Today’s AJ highlights: Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia are boycotting the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s inclusion (BBC), while Russia is cracking down on foreign tech, blocking FaceTime and Roblox over allegations of criminal activity and “extremist materials” (CBC). Even getting to a gig is perilous: a violinist was forced to carry her priceless 1782 Guadagnini through airport security in just her arms after Lufthansa refused her case as carry-on (The Daily Beast).
But new centers of gravity are emerging. “Tollywood,” the Telugu-language film industry based in Hyderabad, is challenging Bollywood’s dominance in India (AP), and Qatar has unveiled a museum dedicated to M.F. Husain, the “Picasso of India” who lived there in exile (Artnet).
Finally, a bit of good news for appointment TV: the weekly release model is making a comeback, offering a “happy middle ground” between traditional viewing and the binge (CBC).
All of today’s stories below:
