The UK band is told not to return to the city-state after shouting "free Palestine" at a gig on Wednesday.

Massive Attack have been banned from Singapore after the British band reportedly expressed pro-Palestinian sentiments during a performance in the city-state. The band's two members held up a Palestinian flag at the show on Wednesday and shouted "free Palestine", authorities said, with some in the audience reportedly joining them. Singapore's police force has now banned Massive Attack from future entry into the country, while its media regulator simultaneously said it would not grant future applications for them to perform there. The Asian nation has strict rules on public speech and what it deems as demonstrations, arguing that it is necessary to regulate them to protect social harmony. Authorities have previously investigated public events related to the Israel-Gaza war. Earlier this year, they fined several people for organising an unauthorised walk in support of the Palestinian cause. A police spokeswoman told the BBC that following an investigation the two band members had been issued "stern warnings" concerning alleged offences under Section 3 of the Foreign National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949 and Section 16 of the Public Order Act. The two laws ban the display of foreign flags in public in most cases and set conditions on public events of a political nature, respectively. The spokeswoman said Singapore's police "take a serious view of acts which could potentially harm the racial and religious harmony in Singapore".