Erstellt am: 24. 2. 2012 - 14:27 Uhr

Eurovision discord over human rights

Reality Check: Allegations of human rights abuses by Eurovision Song contest hosts; Kofi Annan appointed Syria envoy; Irish Catholics and their God.

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Fans celebrate Azerbaijan's victory in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. Photo: EPA/CAROLINE SEIDEL

Eurovision & Human Rights

Love it or hate it, you can’t escape the fact that the Eurovision Song Contest is one of the most watched non-sporting TV events in the world. It’s described as a “showcase of pop music talent that typically ranges from the indescribably bad, through the insufferably indifferent, to a few catchy little numbers”. This year’s extravaganza is being hosted by Azerbaijan, but there are sounds of discord in the run-up to the show in May. The government in Azerbaijan has condemned what it calls the “politicisation” of the song contest after human rights groups complained of abuses during the construction of the new venue in the capital Baku. Hugh Williamson of Human Rights Watch tells Riem Higazi about forced evacuations to make way for the new concert hall:

Syria Envoy

The former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has been appointed as the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria and given the task of trying to find a way to end the violence there. Journalist and UN watcher Andreas Zumach tells Chris Cummins about the skills and qualifications Annan will bring to the job:

Numerical Democracy

As Austria continues to mull the government’s proposal to reduce the number of MPs, Melanie Sully, Vice President of the Institute for Parliamentarianism and Democracy Questions, outlines the important questions:

Somalia Conference

London correspondent Catherine Drew reports on what world leaders came up with at their conference on Somalia:

Catholics & Faith

Ahead of tomorrow’s Reality Check Special with Catholic Priest Father Patrick, members of a Catholic family talk about what God means to them: