VIENNA: Austria’s public broadcaster, which hosts the next Eurovision contest, on Tuesday said it hoped for a compromise on Israel’s participation in the massive TV extravaganza ahead of a vote next month.
The Eurovision Song Contest’s organizers, the European Broadcasting Union, said last month that Israel’s participation would be dealt with at its regular gathering in December.
A growing number of countries have threatened to boycott the 2026 edition of the world’s biggest live music television event unless Israel was excluded over the war in Gaza.
ORF director general Roland Weissmann said he carried out “intense work” to convince his foreign counterparts to come to Vienna next May for the contest.
“Honestly, this is the time for diplomacy,” he told reporters.
Spain said it would boycott next year’s event if Israel took part. Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands have made similar threats.
Other countries such as Belgium, Sweden and Finland have also been considering a boycott.
Sepp Schellhorn, a senior Austrian foreign ministry official, has slammed the boycott calls as “dumb and pointless,” while Germany has also accused the countries behind the push of politicizing a cultural event.
Russia was excluded following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while Belarus had been excluded a year earlier after the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko.
Romania, Moldova, and Bulgaria have announced their intention to return in 2026. Canada has also expressed interest.
Some 166 million viewers in 37 countries watched the 2025 competition, held in Basel, Switzerland.
Austria’s JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, won the 2025 song contest with “Wasted Love,” blending techno beats with operatic vocals.
The victory earned Austria the right to host the 70th edition of Eurovision.
Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael finished in second place. She survived the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war, hiding beneath bodies as Hamas gunmen attacked a music festival, killing hundreds.
Eurovision host Austria hopes for compromise on Israel participation
https://arab.news/cq2xq
Eurovision host Austria hopes for compromise on Israel participation
- The Eurovision Song Contest’s organizers said last month that Israel’s participation would be dealt with at its regular gathering in December
- A growing number of countries have threatened to boycott the 2026 edition of the world’s biggest live music television event unless Israel was excluded over the war in Gaza
94 million need cataract surgery, but access lacking: WHO
- Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision
GENEVA: More than 94 million people suffer from cataracts, but half of them do not have access to the surgery needed to fix it, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
Cataracts — the clouding of the eye’s lens that causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness — are on the rise as populations get older, with age being the main risk factor.
“Cataract surgery — a simple, 15-minute procedure — is one of the most cost-effective medical procedures, providing immediate and lasting restoration of sight,” the WHO said.
It is one of the most frequently performed surgeries undertaken in high-income countries.
However, “half of the world’s population in need of cataract surgery don’t have access to it,” said Stuart Keel, the UN health agency’s technical lead for eye care.
The situation is worst in the WHO’s Africa region, where three in four people needing cataract surgery remain untreated.
In Kenya, at the current rate, 77 percent of people needing cataract surgery are likely to die with their cataract blindness or vision impairment, said Keel.
Across all regions, women consistently experience lower access to care than men.
Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision.
- 2030 vision -
The WHO said that over the past two decades, global cataract surgery coverage had increased by 15 percent.
In 2021, WHO member states set a target of a 30-percent increase by 2030.
However, current modelling predicts that cataract surgery coverage will rise by only about 8.4 percent this decade.
To close the gap, the WHO urged countries to integrate eye examinations into primary health care and invest in the required surgical equipment.
States should also expand the eye-care workforce, training surgeons in a standardised manner and then distributing them throughout the country, notably outside major cities.
The WHO was on Wednesday launching new guidance for countries on how to provide quality cataract surgery services.
It will also issue guidance to help support workforce development.
Keel said the main issue was capacity and financing.
“We do need money invested to get rid of this backlog, which is nearly 100 million people,” he told a press conference.
While age is the primary risk factor for cataracts, others include prolonged UV-B light exposure, tobacco use, prolonged corticosteroid use and diabetes.
Keel urged people to keep up regular eye checks as they get older, with most problems able to be either prevented or diagnosed and treated.
The cost of the new lens that goes inside the eye can be under $100.
However, out-of-pocket costs can be higher when not covered by health insurance.
“Cataract surgery is one of the most powerful tools we have to restore vision and transform lives,” said Devora Kestel, head of the WHO’s noncommunicable diseases and mental health department.
“When people regain their sight, they regain independence, dignity, and opportunity.”
