A jury in the US city of Minneapolis has found former policeman Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of George Floyd, an African-American man who died in police custody last May.

Floyd’s death while being forcibly restrained by Chauvin and three other police officers sparked massive protests across the US around policing reform and the treatment of African-Americans.

In a televised speech following the announcement, US President Joe Biden praised the verdict as a potential “giant step forward in the march toward justice in America” and a chance to “change the trajectory” of US race relations.

Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison on the charge of second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder, and up to 10 years for manslaughter. Judge Peter Cahill said he would issue a sentence within the next eight weeks, while Chavin’s lawyer indicated his client would appeal the ruling.

Source: PAP

Polish Health officials announced a significant change in vaccination policy yesterday, with younger Poles now able to jump the queue for COVID vaccinations if there is a risk that a vaccine would otherwise be wasted.

Among other changes, the new regulation of the Council of Ministers provides that in situations where a vaccine is at risk of not being used, it will be possible to vaccinate any adult – regardless of their eligibility status.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also announced plans for all adult Poles to be able to schedule vaccine appointments by May 10, with the ultimate goal of fulfilling all adult vaccine requests by August.

As Michał Dworczyk, who is spearheading the country’s COVID-19 inoculation campaign, explained, “We are now loosening (the rules) because we are at a stage in the vaccination process in which we have to respond to the current situation, adapting to the current possibilities in terms of access and the number of vaccines.”

According to health officials, nearly 8.9 million COVID-19 shots have been administered in Poland as of Monday evening, with nearly 10,000 (9,811) doses being wasted during the rollout.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland

OSCE Secretary-General Helga Schmid held talks with President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw on Tuesday on issues including Belarus, where several leaders of the Polish ethnic minority were detained last month.

According to Krzysztof Szczerski, a senior aide to President Duda, the OSCE Secretary-General promised to “use all available diplomatic means to improve the situation of Poles in Belarus” in response to reports of worsening conditions there.  

Last month, the European Commission called on Belarusian authorities to drop all charges against several leaders of the Polish ethnic minority in that country. The EU executive said the detained members of the Association of Poles in Belarus, including Andżelika Borys and Andrzej Poczobut, should be released immediately and unconditionally.

Source: Radio Poland

Polish athletes earned two medals, a silver, and a bronze, on day two of the European wrestling championships in Warsaw this week.

Poland’s Krzysztof Bieńkowski won silver in the men’s 65 kg freestyle, while countryman Radosław Baran took bronze in the 97 kg freestyle on Tuesday.

Some 400 male and female wrestlers from 39 countries are competing for medals at the 2021 European Wrestling Championships, which will finish on Sunday in Warsaw.

Source: Radio Poland

The regional “Holiday Internship 2021” project is still accepting applications for summer internships due to start in July.

University students and recent graduates are eligible for nearly 240 paid internship positions at companies and public institutions this summer, but the deadline for applications is rapidly approaching. More information and applications can be found on the project website at http://www.wakacyjnystaz.pl, and applications are due April 28.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be sunny and warm, with a slight breeze coming in from the west and very little chance of rain during the day. Temperatures will reach a pleasant high of 16°C, or 60°F, dropping to a low of 3°C or 37°F overnight. Clouds are set to roll in overnight, with cold, wet weather expected for the rest of the week.

EPeck/ap