Public broadcasters in Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia on Thursday pulled out of next year's Eurovision Song Contest after organizers decided to allow Israel to compete, putting political discord on center stage over a usually joyful celebration of music.

The walkouts came after the general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union — a group of public broadcasters from 56 countries that runs the glitzy annual event — met to discuss concerns about Israel's participation, which some countries oppose over its conduct of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

In a sign for the potential for turmoil, the leader of an Israeli-backed Palestinian militia, Yasser Abu Shabab, was shot to death during a dispute with another family in southern Gaza, his militia said Thursday. The killing could be a setback for Israeli efforts to prop up its own alternative to Hamas in Gaza.

The Popular Forces is one of several armed Palestinian groups supported by Israel and operating in Israeli-controlled zones. The groups tout themselves as anti-Hamas nationalist forces but have been denounced by many Palestinians, including Abu Shabab’s family, as tools of the Israeli military.

Britain sanctioned Russia's GRU intelligence agency and summoned Moscow's ambassador on Thursday after an inquiry concluded that President Vladimir Putin was responsible for a nerve agent attack on British soil in 2018.

Harry Kane scored his 25th Bayern Munich goal of the season and gave away a penalty as he led his team to the German Cup quarterfinals with a 3-2 win over Union Berlin on Wednesday.

Kylian Mbappé scored twice and had an assist as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 to end a three-match winless streak in the Spanish league on Wednesday.

Eduardo Camavinga also found the net for Madrid as it moved back within one point of Barcelona, which beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 on Tuesday.

Another win for Arsenal. More misery for Liverpool and its under-fire manager Arne Slot.

While Arsenal accelerated its Premier League title charge with a 2-0 victory over Brentford to regain a five-point lead, Liverpool needed a late own-goal just to salvage a 1-1 draw with Sunderland at Anfield.

Mohamed Salah was left out of Liverpool's starting lineup by manager Arne Slot on Wednesday for the second straight Premier League match, in what could be a sign of the Egypt winger's fading status in his ninth season at the club.

Salah was named on the bench for the home game against Sunderland, only entering as a halftime substitute — and failing to score — in a 1-1 draw at Anfield.

President Donald Trump has long praised tariffs as key to increasing wealth in the United States, idealizing Gilded Age policies that preceded the implementation of a modern federal income tax.

Among the potential benefits, Trump claims, is the ability to replace revenue from federal income taxes with money the U.S. is taking in from tariffs — a concept he has touted since his 2024 presidential campaign, most recently at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.

Turkey's energy minister issued a call for the supply of oil and gas in the Black Sea to be protected after three Russian tankers were targeted off the Turkish coast.

Alparslan Bayraktar said Turkey was concerned not just by the threat to shipping but also to two undersea pipelines, Blue Stream and Turk Stream, that carry natural gas from Russia to Turkey.

A doctor who pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to Matthew Perry was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on Wednesday at an emotional hearing over the "Friends" star's overdose death.

Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the sentence that included two years of probation and a $5,600 fine to 44-year-old Dr. Salvador Plasencia in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles.