Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, which is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest next year, has said it will not block Palestinian flags in the audience or suppress crowd reactions during Israel’s performance.
Speaking in Vienna on Tuesday, executives from ORF (Österreichischer Rundfunk) said that the network would present events as they happen, even if Israel’s performance is met with boos.
ORF’s director of programming, Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz, said artificial applause would not be used to mask audience reactions, while executive producer Michael Kroen confirmed that all official flags would be allowed, provided they meet local legal and security requirements.
In previous Eurovision contests, audience boos during Israel’s performance were often minimised or drowned out in the television broadcast, a practice criticised by viewers and broadcasters
The 70th edition of Eurovision, due to take place in Vienna in May, will feature 35 countries — the lowest number since 2003 — after five broadcasters, including those from Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands, announced a boycott in protest at Israel’s participation.
Critics say taking part would be inappropriate given the scale of civilian deaths in Gaza following Israel’s military response to the Hamas attacks of 7 October, 2023.
Eurovision organisers say their aim is to provide an accurate reflection of events inside the arena. Last year’s contest drew about 166 million viewers worldwide, according to the European Broadcasting Union.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed reports that Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s toppled leader, was previously offered asylum in Türk...
Armenia has confirmed the shipment of a second batch of petroleum products from Azerbaijan, underscoring expanding economic ties between the two count...
Azerbaijan said it's conducting due diligence ahead of a potential $250–270 million investment in Israeli desalination company IDE Technologies, acc...
Former NATO Deputy Secretary-General Rose Gottemoeller has warned that Europe could face a future without U.S. nuclear deterrence....
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce the creation of a Gaza “Board of Peace” next week as part of the second phase of the ceasefire...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed reports that Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s toppled leader, was previously offered asylum in Türkiye. “We have not received any such news,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by local media after a Cabinet meeting held Wednesday in Ankara.
Armenia has confirmed the shipment of a second batch of petroleum products from Azerbaijan, underscoring expanding economic ties between the two countries following the recent peace process. Yerevan's Ministry of Economy’s spokesperson, Lilit Shaboyan, verified the information.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce the creation of a Gaza “Board of Peace” next week as part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza, according to reports.
Snow and ice stalled travellers in northwest Europe on Wednesday, forcing around a thousand to spend the night in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport but delighting others who set out to explore a snow-blanketed Paris on sledges and skis.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
Diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated as Japan slams China's export ban on dual-use goods. Markets have wobbled as fears grow over a potential rare earth embargo affecting global supply chains.
Snow and ice stalled travellers in northwest Europe on Wednesday, forcing around a thousand to spend the night in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport but delighting others who set out to explore a snow-blanketed Paris on sledges and skis.
Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
Iran’s chief justice has warned protesters there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as rights groups reported a rising death toll during what observers describe as the country’s biggest wave of unrest in three years.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed reports that Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s toppled leader, was previously offered asylum in Türkiye. “We have not received any such news,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by local media after a Cabinet meeting held Wednesday in Ankara.
Former NATO Deputy Secretary-General Rose Gottemoeller has warned that Europe could face a future without U.S. nuclear deterrence.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 8th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian attacks late on Wednesday (7 January) left almost all of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions without electricity, Ukrainian authorities said, amid freezing temperatures and worsening winter conditions.
A 37-year-old U.S. citizen was shot dead by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday (7 January) during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation, sparking protests and an investigation.
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