TVN24 News in English

TVN24 News in English

Council of Europe once again rejects Polish candidates to ECHR

The Council of Europe Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights has once again rejected the three candidates for ECHR judges proposed by the Polish government. The committee decided that at least one of the three candidates did not meet necessary requirements to become ECHR judge and demanded the whole trio be rejected. It's the second time the Council of Europe rejects the same candidates.

EU Commission enters next stage in making Poland pay for Turów

The European Commission is moving to the next stage in order to make Poland pay fine imposed on the country for not shutting down its lignite mine in Turów, located at the border with the Czech Republic. Now, as the deadline for Poland to pay the first tranche of the fine has passed, the EU executive begins to identify from which EU funds to deduct the money owed by Poland - TVN24 correspondent in Brussels Maciej Sokołowski learned on Wednesday.

Over 30,000 infection cases first time since April

Polish state employees will move to remote working and private sector companies should follow suit as the country faces another surge in daily COVID-19 cases, driven by the Omicron variant, that could soon top 50,000, the health minister said.

NIK chief: I fell victim to unlawful surveillance

Anyone can fall victim to unlawful surveillance, citizens, politicians - Supreme Audit Office President Marian Banaś said on Tuesday at a session of Senate extraordinary committee investigating reported cases of Pegasus software use. "I believe I've fallen victim to unlawful surveillance," he stressed. He added that the request to lift of his immunity included quotes from messages from his private email account.

PiS spokesman: there is no bill liquidating Disciplinary Chamber

There is no bill aimed at liquidating the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court - deputy spokesman of the ruling PiS party Radosław Fogiel told TVN24. PiS chairman Jarosław Kaczyński said in last year that the chamber, which is a "matter of dispute" with the EU, would be dismantled."We've been talking about continuation of the general overhaul of the justice system, rather than liquidating this, or any other chamber," Fogiel argued on Monday.

"I'd prefer not to be called a hero". Student saves his family from fire

A student from Legnica (Lower Silesian Voivodeship) woke up in a burning apartment and helped his family to escape. 24-year-old Mateusz Burczak also came back to the flaming apartment for two dogs. Unfortunately, only one survived. While flat is being renovated, the university at which the man is studying offered to help him and his family. Moreover, the student's friends launched a fundraiser.

Supreme Audit Office reveals invoices for "purchase of special technology" financed by Justice Ministry fund

Poland's Supreme Audit Office (NIK) has unveiled invoices for a "purchase of a special technology for detecting and preventing crime" for a total price of 25 million zlotys. The Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA) received money for the purchase from the Justice Fund. The NIK did not specify in a statement exactly what was this special technology, and stressed that its purchase could not have been financed with money from the Justice Fund. TVN24 "Czarno na Białym" reporter Piotr Świerczek said that "te word 'Pegasus' is not mentioned in the invoices, but the mentioned price is adequate to that of this software".

"No other warrior like him". Hip-hop artist Pjus dies at 39

Rapper Karol Jerzy Nowakowski, better known as Pjus, has died at the age of 39. His friends and fellow hip-hop artists told TVN24 how they remembered their colleague from Alkopoligamia label. "He was an icon of determination, and that he never gave up. He used to pop into a hospital like it was a repair shop. He didn't despair and responded to sustained wounds like knight, and that was beautiful," said rapper Ten Typ Mes. Łukasz Stasiak admitted that he had never met any "other warrior like him".

Coronavirus: 16,878 new infections and 481 deaths

Poland's Health Ministry informed on Thursday about 16,878 new cases of coronavirus infection and 481 COVID-related deaths. Since the start of the pandemic Poland has reported 4,265,433 COVID-19 infections and 101,419 deaths related to the disease. Government spokesman Piotr Müller told TVN24 about prime minister's approach to the question of introducing vaccination duty for teachers, and a project of allowing employers to demand COVID tests from employees.

Court: Virgin Mary in rainbow halo not offensive to religious feelings

Rainbow is not offensive, the District Court in Płock said and upheld a not guilty sentence for three activists accused of insulting religious feelings. In 2019, the three women posted images around the St. Dominic Church in Płock showing Virgin Mary in a rainbow halo. This way they wanted to stand up for the rights of LGBTQIA people in Poland. "Full marks for this verdict, we're innocent," said Elżbieta Podleśna, one of the activists.

PKN Orlen sells assets to carry on with Lotos merger

Poland's state-owned oil giant PKN Orlen informed on Wednesday that Saudi Aramco (officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company) would buy shares in a refinery owned by Lotos, whose 417 gas stations would be taken over by Hungary's MOL oil and gas conglomerate. In a separate deal, Lotos' fuel warehouses will be bought by Poland's Unimot group. The signed agreements are necessary steps Orlen needs to take in order to complete its merger with Lotos. Selling a certain part of the target company's assets is one of the conditions set out by the European Commission.