Friday, April 24, 2026

Rule of law in #Poland – MEPs to discuss how the EU should respond – EU Reporter

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Rule of law in #Poland – MEPs to discuss how the EU should respond – EU Reporter

Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES) will present to the committee his draft interim report on the December 2017 European Commission’s proposal to act in view of the perceived threats to the independence of the judiciary in Poland. Parliament agrees with the Commission that rule of law is at risk in the country, but the Council has so far not taken a formal step in that regard.

On Monday, MEPs will also look in particular into the issues over judicial independence, after listening to the views of the President of the European Association of Judges, José Igreja Matos, and a representative of the Polish judges association IUSTITIA, Joanna Hetnarowicz-Sikora.

Legal changes adopted by the Polish government during current health crisis, regarding electoral law, regulation of hate speech and LGBTI rights, are another source of concern for many MEPs.

When: Monday, 25 May, from 14h05 to 15h30

Where: Jozsef Antall 4Q2, European Parliament in Brussels, and via videoconference

Background

According to Article 7 of the Treaty of the EU, following a request by one third of the Member States, by the Parliament or by the Commission, the Council may determine that there is a clear risk of a serious breach of EU values in the countries concerned. Before doing so, ministers shall hear the views of the national authorities. The Polish authorities defended themselves in front of the Council on three occasions, between June and December 2018.

At a later stage, the European Council may determine, by unanimity and with the Parliament’s consent, that there is a serious and persistent breach of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights. This could eventually lead to sanctions, including suspension of voting rights in the Council.

In its resolution of 17 April, about the EU’s response against COVID-19, the European Parliament pointed to recent moves by the Polish authorities to change the electoral code, to hold Presidential elections in the middle of a pandemic. MEPs warned this may “undermine the concept of free, equal, direct and secret elections as enshrined in the Polish Constitution”.

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Parliament this week: EU long-term budget, tourism, #COVID-19 – EU Reporter

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Parliament this week: EU long-term budget, tourism, #COVID-19 – EU Reporter

On Wednesday (27 May), Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will present a revised long-term EU budget (2021-2027) and recovery plan during a plenary session. MEPs will discuss the proposals, but have already called for a €2 trillion recovery package to help the EU bounce back from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parliament President David Sassoli and the political group leaders will hold discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday morning.

The future of the EU is also on the agenda of the constitutional affairs committee today (26 May). MEPs will discuss the Conference on the Future of Europe and the Parliaments role. In a resolution adopted on 17 April, Parliament called for it to be convened as soon as possible.

On Thursday (28 May) the transport committee will discuss the Commission’s proposed package on tourism and transport, which includes practical guidelines on how countries could gradually lift travel restrictions, businesses reopen and people take summer holidays.

The employment and social affairs committee will on Tuesday consider how COVID-19 restrictions have affected the mobility of workers, particularly contract and cross-border workers.

Also on Tuesday, Commission Vice President Josep Borrell will discuss the impact of the pandemic on EU security and defence, including disinformation, with the security and defence committee.



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White Woman Calls Cops On Black Man Over Dog Leash Dispute In Viral Footage

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White Woman Calls Cops On Black Man Over Dog Leash Dispute In Viral Footage

A white woman called the police and accused a Black man of threatening her and her dog in New York City’s Central Park, as seen in now-viral footage posted to social media on Monday. The man said the confrontation began when he asked her to put her dog on a leash.

The footage was published on Facebook by the man, Christian Cooper, and on Twitter by his sister, Melody Cooper. The video was viewed on Twitter more than 10 million times by late Monday night and sparked widespread outrage.

It begins with the dog walker, later identified as Amy Cooper, dragging her dog by the collar toward the man and demanding that he stop filming.

“Please don’t come close to me,” the man is heard repeatedly saying as she approaches. 

She asks him to stop filming several times and then threatens to call the police. “I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life,” she says.

“Please tell them whatever you like,” he responds.

Then, on her phone, the dog walker says: “I’m in the Ramble and there is a man ― African American, he has a bicycle helmet ― he is recording me and threatening me and my dog.”

A New York Police Department spokesperson said the NYPD was called to the Central Park Ramble for a report of an assault just after 8 a.m. Monday. On arrival, they determined two people had engaged in a verbal dispute. There was no crime and no arrests, the spokesperson said.

According to the Central Park website, dogs must be leashed at all times in the Ramble. The woman is also seen repeatedly dragging her struggling dog by its collar during the video and later attaches the leash.

Melody Cooper said her brother is an avid birder and had politely requested that the woman put her dog on a leash, in accordance with signs in the park. Christian Cooper said the dog was “tearing through the plantings in the Ramble” when he asked the woman to leash her pet. He also said he had pulled out dog treats which he carries for these situations.

The incident was met with swift backlash on social media.

Christian Cooper told NBC New York Monday night that he continued filming because he wasn’t going to be intimidated.

“We live in an age of Ahmaud Arbery where Black men are gunned down because of assumptions people make about Black men, Black people, and I’m just not going to participate in that,” he said.

Amy Cooper told NBC New York she overreacted but claimed that Christian was screaming and that she felt threatened because she didn’t know what was in the dog treats.

“I sincerely and humbly apologize to everyone, especially to that man, his family,” she told the news station in a phone call. “It was unacceptable and I humbly and fully apologize to everyone who’s seen that video, everyone that’s been offended … everyone who thinks of me in a lower light and I understand why they do.”

Investment management company Franklin Templeton, which social media users identified as Amy Cooper’s employer, issued a statement late on Monday night that an employee had been put on administrative leave while an incident was being investigated.

A New York dog rescue organization, the Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue, Inc., said the dog in question had been voluntarily surrendered while the matter was being addressed.

This story has been updated with additional details.



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Jeffrey Dahmer’s Classmate Reveals Chilling Photo Of Future Serial Killer

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Jeffrey Dahmer’s Classmate Reveals Chilling Photo Of Future Serial Killer

An old high school yearbook photo of serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer is giving people the chills on social media. 

The show also featured an interview with Ronald Flowers, who survived an encounter with Dahmer and described the experience: 

Dahmer was convicted on 15 counts of murder and sentenced in 1992 to 15 life terms in prison. He and another inmate were beaten to death in prison in 1994 by fellow inmate Christopher Scarver. 

Scarver later told the New York Post that Dahmer would make fake limbs from his food and douse them in ketchup as “blood” to taunt the other inmates.

“He would put them in places where people would be,” Scarver told the newspaper in 2015. “He crossed the line with some people — prisoners, prison staff. Some people who are in prison are repentant — but he was not one of them.”



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Fox News’ Brit Hume Face-Mask Shames Joe Biden; Twitter Goes Bonkers

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Fox News’ Brit Hume Face-Mask Shames Joe Biden; Twitter Goes Bonkers

See the latest stories on the coronavirus outbreak.  

Fox News commentator Brit Hume on Monday tried to face-mask shame US Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden. He indicated that Biden doesn’t look good wearing one ― as if that’s more important than any safety considerations about spreading a virus that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans.

“This might help explain why Trump doesn’t like to wear a mask in public,” wrote Hume, who posted a photo on Twitter of a masked Biden from Agence France-Presse.

So apparently the “cool factor” is of primary importance to Hume — and Trump.

You can imagine how well that went over on Twitter.

North Dakota’s Republican governor, Doug Burgum, counseled his voters on Friday: “There should be no mask shaming” for those who opt to wear the protective coverings to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. “Dial up your empathy and your understanding,” he urged.

“We’re all in this together, and there’s only one battle we’re fighting, and that’s the battle of the virus,” Burgum said.

As for Hume’s attitude: 



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#EndangeredSpecies in Europe: Facts and figures 

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#EndangeredSpecies in Europe: Facts and figures 

One million out of eight million species globally are threatened with extinction. Find out which and how many species in Europe are endangered or extinct.

Endangered species are plants and animals that are threatened with extinction. This is mainly caused by the loss and degradation of habitat, but also by among others pollution, climate change and invasive alien species. However, biodiversity is key for healthy ecosystems and human life.

In order to preserve endangered species, the EU wants to improve and preserve biodiversity. In a resolution adopted in January, Parliament called for an ambitious EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy to address the main drivers of biodiversity loss, and set legally binding targets for the EU and its member states.

As the European Commission unveils its new 2030 strategy, learn more about endangered species and biodiversity loss in Europe.

Endangered species in Europe

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has created a European Red list of endangered species so that action can be taken to try and save them.

Of the 1,677 European species threatened with extinction, the most endangered are snails, clams and fish.

Over half of Europe’s endemic trees, including the horse-chestnut, Heberdenia excelsa and the horbus are at risk and about one fifth of amphibians and reptiles are endangered.

The arctic fox, the European mink, Mediterranean monk seal, the North Atlantic right whale and the polar bear are currently among the most endangered mammals in Europe.

Pollinators are also declining. One out of 10 European bee and butterfly species is threatened with extinction.

Infographic on the most endangered species in Europe  

Extinct species in Europe

According to IUCN, 36 species have become extinct in Europe as of 2015, including many freshwater fish, several other Coregonus species (a type of salmon), the freshwater mollusc Graecoanatolica macedonica (a small freshwater snail unique to Lake Dojran in Macedonia), and Pensée de Cry, a purple flower.

From the mammals, Aurochs (a type of large wild cattle) and the Sardinian Pika (a cousin of the rabbit) went extinct in the 17th and 18th century respectively.

Further research is needed to assess the situation, in particular of bees, marine mammals and fish.

Find out more

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Johnson faces cabinet revolt over senior adviser who violated lockdown – The Sun

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Johnson faces cabinet revolt over senior adviser who violated lockdown – The Sun

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a revolt from his cabinet over his backing of senior adviser Dominic Cummings, who faces calls from within the Conservative Party to resign for driving 250 miles during the coronavirus lockdown, The Sun newspaper reported late on Sunday (24 May), writes Kanishka Singh.

“He (Cummings) cannot stay,” the newspaper quoted an unnamed cabinet minister as saying. “There has to be some contrition from Boris too or he will spend the next ten weeks having to answer questions about it all.”

“This is not a bubble story. Real people are furious, because they have been doing the right thing and isolating,” the minister said.

A second unnamed minister cited by the newspaper said that retaining the adviser was “increasingly” looking as a “sign of weakness”.

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‘What planet are they on?’ No respite for UK’s #Johnson and aide

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‘What planet are they on?’ No respite for UK’s #Johnson and aide

Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced mutiny in his party and fury across Britain on Monday for refusing to sack his closest aide Dominic Cummings, accused of flouting the coronavirus lockdown by driving 250 miles from London, writes Estelle Shirbon.

Defending one of Britain’s most powerful men, Johnson said at the weekend Cummings acted “responsibly and legally and with integrity” when he travelled in March from London to Durham in northern England with his son and his wife, who was ill with COVID-19 symptoms.

Many believe that was hypocritical given the government’s mantra at the time that everyone should stay at home. Those in a household where anyone has symptoms are supposed to self-isolate at home for 14 days.

“What planet are they on?” asked a front page headline in the Daily Mail, an influential right-wing paper usually supportive of Johnson.

Cummings was due to make a public statement and to answer questions later on Monday, ITV and Sky News reported. A Downing Street spokeswoman declined to comment.

With a death toll around 43,000, Britain is the worst-hit country in Europe and the government was already under pressure over its handling of the pandemic.

Scientists and lawmakers said the Cummings furore would make it harder to ensure the public kept complying with official social distancing guidance.

“Boris Johnson has trashed all the advice we have given on how to build trust and secure adherence to the measures necessary to control COVID-19,” said behavioural scientist Stephen Reicher, one of a panel that advises the government.

About 20 Conservative lawmakers defied Johnson by calling publicly for Cummings to quit or be sacked. They and others reported being inundated with mail from constituents who had followed the guidance and now felt there was one rule for people close to Johnson and another for everyone else.

“The government should recognise what families have gone through and what people are thinking and saying. It is thus important that Dominic Cummings should now stand down,” said lawmaker Peter Aldous on Twitter.

The acting Durham police commissioner, Steve White, said he had asked the area’s chief constable to “establish the facts concerning any potential breach of the law” and said the case was “a major issue of public interest and trust”.

In an unusual outpouring, more than a dozen Church of England bishops publicly condemned Johnson and Cummings.

“The PM’s risible defence of Cummings is an insult to all those who have made such sacrifices to ensure the safety of others,” said Johne Inge, the bishop of Worcester, on Twitter.

The decision by Johnson to keep Cummings contrasts with the cases of Scotland’s chief medical officer and a senior epidemiologist who advised the government, both of whom resigned after admitting they had broken lockdown rules.

The architect of the successful 2016 referendum campaign to leave the EU, Cummings, 48, has long been a polarising figure. But, ominously for him and for Johnson, many of the lawmakers and newspaper columnists calling for him to be sacked were Brexit supporters, not his usual critics.

Johnson’s office said Cummings made the journey to his parents’ property in County Durham to ensure his four-year-old son could be properly cared for by relatives if he fell ill along with his wife.

But that failed to appease people who had stayed away from dying loved ones or from funerals because of the lockdown rules.

John Wilson, a man who lost his wife Pauline to COVID-19 in March and was unable to be with her in hospital, spoke of his “rage” at Johnson in a letter to his local lawmaker which he posted on Twitter.

“I would like to know what, if anything, you intend to do about this,” Wilson said in the letter.

A small number of Conservative lawmakers voiced support for Cummings, describing his predicament as a trial-by-media.

“I have lots of questions to be answered before I pass judgment or comment,” said lawmaker Lee Anderson. “I suspect there will be a few more twists to this story over the next few days.”

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Best Desserts By MasterChef’s Reynold, Emelia, Jess And Reece

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Best Desserts By MasterChef’s Reynold, Emelia, Jess And Reece

Four of the final 12 contestants on ‘MasterChef Australia’ will be required to replicate a very technical dessert on Tuesday night’s episode; a sophisticated creation by famous chef Kirsten Tibballs that looks like a delicate watermelon.

From Reynold Poernomo and Emelia Jackson to Reece Hignell and Jess Liemantara, there’s a few contenders that already have extensive experience in the sweets category.

But will they be able to whip up this “extremely hard” dessert?

Till we find out, here’s a look at some of the delectable treats that these contestants make in their daily lives away from the ‘MasterChef’ kitchen.

‘MasterChef Australia: Back To Win’ continues at 7:30pm on Channel 10.



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Please Explain podcast: the theatre industry plans its big comeback

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Please Explain podcast: the theatre industry plans its big comeback

For the duration of the COVID-19 crisis, Please Explain is coming to you five days a week.

Musicals contribute an average of $400 million to the Australian economy each year. As the coronavirus pandemic ensues, the industry is grappling with how to generate a profit in the era of social distancing.

In today’s episode, senior culture writer Nathanael Cooper joins senior journalist Jacqueline Maley to discuss the future of Australia’s musical theatre industry.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage.

Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

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