عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Entertainment

Dutch Say Won’t Participate in ‘No Longer’ Neutral Eurovision

A logo of the Eurovision Song Contest is seen in front of the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, May 1, 2025. (Reuters)
A logo of the Eurovision Song Contest is seen in front of the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, May 1, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Dutch Say Won’t Participate in ‘No Longer’ Neutral Eurovision

A logo of the Eurovision Song Contest is seen in front of the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, May 1, 2025. (Reuters)
A logo of the Eurovision Song Contest is seen in front of the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, May 1, 2025. (Reuters)

The Netherlands will not participate in next year's Eurovision Song Contest, its broadcaster said Monday, saying the event can "no longer be considered neutral" given divisions over the Gaza war. 

"It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character. The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division," said Taco Zimmerman, Director-General of AVROTROS in a statement from the broadcaster. 

The contest has recently been hit by a wave of boycotts over Israel's participation. 

Earlier this month, organizers announced they were excluding any country involved in an armed conflict from hosting the competition. 

"However, the recently announced changes... do not provide sufficient confidence that the independent and neutral character of the Eurovision Song Contest has been restored," said the AVROTROS statement. 

Israel came close to winning the competition in both 2025 and 2026, ultimately finishing second on each occasion. 

Next year's event, the world's biggest live televised music event, will take place on May 15 in Bulgaria's Black Sea city of Burgas. 

It will be the first time that the Balkan nation hosts the contest, coming after Bulgarian singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won this year's contest in the Austrian capital Vienna with the catchy floor-filler "Bangaranga". 

Since its launch in 1955, Eurovision has become the ultimate pop platform, catapulting Swedish icons ABBA to worldwide fame, as well as boosting the likes of Celine Dion, Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton-John. 

The 2026 competition was watched by 131 million viewers, down 35 million on the year before after five countries boycotted it over Israel's participation. 

The Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all pulled out of the contest -- with the latter three refusing to broadcast the show at all. 

The Dutch took part in the very first Eurovision Song Contest back in 1956 and have won on five occasions. 

The most recent winner was Duncan Laurence whose song Arcade won the contest in 2019, going on to top charts globally. 

It became the first Eurovision entry to reach one billion streams on Spotify, according to the Eurovision website. 

The withdrawal is "painful as we would have very much liked to be part of the Contest again next year," said Zimmerman. 

"As a public broadcaster, we remain committed to our values. They guide us in everything we do, even when that means stepping away from an event that is very close to our hearts," he added. 

Most Viewed

 
 
Entertainment

Gaza Documentary Wins Venice Special Jury Prize

Director Yuval Abraham and Director Rachel Szor winners of the Special Jury Prize for "NAZA" attend a photocall on the red carpet following the closing ceremony of the 83rd Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido on September 12, 2026. (AFP)
Director Yuval Abraham and Director Rachel Szor winners of the Special Jury Prize for "NAZA" attend a photocall on the red carpet following the closing ceremony of the 83rd Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido on September 12, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Gaza Documentary Wins Venice Special Jury Prize

Director Yuval Abraham and Director Rachel Szor winners of the Special Jury Prize for "NAZA" attend a photocall on the red carpet following the closing ceremony of the 83rd Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido on September 12, 2026. (AFP)
Director Yuval Abraham and Director Rachel Szor winners of the Special Jury Prize for "NAZA" attend a photocall on the red carpet following the closing ceremony of the 83rd Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido on September 12, 2026. (AFP)

A chilling new documentary about Israel's AI-assisted killing of civilians in Gaza by two Israeli directors won a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.

"NAZA", by Oscar-winning Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, had been tipped by some critics for the top Golden Lion prize for best film after a record-breaking 25-minute ovation at its premiere on Thursday.

Receiving the award, Abraham said that in the 10 days since the festival began, "Israel killed six Palestinian children in Gaza at least".

"The Israeli intelligence officers we spoke with talked to us how this mass killing is systemic: not by accident, but by design, actions of murder and policies that are based on the total dehumanization of Palestinians," he told the audience.

The special jury prize is given out each year by the jury to recognize an outstanding work, but it is below the Golden and Silver Lions in the pecking order.

Abraham and Szor won an Oscar in 2025 for their film "No Other Land" about Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

In their Gaza film, the directing pair used conversations with 24 different Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers who spoke on condition that their identities be protected.

The 80-minute film left many audience members stunned, with interviewees describing how they felt like they worked in a killing "factory" or a lethal video game while using Israel's AI-powered targeting systems to bombard Gaza.

It was described as an "urgent, gut-punch" by film magazine Screen, while The Hollywood Reporter said it inspired "outrage" and "most certainly disgust, on a profound level, for the current Israeli regime".

The film was the only documentary in Venice's main competition.

Abraham called it "really, really, especially important for us that Israelis watch this film."

"It's our country that is doing these crimes," he said.

Israel's bombardment of Gaza has left around 73,500 Palestinians dead and 174,500 wounded since October 2023, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the United Nations deem reliable.

The pounding of the territory followed an attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, that resulted in the death of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

The Israeli military has criticized the use of anonymous testimonies in the film, saying on Friday the identities of the whistleblowers "cannot be verified".

Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians.

Asked by a journalist following the awards ceremony about the military's reaction, Abraham responded that "it seems like an attempt to not face reality".

Abraham defended the film's reporting, done in partnership with Britain's The Guardian newspaper, calling it "rigorous" and its findings reported by other mainstream journalists as well.

He added that the filmmakers had received threats but did not go into more detail.

Entertainment

Stallone Biopic ‘I Play Rocky’ Receives Standing Ovation at TIFF

Director Peter Farrelly attends the premiere of "I Play Rocky" at the Princess of Wales Theatre during the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Toronto. (AP)
Director Peter Farrelly attends the premiere of "I Play Rocky" at the Princess of Wales Theatre during the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Toronto. (AP)
TT
TT

Stallone Biopic ‘I Play Rocky’ Receives Standing Ovation at TIFF

Director Peter Farrelly attends the premiere of "I Play Rocky" at the Princess of Wales Theatre during the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Toronto. (AP)
Director Peter Farrelly attends the premiere of "I Play Rocky" at the Princess of Wales Theatre during the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Toronto. (AP)

"I Play Rocky," a new film which traces the path of a then-unknown Sylvester Stallone fighting to create the movie that would make him a star, premiered Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it garnered a standing ovation.

Directed by Peter Farrelly, who won an Oscar for the 2018 film "Green Book," the film recounts Stallone's initial struggles as he tried to break into Hollywood.

His big break came when he wrote a screenplay about a boxer who, against all odds, gets his moment in the ring and seizes the opportunity -- a story that reflected his own reality.

Poor to the point that he had to sell his dog because he could not afford to feed it, Stallone turned down studio offers for the script over one condition: he would only sell it if he could star in it.

"The depth that Stallone had gone to before he made this movie, and the battle was even when he was shooting the movie, it all got me, because I didn't know it all," Farrelly told AFP on the red carpet in Toronto.

- 'Just hang in there' -

The filmmaker said he aimed to convey the same message in his film as the 1976 original: "Just hang in there, be tough, you take some shots, but if you have integrity, you will win in the end."

Shot on a shoestring budget, "Rocky" ended up becoming the highest grossing film of 1976, catapulting Stallone to stardom and garnering 10 Academy Award nominations, winning three, including Best Picture.

Before the movie screened, Farrelly personally thanked Stallone for giving his blessing to make the film.

"I said from the beginning I'm not going to make the movie unless Sylvester Stallone signs off on it," Farrelly told AFP.

"And he read the script and said 'go ahead,' and he saw the movie, he was very happy, thank God."

The film stars 27-year-old actor Anthony Ippolito as Stallone, who landed the role by sending in an audition tape before casting even began, Farrelly said.

"The movie shows that it's not really that easy to be an actor sometimes, and it's just...absolutely surreal," Ippolito said.

TIFF concludes on September 20.

Entertainment

K-Pop Superstar Lisa Sparks Fan Frenzy at TIFF Documentary Premiere

Lisa poses for a photograph on the red carpet for "Always Lalisa" at the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (The Canadian Press via AP)
Lisa poses for a photograph on the red carpet for "Always Lalisa" at the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (The Canadian Press via AP)
TT
TT

K-Pop Superstar Lisa Sparks Fan Frenzy at TIFF Documentary Premiere

Lisa poses for a photograph on the red carpet for "Always Lalisa" at the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (The Canadian Press via AP)
Lisa poses for a photograph on the red carpet for "Always Lalisa" at the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (The Canadian Press via AP)

K-pop ‌star Lisa was met by piercing screams from fans as she walked the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of her new documentary, "Always Lalisa."

Lisa rose to fame as a member of the K-pop girl group Blackpink, and the film follows a year in her life after taking a break from the band to embark on a solo career.

"I ‌just tried ‌to find new things — like ‌what ⁠can I do ⁠more than this?" she told Reuters in an interview after the Friday premiere.

The star, whose full name is Lalisa Manobal, said she initially thought a year would be long enough, but is still trying to figure out what she loves and ⁠her next challenge.

"Always Lalisa" captures ‌her triumphs and setbacks ‌between 2024 and 2025, documenting the release of her ‌debut solo album "Alter Ego," her acting debut ‌in HBO's hit series "The White Lotus" and preparations to perform on her own before huge crowds at the Coachella music festival.

The documentary was directed by Sue ‌Kim, an executive producer on Apple TV's 2024 documentary series "K-Pop Idols."

"This is this ⁠incredible ⁠opportunity to get to know someone who we're only ever given a very specific image of because of the music system that she comes from. We get to have this unprecedented access, proximity and exposure to her ... It's not the world of K-pop,” Kim told Reuters.

After Lisa's return to the group, Blackpink in February made a return with the mini-album "DEADLINE," their first release in more than three years.

"Always Lalisa" opens in cinemas on October 12.