Maneskin of Italy pose with the Eurovision 2021 trophy. Reuters
Maneskin of Italy pose with the Eurovision 2021 trophy. Reuters
Maneskin of Italy pose with the Eurovision 2021 trophy. Reuters
Maneskin of Italy pose with the Eurovision 2021 trophy. Reuters

Italian Eurovision winner Damiano David returns negative test after drug furore


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

Damiano David, the flamboyant singer of Italy's Eurovision-winning rockers Maneskin, has tested negative for drugs, contest organisers said on Monday.

The red lederhosen-clad vocalist was tested after footage of him leaning over a table in the hospitality area of the competition in Rotterdam went viral.

Eurovision, the annual televised pop music extravaganza watched by millions each year, is put together by the European Broadcasting Union.

The union, in Geneva, said that after claims of drug use backstage, it reviewed the facts, including checking all available footage.

It said David voluntarily had a drug test on Monday "which has returned a negative result seen by the EBU".

"No drug use took place in the green room and we consider the matter closed," the organiser said.

"We are alarmed that inaccurate speculation leading to fake news has overshadowed the spirit and the outcome of the event and unfairly affected the band."

Maneskin, the favourites, fought off heavy competition from France and Switzerland, surging to victory on Saturday with the public vote to win on 524 points with their song Zitti E Buoni.

"We wish to congratulate Maneskin once again and wish them huge success," the union said.

"We look forward to working with our Italian member Rai on producing a spectacular Eurovision Song Contest in Italy next year."

Such was the furore that even the French government weighed in, seeing grounds for disqualification if David tested positive.

France's European affairs minister Clement Beaune had called for "total transparency".

"I think there needs to be no doubt here," Beaune told RMC radio.

"If there is a problem, there are penalties. Provisions are made for sanctioning measures, including potential disqualification in case of problems."

French hopes had been riding high on singer Barbara Pravi, who was a favourite to end France's 44-year Eurovision drought with her moody ballad Voila.

But Pravi was edged out at the last minute by a surge in public votes for Maneskin.

"I don't want to be a sore loser," Beaune said. "In terms of image, we can't let people think that such competitions can result in such behaviour."

But the president of France's public broadcasting group said on Monday that the country would not contest its second-place finish, regardless of the speculation.

David was asked about the footage early on Sunday, and said he was looking down because guitarist Thomas Raggi had broken a glass.

"I don't use drugs. Please, guys. Don't say that really, no cocaine. Please, don't say that," he said.

The four-piece band, which also features bass player Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Raggi and drummer Ethan Torchio, told fans on Twitter: "We still can't believe what's going on. These last few days have been incredible and this is just the beginning.

"Our new album Teatro D'Ira has just gone platinum, and so has Le Parole Lontane. This is all thanks to you.

"We can't wait to go on tour all around the world and share our music with all of you."

Italy is one of Eurovision's "Big Five", along with Britain, France, Germany and Spain, who automatically qualify for the finals each year.

Meanwhile Britain's crushing "nul points" was down to the poor selection process, not bad blood over Brexit, a senior minister insisted on Monday.

James Newman scored no points from the jury or public vote for his song Embers.

It was only the second time the country has failed to win any points at all. The last time it happened was in 2003 after an off-key performance by the group Jemini.

But Saturday's poor showing was the second year in a row that Britain came in last place.

"There is a fundamental problem with the way that we are choosing our performances and singers," international trade minister Liz Truss told LBC radio.

But Truss dismissed a suggestion that voters passed over the UK entry because of the divisive departure from the EU.

"I don't think it's a post-Brexit snub," she said. "I think that we need to have more competition to get the right entrant."

_________________

Read more:

James Newman to represent the UK in Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest: 10 memorable star-making acts across the years, from Abba to Celine Dion

Eurovision 2021: Belarus banned from contest due to song's 'political' lyrics

_________________

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

  • In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
  • Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
  • Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.

Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5

2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier

The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier

Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets

Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs

Table

1 UAE 5 5 0 10

2 Qatar 5 4 1 8

3 Saudi 5 3 2 6

4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4

5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2

6 Maldives 5 0 5 0

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

While you're here

Michael Young: Where is Lebanon headed?

Kareem Shaheen: I owe everything to Beirut

Raghida Dergham: We have to bounce back

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

Match info

Premier League

Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)

The five pillars of Islam
EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

 

 

Innotech Profile

Date started: 2013

Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari

Based: Muscat, Oman

Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies

Size: 15 full-time employees

Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing 

Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now. 

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeap%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ziad%20Toqan%20and%20Jamil%20Khammu%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven%3C%2Fp%3E%0A