Israel Qualified for Eurovision — Then Five Countries Walked Out
Israel advanced from Semi-Final 1 in Vienna, triggering coordinated boycotts from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Slovenia.
Charles Ashford
Bureau: London
Park Chan-wook Is Running Cannes Like a Court — and Gaza Is the Case
On Day 2 of Cannes, jury president Park Chan-wook and juror Paul Laverty invoked Gaza, with no Hollywood voice present to contest the framing.
Hollywood Stayed Home From Cannes — and Neon Moved Into the Space
For the first time since 2017, no major Hollywood studio has a film in Cannes competition — and Neon, with nine films, is the dominant US presence on the Croisette.
One Cannes Jury Seat Is Empty Because of a Boycott Over Gaza
A jury member's absence over Gaza has left a visible gap in Cannes' Competition jury as Paul Laverty publicly denounces Hollywood's blacklisting of protest actors.
Eurovision Security in Vienna Costs Austria Three Times the Prize Money
Vienna has committed 22.6 million euros to hosting Eurovision 2026, most of it security — against a contest prize that runs to roughly six or seven million euros.