeared to 'bully' her.

The Eurovision Song Contest has seen a chaotic build-up towards Saturday's grand final. The Dutch entry has been disqualified, another has withdrawn from rehearsals and a third has broken rules with an on-stage speech, calling for peace. And two former contestants have pulled out of announcing the jury scores for their countries. The drama is unfolding minute by minute against a backdrop of protests over Israel's participation in the show. Thousands of pro-Palestinian marchers have gathered in Malmö, Sweden, where the contest is being held on Saturday. Some chanted "Eurovision, united by genocide," reflecting the strength of feeling over the...

VIDEOWatch the incredible level of extremely childish pettiness displayed by Greek Eurovision contestant Marina Satti while Israeli contestant Eden Golan was being interviewed. However, don't blame Greece entirely for Satti's behavior. Although her mother is Greek, her father was a Sudanese Arab. It will be interesting to see if Satti will apologize SINCERELY for her horrible behavior or will she continue to act like a pathetic child.

Israeli Eurovision singer Eden Golan today was ordered to stay in her hotel room by her country's national security agency as thousands of pro-Palestine protesters demonstrated in Malmo, calling for her to be excluded from the competition. Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg joined the thousands of protesters in the southern Swedish city demonstrating against Israel competing in the famous song contest. The climate activist, 21, was at the Stop Israel demonstration in the centre of the city on Thursday ahead of the young Israeli-Russian singer's performance at the second semi-final of the competition later this evening.

Israel's public broadcaster has requested changes to the lyrics of a song submitted for this year's Eurovision contest. Organisers barred it last week for breaking rules on political neutrality. Israeli broadcaster Kan had pledged not to alter the lyrics of October Rain - an apparent reference to the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October. But Israel's President Isaac Herzog called for "necessary adjustments" to ensure Israel can enter the show. Israel has won the Eurovision Song Contest four times before. This year's event will be held in Sweden - who won last year's content - in May. Kan is...

Russia has placed a Ukrainian singer who won the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest on its wanted list, state news agencies reported Monday. The reports said an Interior Ministry database listed singer Susana Jamaladinova as being sought for violating a criminal law. The independent news site Mediazona, which covers opposition and human rights issues, said Jamaladinova was charged under a law adopted last year that bans spreading so-called fake information about the Russian military and the ongoing fighting in Ukraine. Jamaladinova, who performs under the stage name Jamala, is of Crimean Tatar descent. Jamala, who performed at the Kennedy Center Honors...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly been denied the opportunity to address audiences at the highly touted Eurovision Contest Finale this weekend. Organizers have rejected a request from Zelensky's office to make a video address to the audiences as it would breach the "non-political" nature of the event. The decision was taken by the European Broadcasting Union, a grouping of national public broadcasters that runs the Eurovision. Later, a spokesperson from the Ukrainian president's office claimed that Kyiv made no such request.

It would not be appropriate for the Ukrainian President to make an address on the Eurovision Song Contest final because the programme is apolitical, organisers have said. President Volodymyr Zelenskly wanted to address the hundreds of millions of people worldwide expected to watch the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, but has been blocked from doing so by the European Broadcast Union (EBU). The appearance may have been intended to be like Zelensky’s video appearance at the 2022 Grammy Awards and the 2023 Berlin Film Festival and U.S. Golden Globes ceremony, where he asked for support and asked...

When TVORCHI takes the stage in host city Liverpool, it will be a moment to savour for the country's LGBT troops. "I didn't know if I would make it," says Antonina Romanova, a soldier who has been fighting on Ukraine's front line. Antonina, who identifies as non-binary and who, with her partner of nine years Oleksandr, took the decision to leave their lives as theatre directors in Kyiv and fight the Russian army... Their work has ranged from digging trenches and ducking gunfire, to feeding 150 soldiers in the frontline military canteen - the toughest gig of all, they only...

In less than 24 hours, Eurovision is singing a different tune. Organizers said on Friday that Russia will not be allowed to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, according to a statement. The decision comes less a day after the European Broadcasting Union initially decided it would allow a performer to represent the country, which this week invaded Ukraine, in the competition. “The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced that no Russian act will participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest,” the statement said. “The decision reflects concern that, in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of...

Italy has won the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with their song Zittie e Buoni. Måneskin singer Damiano David shouted "Rock and roll never dies" as the four-piece group collected their glass microphone trophy. It was another disappointing night for the UK, with James Newman's Embers scoring nil points. It is the fifth time the UK has come last, and the second time it has received nil points.

Among the many victims of Covid-19 is this year's Eurovision Song Contest. When its cancelation was first announced, Mark harked back to its Boom-Bang-a-Bang Ding-Ding-a-Dong heyday and talked to Dana about a lovely exception to that rule. Last night, the BBC, in lieu of the actual competition, invited viewers to vote for the all-time greatest Euro-blockbuster. The winners, not surprisingly, were the most successful act ever to come out of Eurovision. It was all more harmonious in the old days. One recalls the 1990 Eurovision finals in Zagreb, when the charming hostess, Helga Vlahović, presented her own fair country as...

Little Big will represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam with the song Uno.

Hungary has pulled out of the Eurovision Song Contest amid speculation that the annual competition is too queer for the country’s pro-family government. Hungary has not given an official reason for the withdrawal. However, a source at Hungary’s broadcaster, MTVA, reportedly said staff believed the move was about Eurovision’s association with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transvestite (LGBT) decadence and degeneracy. “I was not surprised. It comes from the institutionalised culture of MTVA,” the anonymous source told a British newspaper in a report published Wednesday. The source said no explanation had been provided internally, but that positive coverage of queers issues...