Blue Unveil Anthemic Eurovision Track

Blue Unveil Anthemic Eurovision Track 

Reunited quartet Blue have unveiled the "anthemic" track they will be taking to Eurovision this year, insisting taking part will not be "career suicide".

"We felt quite privileged to be asked," singer Duncan James told reporters on Thursday. "How many opportunities do you get to represent your country?"

Blue will perform the song, I Can, on Graham Norton's BBC One show on Friday.

This year's Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Dusseldorf, Germany on 14 May.

Band member Simon Webbe is adamant the track will not receive the dreaded "nul point".

"We don't see this as career suicide even if a lot of people will see it that way," he continued.

"It's a great way to show we are a live group and we are back after 10 years."

The UK has not won Eurovision since 1997 when Katrina and the Waves triumphed with Love Shine a Light.

Last year's hopeful, Josh Dubovie, finished in last place with That Sounds Good to Me, a song co-written by Mike Stock and Pete Waterman.


"People always say the UK aren't particularly liked in Europe and we don't get the points," said James.

"But they're trying to change the block voting so it becomes less political."

"Eurovision is about the music and bringing people together," added Webbe.

"People just want to have fun and I hope the politics doesn't get in the way."

But according to Lee Ryan, it is a "cop out" to blame the UK's mixed fortunes on anti-British prejudice.

"It's nothing to do with being English," he insisted. "It's because we haven't put a good song in for a long time."
At a press event in central London on Thursday, reporters were played the track which the band will perform on a Graham Norton's chat show.

The "anthemic" song, said Ryan, was "a very powerful" composition that was "perfect" for the annual competition.

For fourth member Antony Costa, the chance to win the contest "and bring it back to Britain" would be "fantastic".

"It would be amazing, wouldn't it?" he added, exhorting members of the press to "get behind us and bring the crown home".

The 29-year-old - who was unsuccessful in his attempt to represent the UK as a solo artist in 2006 - said he was "a massive Eurovision fan" and had watched it since childhood.

"As long as we can go out there and give 110%, so all you guys can wake up on the 15th and go 'Blue did a good job', I'll be happy."

X Factor contestants Jedward and last year's winner Lena Mayer-Landrut are among other acts competing this year, representing Ireland and Germany respectively.

Israel's Dana International, who won Eurovision in 1998, is also making a return to the contest.

Graham Norton will commentate the BBC's coverage of the 2011 contest, to be broadcast live on BBC One.



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Sacked star Charlie Sheen sues sitcom makers

Sacked star Charlie Sheen sues sitcom makers

Actor Charlie Sheen has filed a $100m (£62m) legal action against the makers of Two and a Half Men after being fired from the US sitcom.

In court papers filed on Thursday, Sheen claims producer Chuck Lorre spent years "harassing and disparaging" him.

Mr Lorre, the action alleges, "believes himself so wealthy and powerful that he can unilaterally decide to take money away from the dedicated cast and crew".

Mr Lorre's attorney called the claims "recklessly false and unwarranted".

A spokesman for Warner Bros, also cited in the papers filed at Los Angeles Superior Court, declined to comment on the action.

Prior to his sacking, Sheen had a contract with the studio that ran to the end of the 2012 TV season, earning him $2m (£1.2m) per episode.


In his 30-page submission to the court, the 45-year-old claims he was only fired after he began publicly criticising Warner Bros and Mr Lorre.

The studio, he alleges, was "quite happy to line its coffers" while he received treatment for substance abuse and only acted because of Mr Lorre's "egotistical desire to punish" him.

"Charlie Sheen is not only seeking payment of his own compensation for the series, he is also pursuing claims for the benefit of the entire cast and crew [of Two and a Half Men]," court papers also stated.

On Thursday, police searched Sheen's home for guns that might be in violation of a temporary restraining order obtained last week by his estranged wife, Brooke Mueller.

A police spokeswoman said an antique gun had been retrieved and that the actor co-operated with the search.



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Tsunami hits north-eastern Japan after massive quake

Tsunami hits north-eastern Japan after massive quake

A massive earthquake has hit the north-east of Japan, triggering a tsunami that has caused extensive damage.

Japanese television showed cars, ships and even buildings being swept away by a vast wall of water after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake.

The quake has sparked fires in several areas including Tokyo, with at least 15 people reported dead.

It struck about 250 miles (400km) from the capital at a depth of 20 miles. There have been powerful aftershocks.

The tremor hit at 1446 local time (0546 GMT). Seismologists say it is one of the largest earthquakes to hit Japan for many years.
A tsunami warning was extended across the Pacific to include the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hawaii, the Pacific coast of Russia and North and South America.

Strong waves hit Japan's Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, officials said, damaging dozens of coastal communities. Kyodo news agency said a 10-metre wave (33ft) struck the port of Sendai in Miyagi prefecture.


Japan's NHK television showed a massive surge of debris-filled water sweeping away buildings, cars and ships and reaching far inland.

Motorists could be seen trying to speed away from the wall of water.

Farmland around Sendai was submerged and the waves pushed cars across the runway of the city's airport.

Kyodo said at least 15 people had been killed in the earthquake and tsunami. It was believed the death toll could rise significantly.
The earthquake also triggered a number of fires, including one at an oil refinery in Ichihara city in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo, engulfing storage tanks.

There were reports of about 20 people injured in Tokyo after the roof of a hall collapsed on to a graduation ceremony.

Residents and workers in Tokyo rushed out of apartment buildings and office blocks and gathered in parks and open spaces as aftershocks continued to hit.

Many people in Tokyo said they had never felt such a powerful earthquake.

In central Tokyo, Jeffrey Balanag said he was stuck in his office in the Shiodome Sumitomo building because the elevators had stopped working.

"There's no panic but we're almost seasick from the constant rolling of the building," he told the BBC.

Bullet train services to northern Japan were halted, rapid transit in Tokyo was suspended and some nuclear power plants automatically shut down.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said there had been no radiation leaks.

In a televised address, he extended his sympathy to the victims of the disaster and said an emergency response headquarters had been set up.




Source: BBC