Belarus excluded from Eurovision over political entry

European Broadcasting Union says band representing country failed twice to submit entry in line with regulations.

Belarus has been disqualified from taking part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest after it failed for a second time to submit an entry that complies with the non-political nature of the competition. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), organisers of the event set to take place in the Dutch city of Rotterdam in May, said both songs by the band Galasy ZMesta had been “in breach of the rules of the competition that ensure the Contest is not instrumentalized or brought into disrepute”. The EBU said Belarus’s state broadcaster had now missed the deadline to submit an entry that complied with the rules and so would not be participating.