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US-Saudi nuclear deal relies on it recognising Israel, says Trump – Middle East crisis live

In Gaza, a UN report has found humanitarian assistance and increased commercial traffic have improved food security and child nutrition in the Palestinian territory, but warns that the situation remains fragile. The share of the population facing acute food insecurity has reduced from 77% at the end of 2025 to 67%, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a globally recognised organisation that classifies the severity of food insecurity and malnutrition. However, the report warns that 1.4 million people still face crisis-level hunger or worse, with more than 200,000 in emergency conditions and about 74,000 children expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition over the coming year. “There is progress on food security in Gaza, but it is fragile and can easily be reversed,” said Carl Skau, acting executive director at the UN World Food Programme (WFP). “The overall humanitarian situation remains brutal: families lack water, sanitation and medicine. We need sustained access, funding and stability so people of Gaza can begin recovery.”

Zelenskyy warns Russia could step up Black Sea attacks and hints at more US talks – Europe live

European community affairs correspondent Campaigners in a Romanian city have vowed to go ahead with a Pride march after local authorities denied permission for the fourth consecutive year. Since 2023, campaigners in the western city of Oradea, which has a population of about 180,000, have sought permission to hold Pride events. However, each year they have faced opposition, making Oradea the only major city in the EU where local authorities have repeatedly blocked Pride marches. “Every year the local authorities have managed to find legal or technical excuses to ban Oradea Pride events,” said Iulian Dițiu, the co-founder and president of Ark Oradea, the local organiser of Pride. In 2024, they were told none of the city’s parks were available at the times requested, he said. The following year, campaigners submitted 12 potential routes for the march, only to be told that none was suitable. In the run-up to Saturday’s proposed march, organisers submitted more than 100 possible routes. On Wednesday, the city authorities said none of them was viable because they clashed with other events or public infrastructure works.

Thousands of tourists among those evacuated amid intense wildfire in France

More than 20,000 people, including thousands of tourists from campsites and other holiday accommodation, have been evacuated as a “particularly intense” wildfire advances on the Atlantic coast of south-west France, authorities have said. The blaze, which began in dense pine forest near the village of Saumos about 40km (25 miles) west of Bordeaux and just north of the bay of Arcachon, a popular tourist destination, had burned 2,400 hectares (5,928 acres) in less than 24 hours, firefighters said on Thursday. No casualties had been reported or homes destroyed so far, they said, but the Gironde prefecture said that while 700 firefighters and four waterbombing planes were battling to bring the fire under control, the situation “remains unfavourable”. France has endured three almost back-to-back heatwaves since May as climate breakdown leads to more frequent and intense extreme weather events causing thousands of excess deaths, evaporating soils and waterways and fuelling wildfires. Patrick Martineau, 69, who was evacuated from the village of Le Porge, told Agence France-Presse that police had “come banging on the doors … It’s scary – hard to take in. When we bought a home here, we never thought there’d be a fire risk.” Sylvie, a holidaymaker from Paris staying in the relatively more built-up area of Lège-Cap-Ferret, said a neighbour had told her: “‘Get your bags ready, we’re going to be evacuated during the night.’ We put the bulk of our stuff in the car boot and left.” Elke Urbain, from Antwerp in Belgium, who holidays in the area every year, said she was advised while she was on the beach on Wednesday afternoon to “go back immediately to the campsite and gather your things. It’s just terribly sad.” In 2022, a wildfire burned more than 30,000 hectares in the same area, forcing about 50,000 people to be evacuated. In tinder-dry conditions and fanned by a strong wind, the latest blaze has torn through the forest, with flames reaching 10 metres high. Jean-Luc Helias, 54, from Le Porge, said he and his family had lived through that fire four years ago and “the firefighters do an amazing job to protect people’s homes. All that matters to me is that my family is safe; the rest is just material possessions.” Nine local municipalities have opened reception centres for evacuees and were sheltering more than 2,500 people, the prefecture said. About 8,800 people were evacuated at midday on Thursday, after 2,000 in the morning and 10,000 overnight. Numerous roads in the area – including those leading to the Cap Ferret peninsula a few kilometres to the south, home to the villas of celebrities and millionaires and one of France’s most exclusive holiday spots – were closed to all but essential traffic. Police have opened an investigation into the causes of the wildfire, which the mayor of Le Porge, Martial Zaninetti, said on Wednesday appeared to have been started by a machine that was clearing undergrowth. Elsewhere in France, a fire near Pontevès, about 70km north of the Mediterranean port city of Toulon, had been “stabilised” on Thursday after burning through 2,500 hectares of land and destroying at least 10 houses, firefighters said. The prefect of the Var department, Simon Babre, on Thursday allowed 400 people who had been evacuated from the area to return to their homes to “assess the damage”, but said that the fire was not yet fully under control. A fortnight ago, flames devastated a tenth of the Unesco-listed Fontainebleau forest outside Paris in a rare wildfire so far north. France’s interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, has said more than 12,500 wildfires had broken out since the beginning of the year. In Spain, most of the people evacuated on Wednesday evening owing to a fire 70km south-west of Madrid were also allowed to return home. A fire that has burned 32,000 hectares in the province of Guadalajara, north of the capital, was also described as stable.

Two Russian men jailed in Angola for terrorism and spying

Two Russian men have been found guilty by an Angolan court of terrorism and spying, after being accused of planning a coup and helping to organise deadly demonstrations in the southern African country last year. Lev Lakshtanov and Igor Ratchin were sentenced to eight and 11 years in jail respectively. They had denied the charges, claiming they were in Angola for cultural and business activities. From 28-30 July 2025, a minibus taxi strike over fuel price hikes descended into riots and looting, in which 22 people were killed and more than 1,600 arrested according to official figures. Angola’s security forces were accused of firing live ammunition at protesters; the government said its “progressive” use of force was justified. Human Rights Watch had previously said Angola used “excessive force” when it used rubber bullets and teargas to break up a peaceful protest against rising fuel prices on 12 July 2025. Angolan prosecutors said Lakshtanov and Ratchin wanted to influence next year’s presidential elections, including by funding Angola’s largest opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), or by forcing a leadership change within the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which has ruled the country since independence from Portugal in 1975. Prosecutors also claimed the men were linked to Africa Politology, a Russian disinformation and propaganda network that emerged from the Wagner mercenary group. Africa Politology was taken over by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) after the death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in 2023, according to an investigation by media outlets including Forbidden Stories. Wagner was rebranded as Africa Corps and absorbed by Russia’s military. Angola, whose economy is highly dependent on oil exports, has historically been close with Russia. During the cold war years of Angola’s 1975-2002 civil war, the Soviet Union and Cuba supported the MPLA, while the US and apartheid South Africa backed its opponents, including UNITA. However, Angola’s president, João Lourenço, has improved relations with the US and Europe since taking power in 2017. In the last decade, Russia has increased its presence in Africa. The Wagner group and then Africa Corps have provided security for the Central African Republic’s president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, since 2017. In 2021, Wagner forces arrived in Mali to support the military junta. Africa Corps also backs the military regimes in neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso. Since 2023, Russian troops have also been deployed in Equatorial Guinea, Libya and Sudan, according to a US Congress report. Madagascar’s president, Michael Randrianirina, has also boosted ties with Russia since taking power in a coup in October 2025. There are Russians in his presidential guard and a weekly programme about Madagascar-Russia relations was launched earlier this month on national television. Two Angolans were also tried alongside the Russians. Sports journalist Carlos Tomé received a two-year suspended prison sentence. Francisco de Oliveira, the secretary-general of UNITA’s youth wing, was acquitted. Prosecutors have appealed against those sentences, according to the Portuguese news agency Lusa. Lakshtanov and Ratchin have also appealed against their sentences, but will remain in detention while the appeal is processed, Lusa reported. Russia’s embassy in Angola did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Agence France-Press contributed to this report

Dubai offers £600 rewards to residents who lure friends to visit as tourist numbers plummet

Dubai is offering to pay residents who attract family and friends to visit the emirate in an effort to revive tourist numbers that have plummeted since the city was drawn into the US-Israel war on Iran. The Dubai Invite scheme, an initiative of the department of economy and tourism, allows residents of the United Arab Emirates to nominate friends and relatives and then to receive benefits worth more than 3,000 UAE dirham (about £610) if they visit. Visit Dubai’s website says residents will receive a “benefits package” including hotel stays, dining deals and attraction tickets. Eligibility terms state that each resident is eligible for a maximum of three benefit packages for visitors arriving before 31 October, but benefits can be redeemed until December. The visitors must be non-UAE residents, arrive on a valid tourist visa and can only be nominated once. The scheme comes as the UAE’s tourism sector experiences a significant downturn, with international passenger numbers falling sharply after the Gulf states became drawn into the US-Israel war on Iran. In February, Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones which hit the world-famous Fairmont hotel and Dubai’s international airport, shattering the image the city had sold influencers and the ultra-rich of a gilded playground, safe from the volatility of the wider region. In 2025 Dubai welcomed nearly 20 million tourists, a record. However, since the conflict the number of airlines operating at Dubai airports has halved as many planes were turned around due to missiles and tourists avoided routes over the Middle East. There are reports of massive hotel vacancies and businesses suffering declines in revenue of more than 50%. Some of Dubai’s most famous hotels have shut entirely, many bringing forward plans for renovations and refurbishments such as the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, which will close for 18 months for a major restoration. Other hotels and businesses are leaning into the government’s new scheme, offering discounts of 45% and free nights. Local media on Thursday reported that within the first 48 hours, the scheme had attracted more than 10,000 applications.

‘Cockroach’ protests: India’s Modi promises to punish officials over exam leaks

Narendra Modi has vowed to set up “fast-track courts” to speed up the punishment of officials accused of leaking examination papers, as the Indian prime minister seeks to quell a youth-led “cockroach” protest movement that has rocked Delhi and posed one of the biggest challenges to his government. In his first public remarks on the movement, Modi posted on X: “Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth … Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared.” The offer of faster justice than usual from India’s clogged judicial system, which can take decades to deliver a verdict, was swiftly rejected by the Cockroach Janta party (CJP), the satirical name the youth protest movement coined after India’s top judge called unemployed youths “cockroaches”. Saurav Das, a CJP spokesperson, said: “It’s a Band-aid. That’s not giving us accountability. There have been zero convictions so far all these years, so this measure is of no use.” A core demand of the movement is the resignation of the education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, as well as reform of the education system. An estimated 50,000 people protested in Delhi on Monday, after police denied them permission to march on parliament. Officers later mounted baton charges and fired teargas. By Wednesday, more than 1,000 people remained camped at the CJP’s protest site in central Delhi despite the gruelling heat and humidity. Many had travelled long distances to be there. Renuka Chowdhury, an opposition MP with the Congress party, told the news channel India Today that no one could fathom why Modi would not sack Pradhan. “Honestly, is this one minister more valuable or more important than restoring harmony and order to the country?” he said. Modi’s statement follows signs the government may be softening its stance. Ministers have insisted they are willing to talk to the CJP but have refused to discuss Pradhan’s resignation. The protest site at Jantar Mantar has drawn crowds of supporters eager to show their solidarity. Unable to fit inside the enclosed area, many have spilled on to the surrounding roads. Some organise donations of food and water sent by wellwishers, while others distribute meals – including to the police on duty – fan those wilting from the heat or collect litter. Young people across India have also rallied behind the CJP’s demands, with three consecutive days of demonstrations in Mumbai and solidarity protests in Chennai, Indore, Hyderabad and Patiala. At a press conference on Wednesday, the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi escalated his criticism, demanding that in addition to Pradhan resigning, Modi should apologise for failing to provide a fair education system. Gandhi said there had been 152 exam paper leaks across the country over the past decade without a single conviction. “Somebody, or a group of people, are destroying our education system, India’s most valuable asset, destroying the lives of our students. What does the government do? Zero convictions,” he said. The health minister, JP Nadda, accused Gandhi of exploiting the protests for political gain. “Your concern is not to improve the education system, enhance the quality of education or ensure justice for students. Instead, you are trying to use students’ issues and their demands for political mileage. You are trying to derive political benefit from them, and that is unfortunate,” he said. CJP leaders were deeply disappointed after Monday’s meeting with Nadda – the first in over 60 days – ended without a breakthrough. Its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, has since said that if ministers want to speak to them, they will have to come to the protest site and do so in public. Many in India are asking why Pradhan will not resign. Anish Gawande, an opposition politician, said Modi viewed backing down as a sign of weakness, particularly now that he no longer commands the parliamentary majority he enjoyed during his first two terms. “He is facing global headwinds that prevent him from executing any major reforms in agriculture, energy, the economy. The unemployment rate is climbing to levels not seen in three decades,” he said. “A show of weakness now will give an entry point for the opposition to move in and build a similar momentum around other issues […] Before you know it, things have spiralled out of control.”

The latest US troops killed in Trump’s Iran war are remembered for lives of service

A 30-year-old husband and father of two. A 25-year-old officer just weeks away from earning his MBA. A 19-year-old recent high school graduate. And a 28-year-old from Queens, New York, with a “radiant smile”. The Pentagon this week identified three American service members who were killed, and a fourth believed to have been killed, in the Middle East over the past week amid an escalation in attacks between the United States and Iranian forces. Their deaths bring the number of US troops killed since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February to 18, and hundreds of troops have also been injured, including nearly 100 since 7 July alone. The Pentagon has said that 96% of the nearly 100 injured since early July have since returned to duty. On Wednesday, Donald Trump attended the dignified transfer of the US service members at Dover airforce base in Delaware. Here’s a look at the four service members who the Pentagon identified this week: Michael Swinton, 30 On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced the death of Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, who officials said was an active-duty soldier who was “supporting overseas operations in Iraq”. The Pentagon said that Swinton was killed in action in northern Iraq over the weekend during the disposal of what the military described on Sunday as a “downed Iranian one-way attack drone” at Erbil airbase in Iraq. The incident, which officials described as a “controlled detonation”, is under investigation. The Pentagon said that Swinton was assigned to D battery, 2nd battalion, 55th air defense artillery regiment, 108th air defense artillery brigade at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. His wife, Mia Gonzalez-Swinton, described him in a message to the Guardian as “an amazing man”. “He had an impact on anyone that crossed paths with him,” she said. “He was an amazing father, and amazing leader. He cared and loved hard for everyone in his life.” Swinton leaves behind two children: a four-year-old daughter, and a six-year-old son, she said. The military said that Swinton enlisted in the US army in 2017 as a 14H air defense early warning system operator, and that he reclassified as a 14E patriot fire control enhanced operator/maintainer. The US army said that Swinton will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant. Swinton’s mother, Christel Swinton Andujar, told the Guardian that her son was the kind of person who could “light up any room”. “He had a contagious laugh, an incredible sense of humor, and loved making people smile,” she said in a message. “He was a true jokester who believed life was meant to be lived to the fullest.” She described him as “adventurous and fearless” and as someone who was “always ready for the next challenge”. “He embraced life with courage, confidence, and a willingness to take risks,” she said. “But beneath that adventurous spirit was a man of unwavering loyalty and strength.” Above all, she said, “Michael’s greatest love was his family,” adding that his wife, Mia, and two children, “were the center of his world”. “Michael was the most patient and loving father I have ever known,” she said. “He cherished every moment with his children, making them feel safe, valued, and deeply loved. He carried that same gentle heart into being an uncle. His nieces and nephews adored him because he always made time for them, encouraged them, and made them laugh.” To so many, she said that “Michael wasn’t just a hero because he wore the uniform – he was a hero because of the way he loved, protected, encouraged, and inspired everyone around him.” “His legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched, the laughter he shared, the strength he gave others, and the unconditional love he poured into his family. He will forever be missed, forever honored, and forever our hero,” she added. Tyler Feehan, 25 First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, was supporting overseas operations in Jordan and was killed in an Iranian attack at Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan last week. The US Army said Feehan enlisted in the US army in 2019 as a 12B combat engineer with the Hawaii army national guard and later commissioned as an active-duty air defense artillery officer in 2024, and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd army air and missile defense command, as a platoon leader at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The US army said that Feehan will be posthumously promoted to the rank of captain. Southern Utah University said in a statement that Feehan was both a SUU graduate and current student in the school’s MBA program. The university said that he was just weeks away from earning his MBA from the school. His degree will be awarded posthumously. In a statement sent to the Guardian, Feehan’s parents, Shari and Stephen Feehan, said that their hearts “are shattered”. “Our son, our ‘Tivo,’ was taken from us far too soon – alongside other American heroes lost or wounded in this same tragic attack,” they said. “In just 25 years, Tyler packed in more living than most people manage in a lifetime.” “He chased adventure relentlessly, whether it meant reaching Everest Base Camp or walking the Camino de Santiago across France and into Spain,” they said. “As a leader, he never wavered in putting his soldiers first – mentoring them, sharing his love of finance, and pushing the value of education every chance he got.” His parents said Feehan “believed deeply in the power of military service, especially what it builds in a person: discipline, leadership, character. Everyone who knew him loved him”. “Behind him, he leaves a family in mourning – his parents, his fiancée who was to become his wife upon his return from deployment, four sets of grandparents, and a wide circle of aunts, uncles, and cousins who adored him,” they added. “Law school was next on his list, a goal he talked about with the same confidence he quoted from Legally Blonde: ‘What, like it’s hard?’.” “Tyler, we are proud of you beyond words – devastated, yes, but prouder still,” they said, adding that “no parents could have asked for a better son, and carrying your legacy forward is now our purpose.” They concluded their statement, saying that “we ask only this: that in remembering Tyler, people pause to see the good this country still holds, rather than what divides it” and said that they are are building a scholarship in their son’s name, “one meant to open doors to education for those who serve or hope to”. Isabella Gonzales, 19 Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, was also killed in the Iranian attack at Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan. Gonzales was assigned to 1st battalion, 57th air defense artillery regiment, 52nd air defense artillery brigade, 10th army air missile defense command in Ansbach, Germany, the Pentagon said. Gonzales graduated from Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas, in 2025, and joined the US army after. In a statement to the Guardian, the Lewisville independent school district said:“She gave her life in [army] service, and our district is heartbroken by her loss.” Anthony Tapia, 21, told the Guardian that he and Gonzales met in Germany in the soldier barracks and began dating in February of this year, “when I asked her to be my girlfriend on a snowy night in Stuttgart”. “She was one of the most incredible people I had ever met, funny, playful, charismatic, and so full of life,” Tapia said in a message. “She had a way of making everyone around her smile, and even in the most serious situations, she could somehow find a reason to laugh, make a joke, or put that beautiful smile on her face.” Tapia said that while they were apart, they would “talk whenever we could” and that they had been looking forward to taking a trip together to Tapia’s hometown in Washington state. “We talked about it so many times, saying how it was going to be one of the best trips of our lives,” he said. “My family was so excited to finally meet her, and I was so excited to show her the place where I grew up.” “We had so many plans,” he continued. “We talked about marriage, our future, traveling together, growing older together, and building a life filled with love and laughter. I truly believed we had so much time ahead of us.” Tapia said: “there are no words that can fully describe the pain of losing someone I loved so deeply.” “She was so much more than my girlfriend,” he said. “She was my best friend, the person I wanted to marry, the person I imagined my entire future with, and someone who brought so much happiness into my life.” “When I think of her, I don’t want to only remember the way we lost her,” he said. “I want to remember the girl who was always laughing. The girl who could make a joke during the most serious moments. The girl who was playful, funny, charismatic, and impossible not to love. I want to remember her beautiful smile, her laugh, her energy, and the way she could make an ordinary day feel special just by being herself.” “I loved her more than she probably ever truly understood,” he said. “I would have given anything to see her one more time, hold her one more time, and tell her again just how much she meant to me.” According to ABC News, Gonzales was posthumously promoted to private first class. Angel Rampersad, 28 The Pentagon announced that Sgt Angel S Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, was also “believed to have been killed in action” during the attack at the Muwaffaq Salti airbase. The Pentagon said Rampersad was assigned to 1st battalion, 57th air defense artillery regiment, 52nd air defense artillery brigade, 10th army air and missile defense command in Ansbach, Germany. In a statement on social media, Pesach Osina, a state assembly candidate in the district where Rampersad lived, said that Rampersad was “truly a gift to everyone who knew her”. “She never sought attention or recognition,” Osina said. “She simply wanted to serve, protect others, and do her duty with courage and humility.” “Since learning of this tragedy, I have remained close to Angel’s mother, Carol Acevedo, her father, Basdeo Rampersad, and their family,” he added. “There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child, but our entire community stands beside them during this unimaginable time.” Deonne Jinkins, who is also in the US army, told the Guardian she met Rampersad in 2024 while they were stationed in Germany, and that the two were introduced through mutual friends and quickly became friends. “We just hung out like every weekend,” Jinkins, 22, said. “She truly was an angel. She was just the sweetest person ever.” Jinkins, who said that Rampersad had a “radiant smile”, recalled that on her birthday in 2024, she didn’t really have any plans or that many friends around, and said that Rampersad took her out for dinner, and “we went out, and we just had fun.” “I’m gonna miss her so much, so much,” she added. New York governor, Kathy Hochul, said in a statement that “Sgt. Rampersad lived a life of courage and selflessness. May we honor her memory, remember her sacrifice, and keep all who loved her in our prayers.”

Pride organisers vow to march in Romanian city that has blocked event four years in a row

Campaigners in a Romanian city have vowed to go ahead with a Pride march after local authorities denied permission for the fourth consecutive year. Since 2023, campaigners in the western city of Oradea, which has a population of about 180,000, have sought permission to hold Pride events. However, each year they have faced opposition, making Oradea the only major city in the EU where local authorities have repeatedly blocked Pride marches. “Every year the local authorities have managed to find legal or technical excuses to ban Oradea Pride events,” said Iulian Dițiu, the co-founder and president of Ark Oradea, the local organiser of Pride. In 2024, they were told none of the city’s parks were available at the times requested, he said. The following year, campaigners submitted 12 potential routes for the march, only to be told that none was suitable. In the run-up to Saturday’s proposed march, organisers submitted more than 100 possible routes. On Wednesday, the city authorities said none of them was viable because they clashed with other events or public infrastructure works. The mayor, who belongs to a party that describes itself as liberal, conservative and Christian democratic, did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian. Dițiu said the repeated refusals sent a broader message. “It feels like the message that they are trying to send our way is that we’re not welcome here,” he said. “They have never said out loud that they are banning Pride for LGBT reasons. They’re always hiding behind technical reasons.” The dispute has attracted growing international attention. More than 152 organisations from 30 countries have signed a statement calling on officials to allow the march to take place “in complete safety” and in line with EU law. “After four consecutive years in which the Pride march has been unable to take place, there can be no question of administrative or logistical difficulties,” the statement said. “When an authority consistently prevents a community from assembling peacefully, a principle that concerns all citizens is undermined.” Their appeal, delivered recently to the local administration in Oradea, drew comparisons between Oradea and Budapest, where Hungary’s former prime minister Viktor Orbán and his rightwing populist movement had sought to ban Pride events. “In recent years, the restriction of Pride marches has become, in several European states, an indicator of democratic backsliding and the weakening of the rule of law,” the statement said. Dițiu said organisers intended to proceed with the march on Saturday despite the lack of official permission, repeating last year’s approach. In 2025, between 500 and 600 people attended an unauthorised march, with nine participants later fined the equivalent of about €4,000 (£3,420) he said. This time representatives from several diplomatic missions have said they will take part, along with Romania’s ombudsman, he added. Dițiu described the situation as both “encouraging and disappointing”. “The institutions that are supposed to protect the rights of every community are trying to use our community as a scapegoat. But many more people are behind us. Many more people understand what the stakes are,” he said. “This is not an LGBT issue. This is a democratic issue. It’s about the freedom to public assembly. And if the local LGBT community here in Oradea can be denied this basic human right without any repercussion, it can happen pretty much anywhere in Europe, for pretty much any community.”