Terror...

AZERBAIJAN foiled an attempt to stage "terrorist" attacks while it was hosting the Eurovision Song Contest last week and arrested dozens of suspected plotters, the security ministry says.

"The main goal of the group was to stage terrorist acts in Baku during Eurovision," the National Security Ministry said today. "As a result of the measures taken, 40 members of the group were arrested."

The group was planning attacks on the concert hall where Eurovision was held, on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, police buildings, hotels used by foreigners, mosques and other religious sites in the ex-Soviet state, it said.

The plotters "obtained Eurovision tickets with the aim of (committing) a terrorist act at the Baku Crystal Hall" where the pop competition was held, it said.

They were allegedly planning to hit the oil-rich, mainly Muslim country's strongman leader Aliyev during his visit to Azerbaijan's north-western regions last month.

They also intended to target the luxury Hilton and Marriott hotels in Baku by blowing up cars packed with explosives, according to the statement.

Security services detained the alleged gang during operations in the cities of Baku, Ganja and Sumgayit as well as several other regions of the country, the ministry said without giving dates.

"The National Security Ministry opted not to disseminate information about neutralising the group during Eurovision in order not to provoke panic among citizens and foreign guests," it said.

Some of the alleged plotters put up armed resistance and two suspects were killed, both of them Azerbaijani citizens, the statement said.

A large amount of firearms and explosives was also allegedly seized when the suspects were detained.

The plot was said to have been hatched during a meeting between three of the suspects and what the statement described as "Dagestani emirs" across the border in the neighbouring Russian republic of Dagestan in February 2011.

"The goal was to create an atmosphere of anarchy, to spread panic among citizens," the ministry said.

After the attacks, the group was planning to hide in the forests of Dagestan and wait for more armed militants to join them, it said.

Eurovision, watched by more than 100 million people worldwide, was the biggest cultural event staged in Azerbaijan since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.



Also:

Each year, in Australia, broadcaster SBS holds an unofficial televote during the live shows of the Eurovision Song Contest to see who the Australian public think should win Europe's Favourite TV Show. This year, like the rest of Europe, they agreed that Sweden was the best song.

Australia broadcast the three shows over the weekend of Friday 25th to Sunday 27th May. Although the shows were not screened live, the majority of Australians stay away from the internet and news channels to avoid finding out the results prior to the shows being aired.

Broadcaster SBS also avoid putting any spoilers on their website, so that fans can watch as though the shows are live without finding out the results first.

The resuls of the Australian televote for the Final:

Sweden 72,186

Russia 55,270

Ireland 50,314

Italy 36,130

Denmark 33,638

Cyprus 27,538

Germany 24,958

Greece 22,328

Ukraine 22,172

Iceland 21,430

Moldova 21,220

Malta 20,878

Turkey 20,402

FYR Macedonia 18,842

Norway 17,694

Serbia 17,160

Lithuania 15,472

Spain 14,164

Romania 13,424

United Kingdom 12,862

France 12,150

Estonia 11,824

Albania 10,902

Azerbaijan 9,400

Bosnia & Herzegovina 8,776

Hungary 7,336