from berlin. tonight, another push for peace in libya. international leaders gathered here in berlin hoping that fresh talks would deliver some stability to the war-torn country. elections are set for the end of this year in libya if the violence does not get in the way. also coming up, growing anger, as hungry face germany and the championships, munich is breaking out the rainbows, but

they have barred the stadium from lining up to support diversity. and it using youtube to dish out the dirt on turkish politics. the tell all videos reveal the good, the bad, and ugly about turkey's ruling party. turks cannot get enough of this unlikely social media star. ♪ i'm brent goff. to our viewers watching on pbs, in the united states, and around the world, welcome. we begin tonight here in berlin, where international leaders held talks today aimed at securing a lasting peace deal in libya. the country has been unstable since 2011, when the nato backed uprising toppled the longtime dictator.

leaders discussed the withdrawal of foreign fighters today and the schedule for december, hoping the vote will finally bring some stability and some unity to the country. reporter: it got off to a confusing start. america's top diplomat meets his german counterpart in berlin. despite the awkward welcome, both men said they shared the same vision for libya. >> we share the goal of a sovereign, stable, unified, secure libya free from foreign interference. it's with the people of libya deserve, it is critical to regional security as well. reporter: the permanent members of the un security council at the table, together with other regional powers. for the first time, representatives from libya's transitional government. one of the main goals, ensuring elections plans for december go ahead. >> we are supporting the

election, because this is the way for democracy in libya and building a legitimate government. however, we understand there are a lot of security challenges on the ground. reporter: one of those challenges is the presence of thsands of foreign troops and mercenaries inside libya. >> we will not let up. we will not rest until the last foreign troops have left libya. that is why we have gathered here for a second time, at the libya conference. and that is what we will work towards. reporter: libya has been in crisis ever since the ousting of gaddafi and 2011. -- in 2011. regional rivalries grew. elections failed to bring the country in a closer. -- the country any closer. rival governments were set up in the western and eastern parts of the country. in tripoli, a government recognized by many western nations.

another regime established itself into brooke. in october 2020, the warring sides agree to a cease-fire. they formed a transitional government. the elections this december will finally give the libyan people a say. some fear it may only be a small step on a long road to lasting peace. brent: for more now, i'm joined by the founder of the independent think tank based in tripoli. good to see you again. even if these talks are successful, can we say that libya by the end of the year is going to be ready for democracy? >> that's a pretty good question. i think there's a danger in assuming electns on their own will lead to a democracy in libya. it is the same process we begin in january of last year. the process is partially complete at the political level.

at the military level and the economic level, it is not unifi. the possility of having elections and having it successfully is not that difficult. it's not the hardest thing of the world. having a democratic election allows for a new parliament to be respected. if the military dsn't want to be subservient to unappointed unity government or an elected government, it is a dangerous thing to hold elections before the crisis is complete. brent: he would not be as strong as he is if he didn't have support from outside of libya. are we at a point now where we can get countries such as egypt, the uae, france, the u.s.,

countries like these to stop interfering in the domestic politics of libya? >> we were asking this question also last year. i think the danger is we haven't made much progress. we've got a cease-fire agreement signed in october of 2020. it mandated the withdrawal of those foreign mercenaries within 90 days. the two countries that have delivered those discreetly, russia and the uae, they have refused to acknowledge their presence there. they in fact claim they have no involvement in libya's civil war and have had no involvement over the last several years, despite the fact that you and -- the un reports have gone into great detail about what they've done. to push at the international level to have knowledge of the are there. it's going to be difficult, when it requires sequencing and meat on the bones.

we don't need promises anymore. we need tangible outcomes and dates. there's a date for the election, the 24th of december. there are only promises, and those that don't acknowledge they are on the ground. thousands and theast and the center of the country -- in the east and the center of the couny. turkey acknowledges they have mercenaries. it's going to be very difficult to see progress made if we are unwilling to call them by their own name. brent: as always, we appreciate your time and your insights. we will be following this story and see how these talks develop. thank you. here's a look at some of the other stories making headlines aroundhe world. relatives have been waiti for information about loved ones following an explosion in ethiopia's conflict hit tiger

region. people were wounded on tuesday in a airstrike on a market in the town. health workers say tha soldiers blocked medical teams from traveling to the scene. a court in ivory coast is sent that has sentenced -- a court in every -- a court in ivory coast has sentenced the individual, receiving 20 year sentences. separatist leaders walked free from prison on wednesday, vowing to win independence from spain. the release came a day after the seven men and two women were pardons for their role in staging a band refresh and on secession from madrid. that was a necessary step toward national healing. the u.s. senate republicans have blocked an election reform bill that democrats say is needed to

counter increasingly restrictive voting rules and many part of the country. but republicans say the build infringes on states' rights. the 50-50 party line vote fell short of the 60 needed to advance most legislation in the u.s. senate. tonight in munich, hungary and germany are going head-to-head in their euro 2020 football match, but the talk of the town is not jut about who will win, instead there's plenty of politics on the pitch, with a new hung gary and love that critics say equates lgbtq people with pedophiles. the legislation bans depicting or promoting homosexuality to young people. munich officials wanted to light up the city's football stadium tonight in rainbow colors to protest, but european soccer's governing body said no. reporter: munich is all

rainbows. the flag is flying high, a clear message after football officials banned rainbow lights in the stadium because they maintained it was to political. -- too political. >> a sign of peace in the community should not be forbidden like that. >> i think everyone should be who they are. that is what the flag stands for. >> we have of course heard the discussion about the stadium lighting. we really want to show it is important to be open to the world. reporter: the european commission is also making unusually clear statements. it thinks little of hungary's controversial law. >> the hungarian bill is a shame. so i will use all the powers of the commission to ensure that the rights of all eu citizens are guaranteed, whoever you are, and wherever you live. >> --

reporter: supported by 13 eu countries that expressed concern about the law, including germany. >> first of a i thing this law is wrong, and also not compatible with my idea of politics. if you allow same-sex partnerships but restrict education about it elsewhere, but also has to do with freedom of education and the like. for me that is something i reject politically. reporter: the commission can only take legal action once the lies enforced. the procedure can go all the way to the european court of justice, which takes time. -- once the law is enforced. the government says they did not want to harm homosexuals at all and condemned the announcement as a disgrace. for the time being, action comes in the form of rainbow flags in munich, and statements from a well-known football player dressed in colorful clothes.

[clapping] >> the goal should be for it to be a completely normal thing in our world, the sport world. that it's no longer a big issue. i think that small gestures and signals are a step in the right direction. reporter: even the german football association got on board and helped distribute thousands of rainbow flags outside munich's stadium. brent: that soccer game is now underway. we want to talk with our correspondent about the political indications of all of this. good evening to you, barbara. we've got a lot of condemnation right now coming from the european union, but no action yet, apart from all the flags. do you see this thing is cleaning further? >> it certainly will escalate, because there's no way backwards now. nobody can somehow turn back and say, let's forget about

this. angela merkel was unusually concrete and direct. so was the commission president. so they now have to take it to the highest court in europe, the ecg. tomorrow evening, during the eu summits, he is going to have to walk the walk of shame. this really long red carpet leading to the summit room. generalists will be yelling questions at him. -- journalists will be yelling questions at him. we can just mention one of the european leaders saying, victor, you are taking it too far, what have you been thinking? something along those things. so victor has been known to step back, once things get too hot for him in the past. he may in this case. or he may be stubborn and ford forward.

there's no telling at the moment. brent: remind us, what is it about this new law in hungary that is so controversial? there are plenty of aspects, but what is it that is most controversial? >> this law has the label on it to allow for the protection of children -- people up to 18 years. but it mentions in the same regulations, the same bill, punishments for pedophiles and protections against the depiction of lgbtq people, that is no more gay couples or no lesbian couples, or whatever, and we don't know how far this could really reach. imagine if tv series running in the early evening, this is not just about schools. imagine advertising, never again to have, sexuality. this could have a very strong impact. it is clearly since the eu values and roles, this

combination about sexual or indigenous strickler for bidding -- sexual orientation is strictly forbidden. brent: let's go back then to victor o., his future, what can brussels do to make them see the light? >> [laughter] to make them see the light? really nothing. they've been having this increasingly legally led battle for a year or two now. because a problem is, they have been looking on, as victor developed for years, and nobody interfered. angela merkel had a hand on that. everybody thought, this is not good. we can't have this country in our midst in the middle of europe. someone who is saying i am an anti-democrat. so now they are really trying to sort of retrieve ground that

they have lost, and fight him in the courts. oot many observers here say the only thing that will make victor retreat and step back is if the money tap is being turned off, if the billions of streaming into hungary from european coffers every year will not come anymore. then he is going to hurt, and then his rule will get into difficulties. brent: he may not like it either if hungary loses tonight against germany. we will see if that happens as well. barbara, thank you. after 26 years in operation, hong kong's popular pro-democracy newspaper the apple daily has printed its last edition. staff say the paper has been forced to close since beijing enacted a sweeping national security law, arresting journalists and pro-democracy activists. the move could have chilling consequences for the future of free speech in hong kong. reporter: it's been a popular

paper in hong kong, mixing racy gossip with pro-democracy politics and chris him of china. but recently, apple daily had only been making it to the newsstands under increasing pressure from the authorities. last year, police raided the paper's newsroom and arrested the owner, jamil i, on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces. further raids and sweeping new national security laws have now forced the paper to close. five of his other exec edits were detained last week. police have also frozen the company's assets. effectively choking its operations and silencing it. the paper's closure immediately brought people out onto the streets in support. journalists warned of the chilling effect apple daily's shutdown would have on press freedom. >> we will be very word there are conseences for writing an article a it will

make society fl that people can be put in prison because of what they write. it leads to a he worry for the city's freedom of speech. reporter: as the press is rolled for the last time, printing as many as one million copies before the paper and its website shut down, those fears are likely to become a reality. these protesters, though, working to get the last copies -- were keen to get the last copies as another press freedom fell silent. brent: taliban fighters are seizing an increasing amount of territory, as the the 11th of september deadline for u.s. troop withdrawal approaches. the tele-band have even made it to the border of the city in the north of the country, where german soldiers are still stationed. they are due to be pulled up by the end of june. italy is warning the troop withdrawal could prompt many afghans to flee to europe. the german port town of hamburg

is already home to a vibrant community of afghan migrants. they are worried about what the pullout will mean for afghanistan and for their relatives back home. reporter: she lived here in the neighborhood of hamburg. one of europe's largest communities of exiled afghans. nearly 40,000 of home live here -- whom live here. you can get lands, fruit and vegetables, and afghan baked goods. she and her family fled from afghanistan when she was just a child. >> these cookies are soft and delicious. reporter: she enjoys the traditions of her homeland and tells us exiled afghans fear the return of the radical islamist taliban. >>e get news, especially when we call our families, we ask, are you all healthy, is everyone still alive?

that's the biggest worry we have. so far, fortunately, none of us has been affected, but of course, that's a matter of luck. something can always happen. reporter: the afghan women's associations nodes these worries too well -- knows these worries too well. the volunteer group has been working on projects for afghanistan. they concentrate on schools. clinics and water supply. the chairwoman is critical of the rapid withdrawal of international troops. she says they have not fulfilled their mission in afghanistan. >> in afghanistan, people are also disappointed with nato and its allies because their goals have not been achieved. rule of law. women's liberation. bringing security to the country. reporter: she hears people in afghanistan begging the world not to abandoned their country now, even if troops withdraw. >> please don't leave us alone. international come unity cannot

leave afghanistan alone under any circumstances. especially germany should help, by being a diplomat of mediator. because our countries are linked by such a long friendship. reporter: afghans have lived in hamburg for 80 years now. the ports have always attracted traders. even as far away as afghanistan. taliban terrorism keeps driving people out of the country. she looks after refugees and helps them after they arrive. the women here do not see good prospects for their homeland. >> there's always war in afghanistan. they need help. our country and our compatriots have a dark future ahead of them. >> almost 80% of the district administration is under taliban control. people don't want to admit they are -- the allied troops are living afghanistan. those and surrounding areas are terrified their nightmare may become reality.

reporter: that nightmare would be the rule of the taliban and the end of democracy. she fears this might happen. as do many afghans in hamburg. brent: unlikely youtube star is shaking the foundations of turkish politics. after serving several prison terms, the exiled mafia boss is now speaking out against members of president erdogan's ruling party. his tell all videos are captivating the nation, in a country where free speech and criticizing the government have been largely silenced. ♪ reporter: this fugitive mob boss has become a youtube sensation in the country. making damaging claims about turkish politicians. >> you will be defeated by a camera and a tripod. i swear, you will be defeated.

reporter: his allegations range from drug trafficking and rape, to murder and arms dealing. his videos have been viewed over 100 million times. i wait with such excitement every week for a new episode, just like with my favorite tv shows. we get up and watch the videos at breakfast. reporter: many of his claims are already known. but when he talks and provide evence, people wake up, people want to see the truth. it is almost like a tv drama. and all of us are waiting for the season finale. reporter: he is a wl-known rkish undeorld figure. he has bn in andut of prison for a string of crimes that spanned three decad, fro extortion, to running a criminal organization. he formally supported president erdogan's ruling co-edition t fled turkey in late 2019. he now lives in the united arab

emirates. >> people listen to him, because the media here in turkey has been silenced. they can't report many facts. so people prefer to believe what a mafia leader says, that's very tragic, actually. reporter: his main target has been the interior minister. whom he accuses of corruption and of betraying him. >> you will be taken to the highest court. he will be tried and punished. you have no chance. i will reveal everything. i will destroy you step-by-step. i have the evidence. i will take you down. reporter: all those implicated by him have rejected his accusations. the ruling allies have also blocked parliamentary iuiries in the claims. president -- president erdogan dismissed his allegations as an attack on turkey. >> with god's help and the

support of the people, we will foil this conspiracy. no one should doubt we will disrupt this insidious plot. reporter: he promises to make erdogan the focus of future videos, but his weekly revelations have stopped. he says his life is at risk in his recent video. >> i am on a red list, which means there's a high risk of me being assassinated. but i will keep my promise to you. god willing, we will have a lot of fun in the coming days. i will drive them all insane. >> it is hard to predict what will happen. but the fact that he told his viewers, don't worry, despite the risk of being killed, i will continue to reveal what i know, it meanse will not give up easily. reporter: he has not yet provided concrete evidce for his gangster stories, but according to polls, a majority

of his viewers believe that there is at least some truth to his allegations. and many are eagerly waiting for the next episode of his mafia drama. ♪ brent: back to the euro 2020 into the last matches today. spain wrecked of the biggest one of the tournament so far against slovakia. -- win of the tournament so far against slovakia. sweden won an exciting match against poland. the 3-2 victory puts the two in a victory with an unbeaten record. let's take a look at the final standings in group e. sweden claimed first place with seven points and spain joined them in the round of 16. but slovakia and poland, both exiting the tournament. here's a reminder of the top story we are following for you this hour -- more leaders have met in berlin looking for a new

path towards peace in libya. they discussed ways to secure greater stability ahead of the national elections in december. you're watching dw news. after a short break, i will be back to take you through "the day." more of the rainbow route in european football, and we look back of what happened -- at what happened five years ago today, when brexit began. we will be right back. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> i'm mark owen. these are the headlines. turkey and russia could begin pulling out of libya in the coming days. there was this are on rival sides of the conflict ravaging the state. a special summit in berlin is examining the roadmap toward possible peace. hungary under pressure on and off the field over its stance on lgbt rights. you a that is investigating hungarian fans -- uefa