JUST SAY NO TO PALM OIL
What are EU's options in palm oil row with Malaysia and Indonesia?

Indonesia and Malaysia say the EU's palm oil restrictions are unfair and "discriminatory" and are hoping for the WTO to resolve the dispute. Meanwhile, the EU has been introducing new limits on using palm oil as fuel.



Palm oil can be used to produce fuel, but emissions are very high

The World Trade Organization could soon rule on two cases brought against the European Union over its decision to phase out the import of unsustainable palm oil by 2030.

The complaints were filed by Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's two largest palm oil producers, who slammed Brussels' Renewable Energy Directive II as unfair and "discriminatory."

The EU has been sending mixed signals on the controversial issue.

On one hand, its officials have made clear that oil production is a leading cause of deforestation and so cannot comply with renewable energy targets. There is also an issue of pollution — palm oil diesel releases up to three times as many emissions compared to traditional petroleum-based fuel.

In early July, EU lawmakers adopted draft rules for the ReFuelEU initiative, which would mean 85% of all aviation fuel would have to be "sustainable" by 2050. Palm oil byproducts would not be acceptable. And there is now talk in the European Parliament of bringing forward the final phaseout date for palm oil imports, currently set at 2030.

At the same time, Brussels has attempted dialogue with palm oil exporters in recent months, including through the ASEAN-EU Joint Cooperation Committee meeting in Jakarta in late June.

And since the introduction of a renewable energy directive in 2018, the EU's imports of palm oil have actually increased. In 2021, the EU imported €6.3 billion ($6.4 billion) worth of palm oil and palm oil products, most used for biofuels.

Indonesia and Malaysia accounted for 44.6% and 25.2% of those imports, respectively. EU imports from Indonesia were up 9% last year, compared to 2020, according to Indonesian government data. Russia's war in Ukraine, which started in late February, has put additional pressure on Brussels to secure its fuel supply.

Indonesia and Malaysia together dominate the world's palm oil supply

Malaysia decries 'crop apartheid'

The Malaysian and Indonesian governments have also tried to keep their options open in the EU row.

"Malaysia has often employed both a cordial and confrontational approach over palm oil with the EU, not exclusively one or the other," explained Helena Varkkey, associate professor at the Department of International and Strategic Studies at the University of Malaya.

Earlier this year, Malaysian Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin slammed what she called "crop apartheid."

"We will show them that Malaysia is not a nation to be fooled around with," she said.

Last month, however, she said Kuala Lumpur wants a cordial, "win-win" solution to this problem, referencing the World Trade Organization.

"WTO cases take a long time to resolve, so it would still be necessary for countries to engage outside of the WTO during this process, and Malaysia probably sees the benefit of doing so amicably," said Varkkey.

And with the dispute ongoing, the Malaysian government is busy finding new markets. During his visit to Kuala Lumpur this month, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi vowed that Beijing would increase imports of palm oil from the country. China is currently the world's second-largest importer of the product, after India.
What if the WTO rules against the EU?

The WTO decision seems to be drawing near. The panel to decide Indonesia's case was formed in November 2020. A panel of the same members was formed for Malaysia's case in July 2021. Both are chaired by Manzoor Ahmad, Pakistan's former permanent representative to the WTO. Members are Sarah Paterson, of New Zealand, and Arie Reich, of Israel.

A senior EU official, who requested anonymity, said they expect a decision before the end of the year.

If the WTO panels were to rule in favor of Indonesia and Malaysia, Brussels has three options, explained Stefan Mayr, a senior scientist at the Institute for Law and Governance at Vienna University of Economics and Business.

First, the EU could appeal the panel report. But that could set back a final ruling by years, as any decision would have to come after new members are appointed to the WTO's Appellate Body. The body is currently not functioning due to the US blocking new appointees.

The second option, Mayr noted, would be for the EU to comply with the WTO ruling and adapt the environmental policies established by the Renewable Energy Directive II. Whether the EU could make cosmetic changes to its palm oil phaseout, while keeping the essence of the policy, is unclear.

Lastly, the EU could simply carry on regardless and accept any retaliatory measures imposed by Indonesia and Malaysia.

This last option, however, doesn't seem too likely. A senior EU source with knowledge of this issue, who requested anonymity, said: "we will, of course, abide by whatever the WTO decides."

Geopolitics and palm oil

If the EU was to ignore the ruling, Indonesia and Malaysia would struggle to retaliate economically, analysts reckon. According to European Commission data, Malaysia is only the EU's 20th largest trading partner in goods; Indonesia is 31st.

But another EU official, also not authorized to speak publicly on the issue, speculated that Brussels would not want to unnecessarily frustrate two key actors in Southeast Asia, where the EU is keen on boosting its reputation and signing new free trade deals. Because of the energy crisis caused by the Ukraine war, the official also expects EU imports of palm oil to continue growing in the coming years.

Moreover, Jakarta has one more card to play — it could limit the export of raw materials necessary for the production of stainless steel. The EU brought a case against Indonesia to the WTO on this issue in November 2019.

"Which option the EU would choose is obviously not a purely legal question," said Mayr.

"There are conflicting interests at play and in light of the current geopolitical situation, it seems even more difficult to gauge how the EU would react to an unfavorable outcome in the WTO disputes."

Edited by: Darko Janjevic

Euro 2022: Sexism in women's football still rife

The volume of discriminatory social media posts, particularly of a sexist nature, has risen during the Women's European Championship, according to research in Germany. But the problem goes deeper than social media.

Abuse of female footballers extends to the stadium, the media and even to coaches

Lewd remarks, sexist prejudices and the denial of competence are common and widespread social media themes that many female footballers continue to face, with all platforms awash with such comments — peaking during the ongoing Women's European Championship.

That's according to new research conducted by German broadcasters ARD and NDR and the broadsheet newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, which found that many players have reported being ridiculed, objectified and ignored. Discriminatory and derogatory posts continue to go unpunished, or are even accepted as the norm.

Wendie Renard, France captain and eight-time Champions League winner with Olympique Lyon, said: "An insult is and remains an insult, whether on social media or in everyday life."

Despite the general positivity and enthusiasm for Euro 2022 in host country England and across the continent, governing body UEFA reported almost 300 offensive posts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter during the group stages.

While 70% of the posts reported were insults without reference to a specific group of people or ethnicity, 20% were classified as sexist, 6% as racist and 4% as homophobic. According to the European Football Union, 55% of the posts were deleted, the majority within just over an hour.

Discrimination goes beyond social media

While the inhibition threshold is low for many on social media, abuse of female footballers extends to the stadium, the media and even to coaches, the research found.

Germany's Almuth Schult has revealed that she has faced prejudice by the media

German national team goalkeeper Almuth Schult, of Frauen-Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, revealed in ARD's "Panorama" documentary that she was once asked by a journalist: "How does it feel to be one of the few in the team who loves a man and not a woman?"

"Here I am thinking, here we are again," Schult said. "The prejudice that only lesbians play football."

Another female Bundesliga player speaks anonymously in the "Panorama" report of a coach's transgressions of boundaries: "He kept making comments about a teammate's butt."

And in the case of another player, the same coach reportedly remarked on "how sexy she was" — comments confirmed by fellow players and coaches.

Amateur German footballer Franziska Bielfeld told NDR: "We have all learned to close our ears to it — especially in football."

'Not specific to football'

The general secretary of the German Football Association, Heike Ullrich, has called for action, but suggested the problem is societal, rather than specific to football.

"Every case of even perceived crossings of boundaries is one too many — this must be addressed," she said.

"It is the task of all of us, not only of football, of sport, but of our society, to draw attention to these transgressions. It doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl, man or woman, you have to say: I didn't like what you just said."

'Every case of even perceived crossings of boundaries is one too many,' said DFB General Secretary Heike Ullrich

In the report, former German international Tabea Kemme reveals that only recently she experienced a conversation about a female teammate in which the sentence was uttered: "She's really hot, too, isn't she? I'd want to iron her out, too."

The struggle for fair conditions and appropriate behavior remains "frustrating," but she still hopes for a more positive future.

"When you yourself have the feeling that you've always given everything and yet nothing changes…" said Almuth Schult. "It's about building the momentum to bring about change — it's simply about equality and equal opportunities."

mds/mf (SID, dpa)

Sexism allegations overshadow

Bayreuth Festival

Several female employees at the music festival were allegedly groped, including festival director Katharina Wagner, underscoring the prevalence of everyday sexism in Germany.

Even Bayreuth Festival director Katharina Wagner revealed she has been groped

The Bayreuth Festival was hoping to emerge from two tough pandemic years revived and renewed. Now, three days before the Wagner music festival begins, allegations of sexual harrassment have surfaced.

On Friday, Bavarian daily Nordbayerischer Kurier reported under the headline "Women groped at the Festspielhaus," about physical assaults on women, insults and sexist remarks.

The newspaper reports that even festival director, Katharina Wagner, confirmed via telephone that she had been touched on the breast. According to the Kurier, other female employees also reported being touched on the buttocks without their consent.

Accusations of backstage sexism have been made against the Bayreuth Festival

Festival management 'very troubled,' yet 'surprised'

Hubertus Herrmann, the spokesperson for the Bayreuth Festival, told the German press agency dpa that the festival management is "very troubled and actually surprised, since no information is known internally about possible assaults."

He promised an immediate investigation and asked "anyone affected to contact the management directly," adding that "no insults or physical assaults will be tolerated."

The fact that women could also have sexist experiences at one of Europe's most important music festivals coincides with studies on sexism in everyday German life.

Almost half of all women, 44%, experience sexism in everyday life. Around 41% of women who face sexism experience it in the workplace, while 46% experience sexism in public places, according to a 2018 study on sexism in everyday life commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

Many cases unreported

The authors of the study refer to a large number of unreported cases, since many sexist incidents are now so commonplace — for example, the unsolicited sending of "dick pics", or digital photos of a man's sexual organ.

In addition, the study stated that men who work in high management positions at large corporations, or in professions, often reject sexism as a "phantom" debate, or argue that men were discriminated against by women, not the other way around. If groping or assaulting women occurred, it was primarily by men from the "underclass," or "other cultural groups."

In 2020, a video titled "Men's World" that showed the daily abuse women faced online in Germany was broadcast live on prime-time TV — and then went viral. Men were left shocked by what they saw, while women wondered whether it would change anything.

The Bayreuth Festival begins July 25. This year, more operas will be performed than ever before. Last year they were all about strong women.

The festival is a cultural institution in Germany and throughout Europe: It focuses on the work of German composer Richard Wagner, whose female companions did not always have it easy by his side. Today, his operas are performed in Bayreuth in ever newer productions.

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband, Joachim Sauer, often attended the Bayreuth Festival, including last year

Celebrities and well-known people are often in attendance, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel — who will attend again this year with her husband, Joachim Sauer.

This article was originally written in German

China: Ten die after collapse at mining site

The mining collapse is among a spate of deadly incidents at mines in China. The country is increasing coal production to avoid a possible power crunch.

China's mining industry has a poor safety record

Ten people were killed and seven injured on Saturday after a collapse at a mine in northwestern China. A section of a mountain near the mine caved in at around 11:15 p.m. local time in Gansu province. 

Employees and vehicles were buried in the incident, according to state-run broadcaster CCTV. "An investigation is underway to determine the causes of the accident,” the outlet reported. 

A similar collapse happened in China's southwest Guizhou province in March. The event trapped 14 workers — all were found dead after a 10-day rescue operation. 

China's mining industry is regulated by local and international laws, but regulations are often poorly enforced. China's coal mines are among some of the deadliest in the world. 

Regulators in March ordered the shut down of a mine in Yulin after it discovered the mine's operating license had been expired for around three months.

China increases coal production

Coal regions in China were encouraged to increase production earlier this month, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). 

China has stepped up domestic mining in the wake of record high heat wave that saw consumers ramp up air conditioner usage. Increased energy consumption strained the national power grid, which hit an all-time high in mid-July.

The country dealt with a week-long power crunch last year prompted by lower domestic coal production and a dip in hydropower generation. The glut had knock on effects in the country's manufacturing sector.

asw/wd (Reuters, AP)

'IT'S IN THEIR NATURE'

UPDATED

Turkey says Russia denies any attack on Odesa port

AFP , Saturday 23 Jul 2022

Moscow has denied carrying out any attack on the Ukrainian port of Odessa, the Turkish defence minister said Saturday, a day after Moscow and Kyiv penned a deal to resume grain exports.

A woman walks in a park with her dog in Odesa, on July 20, 2022, amid the Russian

 invasion of Ukraine. AFP


"The Russians told us that they had absolutely nothing to do with this attack and they were looking into the issue very closely," Hulusi Akar said, but Russia has yet to officially comment.

Russia and Ukraine signed agreements in Istanbul on Friday brokered by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN chief Antonio Guterres.

But Akar also said the incident "really makes us concerned" in comments to state news agency Anadolu.

"We will continue to fulfil our responsibilities under the agreement we reached yesterday," he added.

Up to 25 million tonnes of wheat and other grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports by Russian warships and landmines Kyiv has laid to avert a feared amphibious assault.

Russia hits Ukraine's Black Sea port despite grain deal

Grain fields backdropped by a power plant in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Friday, July 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

SUSIE BLANN
Sat, July 23, 2022 

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian missiles hit Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa just hours after Moscow and Kyiv signed deals to allow grain exports to resume from there. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry denounced Saturday's airstrikes as a “spit in the face” to Turkey and the United Nations, which brokered the agreements.

Two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles hit the port's infrastructure and Ukrainian air defenses brought down two others, the Ukrainian military’s Southern Command said. Odesa regional governor Maksym Marchenko said an unspecified number of people were injured in the attack.

Command spokeswoman Nataliya Humenyuk said no grain storage facilities were hit in Odesa. Turkey's defense minister, however, said he had spoken with Ukrainian authorities and one missile struck a grain silo and another landed nearby but neither affected loading at Odesa's docks.

“It took less than 24 hours for Russia to launch a missile attack on Odesa’s port, breaking its promises and undermining its commitments before the U.N. and Turkey under the Istanbul agreement,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said. “In case of non-fulfillment, Russia will bear full responsibility for a global food crisis.”

Nikolenko described the missile strike on the 150th day of Russia’s war in Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin's “spit in the face of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who made great efforts to reach agreement.”

Guterres' office said the U.N. chief “unequivocally condemns” the strikes.

“Yesterday, all parties made clear commitments on the global stage to ensure the safe movement of Ukrainian grain and related products to global markets,” the Guterres statement said. “These products are desperately needed to address the global food crisis and ease the suffering of millions of people."

It was not clear how Saturday’s Russian airstrikes would affect the plan to resume shipping Ukrainian grain by sea in safe corridors out of three Ukrainian Black Sea ports: Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. Ukraine and Russia signed identical deals Friday with the U.N. and Turkey in Istanbul backing the plan, which Guterres hailed as “a beacon of hope” for a world in which food prices are rising rapidly.

The agreements sought to clear the way for the shipment of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain and some Russian exports of grain and fertilizer that have been blocked by the war. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russia’s invasion and naval blockade of its ports halted shipments.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press showed the deals called for the creation of a U.N.-led joint coordination center in Istanbul where officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey would oversee the scheduling and searches of cargo ships.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address that the agreements offered “a chance to prevent a global catastrophe – a famine that could lead to political chaos in many countries of the world, in particular in the countries that help us.”

The head of Zelenskyy's office, Andriy Yermak, said on Twitter that the Odesa strike coming so soon after the endorsement of the Black Sea deal illustrated "the Russian diplomatic dichotomy.”

The U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, denounced the Russian strike on Odesa's port as “outrageous.”

"The Kremlin continues to weaponize food," she tweeted. “Russia must be held to account.”

Along with the strike on Odesa, Russia fired a barrage of missiles Saturday at an airfield and a railway facility in central Ukraine, killing at least three people, while Ukrainian forces launched rocket strikes on river crossings in a Russian-occupied southern region.

The attacks on key infrastructure marked new attempts by the warring parties to tip the scales of the grinding conflict in their favor.

In Ukraine's central Kirovohradska region, 13 Russian missiles struck an airfield and a railway facility. Gov. Andriy Raikovych said at least one serviceman and two guards were killed and another 16 people were wounded in the strikes near the city of Kirovohrad.

In the southern Kherson region, which Russian troops seized early in the invasion, Ukrainian forces preparing for a potential counteroffensive fired rockets at Dnieper River crossings to try to disrupt Russian supply lines. Still, Russian troops have largely held their ground in the Kherson region just north of the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.

In the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian forces at a checkpoint are blocking 1,200 vehicles carrying people fleeing the area and four people have died after being stranded there for days amid high heat, said Ivan Fedorov, mayor of the city of Melitopol that is now under Russian control.

Fighting also raged unabated in eastern Ukraine's industrial heartland of the Donbas, where Russian forces tried to make new gains in the face of stiff Ukrainian resistance.

Earlier this week, the Ukrainians bombarded the Antonivskyi Bridge across the Dnieper River using the U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, said Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russia-appointed regional administration in Kherson.

Stremousov told Russian state news agency Tass that the only other crossing of the Dnieper, the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, also came under attack from rockets launched with weapons supplied by Washington but wasn't damaged.

HIMARS, which can fire GPS-guided rockets at targets 80 kilometers (50 miles) away, out of reach of most Russian artillery systems, have significantly bolstered the Ukrainian strike capability.

In addition, Ukrainian forces shelled an automobile bridge across the Inhulets River in the village of Darivka, Stremousov told Tass. He said the bridge east of the regional capital of Kherson sustained seven hits but remained open. Stremousov said that, unlike the Antonivskyi Bridge, the small bridge in Darivka has no strategic value.

Since April, the Kremlin has concentrated on capturing the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking region of eastern Ukraine where pro-Russia separatists have proclaimed independence.

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized this week that Moscow plans to retain control of other areas in Ukraine that its forces have occupied during the war.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Myanmar junta disappointed top court rejects challenge to genocide case

Sat, July 23, 2022 


Myanmar's military junta on Saturday expressed disappointment with the decision of the United Nations' highest court to greenlight a landmark case concerning accusations of genocide against minority Rohingya Muslims.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on Friday threw out all of Myanmar's objections to a case filed by the west African nation of The Gambia in 2019.

The decision paves the way for full hearings at the court on allegations over a bloody 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya by majority-Buddhist Myanmar.

"Myanmar is disappointed that its preliminary objections were rejected," said a statement on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Facebook page.

The junta argued its objections were legally strong, the statement said, noting one judge had a dissenting opinion in one area.

Myanmar had argued on several grounds that the court had no jurisdiction in the matter, and should dismiss the case while it is still in its early stages.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled the South East Asian nation five years ago, amid harrowing reports of murder, rape and arson.

Mainly-Muslim The Gambia filed the case alleging that Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya breached the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

Around 850,000 Rohingya people are still languishing in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

It could take years for full hearings and a final judgement to be handed down.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared in March that the Myanmar military's violence against the Rohingya amounted to genocide.

bur-lpm/md

Lesbos tourist resort evacuated as wildfire destroys homes

Mayor says people moved from village of Vatera on Greek island as precautionary measure

A police officer tries to extinguish the wildfire burning in the village of Vatera, Lesbos. Photograph: Alexandros Avramidis/Reuters


Agence France-Presse in Athens

Sat 23 Jul 2022 


Tourists and residents have been evacuated from a popular resort on the Greek island of Lesbos after a wildfire destroyed homes in the beachside village of Vatera.

Firefighters deployed seven planes and a helicopter to tackle the blaze, with reinforcements expected to arrive from northern Greece.


The fire broke out at 10am local time (0800 BST) on Saturday and is burning on two fronts, one heading towards Vrisa village and another inside Vatera.

The West Lesbos mayor, Taxiarchis Verros, ordered the evacuation of the busy beach resort as a precautionary measure, acting on the advice of the fire brigade, Athens news agency reported.

He did not provide figures on how many were evacuated but there were several buses and small boats to take people away. At least two houses were ravaged by the fire, said the state broadcaster ERT.

A wooden walkway burns on a beach near Vatera.

Photograph: Elias Marcou/Reuters

Firefighters on the Greek mainland were also battling for a third day a wildfire in the Dadia national park, the country’s largest Natura 2000 site known for its black vulture colony, in the north-eastern region of Evros.

The fire brigade said the thick smoke from the blaze prevented firefighting planes from operating.

A wildfire in mountains near Athens on Wednesday damaged homes and forced hundreds of people to evacuate after gale-force winds earlier this week.

Greece’s worst wildfire disaster was in 2018 in the coastal suburb of Mati near Athens, which killed 102 people, just a few miles from the area affected by Wednesday’s blaze.

On Saturday, a memorial service was held at the seaside town to commemorate the victims.

A heatwave and wildfires last year destroyed 103,000 hectares (255,000 acres) in Greece, killing three people.

Hundreds protest against Tunisia draft constitution as vote looms

Elizia Volkmann - 7h ago



Tunis, Tunisia – Hundreds of people have rallied in Tunis to protest against a draft constitution proposed by President Kais Saied, two days before a planned referendum on the charter.

The National Salvation Front alliance of opposition groups led a march through the Tunisian capital on Saturday to reject the president’s constitution change programme and decried what they call an undemocratic and illegal process.

Many of the protesters were from the older generation, who had lived under former President Zine Abbedine Ben Ali and took part in the 2011 revolution which forced him from office.

Among them was Amna Fehty, an Ennadha supporter who said she was there to “fight for freedom and democracy”.

“We cannot progress or have any power in this world under a dictatorship,” she told Al Jazeera.

“I do not want to see our children live as slaves under a dictator.”


© Provided by Al JazeeraPeople take part in a protest against President Kais Saied’s draft constitution ahead of a referendum [Zoubeir Souissi/Retuers]

Tension has been rising in the country in advance of the vote amid fears that the draft constitution would serve as the basis of a new hyper-presidential government system.

The referendum is being held one year after Saied suspended the parliament and sacked the government in what his opponents call a power grab. The president said he was responding to the popular will and saving the country from imminent danger.

He soon began ruling by decree and has dismantled some of the country’s democratic state institutions including the Supreme Judicial Council, while pushing for a new constitution, a draft of which was published last month.

The charter would limit the powers of the parliament and judiciary and enshrine the powers he has accumulated over the past year.

A member of the executive committee of the National Salvation Front called Monday’s referendum “another link in a series of illegal events.”

“We are here to state for history that we believe this new constitution is completely illegitimate and will continue to respect the 2014 constitution,” Jaohar ben Mbarek told Al Jazeera.

There were also some younger people among the crowds at Saturday’s rally. They said that Kais Saied is stealing their chance to develop their democracy.

Alabbas Ben Abdennabi, a 22-year-old business studies student, told Al Jazeera “Kais Saied did a coup d’etat, he betrayed the Tunisian people who voted for him … [Saied] wants to be like a sultan.”

Ammen Ekalini, a 20-year-old activist, came to the demonstration with fellow students and said they are undeterred by the referendum and ready to fight for democracy.

“We want the world to know that we are the generation of democracy,” he told Al Jazeera.

“We know how much our parents suffered under dictatorship, they were here [on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Tunis] in 2011 during the revolution. We know this constitution will go through. It says in Article 139 that whether yes or no wins, it will be activated.”

Duaa Naceur, an 18-year-old high school student, told Al Jazeera, “Saied wants to steal all our rights, but we won’t let him.”

“Our message to the world is: help us rebuild our democracy. We are capable, we can do it.”

Saturday’s peaceful rally followed a protest the previous evening where police arrested several protesters and violently beat activists.

Al Jazeera witnessed violent beatings and use of pepper spray at Friday’s protest.

The Ministry of the Interior said protesters initiated the violence against police.

The Tunisian labour union UGTT condemned the police violence and demanded the release of detainees and a full investigation saying, “We hold the president accountable for this authoritarian deviation.”

Berlin Pride: Rainbow flag flies above Bundestag for first time

Pride in the German capital has attracted hundreds of thousands of participants. The flag is a symbol of pride and diversity among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community

Some 500,000 people are expected to take part in Berlin Pride

Germany's federal parliament, also known as the Bundestag, raised the rainbow flag for the first time on Saturday as the city held a parade and other events celebrating the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

The flag, with its six colored stripes, stands for tolerance.

The flag was erected in the morning atop the southwest tower of the Reichstag building in the German capital, Berlin. Two more were raised in front of the east and west portals.

Full-scale Pride returns

After two years of COVID-related restrictions — leading to a virtual event in 2020 — a large-scale Pride, known in Germany as Christopher Street Day (CSD), took place this year, with organizers expecting up to 500,000 attendees during the course of the day. Police said 150,000 people took part in the parade.

It started at noon (1000 GMT) local time with a rally and a shower of confetti at Spittelmarkt in Berlin's Mitte district.

The subsequent march followed a path of 7.4 kilometers (4.6 miles) through several districts toward the centrally located Brandenburg Gate.


The parade took place under the motto 'United in Love!'

The governing mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey, lamented in a statement that sexual minorities were still discriminated against.

"Even today, people belonging to the LGBTIQ+ community are excluded and even physically attacked," she said. "We must therefore take a decisive stand against hate and exclusion," she said.

A multi-religious service for CSD was held in one of Berlin's churches.

Berlin Pride is one of the largest events of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) community in Europe.

BERLIN PRIDE: 'AGAINST HATE, WAR AND DISCRIMINATION'
Why 'Christopher Street Day'?
In many German cities, Pride is also known as Christopher Street Day, or CSD for short. Christopher Street is the New York location of the Stonewall Inn, where in the early hours of July 28, 1969, police led a brutal raid inside the famous gay bar. The ensuing violent demonstrations of gay and lesbian New Yorkers against the excessive force used by police became known as the Stonewall Riots.
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jsi/wd (AFP, dpa)

Hungary: Thousands march during Budapest Pride festival

The march comes a year after Hungary passed controversial anti-LGBTQ legislation.

Crowds gathered by the Danube in 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) temperatures

Thousands took part in the annual Budapest Pride march on Saturday. Crowds gathered in sweltering temperatures to defend LGBTQ rights, a year after the passage of a widely criticized law viewed as a setback for the community. 

"It's a tool to divide people and pit them against each other," one person who attended the march told AFP news agency, referring to the law.

The bill was adopted in 2021. It banned the promotion and distribution of media for under-18s that features information on homosexuality and gender change.

"We are a backward society," a woman who attended the march to support her son told AFP.

"I cannot accept the fact that he is considered a second-class citizen in his own country," she added.

Embassies in Budapest supported Saturday's gathering with a joint statement issued ahead of the march. 

"We express our full support for members of the LGBTQI+ community and their rights to equality," the US Embassy said in a statement.

Counter protesters also gathered on one of the city's main bridges, carrying banners that compared homosexuality with pedophilia. 

The European Commission sued Hungary earlier this month over the law

Orban espouses anti-LGBTQ rhetoric during Romania address 

Prime Minister Viktor Orban asserted his support for the government's position on the law during a speech in Romania on Saturday

"The father is a man, the mother is a woman, leave our children alone," he said, while rejecting "Western nonsense" regarding the issue. 

The bill was promoted by Orban's government as a measure to protect children. It banned the promotion and distribution of media that features information on homosexuality and gender transition for those under 18 years of age. 

Hungary has recognized civil unions between same-sex couples since 2018. Gender transition and non-binary gender recognition is still illegal in the country. 

asw/wd (AFP, Reuters)

Flying the flag: Thousands march in

 defiant Hungary pride

Issued on: 23/07/2022 - 

Budapest (AFP) – Thousands of Hungarians marched in Budapest on Saturday to defend LGBTQ rights, a year after the passage of a law widely described as discriminatory.

Brightly dressed revellers took to the streets by the Danube under scorching heat, sporting rainbow umbrellas, flags and a giant heart.

Participants, who included foreign diplomats, condemned the text adopted in 2021 prohibiting "the representation or promotion" of LGBTQ among minors.

"It's a tool to divide people and pit them against each other," said marketing expert Armin, who declined to give her last name.

"To be honest (about the situation) it's quite depressing," said Pal Va, an 18-year-old student who said he will leave Hungary in September to study abroad.

"I'm lucky to have an accepting family and friends, but so many LGBTQ people I know have to hide," he said, adding that he was recently insulted in the street.

"Only because I was wearing a pink T-shirt."

Annamaria Nemet, a 54-year-old saleswoman, attended the event in solidarity with her son.

"I cannot accept the fact that he is considered a second-class citizen in his own country," she said.

The European executive has launched an infringement procedure against Hungary Ferenc ISZA AFP

"We are a backward society."

On one of the city's many bridges, counter-protesters displayed a banner comparing homosexuality with paedophilia.

The controversial law, originally aimed at fighting sexual crimes against children, caused an uproar in Europe last year.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen previously called the bill "a shame".

The European executive subsequently launched an infringement procedure against Hungary, before referring the matter to the EU Court of Justice in mid-July.

The nationalist and ultra-conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose country is in the crosshairs of Brussels for its attacks on the rule of law, insists that the law is not homophobic and aims to "protect the rights of children".

On Saturday, during a speech in Romania, he reaffirmed the government's position.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban insists that the controversial law is not homophobic Ferenc ISZA AFP

"The father is a man, the mother is a woman, leave our children alone," he said, dismissing "Western nonsense" around the issue.

© 2022 AFP

Mystery plane crash: Were Serbian weapons headed for Ukraine?

Questions linger after a Ukrainian plane carrying Serbian weapons crashed in Greece. The incident spotlit Serbia's weapons industry and political corruption, as well as its attempts to balance between Russia and the EU.

Serbian offers every kind of weapon and has buyers right around the world

Serbian mortars and mines, sold by a mysterious arms dealer and supposedly bound for Bangladesh, then transported by a Ukrainian plane that crashed in Greece — it sounds like the plot of a political thriller. But this is reality.

In the late evening of July 16, 2022, a Ukrainian Antonov An-12 transport plane crashed near the city of Kavala, in northeastern Greece, killing all eight Ukrainian crew members. The plane had taken off from the city of Nis, in southern Serbia, and was carrying 11.5 tons of Serbian-made mortar rounds and mines.

The person behind the weapons' production is reportedly Slobodan Tesic, allegedly one of the biggest arms dealers in the Balkans and a long-term presence on US sanctions lists. The official country of destination for the munitions was Bangladesh. 

The pilot reported engine problems shortly after takeoff, while flying over the northern Aegean Sea. An emergency landing was no longer possible. The crash near Kavala was devastating and munitions continued to explode into the next day. 

None of the crew survived the plane crash and munitions exploded for hours

Largest arms producer in the region

The accident has soured diplomatic relations between Greece and Serbia on one hand, and Greece and Ukraine on the other. The Greek government apparently was not aware of the sensitive cargo and it has lodged protests in both countries. 

The catastrophe has also drawn attention to the Serbian weapons and arms industry, which routinely makes headlines for corruption and illegal exports.

Serbia is one of central Europe's largest and most important arms producers, a tradition that stretches back to the era of Yugoslavia. Nearly entirely state-owned, the industry is an important part of the country's economy. When it comes to what's on offer, Serbia has nearly everything, from handguns and mines to artillery and tanks, and even missile systems, drones, fighter jets and electronic equipment like radars.

The Serbian Ministry of Defense estimated the total value of Serbian arms exports in 2020 at some $600 million (€530 million), a figure that represents around 3% of Serbia's overall exports for the year. However, reliable figures are not available.

A Serbian-made tank

Arms deliveries to war and conflict zones

The most important buyers of Serbian arms and military equipment are the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, the US, Bulgaria and Saudi Arabia. The industry's customers span the world and the branch is reportedly not picky about who they sell to, said political scientist Vuk Vuksanovic, of the Belgrade Center for Security Policy.

"The Serbian state really wants to squeeze every dinar possible out of this industry," he told DW. "The red line, however, is that export destination countries must not be under UN sanctions and must not be experiencing armed conflict."

However, Vuksanovic said, Serbia "doesn't always follow these rules."

In reality, over the past two decades, the Western Balkan nation repeatedly exported weapons to war and conflict zones and delivered them to countries that were under an arms embargo.

In fall 2019, it was revealed that Serbian weapons had made it into the hands of militant Islamists in Yemen via Saudi Arabia. In summer 2020, Azerbaijan's military discovered Serbian weapons that had been sold to Armenia and had landed in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. And in February of this year, a network of Serbian investigative journalists uncovered that Serbian weapons had been delivered to Myanmar even after the military coup of February 2021.

Serbian President Aleksander Vucic reviews Serbian-made weapons

Sanctions for arms dealer

The man whose name repeatedly comes up in connection with illegal Serbian arms dealings is Slobodan Tesic. The 64-year-old has been in the Balkan weapons business for decades. From 2003 to 2013, he was on a US sanctions list for having illegally delivered arms to Liberia. In December 2017, sanctions were once again placed on him for numerous illegal arms dealings. They remain in place today and include, among other things, a travel ban and the seizure of his US-based assets. American officials refer to him as the biggest dealer of arms and munitions in the Balkans.

Tesic is also at the center of multiple corruption affairs within the Serbian arms industry, including what's known as the Krusik export scandal, which came to light in fall 2019. Companies belonging to Tesic reportedly bought products from state-owned arms manufacturer Krusik well below market price, then sold them at a much higher price abroad — even though the state-owned company Yugoimport SDPR is responsible for managing Serbia's international arms deals.

Money for the president?

Money transfers to the ruling party of President Aleksander Vucic, the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), are also said to have been part of business transactions between state-owned arms companies and private firms. Tesic is one of the largest SNS donors. According to Serbian media he also has a diplomatic passport.

The current Serbian Defense Minister's father, now deceased, is said to have been involved in similar weapons deals for years, something both Vucic and the minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic, have consistently denied. 

Current Serbian Defense Minister Stefanovic (center) has denied that his father had ties to the arms industry

It's no surprise that Tesic's name has surfaced in relation to the intended arms delivery to Bangladesh and the plane crash. He reportedly is behind Valir DOO, the company which was officially responsible for the deal. Tesic has not made any public remarks about the events or the allegations against him.

Belgrade's balancing act

There is also speculation as to whether the weapons were not actually destined for Bangladesh at all but for Ukraine. Both Defense Minister Stefanovic and the manager of the Ukrainian company Meridian, which owned the downed plane, have denied this.

But Vuksanovic believes that important questions remain. "The public is owed an answer as to why a Ukrainian plane was transporting Serbian weapons right now, while a major international conflict is raging on Ukrainian territory," he said.

The political scientist sees the affair as an expression of Belgrade's "seesaw" policies , attempting to balance between different major international powers.

"This would mean, on the one hand, secret munitions for Ukraine in order to please the West," he said. "On the other hand, concessions are being made to Russia by Serbia. All of this is part of the behavior of Belgrade's elites, their balancing between different international powerhouses in order to buy themselves services in return. For Serbia, the question is now whether these policies will collapse at a certain point because one of those powerhouses is angry."

This article was originally published in German.