In a Great Game-style tug of war between Russia and the West for influence in the strategic South Caucasus, tiny Armenia is reaching toward the European Union and the United States, drawing punishing economic penalties from Moscow and even an oblique threat from President Vladimir Putin that the country could face the same terrible fate as Ukraine. Source link
June 6 : Irish side Leinster will host South Africa’s Bulls in the final of the United Rugby Championship at Croke Park in Dublin on June 19 in a repeat of last year’s decider following two bruising semi-final clashes on Saturday. Leinster defeated the Cape Town-based Stormers 20-11 in Dublin, while the Bulls came from an 18-point deficit to defeat hosts Glasgow Warriors 22-21 in Edinburgh. Leinster defeated the Bulls 32-7 in last year’s final, with the latter having appeared in three of the last four deciders and lost every one. They are still seeking their first title. Two Kyle Steyn scores and a penalty try had the Warriors 21-3 in front inside 25 minutes, but the Bulls’ power at set-pieces saw them grind down their opponents and claim the ascendancy. Tries from Johan Grobbelaar, Embrose Papier and Francois Klopper put the Bulls in front and they could even afford a rare off-day from the kicking tee for Handre Pollard, who missed several routine shots at goal. The Stormers were in the contest in Dublin, …
Dara and her song “Bangaranga” skyrocketed Bulgaria to first place at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest Helmut Fohringer/APA/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Helmut Fohringer/APA/AFP via Getty Images Bulgaria has won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest — the country’s first-ever win. The achievement surprised many because Bulgaria wasn’t among the favorites to win in 2026. But with its catchy “Welcome to the riot!” refrain and bouncy vibe, performer Dara’s banging anthem “Bangaranga” bested 24 other nations for the glittery global musical crown at the finals on Saturday in Vienna, Austria. Israel came in second, as it did last year. Ten competitors were eliminated from the original group of 35 in the semi-finals earlier this week. In his appraisal of his 10 favorite Eurovision 2026 songs, NPR critic Glen Weldon called “Bangaranga” an “insanely catchy bop” and praised its “deep, profound, abiding grooviness.” “Oh my god!” Dara yelled, as she accepted the Crystal Microphone, the event’s glass trophy, from last year’s winner, JJ of Austria. As with other global cultural events, such as the …
ECLECTIC AND OUTRAGEOUS The political tensions have clouded a contest that, over the decades, has given the world the perfect pop of Abba’s Waterloo and the ageless Nel blu, dipinto di blu – better known as Volare – along with a host of Euro-pop party anthems. The musicians had just three minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner. Jets of flame, glitter guns and wind machines worked overtime in a show that celebrated Europe’s eclectic musical tastes. Serbian metal band Kravina offered hard rock angst, as did Romania’s Alexandra Capitanescu with the provocatively titled Choke Me. Albania’s Alis used a brooding choral sound to pay tribute to mothers on Nan. Cypriot contestant Antigoni had the crowd on its feet with dance floor filler Jalla. British act Look Mum No Computer’s jokey novelty song Eins, Zwei, Drei was followed by Monroe, a soaring soprano from France with Regarde! Female solo artists dominated: An empowering power ballad from Germany’s Sarah Engels, gospel-tinged R&B from Poland’s Alicja, …
Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Bulgaria achieved its first ever Eurovision win at the 70th annual song contest after a nail-biting final in Vienna, Austria, while the UK finished in last place, marking yet another disappointing result. A host of colourful and controversial acts representing 25 countries battled it out at the grand final on Saturday (16 May), but it was singer DARA who triumphed with her dance-pop song “Bangaranga”. She won with a total of 516 points, beating Israel’s second-place score of 343. It was something of a shock result, given that Finland’s duo Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, and Australia’s pop star Delta Goodrem, were widely viewed as the two favourites vying to win the contest. From Greece’s zany entry Akylas and his rapid-fire track “Ferto”, to Serbia’s chilling metal song “Kraj Mene” performed by LAVINA and Moldova’s intense rapper Satoshi with “Viva, Moldova!”, …
After a week of high energy performances and catchy choruses to tide everyone over for the summer, the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 has been crowned! It was another tough competition, as the 25 acts took to the stage one last time to perform as best they could to impress the juries and audiences. For Dara, her performance paid off, with the Bulgarian act taking home the win for her country! This marks the first time Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest. Dara represented Bulgaria with the song Bangaranga, which she described as “pop music with folklore bones”. She added: “The word itself comes from Jamaican slang – it means uproar, commotion, a beautiful kind of disorder. It has this raw, phonetic power that bypasses translation – you feel it before you understand it.” Dara. Christian Bruna/Getty Images The singer scored an impressive 516 points, beating Israel’s Noam Bettan who scored 343 points, missing out on the top spot. Romania’s Alexandra Căpitănescu came in third place with 296 points, while Delta Goodrem placed …
VIENNA — Bulgaria triumphed on Saturday night at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, held under the shadow of controversy over the continued participation of Israel. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. The win by Dara was an upset. Her song, “Bangaranga,” is an upbeat dance-pop banger that features intense dancing and an infectious chorus. The fever dream of a tune started dialed up to 11 and continued apace. It captivated the audience in the Wiener Stadthalle, receiving some of the loudest cheers. This is the first win for the Balkan nation, which will host next year’s competition. Dara performing during a dress rehearsal in Vienna on Saturday. Helmut Fohringer / APA/AFP via Getty Images Israel placed second with Noam Bettan’s “Michelle.” The song, which is sung in Hebrew, French and English, is about being in a toxic relationship and learning to put yourself first. When the popular votes were announced Saturday for Israel, sending it temporarily to the top of the rankings, the arena filled with …
What an evening that was watching the Eurovision 2026 final where 25 performers all took to the stage to try their luck at becoming the next champion, including the United Kingdom. The UK hasn’t always had the best track record in recent years when it comes to the Eurovision scoreboard, but things did seem to looking up with Sam Ryder in 2022 who came in second place, only beaten by Ukraine. This year, the UK was represented by Sam Battle under his stage name Look Mum No Computer and he had the Viennese audience singing along to his catchy song Eins, Zwei, Drei. With the Eurovision 2026 winner now crowned and all results in and counted – where did the United Kingdom place? Read on to find out. Where did the UK come in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026? It wasn’t the ending that fans had hoped for, as the United Kingdom finished in last place with only 1 point. Uh oh. It was off to a bad start with the UK only receiving a …
A new upcoming spin-off of the world’s favourite international singing competition is coming and will be taking place not only in a country that has never hosted it before, but a continent – Asia. Eurovision Song Contest Asia will be made up of national selection shows across Asia before its inaugural Grand Final will be held in Bangkok as Thailand becomes the first ever host country. Eurovision Asia will take place on Saturday 14 November 2026. At the time of reporting, there have been 10 countries confirmed as taking part including Thailand, mainly those in the South East of the continent. The countries taking part consist of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. With Eurovision confirming that more nations will be confirmed in due course. The Eurovision Song Contest logo is displayed prior to the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria. Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP via Getty Images As is done with the European rendition, each participating country is currently undergoing, or …
Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more The Eurovision Song Contest is underway in Vienna, Austria, with 25 countries competing in tonight’s grand final. Eurovision is widely known for its fiendishly complex voting system, and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has made some tweaks in recent years following various controversies. Follow live updates from the 2026 Eurovision final here. How does Eurovision voting work? Viewers from all participating countries will be invited to vote for their favourite songs as the grand final gets underway. As usual, you can vote for any country’s act from the one representing the nation you’re casting your vote from (for instance, if you are currently in France, you would not be able to vote for France). For the first time, fans in the UK will only …
