Best, Worst, and Most Talked About Moments from the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest

The grand final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest took place Saturday at the Malmo Arena in Sweden, with Swiss singer Nemo taking home the iconic microphone-shaped glass trophy. Nemo’s win marks the first victory for Switzerland since 1988, when Canadian singer Celine Dion competed for the country.

Likened to the Olympics of pop music, the annual international songwriting competition is celebrated for its glitzy and fun-filled performances. Eurovision is watched by millions of fans around the world, but this year has been mired in controversy and protest.

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While Eurovision organizers insist that the event is non-political, the Israel-Hamas war has been at the forefront of this year’s event. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through Malmo to protest Israel’s participation in the contest on Thursday and Saturday. Last-minute changes to the event program on Saturday stirred confusion, most notably the announcement that Dutch entry Joost Klein had been disqualified from the competition after a reported incident with a female member of the production crew. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, said that while Swedish police were investigating the complaint,“it would not be appropriate” for Klein to continue in the contest.

Although the lead-up to the grand final proved to be chaotic, the main event was a relatively smooth affair. Here are some of the most memorable, noteworthy moments from the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.

A royal welcome

The final kicked off with a message from Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. In a pre-recorded video, the royal greeted the crowd and wished all the contestants luck.

“It’s my great honor to welcome you all to Sweden,” she said. “I hope you will enjoy the show, and I wish all the contestants the best of luck.”

Eurovision meets Hollywood with Malin Akerman

Many viewers were surprised when they saw Hollywood actor Malin Akerman co-hosting the show with Swedish comedian Petra Mede. A Swedish-American movie star, Akerman is known for her roles in Watchmen, The Heartbreak Kid, 27 Dresses, The Proposal, and Couples Retreat, among others.

Viewers took to social media when they recognized Akerman on stage:

Me: “Wow, the Swedish co-host of Eurovision speaks English really well, and she looks vaguely familiar.”

Me, seeing the chyron identifying her: “Oh! It’s Trophy Wife legend Malin Akerman!!”

— TVMoJoe (@TVMoJoe) May 11, 2024

Me, 2 hours later, realising Malin Akerman played Tess in the movie 27 Dresses #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/8tCiyFxVyd

— Gary (@MrGaryAndrews) May 7, 2024

A lot of (deserved) praise for the Grand Dame of Eurovision, Queen Petra Mede today, but Malin Åkerman was a brilliant host. Such a natural, so likeable and really joined in with all of Petra's gags. When Sweden win again, I want them both back. Valerie Cherish would be so proud! pic.twitter.com/JQwHnlTHoI

— DMac™ (@1nclusionRider) May 12, 2024

Ireland’s entry Bambie Thug ends performance with a strong statement

Irish singer Bambie Thug competed with their song “Doomsday Blue,” and ended their performance by saying “Love will always triumph hate.” The singer, who has been vocal of their pro-Palestine views, was one of this year’s favorites to win and ended up placing sixth overall.

Before the show, Bambie Thug missed the flag ceremony for the final rehearsal, sparking concern that the singer might pull out of the grand final. Bambie Thug later said in a statement on their Instagram story that their absence was because of “a situation” they said needed “urgent attention” from event organizers. In a subsequent statement on their Instagram story, they said that they had “raised multiple complaints” over the past few days to the EBU regarding some incidents they had experienced, adding that the EBU “confirmed” Saturday that the commentator for Kan, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, “had broken the rules of conduct” during the first semi-final on Tuesday.

“I have been patiently waiting to hear what action is set to be taken by the EBU following this rule break,” Bambie Thug said in their statement. “I have since seen a statement by EBU Director General Noel Curran which contradicts this earlier confirmation. I am still waiting for an official update from the EBU.” Per the Irish Times, Bambie Thug made further claims against the Israeli broadcaster Kan when talking to journalists after the final.

TIME reached out to the EBU for comment and further information.

"Love will always triumph hate." #eurovision pic.twitter.com/ODDPi29kSi

— Will. (@squawkbox) May 11, 2024

Nemo wins over the live crowd and audiences at home with their performance

Nemo’s performance of their song “The Code” elicited strong reactions from the crowd. “The Code” is an operatic pop-rap song about Nemo’s journey of self-discovery and acceptance as a non-binary person. During their performance, the 24-year-old balanced on a metal disc that spun around on stage.

Nemo ended the night with 591 points in total, 44 more than the second-place act, Croatia.

The musician accidentally broke their trophy at the close of their post-results victory performance, injuring their thumb in the process, Variety reported. Organizers gave them a replacement trophy after, to which the singer joked, “I technically have two now.”

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A behind-the-scenes Eurovision icon makes a public-facing appearance

Fans were surprised yet again when Akerman interviewed her mother-in-law during the show—who just so happens to be British choreographer and Eurovision legend Chrissy Wickham.

Wickham is perhaps best known for being the choreographer behind the winning performance in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, when the British pop group Bucks Fizz ripped off their skirts on stage (and were wearing shorter skirts underneath). While Akerman interviewed her mother-in-law during Saturday’s show, Wickham jokingly ripped off Akerman’s skirt, referencing the iconic move. In true Eurovision fashion, Akerman was wearing a mini dress underneath.

Israel contestant’s performance met with boos and cheers

After Eden Golan performed, she was met with both boos and applause from the audience. TV presenter Graham Norton, who provided commentary for the BBC One production of the show for viewers in the U.K., said the crowd had a “mixed reaction” to the 20-year-old Israeli singer. After receiving a boost in numbers from the public vote, Golan placed fifth overall.

Golan, who spent much of the week leading up to the show under security protection, performed the power ballad “Hurricane.” Per Reuters, organizers had previously instructed Israel to change the lyrics of the song, initially called “October Rain,” because of its apparent reference to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that killed around 1,200 Israelis.

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ABBA avatars and a tribute performance sparks a varied response 

Some viewers were disappointed that rumors of the pop supergroup making a surprise appearance in honor of the 50th anniversary of its Eurovision victory weren’t realized. Instead, fans were treated to a pre-recorded message by “ABBAtars”—virtual avatars of the singers. The video of the “ABBAtars” singing “Waterloo,” which ABBA won Eurovision with in 1974, was accompanied by three former Eurovision winners—Carola, Charlotte Perrelli, and Conchita Wurst—performing the song on stage.

Really don’t know how to feel about these ABBA avatars #Eurovision2024

pic.twitter.com/w7KtRvdIdH

— Jack Proverbs (@JackProverbsPR) May 11, 2024

#Eurovision2024 gaslit myself into actually believing in an ABBA reunion pic.twitter.com/Eyq22l97ZK

— Pettywise🎈 (@CourtneySynster) May 11, 2024

Me really expecting the actual ABBA to appear #Eurovision2024 pic.twitter.com/04T6BgjQrs

— Stephen First Dates Twin (@StephenNCher) May 11, 2024

Ah yes the ABBATars…no real ABBA… #eurovision #Eurovision2024 pic.twitter.com/uaSUWauWEs

— MickyBell (@MickyBell) May 11, 2024

Alcazar reunites

Swedish group Alcazar reunited at Saturday’s show to perform their renowned hit song “Crying at the Discoteque,” which earned chart positions worldwide, including in the U.S., upon its release in the early 2000s.

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U.K.’s Olly Alexander earns zero points from the public vote

Olly Alexander didn’t receive any points from the public vote. The British singer had performed his song “Dizzy” at the grand final, but placed 18th overall. The U.K. was the only country that didn’t receive any points from the public vote, according to The Mercury.

Alexander, who previously fronted the chart-topping pop band Years & Years, took the news in their stride, laughing and joking with his dancers and team when the public votes were announced.

2023 Eurovision champion and fan-favorite Loreen returns

Loreen, the 2023 Eurovision winner and the first female artist to win the competition twice, returned to the stage at the final. As per tradition, Loreen performed ahead of officially passing the baton to the contest’s new winner. The singer belted out “Forever & Tattoo” while balancing on a small raised seat.

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source https://time.com/6977225/eurovision-song-contest-2024-best-worst-moments/

Prince William Shares New Update on Wife Kate Middleton After Her Cancer Diagnosis

Prince William said his wife Kate Middleton is “doing well” when asked by a member of the public during a royal engagement on Friday.

The Prince of Wales visited St. Mary’s Community Hospital on the Isles of Scilly in southwest England. An administrator at the hospital, Tracy Smith, gave the royal a tour of the facility. “May I ask how Princess Kate is doing?” she said. To which William responded that Kate is “doing well.” When asked about his children—George, Charlotte, and Louis—William joked: “The children are very jealous that I am here… Maybe we might come later in the year.”

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The rare update comes after the Princess of Wales announced in a video message that she had been diagnosed with cancer after a planned abdominal surgery. Kate said in the video, which was released by Kensington Palace on March 22, that the news was a “huge shock.” She began a course of “preventative chemotherapy” in late February, according to a Kensington Palace spokesperson.

“I am well and getting stronger every day,” Kate said in the video message.

During the royal visit on Friday, hospital matron Lynda McHale gave Prince William a card for his wife and father, King Charles III, who announced his own diagnosis of an undisclosed type of cancer in February and officially returned to public duties in late April.

“It was a card from my granddaughter who wanted to wish his father and wife ‘get well soon,’ ” McHale said, as reported by Sky News.

Before the video announcement in March, Kate hadn’t been seen at a public engagement since Christmas Day, prompting widespread speculation about her whereabouts. In her filmed  message, Kate said that she and her family needed time to process her diagnosis before sharing it with the public.

“It has taken time for me to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment,” she said.“But most importantly it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”

William met with hospital staff on Friday to learn about plans for a new integrated health and social care facility, meant to improve the range of care provided and allow people to receive care close to them rather than having to travel to the mainland. The new building is scheduled to open by next summer, according to BBC.

source https://time.com/6977179/kate-middleton-cancer-diagnosis-update-prince-william-comments/

Israel Orders New Evacuations in Rafah as it Prepares to Expand Military Operations

RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israel ordered new evacuations in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah on Saturday, forcing tens of thousands more people to move as it prepares to expand its military operation closer to the heavily populated central area, in defiance of growing pressure amid the war from close ally the United States and others.

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As pro-Palestinian protests continued, Israel’s military also said it was moving into an area of devastated northern Gaza where it asserted that the Hamas militant group has regrouped.

Israel has now evacuated the eastern third of Rafah, considered Gaza’s last refuge. The United Nations has warned that the planned full-scale Rafah invasion would further cripple humanitarian operations and cause a surge in civilian casualties.

Rafah borders Egypt near the main aid entry points, which already are affected. Israeli troops have captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, forcing it to shut down.

Egypt has refused to coordinate with Israel the delivery of aid though the Rafah crossing point because of “the unacceptable Israeli escalation,” the state-owned Al Qahera News television channel reported Saturday, citing an unnamed official. The channel has close ties with Egyptian security agencies.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said he won’t provide offensive weapons to Israel for Rafah. On Friday, the Biden administration said that there was “reasonable” evidence that Israel had breached international law protecting civilians — Washington’s strongest statement yet on the matter.

In response, Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Israel’s prime minister, told The Associated Press that Israel acts in compliance with the laws of armed conflict and the army takes extensive measures to avert civilian casualties, including alerting people to military operations via phone calls and text messages.

More than 1.4 million Palestinians — half of Gaza’s population — have been sheltering in Rafah, most after fleeing Israel’s offensives elsewhere. The evacuations are forcing some people to return north where areas are devastated from previous Israeli attacks. Aid agencies estimate that 110,000 had left before Saturday’s order, which adds a further 40,000.

“Do we wait until we all die on top of each other? So we’ve decided to leave. It’s better,” said Rafah resident Hanan al-Satari as people rushed to load mattresses, water tanks and other belongings onto vehicles.

“The Israeli army does not have a safe area in Gaza. They target everything,” said Abu Yusuf al-Deiri, earlier displaced from Gaza City.

Many people have been displaced multiple times. There are few places left to go. Some fleeing fighting earlier in the week erected tent camps in the city of Khan Younis — half destroyed in an earlier Israeli offensive — and the central city of Deir al-Balah, straining infrastructure.

Some Palestinians are being sent to what Israel has called humanitarian safe zones along the Muwasi coastal strip, which is already packed with about 450,000 people in squalid conditions. The garbage-strewn camp lacks basic facilities.

Georgios Petropoulos, an official with the U.N. humanitarian agency in Rafah, said aid workers had no supplies to help people set up in new locations. “We simply have no tents, we have no blankets, no bedding, none of the items that you would expect a population on the move to be able to get from the humanitarian system,” he said.

The World Food Program has warned that it would run out of food for distribution in southern Gaza by Saturday, Petropoulos said — a further challenge as parts of Gaza face what the WFP chief has called “full-blown famine.” Aid groups have said fuel will be depleted soon, forcing hospitals to shut down critical operations and halting trucks delivering aid.

Heavy fighting was also underway in northern Gaza. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee told Palestinians in Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya and surrounding areas to leave their homes and head to shelters in the west of Gaza City, warning that people were in “a dangerous combat zone” and that Israel would strike with “great force.”

The U.N. agency supporting people in Gaza, known as UNRWA, said about 300,000 people have been affected by evacuation orders in Rafah and Jabaliya, but the numbers could likely be more.

Northern Gaza was the first target of Israel’s ground offensive launched after Hamas and other militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 250 hostage. They still hold some 100 captives and the remains of more than 30. Hamas on Saturday said hostage Nadav Popplewell had died after being wounded in an Israeli airstrike a month ago. Hamas provided no evidence for the claim.

Israel’s bombardment and ground offensives have killed more than 34,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties, accusing it of embedding in densely populated residential areas.

Civil authorities in Gaza on Saturday gave more details of the mass graves that the Health Ministry announced earlier in the week at Shifa hospital, the largest hospital in northern Gaza and the target of an earlier Israeli offensive. Authorities said most of the 80 bodies had been patients who died from lack of care. The Israeli army said “any attempt to blame Israel for burying civilians in mass graves is categorically false.”

At least 19 people, including eight women and eight children, were killed overnight in central Gaza in strikes that hit the areas of Zawaida, Maghazi and Deir al-Balah, according to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and an AP journalist who counted the bodies.

“Children, what is the fault of the children who died?” one relative said. A woman stroked the face of one of the children lying on the ground.

Another round of cease-fire talks in Cairo ended earlier this week without a breakthrough.

source https://time.com/6977170/israel-new-evacuation-order-rafah-military-operations/

10 Surprising Facts About the Eurovision Song Contest

The grand final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday, May 11. The international songwriting competition is famed for its exuberant performances. However, this year has sparked controversy and protests related to the Israel-Hamas war.

Performers from countries across Europe—and beyond—competed in two televised semi-finals earlier this week. The hotly-anticipated final will see the winner crowned by a combination of votes from viewers around the world and rankings by juries in the music industry. The 2023 contest reached 162 million viewers around the world. In the U.S., viewers can stream the 2024 final live on Peacock, according to Associated Press.

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Dean Vuletic, a leading historian on Eurovision, calls the contest “a show of cultural diversity unlike any other,” during a video call with TIME.

Read More: Dutch Contestant Disqualified From Eurovision Song Contest Hours Before Final

Eurovision cemented its new slogan “United by Music” in late 2023 and organizers insist the contest is non-political. But this year’s contest has sparked outrage from pro-Palestinian protesters who have criticized organizers for allowing Israel to participate in the contest.

TIME has compiled 10 surprising facts about the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, notable past winners, controversies, and more.

Eurovision originally started off as a technical experiment in television broadcasting

Organizers wanted to see if they could hold a live, simultaneous, transnational broadcast across Europe. The very first contest was held on May 24, 1956, and only seven countries participated: the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and Italy, according to the Eurovision website. 

“It really was a showcase of the different musical cultures, popular musical cultures, in Europe,” Vuletic tells TIME.“I think this is why it has continued to attract the fascination of Europeans ever since.”

The contest has increased in popularity and size since then. Now watched by viewers around the world, this year’s competition features performers from 37 countries.

A Holocaust survivor represented Germany at the first contest in 1956

Walter Andreas Schwarz, a Jewish Holocaust survivor, competed for Germany at the first Eurovision. He ended up finishing second overall.

Vuletic says this shows that “countries were already using Eurovision as cultural diplomacy from the very first contest.”

The term “Eurovision” comes from a British journalist

George Campey—who later joined the BBC, where he held a number of senior roles—was a journalist at the London Evening Standard when he was writing an article about European television in November 1951.

“It came about partly by accident,” Campey said in a previous interview with the BBC.

As Campey was typing, he wondered how he could get the phrase “European television” into a headline. He started typing “Euro” and then combined it with “vision.” The newspaper printed the phrase. The “catchy term” eventually caught on, Vuletic tells TIME.

The contest broke a world record

In 2015, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized Eurovision as the Longest Running Annual TV Music Competition. The contest has only ever been canceled once—in 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2024 is the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s Eurovision win

The pop supergroup represented Sweden in 1974 and performed the song “Waterloo.” It was the first time Sweden won the contest, according to the Eurovision website. ABBA went on to enjoy widespread international success, with their songs immortalized in the popular musical Mamma Mia! and the accompanying films.

Olivia Newton-John also competed at Eurovision

Also in 1974, the singer known for her role as Sandy in Grease represented the U.K. at the international singing competition, according to the Eurovision website. She performed the song “Long Live Love,” placing fourth overall.

Read More: Eurovision Organizers Reprimand Performers for Wearing Pro-Palestinian Symbols

Celine Dion won Eurovision in 1988

The Canadian singer represented Switzerland in 1988, according to Associated Press. Dion competed with the song “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.” She’s another example of a Eurovision winner who went on to become a huge success in North America, Vuletic says.

It “may sound strange because, you know, we talk about artists representing their own countries in Eurovision; that’s what usually happens,” Vuletic tells TIME. “But there is actually no rule requiring an artist to be a citizen of the country that it represents.”

A Eurovision song was the very first winner of the Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the inaugural Grammy Awards in 1959

Representing Italy, Domenico Modugno performed “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)” at the 1958 Eurovision and placed third overall. The song has since been covered by renowned musicians like David Bowie and Paul McCartney, according to Reuters.

Ireland and Sweden are the countries with the most wins

The two countries have each won Eurovision seven times, more than any other participating country, according to BBC. Cyprus, meanwhile, has entered the competition the most times with the least wins (they have yet to win).

Not all participating countries are in Europe

In order to participate in the contest, a country has to be an active member of the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes Eurovision, so eligibility is not solely dependent on geography. Australia, for instance, has participated in Eurovision since 2015.

Israel is also a regular participant in the competition—a decision that has sparked controversy this year among pro-Palestinian activists. In the days leading up to the 2024 final, Sweden increased security in Malmo in anticipation of protests. And on Thursday, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators—among them, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg—marched through the city, Associated Press reported.

source https://time.com/6977120/eurovision-song-contest-surprising-facts/

Solar Storm Hits Earth, Resulting in Colorful Light Shows Across Northern Hemisphere

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An unusually strong solar storm hitting Earth produced stunning displays of color in the skies across the Northern Hemisphere early Saturday, with no immediate reports of disruptions to power and communications.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, hours sooner than anticipated. The effects of the Northern Lights, which were prominently on display in Britain, were due to last through the weekend and possibly into next week.

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Many in the U.K. shared phone snaps of the lights on social media early Saturday, with the phenomenon seen as far south as London and southern England.

There were sightings “from top to tail across the country,” said Chris Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, Britain’s weather agency. He added that the office received photos and information from other European locations including Prague and Barcelona.

NOAA alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to take precautions.

“For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

The storm could produce northern lights as far south in the U.S. as Alabama and Northern California, NOAA said. But it was hard to predict and experts stressed it would not be the dramatic curtains of color normally associated with the northern lights, but more like splashes of greenish hues.

“That’s really the gift from space weather: the aurora,” Steenburgh said. He and his colleagues said the best aurora views may come from phone cameras, which are better at capturing light than the naked eye.

Snap a picture of the sky and “there might be actually a nice little treat there for you,” said Mike Bettwy, operations chief for the prediction center.

The most intense solar storm in recorded history, in 1859, prompted auroras in central America and possibly even Hawaii. “We are not anticipating that” but it could come close, NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl said.

This storm poses a risk for high-voltage transmission lines for power grids, not the electrical lines ordinarily found in people’s homes, Dahl told reporters. Satellites also could be affected, which in turn could disrupt navigation and communication services here on Earth.

An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003, for example, took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.

Even when the storm is over, signals between GPS satellites and ground receivers could be scrambled or lost, according to NOAA. But there are so many navigation satellites that any outages should not last long, Steenburgh noted.

The sun has produced strong solar flares since Wednesday, resulting in at least seven outbursts of plasma. Each eruption, known as a coronal mass ejection, can contain billions of tons of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona.

The flares seem to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the diameter of Earth, NOAA said. It is all part of the solar activity ramping up as the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle.

NASA said the storm posed no serious threat to the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The biggest concern is the increased radiation levels, and the crew could move to a better shielded part of the station if necessary, according to Steenburgh.

Increased radiation also could threaten some of NASA’s science satellites. Extremely sensitive instruments will be turned off, if necessary, to avoid damage, said Antti Pulkkinen, director of the space agency’s heliophysics science division.

Several sun-focused spacecraft are monitoring all the action.

“This is exactly the kinds of things we want to observe,” Pulkkinen said.

source https://time.com/6977133/solar-storm-earth-lights-northern-hemisphere-pictures/

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Rules Because It’s a Different Type of Sequel

Almost all of the movies in the Planet of the Apes franchise focus on answering an understandable question: How did this planet become, well, a planet of the apes? The original 1968 movie and infamous 2001 Tim Burton remake are about astronauts who are stunned to realize the planet they crash-landed on was Earth all along, and the first sequel ends with the planet getting blown up. But every other movie (and there have been 10 in total) has been about the downfall of humanity and the rise of the apes. The recent reboot trilogy, Rise, Dawn, and War of the Planet of the Apes, was a masterful primate apocalypse. By the end of it, the apes had risen and it had dawned on everyone that they’d won the war. It’s their planet, now. So… what next?

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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the first movie in seven years and the possible start of a new trilogy, has a chance to actually explore this world rather than be forced to establish it. Freed from being another stop on an essentially predetermined apocalypse narrative, the movie can tell a smaller story that builds up to being an epic. 

Caesar, the ape revolutionary who led the chimps, gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and gibbons to dominance in the reboot trilogy, is long dead by the time Kingdom’s action begins. (Andy Serkis, who famously brought Caesar to life with the help of some ground-breaking motion-capture technology, does not return for Kingdom but he’s listed as a consultant.) It’s generations later, enough time for the apes to have founded their own clans and mini-societies independent of one another. Noa (Owen Teague), is a member of the Eagle Clan, a chimp society that practices falconry with golden eagles and leads a peaceful existence. The Eagle clan doesn’t know anything about how apes took over the planet—they don’t need to. What they do know about humans (reduced to mute pests) is inaccurate and, as far as they know, irrelevant.

Read more: 39 Sequels That Are Better Than the Original Movie

Compared to most sequels of long-running franchises, the way Kingdom deals with lore is very interesting. Movies like Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire insist upon the importance of their franchise’s history. The Ghostbusters are important to you, the moviegoer (or so the movie hopes), and therefore they and their history are important within the world of the movie. So many modern franchises are built around Easter eggs, and major plot points are an excuse to bring back something from earlier in the franchise that will reward dedicated fans for recognizing it. Kingdom, meanwhile, actually engages with its own lore rather than take it for granted. Because, while the apes of the Eagle Clan don’t know their kind’s past, other apes are trying to carry on a misremembered legacy or twist history for their own ends. And, although they’ve decisively lost the position of the planet’s dominant species, humans might not be totally out of this thing yet. 

The Eagle Clan’s halcyon existence is shattered when they’re attacked by another group of apes, eventually revealed to be serving an ambitious, charismatic bonobo named Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). Noa’s father is killed and the rest of his clan taken hostage by Proximus’ soldiers, forcing Noa to embark on a voyage to track them down and, hopefully, rescue them. He’s joined on this trek by Raka (Peter Macon), an orangutan who preaches Ceasar’s gospel and attempts to keep his legacy alive through the oral tradition—though a lot has been lost or tweaked as by a game of telephone over the decades. Rounding out the trio is a human woman, played by The Witcher’s Freya Allan, who seems to have more going on behind her eyes than the average homo sapien.

Proximus, whose chosen name of Caesar is not an accident, wants to be this era’s equivalent of the ape founding father and is more than willing to cash in on the symbolism and twist lore to his own purposes. He does know about what humanity used to be, and he hopes that an impregnable vault he’s constructed his kingdom around holds ancient secrets that can propel his apes into a more powerful future. Not all of the various primates in Kingdom share this goal, though, and things come to a head as various parties attempt to uncover the past, keep it locked away, or simply rescue their friends and family. 

Save for some late reveals that presumably could be explored in sequels, the conflict in Kingdom ultimately comes down to whether or not the status quo should be maintained. That might seem underwhelming, at first, but the relatively small stakes are refreshing, and a testament to the fact that the Planet of the Apes can tell a story in its world without having to totally upend it. (The special effects, always a highlight in these films, continue to be revolutionary, which furthers the sense of immersion in this setting as an established place rather than one that’s in flux. With very few exceptions, the apes don’t ever read as special effects, the motion capture and animation so adept that you could see yourself forgetting that they’re not real.)

It would have been easy for Kingdom to feel unnecessary—a fourth movie in a reboot trilogy that happens to come just a few months after another ape-centric blockbuster? The pleasant surprise, then, is that Kingdom is forced to justify its existence on the strength of the story it tells on the planet of the apes, not merely because it’s the planet of the apes. The legacy is there in smart ways that make sense within the fiction of the movie, but the title has made the shift to being a fully rounded and adaptable setting rather than a premise.

source https://time.com/6976758/kingdom-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-franchise/

UN Assembly Approves Resolution Granting Palestine New Rights and Reviving its Membership Bid

(UNITED NATIONS) — The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on Friday to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and called on the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.

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The 193-member world body approved the Arab and Palestinian-sponsored resolution by a vote of 143-9 with 25 abstentions.

The United States vetoed a widely backed council resolution on April 18 that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood made clear on Thursday that the Biden administration opposed the assembly resolution. The United States was among the nine countries voting against it, along with Israel.

“We’ve been very clear from the beginning there is a process for obtaining full membership in the United Nations, and this effort by some of the Arab countries and the Palestinians is to try to go around that,” Wood said Thursday. “We have said from the beginning the best way to ensure Palestinian full membership in the U.N. is to do that through negotiations with Israel. That remains our position.”

Under the U.N. Charter, prospective members of the United Nations must be “peace-loving,” and the Security Council must recommend their admission to the General Assembly for final approval. Palestine became a U.N. non-member observer state in 2012.

The resolution “determines” that a state of Palestine is qualified for membership — dropping the original language that in the General Assembly’s judgment it is “a peace-loving state.” It therefore recommends that the Security Council reconsider its request “favorably.”

The renewed push for full Palestinian membership in the U.N. comes as the war in Gaza has put the more than 75-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict at center stage. At numerous council and assembly meetings, the humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinians in Gaza and the killing of more than 34,000 people in the territory, according to Gaza health officials, have generated outrage from many countries.

The original draft of the assembly resolution was changed significantly to address concerns not only by the U.S. but also by Russia and China, according to three Western diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations were private.

The first draft would have conferred on Palestine “the rights and privileges necessary to ensure its full and effective participation” in the assembly’s sessions and U.N. conferences “on equal footing with member states.” It also made no reference to whether Palestine could vote in the General Assembly.

According to the diplomats, Russia and China, which are strong supporters of Palestine’s U.N. membership, were concerned that granting the list of rights and privileges detailed in an annex to the resolution could set a precedent for other would-be U.N. members — with Russia concerned about Kosovo and China about Taiwan.

Under longstanding legislation by the U.S. Congress, the United States is required to cut off funding to U.N. agencies that give full membership to a Palestinian state — which could mean a cutoff in dues and voluntary contributions to the U.N. from its largest contributor.

The final draft drops the language that would put Palestine “on equal footing with member states.” And to address Chinese and Russian concerns, it would decide “on an exceptional basis and without setting a precedent” to adopt the rights and privileges in the annex.

The draft also adds a provision in the annex on the issue of voting, stating categorically: “The state of Palestine, in its capacity as an observer state, does not have the right to vote in the General Assembly or to put forward its candidature to United Nations organs.”

The final list of rights and privileges in the draft annex includes giving Palestine the right to speak on all issues not just those related to the Palestinians and Middle East, the right to propose agenda items and reply in debates, and the right to be elected as officers in the assembly’s main committees. It would give the Palestinians the right to participate in U.N. and international conferences convened by the United Nations — but it drops their “right to vote” which was in the original draft.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas first delivered the Palestinian Authority’s application for U.N. membership in 2011. It failed because the Palestinians didn’t get the required minimum support of nine of the Security Council’s 15 members.

They went to the General Assembly and succeeded by more than a two-thirds majority in having their status raised from a U.N. observer to a non-member observer state. That opened the door for the Palestinian territories to join U.N. and other international organizations, including the International Criminal Court.

In the Security Council vote on April 18, the Palestinians got much more support for full U.N. membership. The vote was 12 in favor, the United Kingdom and Switzerland abstaining, and the United States voting no and vetoing the resolution.

source https://time.com/6976910/united-nations-palestine-rights-member/