Today’s Top Eurotastic Song by Niamh Kavanagh

Here’s Niamh Kavanagh of Ireland singing the ballad In Your Eyes:

In Your Eyes was the best selling single in Ireland for 1993.  It also reached No. 24 in the United Kingdom weekly pop charts.

The song won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 for Ireland with 187 points. The song was written and composed by Jimmy Walsh.

Kavanagh had a home win, since the contest took place in Ireland due to Linda Martin’s win the previous year.  It was the second of Ireland’s three Eurovision victories in a row in the early nineties.

Russian Chimp Sent To Rehab

A Russian chimpanzee has been sent to rehab by zookeepers to cure the smoking and beer-drinking habits he has picked up, a popular daily reported.

An ex-performer, Zhora became aggressive at his circus and was transferred to a zoo in the southern Russian city of Rostov, where he fathered several baby chimps, learned to draw with markers and picked up his two vices.

“The beer and cigarettes were ruining him. He would pester passers-by for booze,” the Komsomolskaya Pravda paper said.

It added he has now been transferred to the city of Kazan, about 500 miles east of Moscow, for rehabilitation treatment.

Now What? Ads On The Western Wall

Most people go to the Western Wall to pray, but now some will also head there to pay.

The Israeli cabinet is set to approve a plan that would allow for sponsorship messages to be beamed onto the Western Wall, sources in the Prime Minister’s Office told Haaretz.

If the law is passed by the Knesset, any company will be able to project the image, logo or slogan of its choice on the ancient stones, for a price.  

The proposal, drawn up by MK Mordechai Hidud, will take advantage of technology being developed by Kfar Sava-based start-up Kotelad.  The company – the brainchild of U.S.-born Joe King – has come up with an innovative laser projector capable of beaming high-quality images onto walls, domes, minarets and steeples.

“After thousands of years of just being there, the Western Wall will finally be able to fulfill its commercial potential,” King said.  “The religious and spiritual center of the Jewish people should reflect Jewish heritage – and thus be dedicated to bringing in a healthy profit.”

Eurovision 2010 Update: Kristina To Represent Slovakia

The Slovak national final for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest has taken place.

The TV public gave full marks to Kristína, while the expert jury had her in second place. Thus, she will represent Slovakia in Oslo with Horehronie!

After six quarter-finals and two semi-finals, it was finally time for the final of the Slovak national selection.  In an entertaining show, presented by Martin “Pyco” Rausch with additional reports from the Green Room by Martin Kontur, the winner was decided through a combination of televoting and the verdict of an expert jury. The jury comprised Ľubica Čekovská, Ján Lehotský and Martin Sarvaš.

As special guests of the show, Fabrizio Faniello and Claudia Faniello from Malta performed.

Eurovision 2010 Update: Thea Garrett To Represent Malta

Thea Garrett with the song “My Dream” has won the Malta EuroSong 2010 and will therefore represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final to be held on the 25th of May in Oslo, Norway.

She garnered the majority votes from the jury (50%) and the general public (50%) through televoting to win the right to try and turn the tide of unfavourable Eurovision appearances in recent years.

Glen Vella came second while Tiziana Calleja came third.

The final was held in front of a jam-packed Malta Fairs & Convention Centre at Ta’ Qali.

Keith Demicoli and Pauline Agius hosted the night while guests included Mary Spiteri, Chasing Pandora and 2009’s Malta EuroSong winner Chiara.

Eurovision 2010 Update: Aisha To Represent Latvia

The decision is made in Latvia.

In a battle of ten songs, the televoters and jury of Latvia elected Aisha to represent the country in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo.

Aisha came out victorious with the song What For? as Latvia decided their representative for the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo.  The song, marks the country’s eleventh entry in the contest and was composed by Jānis Lūsēns and Guntars Račs.

The decision was made by jury and televoters, with 50% influence for each part. The concept reflects the one used in the Eurovision Song Contest. During the show, the viewers and the jury together selected three songs progressing to a superfinal, where the winner eventually emerged.

All Nippon Airways To Offer Women Only Restroom

Women flying Japan’s All Nippon Airways will have a toilet all to themselves from next month, with the airline designating one restroom on most international routes as female-only.

The airline said in a statement it was responding to “numerous requests for this service,” adding that the toilet would be located in the rear of the plane and be available to women passengers from all classes.

An airline official told Kyodo news agency that ANA decided to designate women-only lavatories based on a 2007 online survey in which 90 percent of the women polled said they found the idea attractive.

The official also said women do not like using shared toilets as men sometimes leave the seat up. She said demand for women-only toilets was especially high among passengers taking long flights.

Men would be allowed to use the lavatory only in emergencies or when there were very few female passengers on the flight, the ANA statement said.

South Korea’s Korean Air has been offering similar facilities and ANA rival Japan Airlines designates lavatories for priority use by women, the ANA official told Kyodo.

Toilet etiquette appears to be an important part of ANA’s policy — the airline had previously asked passengers to use the lavatories before they board flights so as to reduce the overall weight of the plane, which would ultimately be better for the environment as it would mean less fuel usage.

Tribes Show Best Camels At UAE Beauty Pageant

Ten golden-colored camels adorned with sparkling ornaments line up for the finale of a beauty contest in one of the UAE’s northern emirates, awaiting the selection of two proud winners.

Gulf Arabs from across the region gather in a large sandy plot in Ajman to sit in for a four-hour competition, which will see the selection of the best out of 150 camels every day.

The three-day spectacle should end with the top two finalists bagging luxury cars, while a remaining eight win cash.

In an effort to preserve the Gulf Arab country’s cultural legacy, the government encourages camel rearing through funding and festivals where the desert animal is paraded for beauty, and sold in auctions.

The festival also serves as a meeting point for the country’s tribes, residing in the rural parts of the United Arab Emirates. Tribesmen are paid by the government to rear camels and preserve a pure lineage of the country’s breeds.

“The UAE’s heritage is linked to camels and this festival emphasizes this. Traditions and customs lie in maintaining our history,” said Saeed al-Aameri, who owns a large camel farm and is a participant in the pageant.

Arizona Great Dane Is Tallest Dog Ever

A 250-pound blue Great Dane from Arizona gives new meaning to the term “big dog.”

Guinness World Records says Giant George from Tucson is the tallest dog ever on record.

Guinness said that he stands 3 feet, 7 inches tall from paw to shoulder, which is three-quarters of an inch taller than his closest rival — Titan, a white Great Dane from San Diego.

The 4-year-old Titan took the title of world’s tallest dog in 2009 after Gibson, a Great Dane from Grass Valley, Calif., died of bone cancer.

Guinness officials say there were conflicting reports about Giant George’s height, so they sent a judge to verify it.

The 4-year-old is owned by David Nasser.

Alabama Man Attacked With Worcestershire Sauce

Police said a 38-year-old man was charged with beating another man at a motel with a sauce bottle and a fire extinguisher.

Police said the suspect was being held at the Lauderdale County Jail on $6,000 bond on charges he attacked a 43-year-old man who was returning to his motel room.

Officers said that as the man opened the door to his room Wednesday night, the suspect hit him on the head with a bottle of Worcestershire sauce, then grabbed a fire extinguisher and hit him on the head and face.

Officials at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital said the victim was treated in the emergency room and admitted to the hospital, where he was listed in good condition.