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.
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As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
The 81st UN General Assembly has wrapped up its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplomatic meetings.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan will hold an urgent high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The meeting comes as Tehran seeks to distance itself from the rapid advance of its Houthi allies.
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Air Force reported on Friday (25 September).
The Middle East arrived at the United Nations this week with the consequences of a war that is no longer contained to one front. From Israel and Iran to Syria and Yemen, leaders have used the General Assembly to set out competing positions on the situation in the region.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 25 September 2026, with five key developments from the third day of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Xi Jinping touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday evening to a welcome that was fairly unprecedented. President Donald Trump was there on the tarmac to greet him personally, which is something no sitting U.S. president had done for a visiting foreign leader in six decades.
The U.S. Senate narrowly rejected a resolution on Thursday that would have required President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran or seek congressional authorisation, as Democrats sought to put Republicans on the record over the increasingly unpopular conflict ahead of November's midterm elections.
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