Eurovision 2024: Israel’s Eden Golan makes it through to grand final with Hurricane after protests

Published

2 weeks ago

May 10, 2024

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Israel has made it into the Eurovision grand final, despite calls for the country’s entry to be banned from the contest.

Israel’s success in reaching the final stage of the show – which will take place on Saturday – comes against a backdrop of large protests across Malmo, Sweden, which is this year’s host city.

Israel‘s song Hurricane – sung by 20-year-old Eden Golan – had to be reworked after an initial version titled October Rain was ruled too political by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) which believed some lyrics referred to the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel.

Some believe that some lyrics in the current song – including “Dancin’ in the storm… I’m still broken from this hurricane,” still refer to attacks seven months ago which killed more than 1,000 people and resulted in hundreds of hostages being taken.

During an earlier rehearsal on Tuesday, Golan was met with boos and cries of “Free Palestine,” and an audience member appeared to have a Palestinian flag removed from them in the auditorium.

The EBU has said only flags that represent countries taking part, and the rainbow flag, can be brought to the event.

They have said other “flags, symbols, clothing, items and banners being used for the likely purpose of instrumentalising the TV shows” will be removed.

Golan performed her song Hurricane dressed in white and flanked by five backing dancers. The performance centred around a large wheel-like prop in the centre of the stage.

She has said she hopes to unite people through music.

Condemnation of ‘harassment’ and ‘abuse’

In the run-up to the competition – which is the world’s largest live music contest – there have been demonstrations and calls for Israel to be banned over their ongoing ground offensive in Gaza.

However, the EBU – which says it is an apolitical organisation – has ruled that Israel can take part, saying it has not broken any broadcasting rules.

The EBU has also condemned the “harassment” and “abuse” of any acts taking part in the show.

This week, the EBU was forced to apologise after former Swedish contestant Eric Saade, who is reportedly of Palestinian origin, wore a keffiyeh around his wrist while he sang in an earlier rehearsal.

On Tuesday, ten acts were chosen for the final in the first semi-final: Ireland’s Bambie Thug, Ukrainian duo Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil, Finland’s Windows95Man, Serbia’s Teya Dora, Cyprus’s Silia Kapsis, Lithuania’s Silvester Belt, Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, Slovenia’s Raiven, Portugal’s Iolanda and Luxembourg’s Tali.

The other nine acts who made it through from Thursday’s semi-final were Greece’s Marina Satti, Switzerland’s Nemo, Austria’s Kaleen, Armenia’s Ladaniva, Latvia’s Dons, Georgia’s Nutsa Buzaladze, Estonia’s 5Miinust and Puuluup, Norway’s Gate and The Netherlands’s Joost Klein.

The “Big Five” (the UK, Germany, Spain, France and Italy, who are the largest contributors to the competition) all gain an automatic place in the competition along with host nation Sweden.

In March, nine contestants – including the UK’s Olly Alexander, Ireland’s Bambie Thug and Switzerland’s Nemo – called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the “safe return” of Israeli hostages in a joint statement.

However, they said they would not be boycotting the event in a bid to “uphold this space” and “inspire greater compassion and empathy”.

As it stands, no act has withdrawn from this year’s contest over the war.

More than 34,000 people have been killed, and over 77,000 have been injured in Gaza since the conflict began, according to Gaza’s Hamas-led health ministry.

Israel’s entry Golan, who has been performing since she was nine years old, left Israel when she was six to live in Russia with her family, but returned when she was 18.

Her song, which was co-written by one of the writers and producers of Israel’s 2018 winning number Toy – tells the story of a young woman experiencing a personal crisis.

It’s among the favourites with bookmakers to win the competition.

Last year Israel, who have been performing in the contest since 1973, came third with the song Unicorn performed by Noa Kirel. They have won Eurovision four times.

The Grand Final is on Saturday night. Sky News will be in Malmo with updates, a live blog, and all the biggest news from the contest as it happens.

Entertainment

Sienna Miller walks the Cannes red carpet with daughter Marlowe

Published

32 mins ago

May 20, 2024

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Sienna Miller walks the Cannes red carpet with daughter Marlowe

Sienna Miller has walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival with her daughter Marlowe Ottoline Layng Sturridge.

The 42-year-old actress, who was born in the US but brought up in the UK, has been promoting her new film Horizon: An American Saga, directed by Kevin Costner.

Miller – who will appear in this film and its next instalment – plays East Coast settler Frances Kittredge, who moves to the Horizon settlement with her husband and two children.

Miller wore a pale blue floor-length gown, while 12-year-old Marlowe wore a white dress with a large pale pink bow around the waist for her red carpet debut.

Miller gave birth to Marlowe, whose father is The Sandman star Tom Sturridge, 38, in 2012.

She had a second daughter earlier this year with The Crown actor Oli Green, who also attended the premiere.

Miller and Green, 27, met at a Halloween party thrown by a mutual friend and have since moved to London together.

Costner – who not only directs the film but also co-wrote and stars in it too – had plenty of family support on the red carpet.

The 69-year-old Hollywood star brought five of his seven children – Annie, 40, Cayden, 17, Grace, 13, Lily, 37, and Hayes, 15. The latter makes his screen acting debut in the movie.

Horizon: An American Saga spans four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, and is described by the studio behind it, Warner Bros, as an “ambitious cinematic adventure” telling the story of the United States of America “through the lens of families, friends and foes”.

Brace yourself for a three-hour epic – and more to come

The two-part western – of which this is the first chapter – received a 10-minute standing ovation when it premiered on Sunday.

Costner also says he has scripts ready for two further instalments in the story, which would extend the epic to four parts if commissioned.

The Yellowstone star, who first pitched a version of the movie back in 1988, has plenty at stake in the project, and personally financed around $100m for the film and its sequel.

He will be hoping to emulate the success of his 1990 directorial debut Dances With Wolves, which he also starred in and produced. The movie was a box office hit, winning multiple Oscars including best picture and best director.

Horizon: An American Saga runs for over three hours and will come to UK cinemas at the end of June.

It also features Avatar star Sam Worthington, Donnie Darko actress Jena Malone and Owen Wilson’s brother Luke Wilson.

Entertainment

GB News show with Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules, Ofcom finds

Published

4 hours ago

May 20, 2024

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GB News show with Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules, Ofcom finds

GB News could face punishment after a programme with Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules.

Regulator Ofcom said it was considering a “statutory sanction” after finding ‘People’s Forum: The Prime Minister’ breached impartiality guidelines.

GB News called it “an alarming development” that “strikes at the heart of democracy”.

The hour-long show, which aired on 12 February, saw members of the public put questions to the prime minister. However, it received 547 complaints.

Ofcom said in March that five other GB News programmes featuring politicians acting as presenters – including two hosted by Jacob Rees-Mogg – also broke impartiality rules.

The watchdog said the show featuring Mr Sunak was fine in principle, but “due weight” should have been given to an “appropriately wide range of significant views” other than the Tories’.

These should have happened during the programme itself or “in other clearly linked and timely programmes”.

It said Mr Sunak “had a mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his Government in a period preceding a UK General Election”.

“We have therefore recorded a breach of rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code against GB News,” it added.

The channel was quick to hit back at the ruling and denied breaking the impartiality rules.

“The regulator’s threat to punish a news organisation with sanctions for enabling people to challenge their own prime minister strikes at the heart of democracy at a time when it could not be more vital,” it said.

“Our live programme gave an independently selected group of undecided voters the freedom to challenge the Prime Minister without interference,” added the channel.

It said neither producers nor the prime minister had seen the questions beforehand and Mr Sunak was kept “under constant pressure and covered a clearly diverse range of topics”.

Entertainment

P Diddy: Rapper Sean Combs says video of him assaulting singer Cassie is ‘inexcusable’

Published

22 hours ago

May 19, 2024

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P Diddy: Rapper Sean Combs says video of him assaulting singer Cassie is 'inexcusable'

Sean “Diddy” Combs has said CCTV footage showing him attacking singer Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016 is “inexcusable” and that he is “disgusted”.

Warning: This story includes images readers may find distressing

“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” the rapper said in a video on Instagram.

“I was f***** up – I mean I hit rock bottom – but l make no excuses. My behaviour on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.

“I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”

The 54-year-old, whose homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigations agents in March, has faced a series of public allegations of physical and sexual violence.

Footage obtained by CNN this week shows Combs – also known as P Diddy and Puff Daddy – wearing only a white towel as he punches and kicks Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway on 5 March 2016.

The footage also shows Combs shoving and dragging Cassie and throwing a vase in her direction.

Cassie, an R&B singer whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, was his protege and girlfriend at the time.

The 37-year-old sued Combs in November with the lawsuit accusing him of rape and violent behaviour during their decade-long relationship.

The suit was settled the next day, but it lead to intense scrutiny of Combs, who has since been named as a defendant in several sexual abuse lawsuits, along with a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation that led authorities to the raid in March.

He denied the allegations in the lawsuits, but neither he nor his representatives had responded to the newly emerged video until Sunday.

After the footage emerged, Douglas H Wigdor, lawyer for Ms Ventura, said in a statement in response: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behaviour of Mr Combs.

“Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”

Combs’ Instagram apology is the hip-hop mogul’s most direct response after six months of allegations that have threatened his reputation and career.

Previous statements have been released through his lawyers.

The security camera video, dated 5 March 2016, closely resembles the description of an incident at an InterContinental Hotel in the Century City area of Los Angeles described in Ms Ventura’s November lawsuit.

The suit alleges that Combs paid the hotel $50,000 (around £39,000) for the security video immediately after the incident.

Neither he or his representatives have addressed that specific allegation.

CNN did not say how it obtained the footage.

Combs is not in danger of being criminally prosecuted for the beating.

The statutes of limitations for the assault and battery charges he would be likely to face expired years ago.