Second semi-final sees Russia eliminated-Eurovision 2018

Russia has suffered a shock elimination from Eurovision in Thursday's second semi-final.

It will be the first time the country has not qualified since 1998, going back to before the semi-final stage of the competition was introduced.

Australia, Denmark and Hungary are among the countries to have gone through to Saturday's grand final.

The event was held in Lisbon and also saw Norway's Alexander Rybak - who won the competition in 2009 - qualify.Russia's act, Julia Samoylova, was supposed to take part in 2017 but was unable to do so after Russia did not participate, when the event was held in Ukraine. She appeared instead this year, but was unable to progress beyond the semi-final.

Poland was also eliminated - despite their song Light Me Up being well-liked and well-received in Lisbon's Altice Arena.

The UK automatically qualifies for Saturday's grand final.

Underdogs Slovenia were also among those selected to compete in the final, where singer Lea Sirk will be hoping to better her country's 2001 placing of seventh.

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Rybak opened the proceedings to raptures from the stadium - clearly still enjoying a large fan base following his Fairytale win nine years ago.

Another favourite of the night, Rasmussen, came not long after with their rousing Viking anthem, which saw the crowd singing along followed by a huge send-off at the end.

But the best reception of the night went to Australia's Jessica Mauboy, who gave an impassioned performance of her song We Got Love. The audience almost took the roof off for the Darwin singer, who looked truly overwhelmed by the response, after she finished.Other notable acts to go through from the second semi-final include metal act AWS from Hungary and Sweden's Benjamin Ingrosso - cousin of Swedish House Mafia's Sebastian Ingrosso.

There were 18 countries taking part in the second semi-final, with eight being eliminated. The 10 that qualified will join the first 10 countries put through from Tuesday's first leg.