http:\/\/www.dreurovision.blogspot.co.uk\/2012\/05\/eurovision-2012-days-seven-eight.html<\/a><\/p>\nMore than any year since Moscow hosted the Eurovision back in 2009 there is a fair amount of media coverage of human rights issues and social concerns for Azeri citizens.\u00a0 There was a detailed piece on Channel 4 news last night, and then there was a Panorama report on the BBC.\u00a0 It is ridiculous to say that the Eurovision is not political in some ways \u2013 how can you put all these countries in a room together, ask them to compete and then not expect long held and simmering tensions to occasionally surface.\u00a0 That said, and as the Executive Supervisor Jon Ola Sand and Engelbert Humperdinck both said when interviewed recently, the ESC must not engage in those discussions as part of the Contest \u2013 but good that the ESC has highlighted wider issues once again. Good to get Paul\u2019s insight on all these issues whilst he is in Baku. As he says let\u2019s hope that it all passes off peacefully and that we can enjoy the music.<\/p>\n
With that in mind here are the runners and riders for tonight\u2019s semi-final.\u00a0 Who will dash to the Grand Final, and who will fall at the first?\u00a0 There are 18 countries in contention, but only 10 can progress to the final.<\/p>\n
Later today my euro-chums and I will be doing our \u201cnapkin of death\u201d, as regular readers will have come to expect. The difference is that this year we are going very high-tech (separated as we are by many miles) and doing it via Skype. I know \u2013 I\u2019ll be tweeting next!\u00a0 Being a bit of a geeky fan I have already selected my 10 qualifiers on what is, at the moment, my post-it note of death.\u00a0 I\u2019ll bring you the scoop on that later in the day, so you can once again judge whether the supposed Eurovision \u201cexperts\u201d know their Eurovision bacon.<\/p>\n
Can you choose 10 from this bunch\u2026<\/p>\n
01 Montenegro<\/strong><\/p>\n