NEWS EVENTS WEEKLY

21 - 28 October 2024

FILE: The EBU rooftop position overlooking the White House for election night (EBU)

Hello Wypierdalaj,

Moldovan voters look to have committed to joining the EU by the thinnest of margins, less than 1% with over 99% of the votes counted. The shock result was widely expected to comfortably pass, however incumbent president Sandu has denounced the narrow result as a product of Russian interference. Sandu won the first round of the election with 41% of the voting. The second round will take place in November.
The result in Moldova could be a foretelling for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia, also adjacent to Russia, taking place this weekend 26 October. This election is widely viewed as a test of whether the country will return to Russian ties, or continue its path towards the EU.

In the US, the election polls are still showing a close race, with both candidates holding rallies this week in Michigan, a key battleground state. Eurovision News Events will provide manned and dedicated live positions in Washington DC with a view of the White House in the build-up and during election day, and at or near the candidates' Election night Parties. Contact us for more information.

The 16th BRICS Summit begins this week from 22 to 24 October. Leaders from the top emerging economies have already started arriving in the Russian city. You can find out all the information about this event further down.

Enjoy your read and we look forward to your feedback and suggestions!

Take a look at our ongoing and planned news operations for the week. You can always find the full list on eurovision.net/events/news.

SNAPSHOT

Here are some of the most important things to remember this week:

• Peru will host APEC Economic Leaders for the third time from 9 to 16 November. Accreditation is still open for media until 4 November. The accreditation process can be found here.

• The same week that APEC leaders meet in Peru, COP29 will begin in Baku, Azerbaijan. Accreditation for media is still open through the UNFCCC portal. For those who require visa’s, the Azerbaijani Government has authorised a special ‘COP29 Special Visa’ free of charge, which allows holders up to 30 days in the country.

• The G20 Leaders' Summit is scheduled to take place on 18 and 19 November in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Our producer in Rio has informed us that there will be a large open plan workspace, and that the stand-up positions will be on the Vivo Rio balcony with an outside view. Contact us for more information.

FILE: BRICS flags outside the venue in Kazan (RIA Novosti)

IN FOCUS

16th BRICS Leaders' Summit

22 - 24 October - Washington, DC, United States

The three-day BRICS Summit begins tomorrow 22 October and is reported to see participation of 33 countries, 24 of which will be represented at leadership level.
This year’s edition has attracted a level of interest rarely seen since its founding 15 years ago with expansion last year when Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt and the UAE joined as members. Other countries have since expressed interest in joining the group. The expansion of BRICS is seen as a success for China, who has been trying to boost its global influence.

34 additional countries have expressed interest in joining the bloc, including Malaysia, Thailand, Nigeria and also Turkey, a NATO member.

Brazil’s President Lula will not be attending this year in-person citing a medical emergency, after suffering a fall causing a head injury. Lula will attend virtually via videoconference.

Top of the agenda for the summit is expected to be moving away from the US dollar as common currency, which has been a focus of the group in previous years. For Russia this is a high priority as it would negate the impact of Western sanctions. They have proposed the BRICS Cross-Border Payment initiative, allowing members to use national currency to trade.

Media attending the summit should make their way to Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre, either by the Aeroexpress train departing from Kazan 1 Rail Terminal, Vakhitovo Station, and Beryozovaya Roshcha Station which is free for those with accreditation. The travel time is around 30 minutes. There is also a free shuttle from the same stations, also free with accreditation. No private vehicles are allowed to access the venue directly. You should allow at least 30 minutes to get through security.

There was a long delay for media picking up accreditation today, so take this into concideration if you do not yet have your acces to the IMC.

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