By JILL LAWLESS and JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The Eurovision Song Contest, which aims to be an upbeat celebration of music and unity, is facing the biggest crisis in its seven-decade history after four countries walked out of the competition over Israel’s participation and others weighed whether to join the boycott.

Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia announced they will not take part in the 2026 contest in Vienna in May after organizers declined to expel Israel over its conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza. Iceland is considering whether to follow suit.

The walkouts cast a cloud over the future of what’s meant to be a feel-good cultural party, dealing a blow to fans, broadcasters and the contest’s finances.

Eurovision expert Paul Jordan said Friday “it’s unlikely we’ll see a mass exodus” but that 2026 will be a “tense year.”

A contest divided over Israel and Gaza

Founded in 1956, in part to help unite a shattered continent after World War II, Eurovision pits acts from dozens of countries against one another for the continent’s musical crown.

Overtly political symbols and lyrics are prohibited, but global tensions have often imposed themselves. Russia, for example, was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Tensions rose again after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed some 1,200 people, and Israel’s subsequent campaign in Gaza that has left more than 70,000 people dead. The last two Eurovision contests have seen pro-Palestinian protests both outside the venues and inside, forcing organizers to clamp down on political flag-waving.

A number of performers and countries have called for the exclusion of Israel, which has taken part in Eurovision since 1973, one of a few non-European countries to compete.

Organizers sought a compromise

The Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union — a group of public broadcasters from 56 countries that runs Eurovision — tried to assuage concerns by tightening rules on contest voting and campaigning in response to allegations that Israel manipulated the public vote in favor of its competitor Yuval Raphael. She came second in this year’s contest behind Austrian singer JJ.

The EBU’s general assembly approved the new rules Thursday, but did not hold a vote on Israel’s participation. It said “a large majority of members” felt the contest “should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place.”

Eurovision Director Martin Green told Swedish television that the meeting reaffirmed “the belief that the Eurovision Song Contest shouldn’t be used as a political theater. It must retain some sense of neutrality.”

Some countries walked out

Immediately after the EBU decision, broadcasters RTVE in Spain, AVROTROS in the Netherlands, RTÉ in Ireland and Slovenia’s RTVSLO announced they were pulling out.

RTVE said the situation in Gaza, despite the recent ceasefire, and “Israel’s use of the contest for political purposes, make it increasingly difficult to maintain Eurovision as a neutral cultural event.” RTÉ said participation was “unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza.”

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Icelandic broadcaster RUV, which had recommended Israel be barred, said its chiefs will meet Wednesday to discuss whether to join the walkout.

Other countries’ broadcasters, including Norway’s NRK and Britain’s BBC, welcomed the decision to keep Israel in the competition.

“We support the collective decision made by members of the EBU,” the BBC said in a statement. “This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive.”

French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said his country opposes a cultural boycott of Israel.

“I am pleased that Eurovision did not give in to pressure, and that France helped prevent a boycott of Israel in this forum,” he wrote on X. “I deeply regret that several European television channels made a different choice.”

Israel welcomed organizers’ decision

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on social platform X that he was “pleased” Israel will again take part and hoped “the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations and cross-border cultural understanding.”

Some Israelis said they were glad their country was participating but felt the debate around them was unfair.

“I’m happy but I’m not dancing in the streets,” Izhar Cohen, who won Eurovision in 1978, told The Associated Press in Tel Aviv. “Eurovision should be a meeting and gathering together with no politics of all the people from all nations,” he said.

Tel Aviv resident Bret Katz said “it’s a terrible, terrible thing to ostracize a country and not to understand who was attacked on October 7, 2023.”

A blow for fans and finances

The boycotting countries will not send a musical act to the 2026 contest and will not broadcast it. That will likely cut into viewership of a contest that typically draws more than 150 million viewers.

Fans in the boycotting countries should still be able to watch on digital platforms including YouTube, and another Dutch broadcaster, NPO, said it will air the show in the Netherlands.

The boycotts are a financial blow to Eurovision, which is funded largely by participating broadcasters — and to boycotting public broadcasters at a time when many are under financial pressure from government funding cuts and competition from social media.

The EBU does not disclose how much each country pays, but the pullouts include Spain, one of the “Big Five” large-market countries that contribute the most to the contest.

So far, more than two dozen countries have confirmed they will compete in Vienna, including heavyweights like seven-time champion Sweden. The EBU says a final list of participants will be released before Christmas.

The boycott is offset to an extent by the return of Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania to Eurovision after periods of absence because of financial and artistic reasons.

Jordan said viewing figures would be closely watched, “and if they are significantly down, then that’ll probably raise alarm bells.

“But I think overall the contest is a sturdy thing,” he said.

Keaten reported from Geneva. Associated Press writers Paz Bar in Tel Aviv and Samuel Petrequin contributed to this story.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, a Tokyo-born actor known for his roles in the film “Mortal Kombat” and TV series “The Man in the High Castle” has died. He was 75.

Tagawa died surrounded by his family in Santa Barbara from complications due to a stroke, his manager, Margie Weiner, confirmed on Thursday.

“Cary was a rare soul: generous, thoughtful, and endlessly committed to his craft,” she said in an email. “His loss is immeasurable. My heart is with his family, friends, and all who loved him.”

Tagawa’s decades of film and TV roles truly got off the ground in 1987 when he appeared in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning film “The Last Emperor.” Since then, he appeared in such films as “Pearl Harbor,” “Planet of the Apes” and “License to Kill.”

Tagawa was raised mostly in the U.S. South while his Hawaii-born father was assigned to U.S. mainland Army bases. He lived in Honolulu and on the Hawaiian island of Kauai for a while.

Tagawa’s father met his mother while stationed in Japan, Tagawa told Honolulu Magazine in 2004. His parents named him after Cary Grant and his brother after Gregory Peck, he said.

His mother, Ayako, had been a stage actor in Japan, according to the Honolulu weekly newspaper Midweek. Tagawa said she asked him not to pursue acting because there weren’t many good roles for Asians.

He eventually began an acting career at age 36 after being a celery farmer, limo driver, pizza supply truck driver and photojournalist, he said.

“The good news for Asian actors and Hollywood is that it’s better than it’s ever been, but the bad news is that it hasn’t changed that much,” he told Midweek in 2005. “The opportunities haven’t increased that much, but commercially there’s more exposure.”

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Tagawa played the Baron in “Memoirs of a Geisha,” a 2005 movie based on the bestselling novel chronicling a young girl’s rise from poverty in a Japanese fishing village to life in high society.

Some critics said the movie lacked authenticity, but Tagawa said it was unrealistic to expect a fictional work written and directed by Americans to fully reflect Japanese style and sensitivities.

“What did they expect? It wasn’t a documentary,″ Tagawa told The Associated Press in 2006. “Unless the Japanese did the movie, it’s all interpretation.″

Tagawa told the AP that he studied various martial acts but left because he wasn’t into fighting or competition.

Instead, he developed a system he called Ninjah Sportz, which incorporated martial arts as a training and healing tool. He worked with professional athletes like World Boxing Council light flyweight champion Brian Viloria and advised members of the University of Hawaii football team.

In 2008, Tagawa pleaded guilty in a Honolulu court to a petty misdemeanor charge of harassing a girlfriend. She had bruises to her legs, police said at the time.

His attorney said he took full responsibility for the case from the beginning and made no excuses.

By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused of planting a pair of pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national parties in Washington on the eve of the U.S. Capitol attack confessed to the act in interviews with investigators, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Brian Cole Jr. also indicated that he believed the 2020 election was stolen and expressed views supportive of President Donald Trump, said the people, who were not authorized to discuss by name an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

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The details add to a still-emerging portrait of the 30-year-old suspect from Woodbridge, Virginia, and it was not immediately clear what other information or perspectives he may have shared while cooperating with law enforcement following his arrest on Thursday.

Federal authorities have not publicly disclosed any information about a possible motive or whether there is any connection to the attack on the Capitol the following day by Trump supporters.

A spokesperson for the federal public defender’s office, which will be representing Cole at a Friday court appearance in Washington, declined to comment. Calls to relatives of Cole listed in public records were not immediately returned Thursday.

Cole faces explosives charges in connection with the Jan. 5, 2021 placement of the pipe bombs near the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees. Nobody was hurt before the bombs were rendered safe, but the FBI has said both devices could have been lethal.

An FBI affidavit made public Thursday indicated that investigators zeroed in on Cole through analysis of credit card charges related to the purchase of pipe bomb components, cellphone towers and a license plate reader.

The arrest marks the first time investigators have publicly identified a suspect in an act that has been an enduring mystery for nearly five years in the shadow of the violent Capitol attack.

By RONALD BLUM, HOWARD FENDRICH and NOAH TRISTER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 2026 World Cup draw will begin Friday with a wintry feel as snow fell outside the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 189 days ahead of an expanded 48-nation tournament.

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There were long lines outside the complex even at 7 a.m. as workers and media filed through with Secret Service agents securing the area. President Donald Trump of the U.S. and Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico were expected to attend along with Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Frustrated he hasn’t been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, Trump was likely to be given FIFA’s first peace prize during the ceremony to determine matches for the first round of the 104-game tournament, to be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

A red carpet was laid outside the arts center, taken over this year by Trump and his supporters. Retired stars Tom Brady of the NFL, Shaquille O’Neal of the NBA and Wayne Gretzky of the NHL along with three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge were to assist in a ceremony run by former England captain Rio Ferdinand.

All 11 of the highest-ranked teams were in the draw, with No. 12 Italy among 22 nations competing in playoffs for the final six berths to be decided March 31.

The tournament opens June 11 in Mexico City. The U.S., which has never advanced past the semifinals, starts the next day in Inglewood, California, and Canada kicks off in Toronto.

All games from the quarterfinals on will be in the U.S., which is using 11 NFL stadiums. Sites for most games and kickoff times are to be announced Saturday.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer