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New Latvian president becomes first openly gay EU head of state
By Matt Bernardini
Edgars Rinkevics was sworn in as Latvia's president on Saturday, becoming the European Union's first openly gay head of state. Official Photo by Latvian Presidency/Flickr
July 8 (UPI) -- Edgars Rinkevics was sworn in as Latvia's president on Saturday, becoming the first openly gay head of state in the European Union.
Rinkevics, 49, had served as foreign minister since 2011. He came out as gay in 2014 and has been a champion of LGBTQ rights. He said in a speech on Saturday that he would continue to do so as president.
"I will stand up for a modern and strong Latvia, for a legal and just Latvia, for the well-being of the people, for an inclusive and respectful society," Rinkevics said. "And we can all achieve this by working together."
According to the BBC, Latvia's president can veto legislation and call referendums, although it is generally a ceremonial position.
Rinkevics also discussed foreign policy in his speech on Saturday, vowing to continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.
Latvia, which borders Russia, gives more per person to Ukraine than any other country.
"We will continue to support the heroic Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom until Ukraine's final victory," Rinkevics said. "We will continue to fight against Russian imperialism and its evil world ideology. Today I would like to thank once again all those Latvian patriots who selflessly help Ukraine and do not tire in their work. In this way, you are also strengthening our country."
Tbilisi Pride festival cancelled after right-wing disruptions
By Patrick Hilsman
A planned Pride event in Tbilisi, Georgia, was abandoned after a disruptions by right-wing groups.
File Photo by Tim Evanson/Wikimedia Commons
July 8 (UPI) -- A Pride festival in Tbilisi, the capital of the nation of Georgia, was canceled Saturday after police failed to guard against right-wing activists who set out to disrupt the event, organizers said.
Far-right demonstrators, many affiliated with the group Alt-Info, rallied on a Tbilisi thoroughfare to block the gathering shortly before its scheduled start in what organizer Tbilisi Pride called a "pre-coordinated" effort that had been "agreed to" between the group and the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
During the attack, anti-LGBTQ mobs torn down festival decorations and clashed with police. Several arrests were made during the confrontations.
Witnesses said that instead of adequately stopping the attackers, police evacuated organizers and warned that people should avoid the march due to security reasons.
Tbilisi Pride said it was given "solid security guarantees" from the Ministry of Internal Affairs but that the security forces had failed to live up to their promises.
"People were not given the opportunity to hold their own event in a closed space that was planned in advance, agreed with the law enforcement officers, which the law enforcement structures had promised to protect," Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said in a press briefing after the event was cancelled.
"I want to call on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to actually prevent all violent acts -- this is their duty and it is called law enforcement," the president said, according to a translation by the Open Caucasus Media news website.
Alt-Info leader Zurab Makharadze called the actions a "victory" at a post-cancelation rally outside of the Georgian Parliament building, the website reported, while the founder of the Georgia Above All right-wing movement echoed his sentiment, saying "The victory is sealed."
Scottish plan to decriminalize drugs gets cool reception
By Clyde Hughes
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during a joint news conference with President Joe Biden at the White House on June 8. His spokesman said on Friday he would likely reject a Scottish proposal to legalize drugs.
Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo
July 7 (UPI) -- A spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday threw cold water on a Scottish proposal earlier in the day to decriminalize all drugs for personal use in exchange for a focus on recovery and treatment.
The Scottish government released its proposal calling for the decriminalization of drugs, making legislative changes to implement harm reduction and updating its drug classification system.
"These are ambitious and radical proposals, grounded in evidence, that will help save lives," Scottish Drug Policy Minister Elena Whitham said in a statement Friday.
Legalizing otherwise illicit drugs just encourages teens to try them. What a dreadful thing to inflict upon a generation of youth with more than enough problems. It would not save lives, but will take them.
"We want to create a society where problematic drug use is treated as a health, not a criminal matter, reducing stigma and discrimination and enabling the person to recover and contribute positively to society.
"While we know these proposals will spark debate, they are in line with our public health approach and would further our national mission to improve and save lives."
Scotland's proposal comes a day after Sunak released a statement calling for immediate punishment for vandals and drug users, tougher punishment for criminals and increased testing for illegal drugs for those involved with the criminal justice system.
When asked about the Scottish proposal, the spokesman for Sunak said the prime minister would most likely not be interested in pursuing it.
"No. Whilst I haven't seen those reports I think I'm confident enough to say that there are no plans to alter our tough stance on drugs," the spokesman said.
Under the Scottish government's proposal, its rules would allow people found in possession of drugs to be treated and supported rather than entering the criminal justice system. Supporters said that decriminalization gives people a better chance at recovery and employment.
Scottish National Party policy leader Toni Giugliano ripped Sunak's Conservative Party over its drug policies, claiming its positions have caused an increase in drug use in Britain.
"The UK government is in complete denial -- punitive, criminal justice responses to health problems don't work," he said. "The Tory war on drugs has failed. If they can't offer solutions to tackle the problem they should devolve the power to those in Scotland who can.
"Poverty, childhood adversity, violence and unaddressed trauma lie at the heart of Scotland's drug problem, but you won't hear the Tories talk about the root causes because for years their policies propagated that inequality."
Are we really talking about drugs here, or are you setting up issues to promote Scottish independence?
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