logo
US will take part in Putin's knock-off Eurovision song contest, Russia says… competing against Iran and China

US will take part in Putin's knock-off Eurovision song contest, Russia says… competing against Iran and China

The Irish Sun12-06-2025
THE US will compete against China and Iran in Putin's rip-off Eurovision song contest, according to Russian state media.
Mad Vlad's mouthpiece media made the bizarre claim that Americans would sing in the Intervision 2025 Song Contest, Russia's bootleg version of the iconic competition.
6
Vladimir Putin mocked up as last year's Eurovision winner Nemo of Switzerland
6
Intervision ran between 1965 and 1968, and later between 1977 and 1980
Credit: East2West
6
Intervision is Putin's knock-off version of the iconic Eurovision Song Contest (pictured)
Credit: The Mega Agency
It comes after the bitter tyrant announced the
Putin's country was booted out of the official Eurovision Song Contest following his bloody invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Their so-called source said: "Indeed, the United States has confirmed its participation in the Intervision.
READ MORE WORLD NEWS
"The names of the participants will be announced later."
They gave no further details on American involvement in the competition.
Earlier this year, Putin signed a decree for the Intervision Song Contest to be held in Moscow in September 2025.
More than 25 of his ally countries are set to join his contest - including North Korea,
Most read in The US Sun
This sad attempt at recreating Eurovision will reportedly ban LGBT performers.
Putin's Ukraine war toll tops 1 MILLION Russians dead & wounded 40 months into 'days-long operation'…with no end in sight, with Stephen Hall
In Russia, rules now ban anything deemed to promote homosexuality, and the international LGBTQ movement is seen as an extremist organisation.
Putin's move has been seen as an attempt to revive two similar flopped music contests from the Soviet era.
Communist
This was also aimed to bring together its allies in Eastern Europe and across the world, like Cuba.
Intervision ran between 1965 and 1968, and later between 1977 and 1980.
It is unclear if it will use its bizarre communist-era voting system when TV viewers turned their lights on or off to cast votes, with the results measured by electricity consumption.
The 2025 version of the competition will reportedly showcase "traditional universal, spiritual and family values".
This would be a sharp contrast to the flamboyance, art, and colour brought through Eurovision - like it's 2024 winner
6
Putin's media said that Americans will compete in the contest
Credit: AP
6
The Intervision Song Contest was the Eastern Bloc's version of Eurovision
Credit: East2West
6
Russia was banned from Eurovision in 2022 after Putin invaded Ukraine
Credit: Alamy
It is believed that Putin wants to relaunch the competition to separate Russia from what he says is the West's continued lack of respect for religious values and moral attitudes.
A Russian planning document said: "Artists may not perform songs that call for violence, humiliate the honour and dignity of society, and it is required that political themes in the lyrics are completely excluded."
Intervision will also aim to be 'developing international cultural and humanitarian cooperation', according to his presidential decree.
This decree also claimed "the contest will be open for participation of all countries that wish to do so".
Intervision is reportedly set to give performers four minutes on stage to sing in whatever language they like, according to documents seen by
The winner will get prize
money
and go on tour.
It is not known if Putin will seek to sing at the contest, as he famously did in 2010, performing Blueberry Hill at a live
charity
event in St Petersburg.
The dictator's rendition went viral, as he sang in front of guests including
Goldie Hawn
, Kevin Costner, and Sharon Stone.
Putin previously announced he wanted to stage the
The tyrant postponed the competition by one year - and then indefinitely in a humiliating U-turn.
The country has taken part in Eurovision 23 times since 1994.
Russia was banned from Eurovision in 2022 after Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into
Ukraine
.
The same year that Putin annexed Crimea from Ukraine, an Austrian drag queen popularly known as "the bearded lady," won Eurovision in 2014.
This is thought to have been a turning point in Putin's desire to fully separate his country from Western values.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tariffs on pharmaceuticals could reach 250%, says Trump
Tariffs on pharmaceuticals could reach 250%, says Trump

RTÉ News​

time3 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Tariffs on pharmaceuticals could reach 250%, says Trump

US President Donald Trump has said that upcoming tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals could reach 250%, after starting at a lower level, while adding he plans to also unveil fresh duties on foreign semiconductors. "We'll be putting (an) initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year, one-and-a-half years, maximum, it's going to go to 150%," Mr Trump said in an interview on CNBC. "And then it's going to go to 250% because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country," he added. In the same interview, Mr Trump said he expects to raise the US tariff on Indian imports "very substantially over the next 24 hours" due to the country's purchases of Russian oil. While Mr Trump has taken aim at products from different countries with varying tariff rates after imposing a 10% levy on almost all trading partners in April, these have excluded certain products he planned to target separately. These sector-specific tariffs have generally come after government investigations that look into the national security concerns surrounding certain imports. After earlier embarking on probes on imported semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, the Trump administration has signaled plans to wrap up these studies which could lead to new tariffs. Already, Mr Trump has slapped steep tariffs of 50% on imported steel and aluminum, and also rolled out a separate but lower duty on autos and parts. EU suspends retaliatory tariffs after deal The threat of higher tariffs on pharmaceuticals came after the EU announced the suspension of its retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth €93 billion after Brussels struck a deal with Washington last month. "The commission has today adopted the necessary legal procedures to suspend the implementation of our EU countermeasures, which were due to kick in on August 7," EU trade spokesman Olof Gill said. Earlier, an official said that the 15% tariff that European Union goods face when entering the United States is all-inclusive, incorporating the Most Favoured Nation Rate, unlike some other countries with deals with the US. The 15% rate applies to all goods, except for steel, aluminium, the EU official said. Tariffs on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors are now zero, but if and when they rise as a result of the US 232 investigations, the tariff will be no higher than 15% as well. This 15% ceiling also applies to cars and car parts. There are no quotas or limits on cars and car parts. The official also said the EU is close to its final joint statement with the United States regarding their framework trade deal although no precise time can be given yet regarding when this will be published. "It is pretty much ready and we are now waiting for our US colleagues to come back and confirm the final few things," said the official. Deal provides 'insurance policy' against higher tariffs - EU Olof Gill also said that the EU-US trade deal agreed last week provides an "insurance policy" against higher tariffs for European businesses. "We reached a negotiated solution to avoid a lose-lose situation. That's what our member states asked for and what businesses asked for," Mr Gill told reporters at a lunchtime press briefing in Brussels. "The agreement reached will have a stable platform from which we will secure crucial supply chains." Mr Gill described as "surprising" comments made by Germany's finance minister Lars Klingbeil in Washington yesterday, who said that the EU had been "too weak" in trade negotiations with Washington. "It is surprising to us to hear that a minister from the member state in question has aired that view," said Mr Gill. Mr Klingbeil held talks in Washington yesterday with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and was seeking an exemption from US tariffs for German steel. Mr Gill also confirmed that the Commission has taken the necessary legal steps to suspend the EU's planned tariff countermeasures against the US. Those measures were due to start on 7 August in the event that a trade deal was not reached. The bloc's planned countermeasures will be suspected for six months, he confirmed. US tariffs on EU imported goods at the agreed 15% rate are expected to come into force on 8 August.

Russia vows ‘no limits' on nuke missiles in chilling warning to West as Putin throws down gauntlet for Cold War showdown
Russia vows ‘no limits' on nuke missiles in chilling warning to West as Putin throws down gauntlet for Cold War showdown

The Irish Sun

time3 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Russia vows ‘no limits' on nuke missiles in chilling warning to West as Putin throws down gauntlet for Cold War showdown

RUSSIA has declared there are now no limits on its deployment of nuclear missiles in a chilling warning to the West. Throwing off its gloves and restraints, Moscow vowed to match US and Nato moves with force, reigniting fears of a Cold War-style arms race. 6 Russia has declared there are now no limits to its nuclear missile deployment, issuing a chilling warning to the West Credit: AFP 6 Vladimir Putin's government accused the US and its allies of creating a 'direct threat to the security of our country' Credit: Getty 6 The Russian Foreign Ministry accused America and its allies of creating a "direct threat to the security of our country" by preparing to deploy intermediate-range weapons in Europe. Saying Moscow now has a free hand to respond, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "Russia no longer considers itself to be constrained by anything. "Therefore Russia believes it has the right to take respective steps if necessary." The trigger, according to Russia, is the planned US deployment of Typhoon and Dark Eagle missiles in Germany starting next year. The Kremlin said the move shattered what remained of strategic stability, accusing Donald Trump's USA of risking "a dangerous escalation of tensions between nuclear powers." It was the clearest warning yet that Vladimir Putin is prepared to redraw the red lines of nuclear deterrence — and challenge the West head-on. Putin's game-changer missile Russia has already signalled what its next move might look like. Putin is preparing to deploy the Oreshnik missile - a Mach 10 terror weapon that can carry multiple nuclear or conventional warheads - to Belarus before the year is out. The missile, which first saw action in Ukraine in November, is touted as being fast and powerful enough to evade any Western missile defence and hit targets anywhere in Europe. Putin has bragged that just a few conventional Oreshnik strikes could inflict destruction on par with a nuclear attack. The implication is grim: Moscow is hitting it could launch a "non-nuclear" strike with nuclear-level impact - a chilling new gray zone in war. 6 Terrifying video shows Putin's new Oreshnik hypersonic missile ripping into outer space before blitzing Ukraine Credit: Twitter What is the Oreshnik? The Oreshnik is Putin's new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that travels at Mach 10, making interception nearly impossible. The missile can strike targets up to 5,000 km away, covering much of Europe. It carries up to six independently targeted warheads. The weapon was first used in Dnipro Ukraine in November 2024, marking its battlefield debut. It is designed to dodge missile defences with unpredictable flight paths. The Oreshnik could be armed with nuclear warheads, increasing its strategic threat. The missile can reach up to 4,000 degrees Celsius. Its code name, Oreshnik, means hazel tree in Russian. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies the missile was derived from the RS-26, an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Trump deadline & Medvedev threats The timing of Russia's move is no coincidence. It came days after Trump ordered the repositioning of two US nuclear submarines in response to fiery nuclear threats from Dmitry Medvedev - Putin's crony and deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council. Trump's move is tied to his looming Ukraine peace deadline, demanding the Kremlin strike a deal or face severe new sanctions. But Medvedev fired back, warning Trump not to play "ultimatum games" with Russia and declaring that "each new ultimatum is a threat and a step toward war." Medvedev doubled down on Russia's hardline stance this week, celebrating the scrapping of the missile moratorium as payback for what he called Nato's anti-Russian policy. He posted on X: "This is a new reality all our opponents will have to reckon with. Expect further steps." 6 Moscow says the move comes after the planned Trump's deployment of Typhoon and Dark Eagle missiles in Merz's Germany starting next year Credit: Reuters 6 Putin's crony Dmitry Medvedev slammed Nato's 'anti-Russian policy' for driving Russia to scrap the Cold War-era moratorium on nuclear missiles Credit: Getty Cold War 2.0? This is no empty rhetoric. Intermediate-range missiles - flying between 310 and 3400mph - were banned for decades under the 1987 INF Treaty, a cornerstone of Cold War arms control. But that pact crumbled in 2019, and now the gloves are fully off. The US says Russia violated the treaty first. Meanwhile, Russia says it's only reacting to American missile deployments in Europe. But the result could be a full-blown arms race that looks alarmingly like the 1980s - only this time, with faster missiles, higher stakes and less room for error. Analysts warn that these weapons are particularly dangerous because they slash response times to minutes - leaving world leaders with little time to distinguish between a real launch and a false alarm. That hair-trigger dynamic could make a catastrophic miscalculation far more likely. Putin knows this. He's gambling the West will blink first. But with nuclear submarines re-positioned and missiles moving into place on both sides, the world is watching a deadly new chapter unfold — one where fire and fury could come without warning.

Israel must 'complete' defeat of Hamas to free hostages
Israel must 'complete' defeat of Hamas to free hostages

RTÉ News​

time3 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Israel must 'complete' defeat of Hamas to free hostages

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel must "complete" the defeat of Hamas to free hostages held in Gaza, a day after Israeli media reported the army could occupy the entire territory. "It is necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, to free all our hostages and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel," Mr Netanyahu said during a visit to an army training facility. Israeli media reported that Mr Netanyahu was expected to sit down in Jerusalem later with the chief of staff and the defence minister, and that he was considering ordering the total occupation of the Palestinian territory. The timing of the meeting has not been officially confirmed. "Netanyahu wants the Israeli army to conquer the entire Gaza Strip," said a report on public broadcaster Kan. Mr Netanyahu said yesterday that he would convene the cabinet later in the week to approve new instructions. "Several cabinet members who spoke with the prime minister confirmed that he has decided to extend the fight to areas where hostages might be held," Kan reported. The private daily Maariv declared: "The die is cast. We're en route for the total conquest of Gaza." However, some major media outlets such as Channel 12 have questioned whether the rumoured expansion of military operations is merely a negotiating tactic, and whether Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir would oppose such a decision. "The Chief of Staff is required to express his professional opinion clearly and unequivocally to the political leadership. I am convinced that he will do so," Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X. While a reconquest plan has not been officially confirmed, it has already drawn an angry response from the Palestinian Authority and Gaza's Hamas-run government, which insisted it will not shift its position on ceasefire talks. "The ball is in the hands of... (Israel) and the Americans," senior Hamas official Husam Badran said, adding that the militant group wanted to "end the war and the famine". 'Updated strategy' Addressing a cabinet meeting with the war into its 22nd month, the Israeli leader told ministers that later in the week he would instruct the military on how "to achieve the three war objectives we have set". Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 and the Jerusalem Post newspaper quoted officials in Mr Netanyahu's office saying that the "updated strategy" would be to re-occupy all of Gaza, including areas in Gaza City where the military believes hostages are being held. However, the Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry denounced what it called a "leaked" plan and urged the international community to intervene to quash any new military occupation. Mr Netanyahu is facing mounting domestic and international pressure to bring the remaining hostages in Gaza home and allow much more aid into the starving territory. Israel - backed by the United States and Panama - is preparing to convene a UN Security Council meeting to highlight the fate of the hostages. Mr Netanyahu reiterated yesterday that Israel's three war goals remained "the defeat of the enemy, the release of our hostages and the promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel". His statement came after hundreds of retired Israeli security chiefs wrote to US President Donald Trump to urge him to convince the Israeli prime minister to end the war. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said ahead of the UN meeting that "the world must put an end to the phenomenon of kidnapping civilians". "It must be front and centre on the world stage," he added. Of the 251 hostages abducted during Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The UN session was called after Palestinian militant groups last week published three videos showing hostages Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David appearing weak and emaciated, causing shock in Israel. Mr Netanyahu said he had asked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide food and medical treatment to the Israeli captives. Hamas's armed wing said it was willing to allow access to the hostages in exchange for opening aid corridors into all of Gaza, where UN-mandated experts have warned famine is unfolding. Mr Netanyahu's government has faced repeated accusations by relatives of hostages and other critics that it has not done enough to rescue the captives. "Netanyahu is leading Israel and the hostages to ruin," said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group. It said: "For 22 months, the public has been sold the illusion that military pressure and intense fighting will bring the hostages back. "The truth must be said: expanding the war endangers the lives of the hostages, who are already in immediate mortal danger." Mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have failed to secure a truce. Hundreds of retired Israeli security officials including former heads of intelligence agencies have urged Mr Trump to pressure their own government to end the war. "It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the former officials wrote in an open letter shared with the media yesterday. The war "is leading the state of Israel to lose its security and identity", said Ami Ayalon, former director of the Shin Bet security service, in a video released to accompany the letter. The letter argued the Israeli military "has long accomplished the two objectives that could be achieved by force: dismantling Hamas's military formations and governance". "The third, and most important, can only be achieved through a deal: bringing all the hostages home," it added. The October 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally of official figures. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,933 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which are deemed reliable by the UN. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli fire yesterday killed at least 19 Palestinians, including nine who were waiting to collect food aid from a site in central Gaza. 'Heart-rending and intolerable' In Gaza City, Umm Osama Imad was mourning a relative she said was killed while trying to reach an aid distribution point. "We are starving ... He went to bring flour for his family," she said, adding "the flour is stained with blood. We don't want the flour anymore. Enough." UN rights chief Volker Turk said "the images of people starving in Gaza are heart-rending and intolerable". "That we have reached this stage is an affront to our collective humanity," he added. He called on Israel to urgently allow aid into the territory, adding that denying it "may amount to a war crime". On Sunday, President Michael D Higgins called on the United Nations Security Council to do more for the people of Gaza. "I cannot really stand in a public venue and give a public speech and speak about our language when I see such incredible, incredible destruction of an entire people taking place on our television screens every evening," he said at the opening of an event at the weekend. He said it was "outrageous" that there were 6,000 trucks with enough food for three months waiting to get in to Gaza and that they are being blocked.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store