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‘Sappiamo che Mark Carney vuole in qualche modo abbracciare l'Europa’, afferma il direttore della competizione Martin Green. Il Canada è il benvenuto a unirsi all'Eurovision se lo desidera, ha dichiarato il suo direttore, mesi dopo che il paese ha rivelato nel suo bilancio federale di voler "esplorare" l'idea di partecipare al concorso canoro. Il direttore dell'Eurovision, Martin Green, ha detto alla BBC mercoledì che il Canada non ha ancora presentato domanda, ma che sarebbe il benvenuto a farlo. Continua a leggere...

• L'MP afferma che, a meno che un ministro del gabinetto non si faccia avanti per sfidare il PM entro domani, lo farà lei stessa. • Buongiorno. C'erano state molte previsioni per il futuro del Labour prima delle elezioni in Inghilterra, Scozia e Galles, che sono state terribili per il partito, ma c'è un esito che nessuno aveva previsto: una sfida alla leadership da parte di Catherine West. • West, MP per Hornsey and Friern Barnet e junior minister del Foreign Office fino al suo licenziamento nel rimpasto dell'anno scorso, ha annunciato ieri pomeriggio che, se nessun ministro del gabinetto si candidasse per sfidare Starmer per la leadership del Labour entro domani mattina, lo farebbe lei stessa.

The Venice Biennale, Eurovision and Cannes are framed as artists representing their nations. But in a fractured world, national identity seems increasingly futile• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereAre the arts being drowned out by politics? A few days before the biggest week of the year in Europe’s cultural calendar, that impression may be hard to avoid. The Venice Biennale opens its doors to the public on Saturday, but talk in the run-up to the world’s largest contemporary event has focused little on the works that will go on display inside the national pavilions, and a lot on which pavilions are going to open their doors, or shouldn’t.The building housing the Russian national representation was open for press previews on Tuesday, pumping out techno, for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It’s a decision the biennale president, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, seems to have made against the wishes of the Italian government that appointed him, and could cost the festival €2m in EU funds for a breach of its ethical standards. Russia has not participated in the past two editions due to its war in Ukraine. Its pavilion’s doors will be closed to the public when the biennale opens fully on 9 May, which a Ukrainian official told the Guardian was a “meaningful step”, after the biennale’s jury resigned en masse in April, in objection to entries from countries whose leaders are subject to international arrest warrants. Continue reading...

• Early trends from West Bengal assembly elections show BJP ahead of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), signaling a potential historic shift in the state's political landscape. • The early leads suggest competitive dynamics across constituencies, though final results remain uncertain as vote counting progresses and trends can shift significantly. • The election results could have implications for Indian politics at the national level and investor sentiment regarding governance and policy continuity in West Bengal's economy.

• Malaysia's Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is almost certain to go solo in the next general election, announced Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. • The decision signals potential shifts in political alliances ahead of the polls, amid ongoing unity government dynamics. • This development could reshape Malaysia's opposition landscape and influence regional stability in Southeast Asia.

National broadcaster confirms it will not broadcast world’s largest live music eventNational broadcasters in Ireland, Spain and Slovenia will not air the Eurovision song contest this year, after they decided to boycott the event over Israel’s participation.Having already announced it would not submit a national entry, Slovenian broadcaster RTV confirmed on Thursday it would implement a broadcasting blackout of the world’s largest live music event and instead show a series of films about Palestine. Continue reading...

Prime minister has been trailing in the polls to Péter Magyar in race that could have repercussions for Europe, the US and RussiaHello from Budapest where Hungarians are voting in a closely contested election that could oust Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power and potentially reshape the central European country’s relations with the EU, Moscow and Washington.Pre-election day polls appeared to suggest that Péter Magyar of the centre-right Tisza party could be on course to win the election, ending Orbán’s era, much criticised for weakening the rule of law and civil liberties, and raising hopes of a more pro-European government in Budapest. Continue reading...