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Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, after it was decided Israel could compete.

They were among a number of countries who had called for Israel to be excluded over the war in Gaza and accusations of unfair voting practices.

We speak to our music correspondent Mark Savage

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The Prime Minister backed Rachel Reeves’ budget on Monday. On the same day, Keir Starmer, not once, not twice, but on three separate occasions spoke about Brexit. We discuss what’s actually going on…

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What’s behind Trump’s relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino?

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As the United States gets ready to host the FIFA World Cup 2026, Americast looks at what’s behind the close relationship between Donald Trump and the president of football’s world governing body, Gianna Infantino.

Sarah and Anthony go back to 2018 - in Trump’s first term - when America won its bid to host the 2026 World Cup. We look at how the relationship between Infantino and Trump has developed since then, and examine claims that the FIFA World Cup is being over politicised by both men.

The US president has threatened to move scheduled games away from Democrat cities, and the FIFA president has been criticised for creating a special peace prize that Donald Trump is widely expected to win.

What does the World Cup really mean for Donald Trump, and how will that impact on wider America, and the fans who watch the event?

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In the days after a Washington Post report raised questions about a September strike by the US military on a suspected drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean, lawmakers in Congress pledged to investigate further.

It was a rare moment of bipartisan concern about a controversial Trump administration action – prompting speculation that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was narrowly confirmed to office in January, might be on shaky ground.

Republicans defended the boat strike operation and praised Hegseth.

Since the first September attack, the US has conducted at least 22 similar strikes resulting in more than 80 deaths.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia is ready to provide "uninterrupted shipments" of fuel to India as Delhi has faced pressure from US President Donald Trump to stop buying Moscow's oil.

Putin made his comments during a joint media briefing with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while on his visit to India.

The US hit India with an additional 25% tariff over its purchases of Russian oil, arguing it was funding Moscow's war in Ukraine however, Putin and Modi made new cooperation agreements which were signed before the briefing.

The visit comes against the backdrop of US efforts to broker peace, but Putin warned again on Thursday that Ukraine must withdraw from the Donbas region or Russia will seize it.

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Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, after it was decided that Israel could compete.

They were among a number of countries who called for Israel to be excluded over the war in Gaza and accusations of unfair voting practices.

Ireland's RTÉ said it felt that its "participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk."

However, at a meeting in Geneva where a vote was held on new safeguards, a "large majority" of members agreed there was no need for a further vote on Israel’s participation and that Eurovision 2026 could proceed as planned, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said.

The BBC, which broadcasts Eurovision in the UK, said in a statement: "We support the collective decision made by members of the EBU. This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive."

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In BBC Question Time's Immigration Special from Dover, an audience member asked: "When will you actually stop the boats?".

Panellists discussed the matter, including Labour's Mike Tapp, Conservative Kieran Mullan, Liberal Democrat Daisy Cooper, the Green Party's Zack Polanski, and Reform UK's Zia Yusuf.

Catch up with the whole of the debate with BBC Question Time on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds now.

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The Russian leader Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to India is underway, where he has met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The pair are expected to sign a number of deals during the visit, which comes months after the US increased pressure on India to stop buying Russian oil.

We speak to our Delhi correspondent, Devina Gupta.

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An inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, the woman who died after she came into contact with poison intended for a former Russian agent, has reached the conclusion that President Putin was “morally responsible for her death”.

Adam is joined by Marie Lennon the host of the BBC’s podcast Crime Next Door: The Salisbury Poisonings and news correspondent, Tom Symonds to explore what else the inquiry found out.

Plus, Alex drops by to unpack why the government has postponed four mayoral elections that were set to take place next year. They say they need more time to prepare for the changes, but some of the candidates preparing to run in opposition have accused the government of being afraid of poor results.

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Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands will boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest after it was decided Israel could compete.

They were among a number of countries who had called for Israel to be excluded over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza, and accusations of unfair voting practices.

Despite calls for a vote on Israel's participation, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) members voted on a package of measures at its biannual general meeting.

The meeting also addressed new rules to limit the influence of governments on the results.

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