Protests took place across the US for the eighth straight day in response to the death of George Floyd last week at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The escalating tensions prompted a rare public statement by former President George W. Bush, in which he and former first lady Laura Bush describe being “anguished” by the killing of George Floyd and „disturbed” by the injustice and fear it represented.
„We have resisted the urge to speak out,” the statement reads, „because this is not the time for us to lecture. It is time for us to listen. It is time for America to examine our tragic failures – and as we do, we will also see some of our redeeming strengths.”
Charges of manslaughter and third-degree murder have been filed against Derek Chauvin, the officer who prosecutors say is responsible for George Floyd’s death, and Chauvin and three other officers at the scene have been fired.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday, 64% of American adults were „sympathetic to people who are out protesting right now,” while 27% said they were not and 9% were unsure.
Source: Reuters
G7 mulls inclusion of Russia as summit rescheduled yet again
A G7 summit originally rescheduled to the end of June has been pushed back yet again after Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany turned down an in-person invitation to the summit in Washington, citing concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
In response, US President Donald Trump proposed moving the meeting to September or later and expanding the list of invitees to include Australia, Russia, South Korea, and India. Russia was previously expelled from what was then the G8 after the forcible annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Some members of the G7, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK, have already voiced their opposition to the inclusion of Russia, with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declaring that Russia „will continue to remain out” due to its „continued disrespect and flaunting of international rules and norms.”
Trump had been lobbying for an in-person meeting at the end of June, a move reportedly supported by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The US currently has the highest number of COVID-19 infections and deaths from the disease, with nearly 2 million people in the US currently infected, and the official death toll nearing 110,000.
Source: Reuters, CBC
Polish president approves mixed voting system
President Duda signed into law new rules allowing the country’s presidential election to be held via a mixed system of postal and traditional in-person voting after the changes were approved by both the Sejm and the Senate yesterday.
Under the new rules, voting will take place at polling stations, as in the past, but Poles will also be able to apply to cast their ballot by post. Parliamentary Speaker Elżbieta Witek is expected to announce the new date of the presidential election sometime today.
The election was originally scheduled for May 10, but it failed to go ahead due to concerns about mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic. As of this morning, the disease has claimed over 1,100 lives in Poland, with daily infection rates forecast to remain high as restrictions loosen across the country.
Source: Radio Poland
Sopot installs new disinfection booths
In the continuing effort to fight coronavirus, officials have installed the first „decontamination cabin” in Tri-City at an ambulance station in Sopot.
Any patient or employee who wishes to enter the clinic will have to pass through the booth, in which they will be sprayed with a disinfectant mist of non-alcoholic liquid based on silver irons. The booths are also equipped with a fan, an antibacterial lamp, aseptic medical surface coverings, and a floormat soaked in disinfectant.
Medical staff „need these types of devices,” says medical rescuer Dariusz Wierzbicki, „this is important for our colleagues, for us personally, and for our families.” According to Deputy Director Grażyna Małachowska, disinfecting cabins should become standard equipment for outpatient and ambulance stations. Each cabin currently costs PLN 20,000 (roughly EUR 4,500).
Source: Radio Gdańsk
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Weather
Today will be mostly sunny and warm with little chance of rain and a strong breeze coming from the north. Temperatures will peak around a high of 16°C, or 61°F, dropping to a low of 8°C or 47°F overnight. The weather is set to warm up tomorrow, with rain again in the forecast over the weekend.
Elizabeth Peck/am
