Mexico: Top court suspends parts of electoral reform bill

Thousands of Mexicans have protested against the bill, saying it undermines democracy and tips the balance of power in favor of the ruling party of President Lopez Obrador ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.

Mexico's Supreme Court on Friday temporarily suspended parts of the electoral reform bill pushed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.

The suspended parts include slashing the budget and headcount of the country's independent electoral institute, the INE. The court has also confirmed that it will consider a lawsuit from the INE seeking to overturn the reform.

The controversial bill was passed by the ruling party's allies in Congress last month, leading to protests by tens of thousands of Mexicans who believe that it undermines democracy and tips the balance of power in favor of the ruling party.

The Supreme Court's suspension will remain in place until the case is resolved, and the court has set a deadline for the Parliament and executive branch to submit their legal response.
Lopez Obrador clashed with electoral authorities earlier

President Lopez Obrador's initial plan had called for the replacement of the INE with a new body with members chosen by voters instead of lawmakers.

While the bill that was passed is a watered-down version of his original proposal, the commission still believes that it will endanger the electoral process and limit its ability to monitor election propaganda or sanction public officials.

The court statement on Friday notes that the lawsuit from the INE involves constitutional questions that must be settled, and that the case before them involves the possible violation of citizens' political-electoral rights.

Mexico's president views electoral reform as cost-effective, while opponents say the measures could harm democracy

 Prensa AMLO/dpa/picture alliance

Critics warn that the electoral reform, known locally as "Plan B," will significantly downsize the INE and give more power to local officials, many of whom are members of Lopez Obrador's MORENA party.

President Lopez Obrador has previously clashed with electoral authorities during his unsuccessful presidential runs in 2006 and 2012, claiming he was the actual winner in both cases.

He has argued that the electoral reform will save $150 million (€139.1 million) a year while reducing the influence of economic interests in politics.

ss/wd (AFP, Reuters)

Germany walks fine line on nuclear weapons


William Noah Glucroft

DW

March 24, 2023

Germany is not a nuclear power, but it is part of US nuclear strategy. In light of the war in Ukraine and the undoing of Cold War-era arms control, the country's balanced approach is coming under more pressure.

If the Cold War had gone nuclear, it would have likely begun on German soil. Geographically, Germany sat between the United States and its NATO allies on one side, and the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries on the other. Politically, the country was split between West and East. Strategically, that was where the US and Soviet militaries faced off — on either side of the Iron Curtain.

Germany was therefore a nuclear tripwire between the enemy superpowers, and the country both benefits from the supposed safety of the US nuclear umbrella, and still faces the direct risk of nuclear escalation. Former West Germany has been home to a strong pacifist movement, while many in former East Germany hold a less hostile view of Russia.

These factors help make the issue of arms control a particularly sensitive one in Germany.

"Germany remains clearly committed to its engagement in arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, even given the changed conditions," an official from the German Federal Foreign Office told DW.

That is a reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which some military analysts fear could lead President Vladimir Putin to break the "nuclear taboo," if his conventional forces continue to struggle on the battlefield.

"The federal government, with its partners, unequivocally opposes any softening of the taboo," the German government official added, referring to an unwritten understanding not to use nuclear weapons ever since the US did twice against Japan, ending the Second World War in 1945.

"Only those who wants to murder masses own nuclear weapons." Büchel, Germany, regularly sees demos against the stationing of US nuclear weapons

Image: Thomas Frey/dpa/picture alliance

Nuclear balancing act

Germany's opposition to nuclear weapons competes with the expectation that it supports the security status quo. NATO nuclear sharing — the US-led military alliance's long-standing policy that permits the stationing of US nuclear weapons on non-US territory — means German warplanes could carry them in the event of nuclear war.

As many as 20 such warheads remain at the Büchel Air Base in western Germany, according to an estimate by the Nuclear Threat Initiative. The think tank, based in Washington, DC, counted some 130 others at the Ramstein Air Base, until they were removed between 2001 and 2005.

The nuclear balancing act adds tension both to German domestic politics as well as to the Euro-Atlantic alliance. Any disagreement, however, has taken a back seat after Russia's war in Ukraine.

Some politicians in the Green Party, traditionally one of Germany's more fierce critics of nuclear weapons, have also been among the country's most vocal supporters of Ukraine. NATO officials, meanwhile, take every opportunity to show that Russia's efforts to divide the alliance have failed.

"Clearly, we are at something of an inflection point," John Erath, Senior Policy Director for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, told DW. "One of the means Russia has chosen to accomplish its end is to make threats of the use of nuclear weapons."

Nuclear brinkmanship, past and present

That end — taking control of Ukraine, and breaking US and NATO support — has so far not come to pass. However, using nuclear weapons as a "diplomatic tool," Erath said, has been somewhat effective at moderating that support. The US has been careful to avoid escalation that could draw it into direct conflict with Russia, and German officials have often expressed their concern about crossing a line that would make Germany an official party to the war.

"The real danger lies in if this conflict concludes with Russia perceived as succeeding, and this tool being perceived as being effective. Because that opens the floodgates," Erath said. Other nuclear-armed states, such as North Korea, could make bolder threats with their own arsenals.

Such nuclear diplomacy has precedent. In the 1980s, new deployments of Soviet nuclear forces prompted NATO to respond in kind. Widespread protests, especially in then-West Germany, pressured the government to oppose the stationing of more US missiles on its soil.

By NATO's own account, it was a "difficult period for West Germany as well as NATO." The alliance, however, held. A "double-track" compromise was reached, which saw more deployments, but also negotiations to reach a deal with the Soviet Union on arms control.

"Differences in nuclear risk tolerance among NATO allies can be a pressure point for Russia to exploit," Jonas Schneider, an international security associate at the Berlin-based security think tank SWP, told DW. "Overall, Germany has staked out a more cautious positioning when it comes to nuclear risk."

The other 10%

Arms control in terms of treaties is at its nadir, now that Russia has suspended — but not withdrawn from — New START, the last major agreement limiting Russian and US nuclear systems. In the near term, at least, security analysts like Schneider are relatively sanguine.

"In all, I don't see an increase in the nuclear risk as a result of what's happened to New START," he said.

That is partly because treaties are just one element of arms control. Transparency, dialogue, and data collection through both public and clandestine means are others. Nuclear weapons are expensive and conspicuous, making changes in numbers or deployment fairly easy to spot.

The treaties have also only covered Russian and US forces. While they control about 90% of the world's nuclear weapons, including first-strike capability, the absence of China from these treaties is a bigger worry.

There are several small and midsize nuclear-armed states, but Erath said it is China "where things are changing in the nuclear world." Moreover, the US lacks the awareness and lines of communication of the kind built up with Russia over decades.

"If there were to be a crisis over Taiwan, it's a little bit harder to get that direct line to Beijing," he said.

Most countries do not possess nuclear weapons, and 92 of them have signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Without any of the world's nuclear powers on board, however, the agreement is largely symbolic.

Germany, which supports the abolition movement but is beholden to US nuclear doctrine, finds itself trying to do two things at once. Germany attended a treaty meeting in 2022 in Vienna as an observer — a reflection of anti-nuclear aspirations competing with real-world nuclear commitments.

Edited by Ben Knight

COVERING UP CELIBACY FAILURE
German bishop quits after storm over abuse case errors

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop of Osnabrück Franz-Josef Bode, who has faced heavy criticism over his handling of sexual abuse cases. In departing, Bode admitted he had made mistakes.

The Vatican on Saturday announced that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Franz-Josef Bode after nearly three decades as bishop of the northwestern city of Osnabrück.

Bode came in for fierce criticism for his handling of abuse cases in the church, being accused of showing too much sympathy for the perpetrators.
What do we know about the resignation?

The Vatican gave no further reason for the pope accepting the resignation of the bishop, who until now had resisted calls to step down despite admitting "negligence in certain cases."

In a personal statement on Saturday, Bode said he had underestimated the upset that had been caused, particularly among diocese staff.

"I expressly acknowledge my responsibility as to my personal mistakes, and can only today again ask everyone concerned for forgiveness," he said.

"I wish that my now completed resignation as bishop can also have a liberating effect against this background."

A diocese spokesman said that Bode had tendered his resignation some time ago.
Why was the bishop under pressure?

Weighing against Bode had been an interim report last year from a three-year study by Osnabrück University into the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.

The report found that the diocese, which takes in parts of the state of Lower Saxony and of the city-state of Bremen, had dealt with cases of sexual abuse in a bureaucratic and dismissive way.

Up to the year 2000, it found the diocese had "violated the obligation to take appropriate measures to prevent further crimes, some of them seriously."

Priests posing a danger to their congregations had been left in office and simply transferred, the report said.

"Seriously incriminated suspects were released from their duties, but continued to be employed in parishes, for example, where they came into contact with altar boys or performed youth pastoral work," the report said.

Bode took charge of the diocese in 1995, and the report acknowledged that there had been improvements more recently, with offending priests having been removed from their posts.

It said there had been no financial compensation for the suffering caused in older cases. The study has identified 70 offending clerics in the diocese since 1945.

In December, a victims council contacted the Vatican and filed a complaint against Bode, saying his attitude was still more perpetrator-oriented than victim-oriented.

It accused Bode of declaring a case of sexualized violence against a minor as a "relationship" as recently as last year.

The resignation makes the 72-year-old the first German bishop to actually step down because of the scandal of abuse in the Catholic Church. The pope has so far rejected requests for resignation from other bishops and, in the case of Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, a decision is still pending.

rc/kb (dpa, KNA, epd)

Syria: Will the UN investigate its earthquake aid delays?



Cathrin Schaer | Omar Albam in Syria
March 24, 2023

Locals in northwest Syria say aid delays after February's earthquakes led to unnecessary deaths. They blame the UN in particular. Now a UN commission has called for further investigation. But will it happen?

https://p.dw.com/p/4PAZO

After the February 6 earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, Muhannad Aswad and surviving friends and neighbors spent the first four hours using their bare hands to dig desperately through the rubble of their former homes. They heard voices under the debris, including those of children. Aswad heard his own brother.

"[My brother] Ammar was a journalist and a relief worker. He was asking for help from under the rubble," he recalled. "We waited for help," said Aswad, who lives in Salqin, northwest Syria, in an area controlled by forces that oppose the government of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. "But nobody came."

In the end, Aswad lost 25 members of his family in the earthquake, including Ammar. When outside help finally did arrive, "it was much, much too late," Aswad said.

The Syrian town of Jinderis was one of the worst impacted by the earthquake

 Rami Alsayed/dpa/picture alliance

Louay Younis, a media activist from the Syrian town of Jinderis, told a similar story. "It was like the end of the world," he said. Immediately after the earthquake, volunteers wielded axes and picks in their attempts to reach trapped survivors.

"We saw many cases of people who were alive under the rubble for two or three days," he told DW, "but as a result of the slow arrival of outside help, they died."

The United Nations says over 4,500 people were killed by the earthquake in northwest Syria. More than 8,700 were injured and over 11,000 are homeless.
Why did aid take so long?

Various reasons have been given for the delay in aid reaching rebel-held, northwest Syria. For example, aid organizations based just over the border in Turkey were also affected by the earthquake — humanitarian workers died and headquarters were wrecked — and some roads into Syria were damaged.

But the UN has come in for particular criticism because, as a coordinating organization, it did not call for international urban search and rescue teams to address the dire situation in this opposition-held part of Syria. The UN waited for permission from the Syrian government, headed by dictator Bashar Assad, to do so. This is despite the fact that, for some time now, legal experts have been saying that the UN doesn't need permission for this kind of cross-border aid. It also ignores the reality on the ground: The Syrian government doesn't actually control these borders anyway. Syrian rebel groups and the Turkish government do.

Head of the UN's relief efforts, Martin Griffiths, had previously apologized for his organization's failure on social media.

After the earthquake, Raed Saleh, the head of Syria's White Helmets civil defense force, told journalists the UN had not helped quickly enough and he asked for an apology and an investigation.

"Undoubtedly, the response failures in northwest Syria, including of the UN, have directly caused avoidable deaths, injury and morbidity," a group of researchers confirmed in a March issue of British medical journal, The Lancet. They also called for "an independent UN-mandated commission to investigate."
UN commission also wants review

Earlier this week, a UN body, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, joined the growing chorus.

The commission, which was set up in 2011 to monitor human rights abuses in Syria, was presenting its 27th report to the UN's Human Rights Council in Geneva. During the meeting, commission chairman Paulo Pinheiro said the body supported "calls by many Syrians and others for a thorough review of the effectiveness of the UN and the wider international community's humanitarian response to the disaster." 

Syrians 'feel abandoned and betrayed,' said Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria

FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP

The commission's comment was praised by many Syria observers. But what would such a review look like? And could an investigation like this ever bring justice to the Syrians, like Aswad, who have been so tragically impacted?

DW called various agencies and offices of the UN and, despite the Commission on Syria's recent suggestion, it remains unclear exactly how any such investigation might proceed or if it would ever go ahead at all.
How will the UN investigate the UN?

In a statement, the Commission on Syria told DW that it can't do anything more because any such review falls outside of its mandate, which is to monitor human rights abuses inside the country. It would not be the right body to conduct such an inquiry, a spokesperson for the commission pointed out.

Another spokesperson at the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, which works more closely with aid agencies based near the Turkish-Syrian border, explained that there would likely be an internal review.

"It's normal practice for OCHA to conduct an internal review of its response for any major emergency," Kirsten Mildren, OCHA's head of public advocacy, explained. "This helps us improve the way we respond to future crises and make changes to the system when needed."

White Helmets boss Raed Saleh said the UN's bureaucracy meant some Syrians, who could have been rescued, died instead

ABDULAZIZ KETAZ/AFP

However, she added, that review would not have started yet, as aid efforts were ongoing, nor would the results be made public.

A future investigation could be supported by the UN's Human Rights Council, Matthew Brown, the council's public information officer, told DW. The Council, or UNHRC, is led by its 47 member states, not by UN administrators, Brown explained. If any member state wanted to convince other countries to request an independent investigation, then this would be one way of getting an inquiry started, he said.

The UNHRC is currently in session until April 4, Brown added, but right now, the idea of an investigation into Syrian aid delays is not on its agenda.

Putting pressure on management

Another way of getting such an investigation going would be to make a request at the UN General Assembly. This would be more difficult though, because then a majority of 193 UN member nations would have to agree to a resolution — that an investigation into the UN, by the UN — is necessary.

The UN's Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also has the power to order such an inquiry. Putting pressure on UN leadership has helped in similar cases in the past. For example, it is how Haitians eventually gained some recompense after a 2010 cholera outbreak in their country.

The illness started to spread in Haiti after UN peacekeepers — most likely from Nepal, where there was a cholera outbreak at the time — disposed of "contaminated fecal waste" in a major river. In other words, the UN mission introduced cholera to the country. Over the following decade, around 10,000 locals are thought to have been killed by cholera and over 800,000 contracted the disease.

Lawyers and activists are still trying to achieve some sort of justice for Haitians affected by a cholera epidemic they say was started by a UN mission

Image: AP

Despite various claims made through the UN's internal disputes system, as well as legal claims in US courts and street protests, it was not until 2016 that the UN issued a public apologyand set up a special fund for Haiti. Observers suggest that the UN's secretary-general at the time, Ban Ki-moon, finally responded because of public pressure.
Living with the consequences

However, when it comes to a potential investigation into aid delays immediately after the earthquake in northwest Syria, none of these options are being taken up.

"It's easy to say we need an investigation, but it's much harder to do," a UN staff member, who requested anonymity because they were not permitted to comment publicly on the situation, told DW. "It's also hard to know which part of the UN would investigate. I do know for a fact that humanitarian agencies inside the UN are looking hard at what happened there and that it's being discussed at the highest levels. People are very sensitive about it. There's the feeling that it was a really complicated situation, but also that it really needs to be looked into."

The first UN aid convoys entered northwest Syria almost a week after the earthquake hit

Image: Abdulmonam Eassa/Getty Images

As for Syrians like Aswad and Younis, who lost friends and family in the disaster, they have no choice but to bear the consequences of decisions made so far from their homes in early February.

Aswad would like to see locals better prepared for natural disasters and improved medical facilities in this neglected part of Syria.

"I found out that there are thermal and also audio devices that can help determine where survivors are," he told DW. "Why didn't we have any of these here?

"The response from the UN and other international organizations was terrible, and too late," Younis argued. "I would like to see UN officials held accountable for their slow response. People died because of them."

Edited by: Lucy James

Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim submits new bid for Man Utd - reports

Julian Guyer
Sat, March 25, 2023 


Manchester United have received a second Qatari bid to buy the English football giants, British media reported Saturday.

The Press Association and the Guardian, among others, said Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber AI Thani, the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank, had placed a second round offer overnight.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe made a revised bid on Thursday as Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus entered the race to own the Old Trafford club.

Bidders were initially told they had until 2100 GMT on Wednesday to submit new offers, but reports say that has been extended.

No figures have been revealed but one or more of the initial bids were understood to be in the region of £4.5 billion ($5.5 billion).

That would make Manchester United -- who have not won the Premier League for a decade -- the most expensive sports club in history, although it would be short of the £6 billion valuation reportedly placed on United by its current US-based owners, the Glazer family.

Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe, the founder of chemicals giant INEOS, remain the front runners to buy United should the Glazers give up control of the club.

Zilliacus entered the race on Thursday, with a bid he said will give fans the chance to own 50 percent of the club.

"My bid is built on equality with the fans," Zilliacus, founder and chairman of investment company Mobile FutureWorks, said in a statement.

The Glazers have angered many United supporters by saddling the club with huge debts since they took over in 2005. They appeared ready to cash out at an enormous profit when they invited external investment in November.

However, they could yet shun the option of selling a controlling stake in the club, with other parties understood to be interested in a minority shareholding.

The Times reported US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management, which sold AC Milan for $1.3 billion last year, has made a bid for a minority stake.

A first round of bidding took place last month and it has been reported there are as many as eight separate potential investors in the club.

- 'Stupid prices' -

Sheikh Jassim is bidding for 100 percent control, aiming to return the club to its "former glories".

A source close to Sheikh Jassim's bid had earlier told AFP he remains confident his bid is "the best for the club, fans and local community".

Ratcliffe, a boyhood United fan, wants to buy the combined Glazer shareholding of 69 percent.

The 70-year-old told the Wall Street Journal this week he was not interested in paying "stupid prices" for one of football's most iconic clubs.

Ratcliffe, who already owns French club Nice, said his interest in United would be "purely in winning things", calling the club a "community asset".

He visited Old Trafford last week along with INEOS representatives, a day after a delegation from Sheikh Jassim's group toured the club's stadium and training ground.

A Qatari purchase of United would boost the sporting profile of the Gulf state months after it hosted the 2022 World Cup, but it would also be controversial.

Sheikh Jassim is the son of a former Qatari prime minister, raising concerns over the potential growth of state influence in the Premier League.

Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City's fortunes have been transformed since a takeover from Sheikh Mansour, a member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family, in 2008.

In 2021, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund bought a controlling stake in Newcastle.

Amnesty International has called on the Premier League to tighten ownership rules to ensure they are "not an opportunity for more sportswashing".

jdg-kca/dmc

King Kong: A brief history of a 90-year-old movie icon

Philipp Jedicke

DW
03/02/2023

The first King Kong movie was released in March 1933. As the iconic beast turns 90, here's a look at different versions of the classic story.

As one of the best-known monsters in film, King Kong is an international pop culture phenomenon alongside popular superheroes and comic book characters.

The first "King Kong" film was made in 1933, and was the brainchild of Merian C. Cooper, directed and produced together with Ernest B. Schoedsack.

A concoction of adventure, horror and fantasy, "King Kong" remains a pioneering technical masterpiece, featuring early use of stop-motion photography and special effects by Willis H. O'Brien.

The film was also one of the first ever to have a special music score composed to accompany it.

Released in US theaters on March 2, 1933, it became a huge success and the inspiration for fairground attractions, video games and a series of 12 "King Kong" films.

'King Kong'

The original "King Kong" takes as a starting point that gorilla stories were in demand in the 1930s, as settings that seemed "exotic' in the eyes of US moviegoers often became box office hits.

So a film crew led by director Carl Denham sets out to find a giant gorilla on the fictional Skull Island, near Indonesia, where Kong is worshiped as a god by the natives.

The original 'King Kong' from 1933Image: picture alliance/United Archives

The film crew captures him and brings him back to New York to present him to the public. Overwhelmed, King Kong breaks free from his shackles and flees.

Obsessed with Ann Darrow, the lead actress from the film crew, King Kong kidnaps her and takes her to the top of the Empire State Building, where he is shot to death by US military aircraft. Ann Darrow survives unharmed.

King Kong, who was much more brutal in the uncut version than in the final cut, is shown not only as a perpetrator but also as a victim of human greed.

In Nazi Germany, the film was initially banned by censors, but Adolf Hitler liked the film and allowed its release.

'Son of Kong'

The sequel came out the same year.

The story takes place a month after Kong's death. Carl Denham is liable for Kong's havoc. Facing bankruptcy from lawsuits, he flees to Captain Englehorn's ship. After numerous adventures, Denham ends up back on Skull Island for a treasure hunt together with Englehorn, a singer called Helene, and another shady captain by the name of Helstrom.

 

Little Kong fights backs in 'Son of Kong' (1933)

Image: Everett Collection/IMAGO

They encounter Kong's son, an albino giant ape, whom they rescue from quicksand. In the end, Kong Junior returns the favor when the island is hit by an earthquake. He brings Denham and Helene back to the boat before drowning in the ocean surrounding the sinking island.
'King Kong vs. Godzilla'

The first King Kong film in color came out in 1962 as a Japanese film in the Kaiju monster genre. Directed by Ishiro Honda, it was also the third Godzilla film.

"King Kong vs. Godzilla" tells the story of the prehistoric dinosaur Godzilla breaking free from an iceberg and threatening to destroy Japan. At the same time, King Kong, captured by scientists, arrives in Japan. The giant gorilla escapes, runs into Godzilla, attacks him, and loses. As a result, he is forced to retreat.

The scientists send Kong to fight Godzilla again. Kong feeds on electricity voltage, which makes him stronger than ever.

During their final battle on Mount Fuji, the two beasts cause chaos and destruction. The battle climaxes with a fall into the sea, where Godzilla is defeated and King Kong swims back to his home island.

The Japanese kaiju films were directed by Ishiro Honda

Image: United Archives/picture alliance

'King Kong Escapes'

The 1967 Japanese sequel was also directed by Ishiro Honda. Like its predecessor and the entire Godzilla series, the film was produced by Toho.

This time, the giant gorilla Kong is clearly the good guy of the film, infatuated with a nurse named Susan.

A mad scientist named Dr. Who is failing to mine a radioactive element in the Arctic with the help of his robot Mechani-Kong — created in the image of King Kong. So, he abducts Kong, hoping he will get him to finish the job.

Kong manages to escape, but Mechani-Kong chases him up to the Tokyo Tower for a final showdown between the two apes. Kong wins and yet again swims back to his homeland.

King Kong fights with a giant dinosaur and his robot double in 'King Kong Escapes' (1967)

Image: picture alliance/United Archives

'King Kong' — the first remake

In the 1976 film, King Kong gets a modernized remake of the original story: An oil company disrupts Kong's peaceful island existence and abducts him to New York.

The film, directed by John Guillermin, stars Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges. Producer Dino De Laurentiis had a 12-meter-tall mechanical King Kong figure built especially for the film, which cost $1.7 million (€1.6 million) and was completely covered with horse hair. But unfortunately, the model was defective and could only be seen for a few seconds in the finished film. For the remaining scenes, special effects had to be used.

Jessica Lange starred in the 1976 remakeImage: picture alliance/Everett Collection
'King Kong Lives'

Ten years later, the sequel "King Kong Lives" followed. John Guillermin was also the director, but the cast completely changed.

Kong did not die in his fall from the Empire State Building, but was in a coma for a decade, hooked up on life-support. After receiving a blood transfusion from a female giant ape named Lady Kong, Kong awakens, kidnaps the female, and flees from the military.

After they mate, the couple is discovered by soldiers and Lady Kong is imprisoned while Kong is presumed dead.

Lady Kong is also a fierce beast: A scene from 'King Kong Lives' (1986)

Image: picture alliance/Everett Collection

Months later, Kong kidnaps the pregnant ape again. in the end, the couple is confronted by the military and Kong dies from the soldiers' bullets after witnessing the birth of his son. Lady Kong and Kong's son are then taken back to their native Island of Borneo.
'King Kong'

In 2005, star director Peter Jackson ("The Lord of the Rings") fulfilled a childhood dream by venturing into the King Kong material. According to Jackson, the original "King Kong" had sparked his career as a filmmaker.

Shot in New Zealand, Jackson's remake stars Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody and Jack Black.

Naomi Watts portrays Ann Darrow in Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' (2005)

Image: picture-alliance/Mary Evans Picture Library

Jackson followed the 1933 original very closely in terms of plot. He also recreated a spider scene that was removed from the original film by censors in the 1930s.

The critically-acclaimed film garnered several award nominations and won three Oscars, but had a slow start at the box office.

'Kong: Skull Island'

2017's "Kong: Skull Island" is the second film in the MonsterVerse multi-media franchise, which produces blockbuster movies starring the likes of King Kong, Godzilla, and other Toho monsters.

Hollywood stars Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman star in Jordan Vogt-Roberts' fantasy adventure film.

In real life, the apelike-beast would be more than 30 meters (around 100 feet) tall, making it the tallest King Kong in the franchise to date.

A very large ape in 'Kong: Skull Island' (2017)Image: Legendary Entertainment/Zuma/IMAGO

The remake is set in the early 1970s, when a squad of soldiers, government officials and civilians explores a mysterious island. Their helicopter is brought down and they quickly find out that a giant ape lives on the island.

Although this is the "king" of the island, there are many other monsters against which the group must assert itself.

The role of war photographer Weaver, played by Brie Larson, is quite different from the original Ann Darrow character, the passive actress.

New King Kong blockbuster set to hit theaters in 2024

After the great success of "Kong: Skull Island," which grossed $567 million (approx. 534 million euros) worldwide, "Godzilla vs. Kong" followed in 2021.

An untitled Godzilla vs. Kong project is now set to be released in 2024. It will be the fifth film in the MonsterVerse franchise.

As the iconic giant ape turns 90, King Kong remains a box-office star.

This article was originally written in German.

Large asteroid to zoom between Earth and Moon

On Saturday, the 2023DZ2 will come within a third of the distance from the Earth to the Moon.

The asteroid will pass 175,000km (109,000 miles) from Earth at a speed of 28,000 kilometres per hour [The Virtual Telescope Project]

Published On 25 Mar 202325 Mar 2023

A large asteroid will safely zoom between Earth and the Moon on Saturday, a once-in-a-decade event that will be used as a training exercise for planetary defence efforts, according to the European Space Agency.

The asteroid, named 2023 DZ2, is estimated to be 40 to 70 metres (130 to 230 feet) wide, roughly the size of the Parthenon, and big enough to wipe out a large city if it hit our planet.

At 19:49 GMT on Saturday, it will come within a third of the distance from the Earth to the Moon, said Richard Moissl, the head of the ESA’s planetary defence office.

Though that is “very close”, there is nothing to worry about, he told AFP news agency.

Small asteroids fly past every day, but one of this size coming so close to Earth only happens about once every 10 years, he added.

The asteroid will pass 175,000km (109,000 miles) from Earth at a speed of 28,000 kilometres per hour (17,400 miles per hour). The Moon is roughly 385,000km (239,228 miles) away.

An observatory in La Palma, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, first spotted the asteroid on February 27.

Last week, the United Nations-endorsed International Asteroid Warning Network decided it would take advantage of the close look, carrying out a “rapid characterisation” of 2023 DZ2, Moissl said. That means astronomers around the world will analyse the asteroid with a range of instruments such as spectrometers and radars.

The goal is to find out just how much we can learn about such an asteroid in only a week, Moissl said. It will also serve as training for how the network “would react to a threat” possibly heading our way in the future, he added.

The asteroid will again swing past Earth in 2026, but poses no threat of impact for at least the next 100 years – which is how far out its trajectory has been calculated.

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Combative spoiler enters Turkey's election campaign


Fulya OZERKAN
Sat, March 25, 2023 


Turkey's top politicians have formed two camps heading into May's election: those who revere President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and those united in the single goal of ending his two-decade rule.

Then Muharrem Ince came along.

The Turkish leader's chief rival in the last election in 2018 all but vanished after picking up 30.6 percent of the vote.

Erdogan's 52.6 percent allowed him to extend a run that has seen his Islamic-rooted party become Turkey's most transformative force since the secular state's creation by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 100 years ago.

A lot has happened since Ince's defeat.

Six disparate parties have built an anti-Erdogan alliance and -- after a year-long debate -- rallied around the candidacy of secular CHP party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the May 14 vote.

A major pro-Kurdish party has also given Kilicdaroglu its tacit support.

The opposition alliance is the most multi-faceted and seemingly popular of any Erdogan has faced at the ballot box.

This makes Ince's decision to run again particularly frustrating for Erdogan's political foes.

"This is bad news for the opposition," Sabanci University political science assistant professor Berk Esen told AFP.

"Ince's ability to draw votes from the CHP and (its junior partner) the Iyi Party could have a spoiler effect and force the presidential election to a second round."

- 'I will be elected' -

Ince (pronounced Indzhe) represented the CHP in the last election because the party felt the more mild-mannered Kilicdaroglu had less public appeal.

His passionate speeches and combative persona mimicked Erdogan's own campaign style and drew huge crowds in the last campaign.

Hopes were high -- and the disappointment deep.

Ince's defeat was followed by an hours-long silence that he broke by sending a curt text message to a reporter saying simply: "the man won".

The brusque remark created national headlines and contributed to a loss of Ince's popularity in the polls.

But Ince remained undeterred.

He immediately tried and failed to challenge Kilicdaroglu for the CHP leadership and then went on a national bus tour to drum up support for his own political brand.

Ince's new Memleket (Homeland) Party resonates most with secular nationalist voters who comprise an important part of Kilicdaroglu's current base of support.

The 58-year-old native of a small village near Istanbul sounded characteristically confident after submitting his candidacy to the Higher Election Board this week.

"The election will go to the second round, and in the second round I will be elected president with more than 60 percent of the vote," he said.

- 'What does he represent?' -

Ince's last-minute entry into a race that was shaping into the opposition's best chance yet to defeat Erdogan has ruffled feathers across the political spectrum.

Analyst Serkan Demirtas said Ince was trying to present himself as an alternative without truly defining what he stood for.

"He says he's against Erdogan, and he's also against Kilicdaroglu, but what does he represent? We don't know," Demirtas told AFP.

Most agree that anyone trying to single-handedly defeat Erdogan will not only fail but also hurt the opposition alliance.

"Ince is unlikely to steal from the ruling party's votes," well-connected political journalist Deniz Zeyrek remarked.

"Who would that serve most? Erdogan."

Eurasia Group analyst Emre Peker said Ince's ability to draw votes away from Kilicdaroglu will make his position crucial in the likely runoff on May 28.

"Whether he and the CHP bury the hatchet... will be key to Kilicdaroglu's prospects in the second round," Peker wrote in a note.

- Gen Z voters -

Analysts believe Ince mostly appeals to younger voters who are tired of Erdogan and uninspired by the 74-year-old Kilicdaroglu -- a former civil servant who calls himself the "quiet force".

"He seems to be especially popular with Gen Z voters who can be easily swayed by anti-status quo candidates," Sabanci University's Esen said.

"For them, Kilicdaroglu is not a fresh face."

Erdogan's opponents are still quietly trying to force Ince to pull out of the race.

"Withdraw as soon as possible... Your candidacy will not bring you any success," popular Turkish tenor and columnist Guvenc Dagustun wrote in the left-leaning BirGun newspaper.

Zeyrek felt Ince could still change his mind at the last moment and end his campaign.

"I think the CHP should be talking to him," the political journalist said.

fo/zak/imm

Critics claim Paris using 2024 Games to introduce Big Brother video surveillance

Issued on: 25/03/2023 

Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, France is considering adopting a law that would introduce AI video surveillance. © Eric Cabanis, AFP

Text by: Romain HOUEIX

France’s National Assembly is due to adopt a law on Tuesday ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Article 7 is the most controversial aspect of this law, as it will allow AI video surveillance to be used to detect abnormal behaviour. Human rights organisations and the French left have condemned the measure.

The all-encompassing law that France’s National Assembly is due to adopt on March 28, ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, will allow shops to open on Sundays, establish a health centre in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis (located northeast of Paris) and permit the French state to investigate future accredited persons. However, Article 7 of this law is particularly controversial, as it states that AI video surveillance may be used, on a trial basis, to ensure the safety of the Olympic Games. Human rights groups say the use of this technology will set a dangerous precedent.

During the preliminary phase, Article 7 was adopted by the presidential majority, France’s right-wing party Les Républicains and the far-right National Rally. The New Ecological and Social People’s Union (NUPES), a coalition of left-wing parties, opposed it. It will allow algorithm-driven video surveillance technology to be used to ensure the safety of large-scale "sporting, recreational or cultural events" on a trial basis.
'An all-out assault on rights to privacy'

"Algorithmic video surveillance is a new form of technology that uses computer software to analyse images captured by surveillance cameras in real time," explains Arnaud Touati, a lawyer specialised in digital law. "The algorithms used in the software are notably based on machine learning technology, which allows AI video surveillance, over time, to continue to improve and adapt to new situations."

Proponents of this technology claim to be able to anticipate crowd movements and spot abandoned luggage or potentially dangerous incidents. Compared to traditional video surveillance, everything is automated with algorithms in charge of analysis - which, according to those in favour of this technology, limits human errors.

"While France promotes itself as a champion of human rights globally, its decision to legalize AI-powered mass surveillance during the Olympics will lead to an all-out assault on the rights to privacy, protest, and freedom of assembly and expression," Amnesty International said in a statement after the article was passed.

A herald of future video surveillance across Europe?

Katia Roux, the NGO's technology and human rights specialist, explains that this technology can elicit many fears. "Under international law, legislation must respect the strict principles of necessity and proportionality. In this case, however, the legislator has not demonstrated this," she says. "We are talking about assessment technology, which has to evaluate behaviours and categorise them as at risk so that measures can be taken afterwards."

05:59TECH 24 © FRANCE 24

"This technology is not legal today. In France, experiments have been done but not within the legal framework that this law proposes to create," she said. "Nor is it legal at the European level. It is even brought up during discussions in the European Parliament about technology and the regulation of artificial intelligence systems. The legislation could therefore also violate the European regulation currently being drafted."

"By adopting this law, France would become the champion of video surveillance in the EU and set an extremely dangerous precedent. It would send an extremely worrying signal to countries that might be tempted to use this technology against their own population," she continued.

Discriminatory?

One fear is that the seemingly cold and infallible algorithm may in fact contain discriminatory biases. "These algorithms are going to be trained using a set of data decided and designed by human beings. They will therefore be able to incorporate the discriminatory biases of the people who conceived and designed them," says Roux.

"AI video surveillance has already been used for racist purposes, notably by China, in the exclusive surveillance of the Uighurs, a Muslim minority present in the country," says Touati. "Because ethnic minorities are under-represented in the data provided to the algorithms for learning-purposes, there are significant discriminatory and racist biases. According to an MIT study, while the facial recognition error is 1% for White men, it is 34% for Black women."

Touati, however, wants to see the glass as half full. "Using AI video surveillance during events of this magnitude could also highlight the algorithm’s discriminatory, misogynistic and racist biases by identifying, at too high a frequency to be accurate, people from minority ethnic groups as potential suspects," he explains.

When asked by members of the left-wing opposition coalition NUPES what kind of people AI video surveillance would be targeting, the French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said, "Not [ones wearing] hoodies." The French government believes that the limits set by the law – the absence of facial recognition, data protection – will be enough to prevent discriminatory practices.

"We have put safeguards in place so that tenders are only reserved for companies that respect a certain number of rules, including hosting data on national territory, respecting the CNIL [National Commission on Informatics and Liberty; an independent French administrative regulatory body responsible for ensuring that data privacy law is applied to the collection, storage and use of personal data] and the GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation ; a data protection law introduced by the EU]," says MP Philippe Latombe, a member of the pro-Europe and centre-right political party Democratic Movement. He co-signed an amendment with the National Rally so that the call for tenders would give priority to European companies. "Clearly, we don't want it to be a Chinese company that does data processing in China and uses the data to do something else."

"We are not reassured by the government’s guarantees. In reality, no real amendment is possible, and this technology is, in itself, problematic and dangerous for human rights," says Roux. "It will remain so until a serious evaluation has been conducted, the necessity and proportionality of its use has been demonstrated, and a real debate has been held with civil society’s different actors on this issue."
Sports events and tech experiments

Although the Olympic Games are clearly the target event, this technological experiment can begin as soon as the law is implemented and will end on December 31, 2024, four months after the Paralympic Games finish. It could therefore be applied to a wide range of events, starting with the Rugby World Cup from September 8 to October 28.

Opponents of AI video surveillance fear that its initially exceptional use will eventually become commonplace. After all, sports events are often used as a testing ground for policing, security and new technology. The 2012 London Olympics, for example, led to the widespread use of video surveillance in the British capital.

"We are afraid that this exceptional period will become the norm," explains Roux, who adds that voice recognition technology, which was deployed on an experimental basis during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has since been used to repress the opposition.

Finally, Amnesty International is concerned that video surveillance will eventually lead to biometric or voice surveillance. "Facial recognition is just a feature waiting to be activated," says Roux.

The law on the 2024 Olympic Games has not yet completed its legislative journey. Following Tuesday’s formal vote in the National Assembly, the text will undergo several changes and make multiple trips between the Assembly and Senate, which had previously amended it, until the two chambers agree to adopt it.

Tech 24’s Peter O'Brien contributed to this article.

This article has been translated from the original in French.

Israelis protest ahead of crunch week for justice reforms

Issued on: 25/03/2023 -

The latest mass protest in Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv comes days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press on with a controversial judicial overhaul despite mounting international alarm © AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP


Tel Aviv (AFP) – Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv Saturday against a controversial judicial overhaul by the hard-right government, ahead of a key week expected to see more legislative steps and mass protests.

The latest demonstration to hit Israel's commercial hub came days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press on with the changes despite mounting international alarm.

"We're here today to show up and add our voice to the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Israelis that support the values that this country was founded on," said high-tech worker Daniel Nisman, mentioning democracy and tolerance.

"This is all we can hope for, that he (Netanyahu) brings us back from the edge of the abyss," the 36-year-old told AFP.

Demonstrations erupted in January after the coalition announced its reform package, which the government says is necessary to rebalance powers between lawmakers and the judiciary.

Rallies have repeatedly drawn tens of thousands of protesters, according to Israeli media estimates, and an AFP journalist saw thousands already gathering in Tel Aviv early on Saturday evening.

"More Israelis are waking up," said Josh Drill, a spokesman for the Umbrella Movement of protests.

"We're not going to live in a dictatorship. Even if they do pass the judicial coup, this protest is not going anywhere," the 26-year-old told AFP ahead of the rally.

'End the rift'

Plans to hand more control to politicians and diminish the role of the Supreme Court have been questioned by Israel's top allies including the United States.

 

Israeli demonstrators have announced a "national paralysis week" for next week, including countrywide rallies, protests outside ministers' homes and on Wednesday outside parliament © AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP

US President Joe Biden has expressed "our concerns over these proposals, these proposed judicial reforms", White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday.

Netanyahu was also met by hundreds of protesters in London, where he met his British counterpart Rishi Sunak on Friday.

During the talks, the British premier "stressed the importance of upholding the democratic values that underpin our relationship, including in the proposed judicial reforms", a spokesperson said.

Israeli lawmakers are due to vote on a central part of the government's proposals next week, which foresees changing the way judges are appointed.

Netanyahu said Thursday that the legislation "does not take control of the court but balances and diversifies it".

A parliamentary committee has amended the draft law with the aim of making it more palatable to opponents, but the opposition has ruled out backing any part of the reform package until all legislative steps are halted.

In response, demonstrators have announced a "national paralysis week", including countrywide rallies, protests outside ministers' homes and on Wednesday outside parliament.

In his televised address on Thursday, Netanyahu said he would do everything "to calm the situation and end the rift in the nation".

Even so, the premier said his administration remained "determined to correct and responsibly advance the democratic reform that will restore the proper balance between the authorities" by ploughing on with the overhaul.

Netanyahu came under fire a day later from Israel's attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, who said his public intervention was "illegal" due to his ongoing corruption trial.

The top legal official cited a previous court ruling that an indicted prime minister has no right to act on a matter that could place him in a conflict of interest.

© 2023 AFP