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Following calls for him to withdraw from and boycott the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s inclusion amid the ongoing war in Gaza, Olly Alexander explained why he will still be participating in the annual competition on Friday (March 29).
In a statement posted to his Instagram, Alexander responded to activist group Queers for Palestine, who wrote the singer an open letter asking him to withdraw from the contest. “I wholeheartedly support action being taken to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all hostages and the safety and security of all civilians in Palestine and Israel,” he wrote. “I know some people will choose to boycott this year’s Eurovision and I understand and respect their decision.”
The “Dizzy” singer continued, saying that he took “a lot of time to deliberate” over the correct course of action, and decided that withdrawing from Eurovision “wouldn’t bring us any closer to our shared goal.” Alexander said he and a number of other contestants spoke and decided that “by taking part we can use our platform to come together and call for peace.”
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In its original open letter, Queers for Palestine applauded Alexander’s “vision of queer joy and abundance you’ve offered through your music, and share your belief in collective liberation for all,” then asked him to “heed the Palestinian call to withdraw from Eurovision … There can be no party with a state committing apartheid and genocide.”
Alexander also shared a statement from a collective of other Eurovision participants — signed by himself, Ireland’s Bambie Thug, Norway’s Gåte, Portugal’s Iolanda, San Marino’s Megara, Switzerland’s Nemo, Denmark’s Saba, Lithuania’s Silvester Belt and Finland’s Windows95Man — saying that they “stand in solidarity with the oppressed and communicate our heartfelt wish for peace, an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the safe return of all hostages.” They added that they felt “it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”
Queers for Palestine later responded to Alexander’s decision, saying that while they “welcome” responses from both the singer and his fellow contestants, they found both statements lacking. “When [Alexander et al] use that voice to downplay the genocide in Gaza by vaguely calling it a mere ‘situation,’ they misuse their power. When they choose to ignore the call for a boycott issued by the largest Palestinian coalition, in historic Palestine and in exile, they risk condescending to the people who are being occupied and massacred and are asking for our solidarity.”
This is not Alexander’s first time sharing his thoughts on the ongoing war in Gaza. Shortly before he was announced as a participant in Eurovision 2024, the singer signed an October 2023 open letter from LGBTQ activist group Voices4London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and calling out Israel as an “apartheid regime.” After Alexander was announced as the U.K.’s representative for the annual contest, a source for the Conservative Party spoke to The Daily Telegraph to criticize the BBC for choosing the singer as a representative for the U.K., calling the decision “either a massive oversight or sheer brass neck from the BBC.”
Read both of Olly Alexander’s full statements below:
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Source: CBS Texas / Youtube
Crystal Mason, who was sentenced to five years in Texas for trying to vote with a ballot in 2016 that was rejected, was acquitted.
On Thursday (March 28), an appeals court in Texas threw out a five-year prison sentence given to Crystal Mason, who was sentenced for trying to vote in the 2016 presidential election using a provisional ballot in Fort Worth that was rejected. Mason maintained that she had no idea she was ineligible due to being on supervised release for a tax felony at the time. The case became nationally known and was regarded as an attempt to intimidate Black voters as they saw the sentence as egregious for what legal observers saw as a simple error.
“We conclude that the quantum of the evidence presented in this case is insufficient to support the conclusion that Mason actually realized that she voted knowing that she was ineligible to do so and, therefore, insufficient to support her conviction for illegal voting,” Justice Wade Birdwell wrote in the ruling. The 49-year-old Mason was initially convicted in 2018 after a trial lasting just hours. The highest court in the state reviewed the case in 2022 and told the lower appellate court to reconsider. Mason had remained out of jail on an appeal bond but wound up losing her job at a bank and spent months in federal prison for being arrested for a federal crime while on probation.
“I was thrown into this fight for voting rights and will keep swinging to ensure no other citizen has to face what I’ve faced and endured for the past seven years, a political ploy where minority voting rights are under attack,” Mason said in an interview Thursday night. “Although I’ve cried for seven years straight, seven nights a week … I’ve also prayed for seven years straight, seven nights a week. Prayed that I would remain a free black woman,” she said in a statement released later. “I am overjoyed to see my faith rewarded today.”
“Crystal and her family have suffered for over six years as the target of a vanity project by Texas political leaders,” said Alison Grinter Allen, a criminal defense attorney who represented Mason. “We’re happy that the court saw this for the perversion of justice that it is, but the harm that this political prosecution has done to shake Americans’ confidence in their own franchise is incalculable.”
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Nintendo Entertainment System
While the Atari 2600 might be the first home console success, the Nintendo Entertainment System is a home video game console that’s widely known and iconic. The NES might be a little tougher to come by on eBay, with prices starting at $109 for the console itself and a controller.However, getting games — such as Rad Racer, Super Mario Bros. 2, The Legend of Zelda, Double Dragon and others — might be easier with prices starting as low as $7 per cartridge. The NES has become much more of a collector’s item than other retro gaming consoles, which is why finding one in good working condition is rare. Check out the NES on eBay here.
When Travis Scott returns to Saturday Night Live this weekend as the musical guest, castmember Marcello Hernandez promises the show will be in “Sicko Mode” — just like Scott’s Billboard Hot 100-topping Drake collab from 2018. But first-time host Ramy Youssef isn’t having it in new SNL promos, released late Thursday (March 28) ahead of Saturday’s new episode.
“I told you not to do that in front of him,” the Poor Things actor/comedian tells Hernandez of the song-title pun.
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“Sorry, I just get these goosebumps every time,” Hernandez replies with a smirk, name-dropping yet another Scott song: “Goosebumps,” a top 40 Hot 100 solo hit in 2017 that led to the No. 47-peaking HVME remix in 2021.
“It’s just not a good look,” Youssef says. “Sorry, Trav.”
Things don’t get any better for Hernandez in a second promo, when he launches into an ill-fated joke setup. “A Latino guy, an Egyptian guy and a Black guy walk into a bar…” he begins, before Scott and Youssef cut him off.
“You guys are probably right, because the punchline was bad,” Hernandez admits, before Youssef says, “The setup was too.”
Scott will take his second turn as SNL musical guest this weekend, following his October 2018 debut. For his first performance, he brought out John Mayer on guitar and Kevin Parker of Tame Impala on bass for a mash-up of “Skeletons” (which features Mayer) and “Astrothunder” (a collaboration with Tame Impala) from his Astroworld album, before pulling out “Sicko Mode” sand Drake for his second song.
Youssef will host SNL for the first time after co-starring opposite Emma Stone in the awards-season darling Poor Things. The stand-up comedian also took home the best actor in a television series – musical or comedy Golden Globe in 2020 for his Hulu series Ramy.
Watch the new SNL promos below, and catch the new episode at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. ET on NBC or streaming on Peacock.
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The length a family would go to be reunited is examined in the new series We Were the Lucky Ones, which premiered its first episode via Hulu on Thursday (March 28). Joey King and Logan Lerman star in the limited TV series, which is adapted from the novel of the same title by Georgia Hunter, and you can stream We Were the Lucky Ones at home now.
Taking place in 1939, the series follows the Kurcs, a Polish-Jewish family separated at the start of World War II. Three generations of the family are put at different parts of the world, and viewers will watch as each character fights their way to safety during one of the darkest times in history. Driven by their need to survive, each family member must cope with the idea of never seeing each other again while leaning on hope and perseverance to keep them alive.
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Other cast members include Hadas Yaron, Sam Woolf, Robin Weigert, Lior Ashkenazi, Amit Rahav, Eva Feiler, Henry Lloyd-Hughes and Moran Rosenblatt.
Keep reading to learn more about the series and the streaming options available to watch We Were the Lucky Ones online.
Is We Were the Lucky Ones Based On a True Story?
The miniseries was adapted from the novel We Were the Lucky Ones, which Hunter wrote based on true events that happened to her ancestors. The author was born into a family of Holocaust survivors, which she learned more about at a family reunion she went to in 2000, according to her author website. In 2008, she set out to research more about her grandfather, his siblings and the journey they underwent to survive and eventually find their way back to one another.
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Delve into the history of the Kurc family through the official novel written by Hunter. Within its pages you’ll be able to discover moments and scenes that didn’t make it into the Hulu series while gaining a further understanding of the struggles real people endured during World War II.
How to Watch We Were the Lucky Ones Online for Free
We Were the Lucky Ones is a Hulu original series that you can stream online exclusively through the streaming platform. Current Hulu subscribers can watch We Were the Lucky Ones for free when you log into your account.
Don’t have a Hulu subscription? New users will receive a 30-day free trial when you sign up for the streaming platform. After the free trial is over, you’ll be charged a subscription fee based on the plan you choose at checkout. Click here or the button below to start your free trial.
Hulu plans start as low as $7.99/month for the basic streaming package, or you can take advantage of a student membership for just $1.99/month.
For even more content you can bundle Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN+ and for live TV channel options, you can opt for Hulu + Live TV that includes over 90 live channels including ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, Bravo, TLC, OWN, FX and A&E.
Hulu programs and exclusive content you can look forward to streaming include Freaknik, Only Murders in the Building, Poor Things, All of Us Strangers, Death & Other Details, Shogun, The Bear, Survivor and The Great.
Check below for the trailer of We Were the Lucky Ones.
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Cardi B put her characteristically sultry twist on a classic black gown at The Hollywood Reporter and Instagram’s Power Stylists dinner at Sunset Tower in Los Angeles on Wednesday night (March 27), celebrating the year’s 25 best celebrity stylists.
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Joining her stylist Kollin Carter — whom she’s been working with since 2017 — at the event, the “Enough (Miami)” rapper was photographed wearing a sleek black midi-dress with a high slit, complete with an off-the-shoulder neckline and cut-outs and straps along the bodice. The look was completed with a classic updo, sheer tights, black heels, silver accessories and a sparkling clutch.
“There are so many obstacles against us,” Cardi told THR of her struggles within the fashion industry. “For example, this body is not meant for a size 2.… It was not easy, but we make it look easy. Our door was closed many times, but we’re here because we do it well.”
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Carter added, “We’ve given look after look, year after year, we’ve reached into archives that are impossible to reach into. We caused a cultural shift. I don’t think there were many women like Cardi who existed in the fashion space. Now there are a ton of other rap females who aspire to be in that space because they see what’s possible. We set trends.”
Andrew Mukamal, Brad Goreski, Danyul Brown, Dara, Enrique Melendez, Erica Cloud, Erin Walsh, Jamie Mizrahi, Jessica Paster, Samantha McMillen, Shiona Turini, Warren Alfie Baker and Wayman & Micah were all also in attendance at the event as spotlight stylists. The celebrity attendees at the intimate dinner included Aja Naomi King, Awkwafina, Cardi B, Demi Moore, Glen Powell, Hunter Schafer, Lisa Rinna and more.
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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Two super welterweights clash at the top of the Premier Boxing Champions fight card on Saturday (March 30). Australian boxer Tim “The Wonder from Down Under” Tszyu (24-0) dukes it out with American Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora (20-1-1) in a dual title bout for the WBO (World Boxing Organization) and WBC (World Boxing Council) Super Welterweight titles.
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Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a start time of 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. However, the main event starts at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Want to watch the Tszyu vs. Fundora bout online? This is a pay-per-view event that is streaming exclusively on Prime Video, so the only way to watch it is to purchase the PPV feed here.
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The Tszyu vs. Fundora PPV price is $69.95 on Prime Video. Although you don’t need to be a Prime member to access the PPV livestream, the streaming service offers hit originals — such as Road House, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Saltburn, Invincible and others — for Prime members.
Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video and Prime Gaming; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and more.
Check out the full fight card below, and livestream Tszyu vs. Fundora on pay-per-view here.
Fight Card, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora (Super Welterweight) — Main Event, WBO and WBC titles fight
Rolando Romero vs. Isaac Cruz (Super Lightweight) — Co-Main Event, WBA (World Boxing Association) title fight
Erislandy Lara vs. Michael Zerafa (Middleweight) — WBA title
Julio Cesar Martinez vs. Angelino Cordova (Flyweight) — WBC title
Elijah Garcia vs. Kyrone Davis (Middleweight)
Serhii Bohachuk vs. Brian Mendoza (Super Welterweight) — interim WBC title
Tszyu vs. Fundora is available to stream on Prime Video on Saturday, March 30, at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with the main event at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. In the meantime, watch the trailer for the bout, below:
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