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By Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama TOKYO, Dec 5 (Reuters) – American actor and playwright Jeremy O. Harris, known for the Tony-nominated "Slave Play", was arrested last month at an airport in Japan on suspicion of attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country, local authorities said late on Thursday. Harris, 36, was stopped on November 16 at Naha Airport on Okinawa island after a customs officer discovered 0.78 grams of crystal containing the synthetic narcotic MDMA in his tote bag, an Okinawa Regional Customs spokesperson said. He was immediately arrested on suspicion of violating Japan's Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act. Local customs officials filed a criminal accusation with the regional prosecutor's office on Thursday to begin formal charging proceedings against Harris. An official with a police station in Tomigusuku city in southern Okinawa confirmed that Harris remains in custody. The official declined to comment on whether Harris has admitted to the allegations. Harris' representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it was unclear whether he has retained legal representation in Japan. Harris had arrived in Okinawa for sightseeing purposes, travelling from Britain via Taiwan, where he had a flight layover, the customs spokesperson said. Okinawa is a popular resort destination some 1,500 km (930 miles) southwest of Tokyo, known for its beaches and American military bases. Japan maintains strict drug laws with severe penalties for possession and smuggling offences. The country has some of the toughest narcotics regulations among developed nations, with even small amounts of illegal substances resulting in criminal prosecution. Punishments, however, are not as harsh as in other Asian countries such as China and Singapore, where drug offenders can face the death penalty. Foreigners arrested in recent years in Japan for suspected drug offences include former Australian rugby league player Blake Ferguson in December 2021. In 1980, former Beatle Paul McCartney was arrested after arriving in Tokyo with a bag of marijuana and was banned from entering Japan for years. (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Danielle Broadway in Los Angeles; Editing by Tom Hogue)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama TOKYO, Dec 5 (Reuters) – American actor and playwright Jeremy O. Harris, known for the Tony-nominated "Slave Play", was arrested last month at an airport in Japan on suspicion of attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country, local authorities said late on Thursday. Harris, 36, was stopped on November 16 at Naha Airport on Okinawa island after a customs officer discovered 0.78 grams of crystal containing the synthetic narcotic MDMA in his tote bag, an Okinawa Regional Customs spokesperson said. He was immediately arrested on suspicion of violating Japan's Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act. Local customs officials filed a criminal accusation with the regional prosecutor's office on Thursday to begin formal charging proceedings against Harris. An official with a police station in Tomigusuku city in southern Okinawa confirmed that Harris remains in custody. The official declined to comment on whether Harris has admitted to the allegations. Harris' representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it was unclear whether he has retained legal representation in Japan. Harris had arrived in Okinawa for sightseeing purposes, travelling from Britain via Taiwan, where he had a flight layover, the customs spokesperson said. Okinawa is a popular resort destination some 1,500 km (930 miles) southwest of Tokyo, known for its beaches and American military bases. Japan maintains strict drug laws with severe penalties for possession and smuggling offences. The country has some of the toughest narcotics regulations among developed nations, with even small amounts of illegal substances resulting in criminal prosecution. Punishments, however, are not as harsh as in other Asian countries such as China and Singapore, where drug offenders can face the death penalty. Foreigners arrested in recent years in Japan for suspected drug offences include former Australian rugby league player Blake Ferguson in December 2021. In 1980, former Beatle Paul McCartney was arrested after arriving in Tokyo with a bag of marijuana and was banned from entering Japan for years. (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Danielle Broadway in Los Angeles; Editing by Tom Hogue)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Olivia Le Poidevin, Klaus Lauer, Johnny Cotton and Cecile Mantovani GENEVA, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Israel was cleared on Thursday to enter the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest by the organiser, prompting Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia to withdraw over the Gaza war and plunging the competition into one of the biggest rows in its history. The broadcasters who had threatened to boycott the event cited the death count in Gaza and accused Israel of flouting rules meant to guard the contest's neutrality. Israel accuses its critics of mounting a global smear campaign against it. After a meeting in Geneva, the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, decided not to call a vote on Israel's participation, saying it had instead passed new rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest. Right after that announcement by the contest organiser, the Dutch, Spanish, Irish and Slovenian broadcasters said they would withdraw, meaning singers from their countries would not compete in the contest that draws millions of viewers worldwide. Ben Robertson, a Eurovision expert from fan website ESC Insight, said the contest's integrity was at its lowest ebb. "Never in the history of the contest have we had such a vote, and such a split, between the member broadcasters of the European Broadcasting Union," he said. Both the Israeli government and opposition leaders celebrated the country's inclusion. Golan Yochpaz, CEO of Israeli broadcaster KAN, likened the efforts to exclude Israel to a form of "cultural boycott." Rounding on the countries withdrawing, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X: "The disgrace is upon them." IRELAND SAYS ITS PARTICIPATION 'UNCONSCIONABLE' The Eurovision Song Contest dates back to 1956 and reaches around 160 million viewers, according to the EBU – more than the almost 128 million recorded for this year's U.S. Super Bowl, according to figures from Nielsen. Israel's participation has divided opinion in the competition that has a history of entanglement in national rivalries, international issues and political voting. Its 2025 entrant, Yuval Raphael, was at the Nova music festival, a target of the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. A total of 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in the assault by Hamas, according to Israeli tallies. More than 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the ensuing conflict, according to health authorities in the enclave. Irish broadcaster RTE said it felt "Ireland's 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". Jose Pablo Lopez, head of Spanish state broadcaster RTVE said on X: "What happened in the EBU Assembly confirms that Eurovision is not a song contest but a festival dominated by geopolitical interests and fractured." RTV Slovenija said it together with Spain, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Turkey, Algeria and Iceland requested a secret vote on Israel's participation, but it was not held. Icelandic public broadcaster RUV said its board will make a decision on Wednesday on whether to participate in the next Eurovision, which will be held in Vienna in May. "I feel sad that other countries are not going to compete next year," said 33-year-old Tel Aviv Eurovision fan Jurij Vlasov, adding the Netherlands' song this year was his favorite. In Austria, which backed Israel, Eurovision fans welcomed its inclusion, even as some in Spain took the opposite view. "Why should the population, or a part of the population, not participate?," said Vienna resident Bernhard Kleemann. "If countries decide not to participate because they condemn the government and the prime minister, that's their decision." "BORN FROM THE ASHES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR" Instead of voting on Israel, the EBU said its members backed rules intended to discourage governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to sway voters after allegations that Israel unfairly boosted its 2025 entrant. "This vote means that all EBU Members who wish to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and agree to comply with the new rules are eligible to take part," it said. Israel's President Isaac Herzog thanked his country's supporters, saying he hoped the song contest would continue to champion "culture, music, friendship between nations". Germany, a major Eurovision backer, had signalled it would not take part if Israel was barred. Germany's culture minister Wolfram Weimer told the Bild newspaper he welcomed the decision. "Israel belongs to the Eurovision Song Contest like Germany belongs to Europe," he said. Martin Green, the contest's director, said EBU members showed they wanted to protect the neutrality of the competition. "Eurovision was born from the ashes of the Second World War," he said. "It was designed to bring us together, and it will hit bumps in the road, and we have a complicated world, but we hope it's a temporary situation, and we'll move forward." (Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, John Cotton and Cecile Mantovani; Additional reporting by Klaus Lauer, Andreas Rinke and Miranda Murray in Berlin, Emma Pinedo Gonzalez, Sergio Goncalves and Silvio Castellanos in Madrid, Andrei Khalip in Lisbon, Steven Scheer in Jerusalem and Roleen Tafakji in Tel Aviv, Gerhard Mey, Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Sam Tabahriti in London, Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam, Elviira Luoma in Gdansk, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen, Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo, Padraic Halpin in Dublin and Francois Murphy in Vienna Writing by Dave GrahamEditing by Toby Chopra, Alexandra Hudson, Andrew Heavens and Diane Craft)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Olivia Le Poidevin, Klaus Lauer, Johnny Cotton and Cecile Mantovani GENEVA, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Israel was cleared on Thursday to enter the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest by the organiser, prompting Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia to withdraw over the Gaza war and plunging the competition into one of the biggest rows in its history. The broadcasters who had threatened to boycott the event cited the death count in Gaza and accused Israel of flouting rules meant to guard the contest's neutrality. Israel accuses its critics of mounting a global smear campaign against it. After a meeting in Geneva, the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, decided not to call a vote on Israel's participation, saying it had instead passed new rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest. Right after that announcement by the contest organiser, the Dutch, Spanish, Irish and Slovenian broadcasters said they would withdraw, meaning singers from their countries would not compete in the contest that draws millions of viewers worldwide. Ben Robertson, a Eurovision expert from fan website ESC Insight, said the contest's integrity was at its lowest ebb. "Never in the history of the contest have we had such a vote, and such a split, between the member broadcasters of the European Broadcasting Union," he said. Both the Israeli government and opposition leaders celebrated the country's inclusion. Golan Yochpaz, CEO of Israeli broadcaster KAN, likened the efforts to exclude Israel to a form of "cultural boycott." Rounding on the countries withdrawing, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X: "The disgrace is upon them." IRELAND SAYS ITS PARTICIPATION 'UNCONSCIONABLE' The Eurovision Song Contest dates back to 1956 and reaches around 160 million viewers, according to the EBU – more than the almost 128 million recorded for this year's U.S. Super Bowl, according to figures from Nielsen. Israel's participation has divided opinion in the competition that has a history of entanglement in national rivalries, international issues and political voting. Its 2025 entrant, Yuval Raphael, was at the Nova music festival, a target of the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. A total of 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in the assault by Hamas, according to Israeli tallies. More than 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the ensuing conflict, according to health authorities in the enclave. Irish broadcaster RTE said it felt "Ireland's 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". Jose Pablo Lopez, head of Spanish state broadcaster RTVE said on X: "What happened in the EBU Assembly confirms that Eurovision is not a song contest but a festival dominated by geopolitical interests and fractured." RTV Slovenija said it together with Spain, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Turkey, Algeria and Iceland requested a secret vote on Israel's participation, but it was not held. Icelandic public broadcaster RUV said its board will make a decision on Wednesday on whether to participate in the next Eurovision, which will be held in Vienna in May. "I feel sad that other countries are not going to compete next year," said 33-year-old Tel Aviv Eurovision fan Jurij Vlasov, adding the Netherlands' song this year was his favorite. In Austria, which backed Israel, Eurovision fans welcomed its inclusion, even as some in Spain took the opposite view. "Why should the population, or a part of the population, not participate?," said Vienna resident Bernhard Kleemann. "If countries decide not to participate because they condemn the government and the prime minister, that's their decision." "BORN FROM THE ASHES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR" Instead of voting on Israel, the EBU said its members backed rules intended to discourage governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to sway voters after allegations that Israel unfairly boosted its 2025 entrant. "This vote means that all EBU Members who wish to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and agree to comply with the new rules are eligible to take part," it said. Israel's President Isaac Herzog thanked his country's supporters, saying he hoped the song contest would continue to champion "culture, music, friendship between nations". Germany, a major Eurovision backer, had signalled it would not take part if Israel was barred. Germany's culture minister Wolfram Weimer told the Bild newspaper he welcomed the decision. "Israel belongs to the Eurovision Song Contest like Germany belongs to Europe," he said. Martin Green, the contest's director, said EBU members showed they wanted to protect the neutrality of the competition. "Eurovision was born from the ashes of the Second World War," he said. "It was designed to bring us together, and it will hit bumps in the road, and we have a complicated world, but we hope it's a temporary situation, and we'll move forward." (Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, John Cotton and Cecile Mantovani; Additional reporting by Klaus Lauer, Andreas Rinke and Miranda Murray in Berlin, Emma Pinedo Gonzalez, Sergio Goncalves and Silvio Castellanos in Madrid, Andrei Khalip in Lisbon, Steven Scheer in Jerusalem and Roleen Tafakji in Tel Aviv, Gerhard Mey, Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Sam Tabahriti in London, Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam, Elviira Luoma in Gdansk, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen, Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo, Padraic Halpin in Dublin and Francois Murphy in Vienna Writing by Dave GrahamEditing by Toby Chopra, Alexandra Hudson, Andrew Heavens and Diane Craft)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Olivia Le Poidevin, Klaus Lauer, Johnny Cotton and Cecile Mantovani GENEVA, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Israel was cleared on Thursday to enter the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest by the organiser, prompting Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia to withdraw over the Gaza war and plunging the competition into one of the biggest rows in its history. The broadcasters who had threatened to boycott the event cited the death count in Gaza and accused Israel of flouting rules meant to guard the contest's neutrality. Israel accuses its critics of mounting a global smear campaign against it. After a meeting in Geneva, the European Broadcasting Union decided not to call a vote on Israel's participation, and said it had instead passed new rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest. Right after that announcement by the contest organiser, the Dutch, Spanish and Irish broadcasters said they would withdraw from the competition, meaning singers from their countries would not compete in the contest, which draws millions of viewers worldwide. The CEO of Israeli broadcaster KAN, Golan Yochpaz, stated during the EBU meeting that the attempt to remove Israel from the contest was a form of "cultural boycott," according to a statement by the broadcaster. IRELAND SAYS ITS PARTICIPATION 'UNCONSCIONABLE' The Eurovision Song Contest dates back to 1956 and reaches around 160 million viewers, according to the EBU – more than the almost 128 million recorded for this year's U.S. Super Bowl, according to figures from Nielsen. The question of Israel has sharply divided participants in the competition that has a history of entanglement in national rivalries, international issues and political voting. Irish broadcaster RTE said it felt "Ireland's 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". Natalija Gorscak, head of Slovenia's national broadcaster RTV Slovenija, said her country had also withdrawn. "We will not participate in the ESC if Israel is there. On behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza," she said. The EBU said its members backed new rules intended to discourage governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to sway voters after allegations that Israel unfairly boosted its entrant this year. "This vote means that all EBU Members who wish to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and agree to comply with the new rules are eligible to take part," the EBU said. Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, described the outcome of the rules vote as an "emphatic result by the democratic membership, who have said that they want to protect the neutrality of the competition." The Dutch broadcaster said it had concluded "that under the current circumstances participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation." Israel's President Isaac Herzog thanked his country's supporters after the EBU's announcement. "I am pleased that Israel will once again participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, and I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations, and cross-border cultural understanding," he said. Germany, a major Eurovision backer, had signalled it would not take part if Israel was barred. Germany's culture minister Wolfram Weimer told the Bild newspaper he welcomed the decision. "Israel belongs to the Eurovision Song Contest like Germany belongs to Europe," he told Bild. Israel's 2025 entrant, Yuval Raphael, was at the Nova music festival, one of the targets of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. A total of 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in the assault by Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to Israeli tallies. More than 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the ensuing conflict, according to health authorities in the enclave. (Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Emma Pinedo Gonzalez in Madrid, Klaus Lauer in Berlin, Steven Scheer in Jerusalem, Gerhard Mey and Marie-Louise Gumuchian in London; Additional reporting by John Cotton and Cecile Mantovani in Geneva, Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam and Elviira Luoma in Gdansk; Editing by Toby Chopra, Alexandra Hudson, Andrew Heavens and Diane Craft)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Olivia Le Poidevin and Klaus Lauer GENEVA, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Israel on Thursday was cleared to enter the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, prompting Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia to follow through on their threats to withdraw from the competition over the Gaza war. After a meeting in Geneva, contest organiser the European Broadcasting Union decided not to call a vote on Israel's participation, and said it had instead passed rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest. Right after that announcement, the Dutch, Spanish and Irish broadcasters said they would withdraw from the competition, meaning singers from their countries will not compete in the contest, which draws millions of viewers worldwide. IRELAND SAYS ITS PARTICIPATION 'UNCONSCIONABLE' Irish broadcaster RTE said it felt "Ireland's 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". Natalija Gorscak, head of Slovenia's national broadcaster RTV Slovenija, told Reuters her country had also withdrawn. The broadcasters who had threatened to boycott the event cited the death count in Gaza and accused Israel of flouting rules meant to guard the contest's neutrality. The EBU said members backed new rules intended to discourage governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to sway voters after allegations that Israel unfairly boosted its entrant this year. "This vote means that all EBU Members who wish to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and agree to comply with the new rules are eligible to take part," the EBU said. The issue has sharply divided participants in the competition that has a history of entanglement in national rivalries, international issues and political voting. The Dutch broadcaster said it had concluded "that under the current circumstances participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation." Israel's President Isaac Herzog thanked his country's supporters. "I am pleased that Israel will once again participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, and I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations, and cross-border cultural understanding," he said. Germany, a major Eurovision backer, had said it would not take part if Israel was barred. Before the decision, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said it was preparing for next year's contest. Israel's 2025 entrant, Yuval Raphael, was at the Nova music festival, one of the targets of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. A total of 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in the assault by Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to Israeli tallies. More than 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the ensuing conflict, according to health authorities in the enclave. (Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Emma Pinedo Gonzalez in Madrid, Klaus Lauer in Berlin, Gerhard Mey and Marie-Louise Gumuchian in London; Additional reporting by John Cotton and Cecile Mantovani in Geneva and Elviira Luoma in Gdansk; Editing by Toby Chopra, Alexandra Hudson and Andrew Heavens)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Olivia Le Poidevin and Klaus Lauer GENEVA, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Israel was cleared to enter the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday after the organising body decided not to call a vote on its participation, despite boycott threats from some countries over the Gaza war. Immediately after the announcement, Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said it would withdraw from the contest, meaning the Netherlands will not compete in the competition which draws millions of viewers worldwide. There was no immediate comment from the Spanish and other national broadcasters who had threatened to boycott the event if Israel was included, citing the death count in Gaza and accusing it of flouting rules meant to guard the contest's neutrality. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said members backed new rules intended to discourage governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to sway voters after allegations that Israel unfairly boosted its entrant this year. "This vote means that all EBU Members who wish to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and agree to comply with the new rules are eligible to take part," the EBU said. The issue has sharply divided participants in the competition has a history of entanglement in national rivalries, international issues and political voting. THe Dutch broadcaster said it had concluded "that under the current circumstances participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation." Germany, a major Eurovision backer, had said it would not take part if Israel is barred. Israel, which came second in the contest this year, has not responded to the accusations, but has argued it faces a global smear campaign. Before the decision, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said it was preparing for next year's contest (Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Emma Pinedo Gonzalez in Madrid, Klaus Lauer in Berlin, Gerhard Mey and Marie-Louise Gumuchian in London; Additional reporting by John Cotton and Cecile Mantovani in Geneva and Elviira Luoma in Gdansk; Editing by Toby Chopra, Alexandra Hudson and Andrew Heavens)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Olivia Le Poidevin and Klaus Lauer GENEVA, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Israel was cleared to enter the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday after the organising body decided not to call a vote on its participation, despite boycott threats from some countries over the Gaza war. Immediately after the announcement, Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said it would withdraw from the contest, meaning the Netherlands will not compete in the competition which draws millions of viewers worldwide. There was no immediate comment from the Spanish and other national broadcasters who had threatened to boycott the event if Israel was included, citing the death count in Gaza and accusing it of flouting rules meant to guard the contest's neutrality. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said members backed new rules intended to discourage governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to sway voters after allegations that Israel unfairly boosted its entrant this year. "This vote means that all EBU Members who wish to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and agree to comply with the new rules are eligible to take part," the EBU said. The issue has sharply divided participants in the competition has a history of entanglement in national rivalries, international issues and political voting. THe Dutch broadcaster said it had concluded "that under the current circumstances participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation." Germany, a major Eurovision backer, had said it would not take part if Israel is barred. Israel, which came second in the contest this year, has not responded to the accusations, but has argued it faces a global smear campaign. Before the decision, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said it was preparing for next year's contest (Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Emma Pinedo Gonzalez in Madrid, Klaus Lauer in Berlin, Gerhard Mey and Marie-Louise Gumuchian in London; Additional reporting by John Cotton and Cecile Mantovani in Geneva and Elviira Luoma in Gdansk; Editing by Toby Chopra, Alexandra Hudson and Andrew Heavens)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

GENEVA, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Israel will be able to enter the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after European Broadcasting Union members on Thursday decided not to call a vote on its participation, despite boycott threats from some countries, sources at two EBU members told Reuters. Members overwhelmingly voted to back new rules intended to discourage governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to sway voters after allegations that Israel unfairly boosted its entrant this year, the two said. (Reporting by Olivia Le PoidevinEditing by Dave Graham)

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By Hanna Rantala LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) – Oscar-winning actor Kate Winslet makes her directorial debut with "Goodbye June", a holiday season-set drama about a family faced with loss coming together.     Winslet, who also stars in the film, directs from a screenplay by her son Joe Anders. The story was partly inspired by their personal experience of losing Winslet's mother, Anders' grandmother, to cancer in 2017.     "I just wanted to make a film that felt authentic and real," said Winslet, premiering the movie with Anders and the cast in London on Wednesday.     "I also didn't want to make a story that was about someone who dies because it's really not. It's actually about the life that is given to the people who are left behind." Winslet said she wanted to set the movie in Britain's National Health Service space because it is "massively undervalued". "And we need to give credit and honour the people who do that incredible work, especially our palliative care workers," she said.     "It's entirely fictional," added Anders. "I think it just emotionally came from that place of sending my grandmother off."     Anders, whose father is filmmaker Sam Mendes, wrote the script when he was 19, and showed it to Winslet for feedback.     "I didn't even know if I could write a screenplay. I just really wanted to give it my best shot. And the fact that it's been made into a movie is insane," Anders, now 21, said.     Winslet, who has three children, said she had thought about stepping behind the camera over the years but raising a family kept her busy.     "There just wouldn't have been that space in my life, I think, emotionally and just energetically. I couldn't possibly have added anything else into the juggle of it all. But this felt like the right moment, and I felt really ready to do it," she said.     In the film, family matriarch June (Helen Mirren) is hospitalised shortly before Christmas. Her husband (Timothy Spall), son (Johnny Flynn) and three daughters, played by Winslet, Andrea Riseborough and Toni Collette, and their offspring rush to her bedside, bringing with them conflict and personal struggles, but also joy and care.     "It's such an honest look at the transition from life into the next. And it's about family, the mess and the beauty of the dysfunctional family system," said Collette. "Goodbye June" is released in select UK cinemas on December 12 and starts streaming on Netflix on December 24. (Reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Sonali Paul)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)