Bulgaria wins Eurovision, Israel finishes second amid boycotts over its participation | CNN

Bulgaria’s Dara has triumphed at this year’s Eurovision following a politically charged edition of the contest, which has been roiled by several countries boycotting it over Israel’s ongoing participation. Her track “Bangaranga,” a catchy club hit performed with slick choreography, was expected to do well but proved surprisingly popular with both the jury and the public vote, beating second-placed Israel in a tense final. Ultimately, the 27-year-old enjoyed a truly decisive win, finishing 173 points ahead of Israel’s Noam Bettan – the biggest ever winning margin in the contest’s history. Her triumph also marked Bulgaria’s first ever victory in the pop song contest, and the first time since 2017 that the juries and public agreed on the same winner. But for all the glitz and razzmatazz of Saturday’s grand final in Vienna, Austria, the song contest, in which acts representing different, mostly European countries compete to win a public and jury vote, was largely overshadowed by the politics surrounding it. Five countries – Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands – boycotted this year’s contest over Israel’s participation in it, marking the big