Eurovision finalists are selected
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Ten countries have qualified for the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest after the competition's inaugural semi-final.
Albania, Montenegro and Serbia will take part in the competition for the first time, joining 14 other nations already in the final.
Israel and Denmark failed to win a place in the final.
A semi-final event was held this year because the expansion of the European Union means there are more eligable participants.
The finals will be held on Saturday in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city and cultural and commercial hub.
Turkey won the 2003 event to become this year's host.
Swedish supergroup Abba made cameo appearances in a one-off video at Wednesday night's semi-finals, 30 years after the band won the event with Waterloo.
Four puppets also appeared as caricatures of the singers -- Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog -- and performed some of the band's hits.
The tribute video also featured a brief appearance from American singer Cher.
The following nations advanced from the semi-final round: Serbia and Montenegro, Malta, Netherlands, Albania, Ukraine, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Greece, and Cyprus.
Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey will also compete in the final.
