The company announced last July it would no longer sell its ice cream in the occupied Palestinian territories, saying it was "inconsistent with our values," although it said it would sell its products in Israel.
In this file July 20, 2021, photo, trucks are parked at the Ben & Jerry's ice-cream factory in the Be'er Tuvia Industrial area in Israel.
(Tsafrir Abayov / AP)
Ben & Jerry's has lost its bid to block its parent company Unilever from selling its ice cream in Israel occupied West Bank, which the US firm said would run counter to its values.
The company, known for its political activism, took the unusual step of seeking an injunction after London-based Unilever announced it had sold its interest in the ice cream to an Israeli license-holder.
However, a US federal judge ruled on Monday the ice cream company had "failed to demonstrate" that the move to sell the goods in the Israeli-occupied settlements caused it "irreparable harm."
In July last year, Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's announced it would no longer sell its ice cream in occupied Palestine's territories, which Israel seized in 1967, saying it was "inconsistent with our values," although it said it would keep selling its products in Israel.
However, Israeli license-holder Avi Zinger had continued to produce the ice cream in his factory in the suburbs of Tel Aviv and distribute it to the Israeli settlements, going against the company's decision.
Hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in communities found illegal under international law.
READ MORE: Why Ben & Jerry's decision scares the fudge out of Israel's leaders
Why is Ben & Jerry's ending sales in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories? pic.twitter.com/cqvFfo9NPt
US court: Too speculative
On July 5, Ben & Jerry's asked that any agreement allowing distribution or sale of its products in the occupied West Bank be dissolved and that any further such transaction go before its board of directors to be given a green light.
Unilever's decision was "made without the consent of Ben & Jerry's Independent Board," and goes against the merger agreement that gave the board the ability to protect the founder's values and reputation, the complaint said.
However, US District Court Judge Andrew Carter Jr in Manhattan said the idea the company's messaging could be marred or customers could become confused about its core values was "too speculative."
Founded in the United States in 1978, Ben & Jerry's is known for championing progressive causes, including protecting the environment and promoting human rights, and has frequently released special ice cream flavours to support causes or in protest.
Contacted by AFP news agency on Monday, Ben & Jerry's declined to immediately comment on the decision.
Unilever did not respond to an AFP request for comment.
Source: AFP
Top court begins hearing ex-PM Najib Razak's appeal to overturn his jail sentence in a case linked to multibillion-dollar 1MDB financial scandal.
Prosecutors say more than $1 billion in 1MDB funds made their way into Najib's personal accounts.
(AFP)
Malaysia's top court has begun hearing ex-PM Najib Razak's appeal to overturn his jail sentence for corruption in a high-stakes legal gambit that could see him locked up or potentially launching a political comeback.
The Federal Court on Tuesday dismissed the former prime minister's plea for a retrial, clearing the way for the hearings which will be held until August 26.
Najib, 69, has pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges over the alleged theft of $4.5 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (or 1MDB), a state fund he co-founded as premier in 2009.
The scandal has ensnared high-ranking officials and financial institutions around the world.
Prosecutors say more than $1 billion in 1MDB funds made its way into Najib's personal accounts.
In July 2020, he was convicted in the first of several trials of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering, for illegally receiving about $10 million from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit.
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak who want to replace PM Boris Johnson says they want more focus on the Scottish government's record on health and education.
Scotland
(A demonstrator holds a flag during a pro-Scottish Independence rally in Glasgow, Scotland, November 2, 2019. / Reuters)
The two candidates battling to be
Britain's next prime minister will vie to present themselves as
defenders of Scotland's place in the United Kingdom by promising more scrutiny of Scotland's government to undermine
a new push for independence.
Liz Truss, the foreign minister, and Rishi Sunak, the former finance minister, who are competing to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, set out their policies for Scotland before the only election hustings in the country on Tuesday.
Both candidates want more focus on the Scottish government's record on health and education.
Scotland has the highest drug deaths in Europe and two-thirds of the population is either obese or overweight, while a report last year said its education system is the weakest performing in the United Kingdom.
The Scottish National Party, which heads Scotland's
semi-autonomous government, wants to hold a second independence
referendum next year, which could rip apart the world's
fifth-biggest economy.
The bonds holding together the four countries that make up
the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland — have been severely strained over the last six years by
Brexit and the government's handling of the pandemic.
Liz Truss promised to give parliamentary privilege to members of
the Scottish parliament to allow more scrutiny of the
government, and said she would push to sign a trade deal with
India to end longstanding 150 percent tariffs on Scotch Whisky, the
country's biggest single product export.
"I'll make sure that my government does everything to ensure
elected representatives hold the devolved administration to
account," she said.
"As a nation we are stronger together and
the UK needs Scotland as much as Scotland needs the UK."
Voters in Scotland, which has a population of around 5.5
million, rejected independence in 2014. But Scotland's
government says Britain's departure from the European Union,
which was opposed by a majority of Scots, means the question
must be put to a second vote.
Sunak said that if he becomes prime minister, he will order
senior Scottish government officials to attend annual British
parliament committee hearings.
"For too long the SNP has been able to obscure its failures by picking and choosing the data it publishes - I would change that, ensuring the Scottish government’s record could be held to account," he said.
Donald Trump championed the job he did as head of state and criticized current President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers during a speech Tuesday at the America First Agenda Summit in Washington, D.C.
"Our country is now a cesspool of crime," he said, blaming Democrats for leaving the nation in a terrible state, especially when it comes to public safety.
"We have blood, death and suffering on a scale once unthinkable because of the Democrat Party's effort to destroy and dismantle law enforcement."
Citing that the murder rate in the US is up 51% and saying that America has "been brought to its knees" by crime, Trump focused his attention on giving police the power to make America safer.
"We have to leave our police alone," he said, emphasizing his desire to reinstate "stop and frisk" policies. "Let the people that have to have guns, that need to have guns, let them have them...take the guns away from the criminals who shouldn't be having guns."
"There should be a squad car on every corner, if that's what it takes to stop the killing," Trump emphasized while calling for more law enforcement hiring. "Our country is going to hell and is going to hell very fast. It's a very unsafe place."
The former president reinforced the importance of the midterm elections in November, saying Republicans can once again take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate with an agenda focused on battling crime, reinforcing border patrol and immigration policies, tackling record-high inflation and lowering gas prices.
While not officially throwing his hat in the ring for another presidential run, Trump said he is confident that a Republican will be back in the White House in 2024, dropping a few possible hints.
"I ran the first time and I won. Then I ran a second time and I did much better. We got millions and millions more votes," he told the crowd. "We may just have to do it again."
Trump criticized the Jan. 6 committee investigating his role in the Capitol riots, calling it the "unselect committee" with evil people only trying to do him harm.
"They want to damage you in any form," he said. "But they really want to damage me so I can no longer go back to work for you. And I don't think that's going to happen."
Trump concluded his speech, dropping more potential hints in his rhetoric.
"America's story is far from over," he continued. "We are just getting ready for an incredible comeback."
"We will make America stronger, safer, freer, greater and more glorious than ever before."
