Banned from Eurovision after its invasion of Ukraine, Russia will hold a rival international song contest on Saturday, with an emphasis on “traditional values”.

Instead of camp, think conservative – patriotic pop with a PG-rating.

“Intervision” was launched under the order of Vladimir Putin, with the hope it would serve as an expression of Moscow’s international pulling power.

There are contestants from 23 countries, which are a mixture of Russia’s allies old and new, including Belarus, Cuba and Tajikistan as well as China, India and Saudi Arabia.

The odd one out is the United States, who’ll be represented by an artist called “Vassy”. She’s not part of an official delegation, but an American voice is still a coup for the Kremlin, which will seek to use this contest as proof of the West’s failure to isolate Russia on the global stage.

‘War whitewash’

Intervision is not entirely new. It was originally launched in the 1960s as an instrument of Soviet soft power, before largely fading from view in the 1980s.

According to Moscow, its revival has nothing to do with politics. But Ukraine has condemned it as propaganda, and an attempt to whitewash Russia’s war.

It was a point I put to some contestants after their final press conferences, but it didn’t go down well.

“We don’t think like that, we are here to spread peace,” India’s Rauhan Malik told me, when I asked if his participation was a show of support for Russia’s invasion.

“Are you not turning a blind eye to Russia’s aggression?” I countered.

“I have no idea about it,” he said. “I have no idea about the current situation that’s happening. I don’t want to speak about that as well.”

Really? He had no idea? But before I could go on, I felt a forceful hand on my shoulder and a minder stepped in.

The intervention was even quicker when it came to speaking to Brazil’s act. As soon as I mentioned the word Ukraine, I was drowned out by shouts of “no, no, no, no” and the duo were ushered away.

Where’s the glitter?

Intervision is not just a reaction to Russia’s recent exclusion from Eurosivion, however, it’s also a reaction to the contest’s values and what it’s come to represent.

Its celebration of sexual diversity and LGBTQ+ rights are seen as a symbol of what the Kremlin calls the West’s moral decline. In contrast, Intervision organisers say their contest will promote “traditional, family values.”

Judging by the costumes on show ahead of last week’s draw, that translates to less glitter, more embroidery, with a thematic emphasis on national heritage.

Read more from Sky News:
NATO responds after Russian military jets ‘violate’ Estonian airspace
‘Gender testing rules would have earned me an Olympic medal’
Two ambulance workers arrested in connection with six deaths

Follow the World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

So what do Russians think of Intervision’s resurrection? Can it replace Eurovision?

“We don’t miss Eurovision,” Galina and Tatiana say, underneath a collection of purple and pink ‘Intervision’ flags near Red Square.

“It was so horrible, especially lately. We didn’t like watching it at all.”

Polina agrees, believing Russia’s version will be “more interesting”.

“Many countries that participated in Eurovision want to boycott it, so it’s interesting to see a more peaceful event now,” she says.

Igor is more circumspect. “I’d like to believe that this isn’t a political event,” he says, “but rather an event that unites nations and people.”

Intervision will succeed in uniting some nations. But at the same time, it may only deepen divisions with others – further evidence that Russia and the West are singing very different tunes.

European airports – including London’s Heathrow – are warning of delays after a “technical issue” affected check-in and boarding systems.

Brussels Airport said a cyber attack was causing the disruption, as it confirmed 10 flights had been cancelled and 17 flights were experiencing delays of more than one hour.

“It is still too early to say when the problem will be resolved,” it said.

Berlin Airport is also among those experiencing delays.

The attack targeted a business providing check-in and boarding systems for several airlines around the world.

With automated systems down, staff are having to conduct manual check-in and boarding procedures, according to Brussels Airport.

“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights,” it said in a statement on its website.

Heathrow warned of delays caused by “a technical issue” at a third-party supplier and told passengers to check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Donald Trump will introduce a new $100,000 application fee for foreign worker visas.

A White House official said the US President is preparing to sign a proclamation today that will require a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visa, which covers highly-skilled foreign workers.

The charge is part of a broader immigration crackdown.

H-1B visas are meant to bring the best and brightest foreigners for high-skilled jobs that tech companies find difficult to fill with qualified Americans and other permanent residents.

The programme has drawn criticism for becoming a pipeline for overseas workers who are often willing to work for wages lower than those typically paid to US technology workers. Critics also argue that companies use H-1B visas to overlook Americans for jobs.

First lady Melania Trump, the former Melania Knauss, was granted an H1-B work visa in October 1996 to work as a model. She was born in Slovenia.

What is a H-1B visa?

The H-1B programme has been crucial for technology and staffing companies who rely on foreign workers.

Historically, these visas – 85,000 per year – have been doled out through a lottery system.

India, the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounted for 71% of approved beneficiaries.

China was second with 11.7%, according to government data.

Shares of IT services company, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp, fell by over 5% on Friday.