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KAJ performing Bara Bada Bastu for Sweden at the First Semi-Final in St. Jakobshalle
At Eurovision 2025: Glitter, geopolitics, and a sauna diss track
Europe’s glitter-soaked, pyrotechnic-powered, music competition fever dream – otherwise known as the Eurovision Song Contest – takes place Saturday in Basel, Switzerland at 9pm CEST (3pm ET). It’s part talent show, part geopolitical popularity contest, and fully unhinged fun. Eurovision is officially “non-political,” but that’s never really the case: Ukraine won in 2023 after Russia’s invasion; Israel’s 2024 entry was about the Oct. 7 attacks.
Unlike in the past two years, politics is taking a relative backseat this time out. Nonetheless, this year’s entries include not one but two European diss tracks. Here are a few standouts.
KAJ - Bara Bada Bastu | Sweden 🇸🇪
The odds-on favorite to win, Sweden’s “Bara bada bastu” by the comedy-music act KAJ, makes fun of neighboring Finland’s obsession with saunas. The Nordic diss track draws from Epadunk, a Swedish genre of music that blends EDM with tractor culture. Which is apparently a thing!
Tommy Cash - Espresso Macchiato | Estonia 🇪🇪
Members of the Italian government tried (and failed) to get Estonia’s viral “Espresso Macchiato” by Tommy Cash banned for perpetuating Italian stereotypes. With lines like “Mi money numeroso, I’m sweating like a mafioso,” they may have a point. Mamma mia!
Shkodra Elektronike - Zjerm | Albania 🇦🇱
Albania's entry “Zjerm” is a fusion of pop, electronic and traditional Albanian folk music, anchored by infectious Middle Eastern strings. Sung by Shkondra Electronike, an Albanian duo living in Italy, Zjerm Albania’s best chance of making the top 10 in over a decade.
JJ - Wasted Love | Austria 🇦🇹
Austria's song, an operatic techno-banger “Wasted Love” by JJ is another contender for the top spot. It’s high-energy, surreal, and dramatic, a perfect Eurovision contender. Be sure to listen to the song—mid track it shifts from the Opera House to the rave, and JJ ends on a superhuman high note.
Tautumeitas - Bur Man Laimi | Latvia 🇱🇻
Latvia’s dreamy “ Bur man laimi” by the all-female sextet Tautumeitas is a dark horse candidate but very much worth the listen. The ethereal, hypnotic track is heavy on traditional drumming and polyphonic harmonies. It sounds like it’s being sung by elves casting a spell, and maybe it is… the title translates to “a chant for happiness.”
Let us know who you're rooting for! Send us a note at gzerodaily@gzeromedia.com.
Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa heads to the United States for negotiations from Tokyo's Haneda airport on April 16, 2025.
Two “Guinea pigs” come to Washington
As much of the world scrambles to figure out how to avoid Donald Trump’s expansive “reciprocal tariffs,” two big players are in Washington this week to try their hands at negotiating with the self-styled Deal Artist™ himself.
First, Japan. For decades, the world’s fourth-largest economy has run a big trade surplus with the US while also benefiting from American military protection. Trump has been upset about this arrangement for 40 years, and Japan’s import restrictions on US cars and agricultural goods are a particular focus for him. His 25% global tariff on car and steel imports will hit Japan hard, as will the overall 24% “reciprocal” levy against Tokyo that is slated to go into effect in July.
But Japan is also a top foreign investor in the US economy and a key East Asian ally amid Trump’s deepening confrontation with China. Japan’s Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa is looking to reduce tariffs to zero. Observers have already called his case a “guinea pig” for how countries with long-standing ties to the US can work deals with the America First president.
Late on Wednesday, Trump hailed “big progress” in the talks, which he attended personally, but neither he nor Akazawa gave further details. The two sides will meet again later this month.
Second, Italy. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who visits the White House on Thursday, is a pragmatic right-winger whom the US president has described as a “fantastic woman.” She shares Trump’s hardline views on immigration and social issues, and even defended US Vice President JD Vance’s recent blistering attack on the EU’s approach to free speech.
But Meloni also leads a highly export-dependent economy that runs a $40bn surplus with the US. Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” of 20% on the EU could therefore be a 🤌catastrophe🤌 for Italy.
The EU is warily watching. Can Meloni parlay her good graces with Trump into a deal that avoids a wider transatlantic trade war? Or will her solo visit enable the US president to weaken the overall unity of the bloc?
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. January 4, 2025.
Meloni joins Trump at Mar-a-Lago — with Europe’s economy on the line
President-elect Donald Trump was full of praise for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during her surprise visit to Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, calling her a “fantastic woman” who has “really taken Europe by storm.” The two caught a screening of a right-wing documentary and then had dinner. Meloni has a lot riding on making a good impression as Trump has threatened tariffs that would severely hamper Europe’s economic growth.
Neither side released details of what they discussed, but Meloni has been on a charm offensive since Trump won the US election. She also met with Trump at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral last month in Paris and has worked hard to establish a close relationship with key Trump ally Elon Musk. She has called Musk a personal “friend” and a “genius” who’s been wrongly maligned for supporting Trump – Musk even had to deny the two were in a romantic relationship in September.
The personal is political. Meloni has set herself up as a unique bridge between Brussels and Trumpworld, putting her in the driver’s seat as the European Union prepares to negotiate to buy more oil and gas from the United States, without which Trump has threatened “TARIFFS all the way!!!”
The problem? Europe already buys a ton of US hydrocarbons, so much so that industry experts don’t think the bloc can import more. We’re watching for other European leaders to give Meloni broad deference on her preferred migration policies so long as she can continue to play Trump-whisperer.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) nominates former President Donald Trump for Speaker of the House as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) watch inside the House Chamber on the third day of the 118th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 5, 2023.
Hard Numbers: Matt Gaetz loved drugs and sex in Congress, Biden commutes death sentences, A deadly year for journalists, Italy’s magnificent mosaics shine again
20: A leaked draft of the House of Representatives’ ethics report on former member Matt Gaetz showed he paid for drugs and sex at least 20 times while in office, including with a 17 year old girl while he was 35. Gaetz denies the report and is suing to prevent its formal release, but the allegations within were severe enough to derail his nomination to be Donald Trump’s Attorney General.
37: On Monday, President Joe Bidencommuted the sentences of 37 out of the 40 federal prisoners on death row to life in prison in another major act of clemency as he approaches the end of his term. The three prisoners who did not receive commutation were responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing, the Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting, and the mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston.
104: At least 104 journalists died while on duty this year, with the majority, 55, killed in Gaza. An astounding 10% of journalists working in the enclave have lost their lives since Israel invaded, while the rest work in appalling and dangerous conditions. Nearly ten times as many journalists died in Gaza as in the next deadliest countries, Lebanon and Pakistan, where six journalists each were killed on the job.
1.1 million: The stunning mosaics of Monreale Cathedral in Sicily have completed a $1.1 million restoration, bringing them back to a resplendent golden shine nearly nine centuries after they were first created — just in time for Christmas mass. Built by Sicilian artisans for their new Norman overlords, they are the largest Byzantine artworks outside of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (then Constantinople), and among the best-preserved artefacts of the early medieval Mediterranean.Elon Musk’s next target: Italy
Elon Musk has been busy – speaking at Trump rallies, launching rockets into space, transforming Twitter/X into something unrecognizable, and being named to help lead a new government department under President-elect Donald Trump. Naturally, Musk is still finding time to fight with the Italian government.
On Wednesday, Musk took to X to criticize Italian judges for ruling (twice) against his pal, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Shehoped to send thousands of migrants for screening outside the EU in Albania to ease pressure on one of the busiest migration routes to Europe. The cases will now go to the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg, with no timeline set for a decision.
“These judges need to go,” Muskwrote to his 200 million-plus followers (and everyone else on the platform whocan’t escape him even with the block button). He asked, "Do the people of Italy live in a democracy or does an unelected autocracy make the decisions?”
Italian President Sergio Mattarella hit back at Musk’s foray into Italian politics, without mentioning him by name. Italy “knows how to take care of itself while respecting its Constitution,”said Mattarella, and others “must respect its sovereignty.”
Since Musk’s takeover of Twitter/X in late 2022, the site has becomemore popular with conservatives after removing bans on controversial far-right influencers and relaxing content moderation. Twitter’s new direction spookedadvertisers and led news outlet NPR to cease posting altogether. Now, The Guardian is quitting the platform too. “X is a toxic media platform,” the UK-based outlet said, and “Elon Musk has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.”
Disgruntled (often liberal) users are on the hunt for microblogging alternatives. While Threads has the advantage of integrating with fellow Meta apps, competitor BlueSky – which was launched by then-CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey in 2019 – is making waves with its different user-created algorithmic feeds,reaching 15 million users for the first time this week.
Shameless plug: Don’t forget to GZERO onTwitter/X … Threads … and BlueSky.Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pays tribute to the 309 victims of the earthquake that struck, in L'Aquila, Italy, on 5 April 2009.
Hard Numbers: Harris goes into Fox’s den, Italy’s international surrogacy ban, Nigeria’s fuel tanker explosion, Hong Kong tries to get the party started, Jimmy Carter casts his 21st presidential ballot
200 million: Kamala Harris went into conservative territory to appear on Fox News on Wednesday night. In a pre-taped, 30-minute interview with network host Bret Baier, the vice president was grilled on immigration and her history of supporting taxes used to fund gender-affirming care for federal prisoners and detained immigrants. The interview was contentious, with the two repeatedly talking over one another. Fox News, which reaches nearly 200 million people each month, was just the latest stop on Harris’ media blitz – and was likely an attempt to reach independents and moderate Republicans.
1.25: Surrogacy has been banned in Italy for 20 years, but Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’sconservative government has just gone a step further and criminalized seeking surrogacy abroad. Conservative lawmakers argued that they passed the law because they believe surrogacy is exploitative of women. Critics argued it would deprive gay or infertile couples of a way to have children and noted that the legislation targets a relatively small number of families in a country that already has a low birth rate.
100: A massive fuel tanker explosion in northern Nigeria killed 100 people and left 50 injured on Wednesday. The tanker exploded after veering to avoid colliding with a truck in the town of Maja. Fuel tanker explosions are common in Africa’s most populous nation, where roads can be poorly maintained. Complicating matters, residents often rush toward the tanker to siphon off fuel following accidents amid the country’s worst economic crisis in a generation.
10: Hong Kong has slashed its booze tax, one of the highest in the world, as the Chinese territory seeks to boost nightlife and revive its struggling economy. Until now, spirits with an alcoholic content of more than 30%, including brandy, whisky, and gin, had been subject to a 100% duty in Hong Kong. But the financial hub has been hit hard by China’s slowing economy and the fall in tourist numbers, leading the Beijing-backed government to slash the duty rate to 10%.
21: Former US President Jimmy Carter, who turned 100 this month, voted by mail on the first day of Georgia’s early voting on Tuesday. Although he did not reveal who he voted for, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in August that, even more than making it to his 100th birthday, he was “only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris.” At 19, Carter likely cast his first vote in the 1944 presidential election, as a part of the first cohort of voters made eligible to vote by Georgia lowering its voting age to 18, making this his 21st presidential election.
Is an EU-China trade war brewing?
Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden and co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations, shares his perspective on European politics from Vienna, Austria
Is there a risk of a full-scale trade war between the European Union and China?
Hopefully not. But it was a decision, somewhat controversial, the other day by the EU to impose tariffs, not too high but still substantial, on electric vehicles coming from China. The US, of course, has done something similar but much higher tariffs and without much of a theoretical justification. I mean, the EU tried to ground its different decisions in analysis of the subsidies generated or given to the different Chinese car manufacturers. China will retaliate in one way or the other. But talks are going on and there's no interest in a trade war either from the EU side or from the Chinese side. And we should not forget, by the way, that for the moment, there are 100 times more cars sold by European companies in China than Chinese vehicles or cars exported to Europe.
Why is the deal between Italy and Albania on refugee centers so controversial?
Well it's been criticized by human rights groups, whether that is justified or not, it's difficult for me to judge. But the idea is for roughly 3,000 asylum seekers to Italy to be roughly 3,000 of them every month to be processed in two centers in Italy that are going to be run by and financed by Italy. We'll see how this would work out. They would be coming from primarily what they call "safe countries," and that means that the expectation is, of course, that the majority of them, or the vast majority of them, will have to be repatriated to their respective countries. It's part of the effort by X numbers of European governments to deal with the migration issue that is in very many of the countries the number one domestic policy concern at the moment.
- Europe plays the blame game over asylum-seekers ›
- Migration makes strange bedfellows of Germany and Italy ›
- Does the EU really have a foreign policy? ›
- “Super Mario” wants to level up Europe against China ›
- EU-China "reset" in limbo ›
- AI can reduce trade costs, says WTO's Ngozi Okonojo-Iweala - GZERO Media ›
A child, suffering from malnutrition, is treated at Port Sudan Paediatric Centre, during a visit by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to the country, in Sudan, on Sept. 7, 2024.
Hard Numbers: Cholera spreads in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo turns to an unlikely source to boost tourism, Mass executions held in Iraq, Gunman hijacks bus in LA
430: Over 430 people have died from cholera in Sudan in the past month, according to the country’s health ministry, and the devastating civil war there is making it hard to provide treatment. Doctors Without Borders recently described the health system in Sudan as “decimated” and warned that the humanitarian response amid the cholera outbreak is “regularly obstructed by both warring parties.”
3: AC Milan, one of Italy’s top soccer teams, is reportedly in talks with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for a three-year sponsorship deal that would see the club promote the African country as a tourism destination. But there’s an ongoing war in the DRC. Vacationing in a war zone – what could go wrong? The Italian ambassador to the country was killed there just three years ago when the convoy he was traveling with was ambushed, making it no surprise that Italy currently advises people against visiting the country.
21: Iraq executed 21 people, including a woman, on Wednesday, with most reportedly charged with terrorism. Rights groups like Amnesty International have fiercely criticized Iraq for convicting people on “overly broad and vague terrorism charges,” and they have urged the Iraqi government to halt executions.
7: A bus was hijacked by a gunman in Los Angeles on Wednesday and traveled nearly seven miles before coming to a stop after police used spike strips and punctured one of the tires. One passenger reportedly died from gunshot wounds. The suspect has surrendered, but the motive remains unclear.