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Metro
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Eurovision bosses can't tame the 'political beast' of the competition
'The special thing about Eurovision is that it's the one night of the year where people, in theory, put aside their differences and share that stage.' That's what Paul Jordan, also known as 'Doctor Eurovision', tells Metro when asked about Eurovision's non-political nature. Jordan is a lifelong fan and expert on the contest, having worked behind the scenes and served on international juries. 'But it's unrealistic to expect it to be seen as a non-political event. It's important they try to keep it that way, but ultimately, politics comes into it,' he adds. This year is no different, with Israel's inclusion in the competition proving to be highly controversial for the second year in a row, in light of the country's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. 72 former contestants have signed an open letter calling for Israel to be banned, while the opening ceremony, held in host city Basel, was marred by pro-Palestine protests in which a throat-slitting gesture was made towards the Israeli Eurovision act, Yuval Raphael. The 24-year-old is a survivor of the October 7 Hamas attacks, and it was later announced that she would not be giving interviews to the media due to security concerns. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Despite the Eurovision Song Contest's official stance as a non-political event, the contest has long been steeped in geopolitical drama. From Jordan (the country) refusing to announce Israel as the winner in 1978 to host country Ukraine banning the Russian contestant in 2017, Eurovision is no stranger to controversies. This year, host country Switzerland is banning artists from taking Pride flags on stage, which have been a staple at the contest in previous years, instead allowing only national flags in official areas. Meanwhile, Palestinian flags will this year be permitted in the audience, after a rule banning flags of non-competing countries was overturned. The change marks the latest point of tension in Eurovision's ongoing challenge to reconcile cultural celebration with political reality, and begs the question: can Eurovision ever truly be non-political? Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, is not naive to the challenge. 'Everything takes place in the context of a wider world, and we're not immune to that,' he exclusively tells Metro. This is the first year Eurovision introduced a Code of Conduct, reaffirming the 'proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music', adding that the event must remain free from political influence. While on event premises, promoting, carrying, or wearing any political material is prohibited, and no lyrics of a political nature are allowed. Additionally, all participating broadcasters are responsible for ensuring the Eurovision Song Contest isn't politicised. Performances are also forbidden from including messages, speeches, gestures, symbols or slogans of a political nature. The key challenge for Eurovision, Paul Jordan says, is staying consistent. 'A song about world peace, technically, could be seen as political. So what is political and what isn't is a very blurred area. Eurovision hasn't helped itself by allowing some political songs and saying no to others.' In 2009, Georgia was forced to withdraw from the contest for refusing to change the lyrics to their entry 'We Don't Wanna Put In', which took aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin a year after the Russo-Georgian war. In contrast, Ukraine's winning song in 2016 about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars was allowed, and its triumph angered Russian politicians. Jordan believes that 'if Eurovision hadn't been held in Moscow in 2009, Georgia's song probably would have been allowed. So a lot of it depends on context and timing'. He adds of the Ukrainian tune: 'It was ambiguous enough that you couldn't say for sure whether they were talking about Russia or the Soviets.' Green says the first port of call after a rule break is to try and resolve it simply through a conversation with the participants. 'But like any big competition in the world, we do have a set of rules that we can refer to, if we have to,' he says. The Code of Conduct states that serious rule breaks can lead to 'immediate removal' from the event and, depending on the severity of the misconduct, 'legal action may also be pursued', including slapping a fine for the country's broadcaster. But despite the risk of punishment, many performers have defied the Eurovision rules over the years, the access to a mass audience presenting a unique opportunity some feel they must seize. Icelandic act Hatari caused a stir in 2019 when they held up banners in support of Palestine during the results. 'It was always our main reason for entering – to make awareness of the occupation of Palestinian territories and the pinkwashing that was taking place,' they said. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) later fined Iceland's broadcasters €5,000 (roughly £4,200). Elsewhere, Armenian singer Iveta Mukuchyan landed her country in hot water during a semi-final in 2016, when she waved the flag of Nagorno-Karabakh, a region at the centre of a decades-long dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia was sanctioned by the EBU and warned they could be kicked out of the contest if they did it again. Singer Iveta said at the time: 'I am representing my country in my heart, my thoughts my feelings and all my emotions. My thoughts are with my motherland and what I want to spread is peace on borders. I wrote this song because this was going on inside of me'. It's not just the performers who have been known to bring politics to Eurovision. Last year Israel was drowned out by boos and chants of 'Free Palestine' in footage posted to social media by attendees. These protests went unnoticed by viewers at home, however, with some claiming anti-booing technology was used to muffle the dissent. The technology was first employed in 2015, one year after Russia's act was repeatedly booed while performing, with then-Eurovision communications coordinator Jarmo Siim telling The Moscow Times: 'It was very embarrassing for us last year when this happened, as it is not in the spirit of the contest'. But it's yet another area where Eurovision is caught between a rock and a hard place. Paul Jordan tells Metro: 'By using this technology, that's almost making a political choice. But then, Eurovision has a duty of care to the artists to give them all an equal opportunity. 'So, they're suppressing freedom of expression, but, at the same time, it's really unfair on the artist to be horribly booed. It's a really complex, double-edged thing.' While freedom of expression is respected as 'a fundamental right' in the Eurovision code of conduct, participants can only express themselves freely in a personal capacity and must avoid linking political views to their Eurovision participation. 'Eurovision tries to create something which is unique, which is apolitical, and yet to do that, it has to suppress freedom of expression, which is one of the core values,' says Jordan. For him, this is a lose-lose situation. 'It has to, at some point, just acknowledge that there are going to be elements of politics coming in.' More Trending But the hijacking of a politically neutral event isn't exclusive to Eurovision. The 2022 FIFA World Cup, held in Qatar, was criticised because of the country's alleged violations of human rights. The same year, several countries, including the UK, declared a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing due to alleged atrocities against the Uyghur Muslim population in the northwest province of Xinjiang. Similar concerns have already been voiced after it was announced that Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup in 2034. Eurovision clearly isn't alone in its challenge, and perhaps political neutrality is impossible on an international stage. View More » As Paul Jordan says, 'These international events are, by their very existence, political beasts, even though they're not meant to be.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Fans shocked to discover boxing star's dad is 60s Eurovision icon MORE: Fans shocked to discover boxing star's dad is 60s Eurovision icon MORE: 90s pop legend's showstopping Eurovision 2025 return 'still up in the air'
Metro
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Eurovision is a 'political beast' – even the show's bosses can't tame it
'The special thing about Eurovision is that it's the one night of the year where people, in theory, put aside their differences and share that stage.' That's what Paul Jordan, also known as 'Doctor Eurovision', tells Metro when asked about Eurovision's non-political nature. Jordan is a lifelong fan and expert, having worked behind the scenes and served on international juries. 'But it's unrealistic to expect it to be seen as a non-political event. It's important they try to keep it that way, but ultimately, politics comes into it,' he adds. Despite the Eurovision Song Contest's official stance as a non-political event, the contest has long been steeped in geopolitical drama. From Jordan (the country) refusing to announce Israel as the winner in 1978 to host country Ukraine banning the Russian contestant in 2017, Eurovision is no stranger to controversies. Last year was no different, with Israel forced to change their entry, originally titled 'October Rain', over links to the October 7 Hamas attacks. Still, many remained unhappy with the country's inclusion in the contest. Pro-Palestine protesters clashed with riot police outside the Eurovision venue in Malmö, Sweden, as the contest took place. This year, host country Switzerland is banning artists from taking Pride flags on stage, only allowing national flags in official areas. Pride flags have been a staple at the contest in previous years, and this change marks the latest point of tension in Eurovision's ongoing challenge to reconcile cultural celebration with political reality. This begs the question: can Eurovision ever truly be non-political? Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, is not naive to the challenge. 'Everything takes place in the context of a wider world, and we're not immune to that,' he exclusively tells Metro. This is the first year Eurovision introduced a Code of Conduct, reaffirming the 'proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music', adding that the event must remain free from political influence. While on event premises, promoting, carrying, or wearing any political material is prohibited, and no lyrics of a political nature are allowed. Additionally, all participating broadcasters are responsible for ensuring the Eurovision Song Contest isn't politicised. Performances are also forbidden from including messages, speeches, gestures, symbols or slogans of a political nature. The key challenge for Eurovision, Paul Jordan says, is staying consistent. 'A song about world peace, technically, could be seen as political. So what is political and what isn't is a very blurred area. But Eurovision hasn't helped itself by allowing some political songs and saying no to others.' Looking back at 2009, Georgia was forced to withdraw from the contest for refusing to change the lyrics to their entry 'We Don't Wanna Put In', which took aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin a year after the Russo-Georgian war. In contrast, Ukraine's winning song in 2016 about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars was allowed, and its triumph angered Russian politicians. Jordan believes that 'if Eurovision hadn't been held in Moscow in 2009, Georgia's song probably would have been allowed. So a lot of it depends on context and timing'. He adds of the Ukrainian tune: 'It was ambiguous enough that you couldn't say for sure whether they were talking about Russia or the Soviets.' Green says the first port of call after a rule break is to try and resolve it simply through a conversation with the participants. 'But like any big competition in the world, we do have a set of rules that we can refer to, if we have to,' he says. The Code of Conduct states that serious rule breaks can lead to 'immediate removal' from the event and, depending on the severity of the misconduct, 'legal action may also be pursued', including slapping a fine for the country's broadcaster. Despite the risk of punishment, many performers have defied the Eurovision rules over the years, the access to a mass audience presenting a unique opportunity some feel they must seize. 'It was always our main reason for entering – to make awareness of the occupation of Palestinian territories and the pinkwashing that was taking place,' said Icelandic act Hatari. The group caused a stir in 2019 when they held up banners in support of Palestine during the results. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) later fined Iceland's broadcasters €5,000 (roughly £4,200). Elsewhere, Armenian singer Iveta Mukuchyan landed her country in hot water during a semi-final in 2016, when she waved the flag of Nagorno-Karabakh, a region at the centre of a decades-long dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia was sanctioned by the EBU and warned they could be kicked out of the contest if they did it again. Singer Iveta said at the time: 'I am representing my country in my heart, my thoughts my feelings and all my emotions. My thoughts are with my motherland and what I want to spread is peace on borders. I wrote this song because this was going on inside of me'. It's not just the performers who have been known to bring politics to Eurovision. Last year Israel was drowned out by boos and chants of 'Free Palestine', shown in footage posted to social media by attendees. These protests went unnoticed by viewers at home, however, with some claiming anti-booing technology was used. The technology was first employed in 2015, one year after Russia's act was repeatedly booed while performing, with then-Eurovision communications coordinator Jarmo Siim telling The Moscow Times: 'It was very embarrassing for us last year when this happened, as it is not in the spirit of the contest'. But it's yet another area where Eurovision is caught between a rock and a hard place. Paul Jordan tells Metro: 'By using this technology, that's almost making a political choice. But then, Eurovision has a duty of care to the artists to give them all an equal opportunity. 'So, they're suppressing freedom of expression, but, at the same time, it's really unfair on the artist to be horribly booed. It's a really complex, double-edged thing.' While freedom of expression is respected as 'a fundamental right', according to the Eurovision code of conduct, participants can only express themselves freely in a personal capacity, but must avoid linking political views to their Eurovision participation. More Trending 'Eurovision tries to create something which is unique, which is apolitical, and yet to do that, it has to suppress freedom of expression, which is one of the core values,' says Jordan. For him, this is a lose-lose situation. 'It has to, at some point, just acknowledge that there are going to be elements of politics coming in.' But the hijacking of a politically neutral event isn't exclusive to Eurovision. The 2022 FIFA World Cup, held in Qatar, was criticised because of the country's alleged violations of human rights. The same year, several countries, including the UK, declared a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing due to alleged atrocities against the Uyghur Muslim population in the northwest province of Xinjiang. Similar concerns have already been voiced after it was announced that Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup in 2034. Eurovision clearly isn't alone in its challenge, and perhaps political neutrality is impossible on an international stage. View More » As Paul Jordan says, 'These international events are, by their very existence, political beasts, even though they're not meant to be.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: One of Eurovision's most legendary stars 'still in talks for comeback' with days to go MORE: Who is Israel's 2025 Eurovision act Yuval Raphael? Singer who survived October 7 attack MORE: When is Eurovision 2025? Final date, UK entry, latest odds and more
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Ex-Cyclone Alfred live: Eerie scenes in Woolworths as stores reopen, Brisbane nears rain record as emergency warnings issued
Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live coverage this Monday as Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues to bring massive rainfall for parts of southeast Queensland. There are a host of emergency flood warnings now in place with the Bureau of Meteorology saying all rivers in the region have experienced "significant" rises. Woolworths and Coles are slowly reopening stores after shutting down amid the weather system. Eerie vision from shoppers at stores shows stores with barely any stock on the shelves as the supermarkets work tirelessly to get essentials to impacted communities. Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day. We bring you some sad pictures now of injured wildlife as a result of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Wildlife authorities had stressed the dangers the weather system posed to native wildlife crews have been busy treating those found injured. Environmental charity Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital reopened its doors on Sunday to a flood of patients impacted by the destructive weather event. Working with local wildlife rescue groups, during the first few hours of re-opening native animal patients included an injured koala, an eastern grey kangaroo, a Flying fox, Sea Turtle hatchlings and a Swamp hen. The RACQ shared striking images of Brisbane's Kedron Brook yesterday, showing just how much water levels had risen in a day. Those in southeast Queensland and northern NSW are being told to stay well clear of rivers and creeks over fears of flash flooding as the rain continues to fall. Energy networks are stressing they're doing whatever they can to restore power to homes and businesses after more than 230,000 remain without power. Over the weekend, that figure peaked at 300,000 and led to residents being warned that they could face at least a week without power. Energex chief operations officer Paul Jordan told Sunrise they were "giving it everything we possibly can" to restore power. Drivers are continuing to ignore pleas from authorities not to drive into floodwaters and the ABC spotted a driver forced to leave his vehicle outside Officeworks in the Brisbane suburb of Windsor early this morning after becoming stuck in the floodwaters. The city has received near 300mm in the past 24 hours and Premier David Crisafulli is urging residents to "know the risk" these challenging conditions pose. He also urged people to plan their route to higher ground if they needed to evacuate. Coles and Woolworths have begun to open stores where it's safe to do so however shoppers are being met with empty shelves. Residents have shared their experiences returning to supermarkets, with one Gold Coast shopper showing empty shelves at her local Woolworths. With fears the ongoing rain could again cause further disruptions, shoppers are quickly snapping up essential items like milk and water, leaving many empty-handed. The supermarkets had warned it would be operating with limited staff amid Alfred, with Coles and Woolworths stressing the safety of staff was a priority. Read more about the empty shelves here. Let's start with the huge amount of rain that has fallen in the past 24 hours. Brisbane CBD's total since 9am yesterday, just shy of a 24-hour period, stands at a staggering 275mm. To put that into perspective, the city averages about 140mm over the entire month of March. The city is edging very close to breaking its daily rainfall record for March. The highest total for the Brisbane area has been 349mm at Green Hill Reservoir, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Outside of Brisbane, Wongawallan, on the northwest side of the Gold Coast, has reached 400mm in the past 24 hours. Nambour, inland from the Sunshine Coast, has received 349mm in the same period. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. We bring you some sad pictures now of injured wildlife as a result of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Wildlife authorities had stressed the dangers the weather system posed to native wildlife crews have been busy treating those found injured. Environmental charity Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital reopened its doors on Sunday to a flood of patients impacted by the destructive weather event. Working with local wildlife rescue groups, during the first few hours of re-opening native animal patients included an injured koala, an eastern grey kangaroo, a Flying fox, Sea Turtle hatchlings and a Swamp hen. The RACQ shared striking images of Brisbane's Kedron Brook yesterday, showing just how much water levels had risen in a day. Those in southeast Queensland and northern NSW are being told to stay well clear of rivers and creeks over fears of flash flooding as the rain continues to fall. Energy networks are stressing they're doing whatever they can to restore power to homes and businesses after more than 230,000 remain without power. Over the weekend, that figure peaked at 300,000 and led to residents being warned that they could face at least a week without power. Energex chief operations officer Paul Jordan told Sunrise they were "giving it everything we possibly can" to restore power. Drivers are continuing to ignore pleas from authorities not to drive into floodwaters and the ABC spotted a driver forced to leave his vehicle outside Officeworks in the Brisbane suburb of Windsor early this morning after becoming stuck in the floodwaters. The city has received near 300mm in the past 24 hours and Premier David Crisafulli is urging residents to "know the risk" these challenging conditions pose. He also urged people to plan their route to higher ground if they needed to evacuate. Coles and Woolworths have begun to open stores where it's safe to do so however shoppers are being met with empty shelves. Residents have shared their experiences returning to supermarkets, with one Gold Coast shopper showing empty shelves at her local Woolworths. With fears the ongoing rain could again cause further disruptions, shoppers are quickly snapping up essential items like milk and water, leaving many empty-handed. The supermarkets had warned it would be operating with limited staff amid Alfred, with Coles and Woolworths stressing the safety of staff was a priority. Read more about the empty shelves here. Let's start with the huge amount of rain that has fallen in the past 24 hours. Brisbane CBD's total since 9am yesterday, just shy of a 24-hour period, stands at a staggering 275mm. To put that into perspective, the city averages about 140mm over the entire month of March. The city is edging very close to breaking its daily rainfall record for March. The highest total for the Brisbane area has been 349mm at Green Hill Reservoir, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Outside of Brisbane, Wongawallan, on the northwest side of the Gold Coast, has reached 400mm in the past 24 hours. Nambour, inland from the Sunshine Coast, has received 349mm in the same period.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lottery.com Announces Positive Results From Annual Shareholder Meeting
Company Board Votes Not to Proceed With Reverse Stock Split FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inc. (Nasdaq: LTRY, LTRYW) (' or the 'Company'), a leading technology company in digital lottery and sports media & entertainment, announces the successful results of its annual shareholder meeting conducted today from the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. The Company presented four proposals to the shareholders, all of which passed by a wide margin. One key decision facing shareholders was whether to authorize the Company's Board of Directors (the 'Board') to effectuate a reverse stock split. The Board reviewed market conditions after the close of the US Market regular trading session today and unanimously voted to not proceed with the reverse split of the stock. Two other substantive proposals facing shareholders were the election of Paul Jordan as a Class II Board director and the ratification of the appointment of Boladale Lawal & Co as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the 2024 fiscal year.'This is a great day for The shareholders have spoken and overwhelmingly said they approve our vision for and The nearly unanimous positive vote on all four proposals clearly indicates their confidence in our Board and management team to make the right decisions on the future of the Company. I sincerely thank the shareholders for their trust and support during the turn-around.' The Company will file a Form 8-K with full results within four business days. Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding the Company's strategy, future operations, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Form 8-K, the words 'could,' 'should,' 'will,' 'may,' 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'project,' 'initiatives,' 'continue,' the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release or as of the date they are made. The Company cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company. In addition, the Company cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, any future findings from ongoing review of the Company's internal accounting controls, additional examination of the preliminary conclusions of such review, the Company's ability to secure additional capital resources, the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, the Company's ability to respond in a timely and satisfactory matter to the inquiries by Nasdaq, the Company's ability to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement, the Company's ability to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company's ability to become current with its SEC reports, and those additional risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading 'Risk Factors' in the Form 10-K/A filed by the Company with the SEC on June 14, 2024, and the other documents filed, or to be filed, by the Company with the SEC. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in the reports that the Company has filed and will file from time to time with the SEC. These SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this press release materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual. CONTACT: For more information, please visit or contact our media relations team at press@ in to access your portfolio
