00:00The final lineup for this year's Eurovision Song Contest is set after six more countries were eliminated in Thursday's second semi-final.
00:11Those who made the cut include Austrian counter-tenor JJ, a bookie's favorite, who will be singing his over-the-top pop opera song Wasted Love.
00:21Malta's Mariana Conte also managed to impress voters with her campy song Serving, as well as her extravagant set design.
00:30Israel, Luxembourg, Denmark, Armenia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Greece also advanced to the final.
00:37They will go up against contenders selected in Tuesday's first semi-final, host countries Switzerland and the Big Five, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
00:49Like in 2024, this year's Eurovision has been clouded by controversy over Israel's participation.
00:55Social media footage showed attendees unfurling a large Palestinian flag in the crowd during Israeli entrant Yuval Raphael's rehearsal performance.
01:06Several public broadcasters and former contestants called for Israel to be excluded from the competition because of its ongoing offensive in Gaza.
01:15The organizers of the event defended their decision to allow Israel's participation, citing that the contest must remain politically neutral.
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