Eurovision faces backlash and boycott calls for allowing Israel to compete

Eurovision Song Contest has teased that “The Caribbean is coming” to this year’s competition.Taking to their official Instagram page with 1.3 million followers to announce that the Caribbean – a subregion of North America with over 700 islands – will be taking part in the famous contest for the first time.The post showed a video clip of palm trees and clear beaches. The caption of the post read: “New Year! New News! We’re thrilled to confirm that the Caribbean is coming to the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Radiohead‘s Ed O’Brien has shared that he is “deep into” his next solo album and has called for a ceasefire in Gaza.The Radiohead guitarist turned solo star took to his official Instagram to wish everyone a Happy New Year and to provide an apology for his lack of posting on the social media platform. He began with a comment on the Israel and Palestine conflict – and the Hamas attack on an Israeli music festival back in October that saw hundreds killed or abducted and thousands more injured – before share details of the progress of his next solo record.“Like so many of you I have found the events of October 7 and what has followed too awful for words.. anything that I have tried to write feels so utterly inadequate.

Eurovision Song Contest.Shaul Greenglick was one of three soldiers recently reported dead by the Israel Defense Forces, via The Times Of Israel, following the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.According to Billboard, Greenglick auditioned for Israel’s The Next Star, a singing competition series through which the country’s Eurovision contestant is selected, while on furlough last month.He earned a place in the show’s next round but he reportedly dropped out of the contest in order to return to his military duties.Baruch Dayan HaEmetThis was 26 year old Cpt. (res.) Shaul Greenglick of the Nahal Brigade's 931st Battalion from Raanana who was killed in action in GazaHe was once a contestant on the Israeli singing show called "The Next Star"May his memory be for a blessing pic.twitter.com/GcycIWBCT4— Documenting Israel (@DocumentIsrael) December 26, 2023It comes just days after Yotam Haim, the drummer for Israeli heavy metal band Persephore, was killed by the Israel Defense Forces after being mistaken for a Hamas fighter.Since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the Israeli military have said 170 of its soldiers have been killed.

It was another historic year with another change in Prime Minister, a new monarch officially crowned and the Lionesses reaching the World Cup final.

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered at the Trafford Centredemanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Crowds of demonstrators flooded the shopping destination waving flags and clutching banners.

Christopher Landon has exited Scream VII, the director announced on social media.

Ethan Shanfeld Director Christopher Landon has departed “Scream 7.” The “Happy Death Day” director announced his exit on X/Twitter Saturday, writing, “I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited ‘Scream 7’ weeks ago. This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare.

Scream 7 has officially lost director Christopher Landon.

Manchester United will be without Victor Lindelof and four other injured players until the New Year.

Your son too,” he added, presumably about Hunter. “Your response is..? Sincerely, John Schneider,” he concluded.

Olly Alexander has signed a pro-Palestine letter which calls Israel an “apartheid state” and accuses it of genocide.It was revealed at the weekend that the singer and actor would be representing the UK at Eurovision next year in Malmö, Sweden, the hometown of this year’s winner Loreen.Before he was confirmed as the UK’s Eurovision entrant, Alexander had signed an open letter from LGBTQ+ activist group Voices4London, which called for a ceasefire in Gaza and for Israel to allow aid into the area. The letter also condemned “Zionist propaganda” amid the war with Hamas.The letter says: “We are watching a genocide take place in real time.

The BBC has come under pressure to fire the UK’s Eurovision Song Contest entrant Olly Alexander after the Years & Years frontman signed a letter describing Israel as an “apartheid” state.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor This isn’t a red-carpet film debut or a charity event, but celebrities are still turning out for it. When the Israeli mobile-games company Playtika launches a new series of ad campaigns on the day after Christmas, it will do so with some famous names in tow. Jason Alexander will pitch World Series of Poker in a series of commercials, and Sarah Jessica Parker will play a city girl who gets to enjoy the country life thanks to Solitaire Grand Harvest.

statement calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”.The union’s executive committee has also agreed to make a donation to the Red Cross to support humanitarian causes in Israel and Palestine and will also give money to the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which educates young Israeli and Palestinian musicians.According to the MU, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra has seen its members “directly affected” by the conflict.The MU add: “The orchestra’s purpose has always been to bring individuals impacted by war together through music. In an increasingly polarised world, the ability to listen to and understand the pain of others is ever more important.”Explaining its plan to donate to both charities it adds: “We call for an end to war and violence,” before further discussing its support for a ceasefire: “We support the TUC and UN call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East and strongly urge the international community to make all efforts to ensure that international law is upheld and all civilians are protected.“At the MU, we are aware of members being directly and indirectly impacted by events in the Middle East.

Billie Eilish starred alongside Kate McKinnon in a Christmas Saturday Night Live sketch this weekend about a cat adoption campaign.The pop star and SNL alum played cat ladies at the ‘Whiskers R We’ pet store for a pun-filled sketch on Saturday (December 16), which saw them show off cats available for adoption during their “Holiday Cat-tacular”.The pair barely kept it together as Barbara DeDrew (McKinnon) and intern Paw-bree Hep-Purrn (Eilish) introduced cats with names like Cindy Claw-ford and Furr-ell Williams.Musical guest Eilish also appeared in another pre-recorded skit on the episode, the second being an acoustic song about a group of women (McKinnon, Eilish, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Paula Pell) working on a tampon farm.Check out both of the sketches below.Elsewhere on Saturday’s episode, Eilish performed her Barbie soundtrack hit ‘What Was I Made For’ and a stripped-back rendition of Frank Sinatra‘s ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’.The singer has previously appeared as a guest on SNL, performing a memorable rotating rendition of ‘Bad Guy’ in 2019, followed by a 2021 visit to play ‘Male Fantasy’ and ‘Happier Than Ever’ from her second album.In other news from the ‘Ocean Eyes’ singer, Eilish recently announced her third album is nearly done.This weekend’s episode of SNL also featured an ABBA spoof –starring McKinnon, Wiig, Rudolph and current cast member Bowen Yang – during which they posed as the Swedish pop legends in a skit about the band promoting a holiday album.Longtime SNL performer McKinnon announced she was leaving the show last year after a decade, later sharing that she “felt like it was time”.Meanwhile, Jacob Elordi and Reneé Rapp have been announced for the first Saturday Night Live of

Naman Ramachandran Musician and BAFTA nominated actor Olly Alexander will represent the U.K. at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden. Alexander revealed the news on Saturday during the finale of BBC’s “Strictly Come Dancing.” As a musician, Alexander fronted English band Years & Years, which in recent years has evolved into a solo project.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor European Film Promotion has revealed the 10 emerging actors who will take part in the 27th edition of European Shooting Stars program, which promotes European acting talent. Past Shooting Stars have included Carey Mulligan, Alicia Vikander, Maisie Williams and Riz Ahmed. From Feb.

EXCLUSIVE: Greenwich Entertainment picked up U.S. distribution rights to the Tel Aviv-set political thriller Shoshana from BAFTA-winning filmmaker Michael Winterbottom (The Trip, A Mighty Heart). 

French director Justine Triet’s Cannes Palme d’Or winning film Anatomy Of A Fall swept the awards at 36th European Film Awards in Berlin this evening, winning Best European Film, Director, Screenplay (with Arthur Harari) and actress for Sandra Hüller.

Cinema professionals from across Europe are gathered in Berlin this evening for the 36th European Film Awards.