Donald Trump will go on trial in the US Senate soon after an impeachment case against the former president is transmitted by the House of Representatives on Monday, top lawmakers announced.
The House impeached the Republican leader for a historic second time on January 13, just one week before he left office, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi has yet to send the article of impeachment to the Senate. 
The step is necessary in order to launch the trial process.
-I have spoken to Speaker Pelosi who informed me that the article will be delivered to the Senate on Monday- Chuck Schumer, the new Democratic Senate majority leader, said in a floor speech Friday.
-A trial will be held in the United States Senate and there will be a vote whether to convict the president- Schumer told his colleagues.
Trump was impeached on a single charge of "incitement of insurrection" for his role in whipping up his supporters during a speech in Washington on January 6, the day a pro-Trump mob stormed Congress with deadly consequences.
The Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, severely reprimanded the outgoing president and left the door open for voting to convict Trump. 
He however has sought a delay in an impeachment trial until February, arguing Trump needs time to hire lawyers and mount a defense.
But on Friday, McConnell, now the Senate minority leader, acknowledged the Democrats' timetable.
-As I understand, it must be headed our way Monday. By Senate rules, if the article arrives, we have to start a trial right then- he said on the floor.
McConnell spoke of the "unprecedentedly fast" process in the House, where Trump was impeached in a single day.
-The sequel cannot be an insufficient Senate process that denies former president Trump his due process or damages the Senate or the presidency itself- he said.
He also said that delaying the trial would have provided time for the Senate to confirm members of new President Joe Biden's cabinet, and consider crucial legislation like a coronavirus pandemic rescue package.

A trial will be held in the United States Senate and there will be a vote whether to convict the president

Trump was impeached on a single charge of "incitement of insurrection"

Trump impeachment to be sent to Senate Monday

The 10 known survivors trapped since a deadly Jan. 10 gold mine explosion in northern China have been using laser pointers and loudspeakers to try to find their missing colleagues, state media reported on Friday.

The rescue operation, which has been able to get food and medicines to the miners, was expected to take at least another two weeks, authorities have said.
White bottles of food and water sent down to the trapped workers had a note stuck on them saying, “We are all waiting for you, keep going!”, photos shared by propaganda department officials with Reuters on Friday showed.
The food items sent to the workers include millet porridge, quail eggs, pickles and sausages and medical supplies included disinfectant, masks and cotton socks.
-The physical condition, psychological condition and living environment of 10 miners in the middle section of the mine are good- the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party, reported on Friday.
-The miners continued to search for other trapped persons through laser pointer projection and loudspeaker shouting- it said.
A total of 22 workers were trapped in the Hushan mine by the Jan 10 blast in Qixia, a major gold-producing region under the administration of Yantai in coastal Shandong province.
One has died and 11 were not in contact with the rescue teams, according to a Xinhua radio report on Thursday.
At least 15 days may be needed to clear the “severe blockages” as rescuers continued to drill shafts to reach the 10 men, officials said on Thursday.
At the site, security was tight on Friday and Reuters journalists were not permitted to get close to the rescue operation.
Workers in orange high visibility clothing could be seen operating heavy machinery. At the entrance to the site, a medical tent had been set up to administer COVID tests for rescue workers.
About 570 people are involved in the rescue, the newspaper said.
China’s mines are among the world’s deadliest. It has recorded 573 mine-related deaths in 2020, according to the National Mine Safety Administration.

The physical condition, psychological condition and living environment of 10 miners in the middle section of the mine are good

Rescuers work at the Hushan gold mine where workers were trapped underground after the Jauary 10 explosion, in Qixia, Shandong province, China January 22, 2021.

China says 10 workers trapped in gold mine are searching for others

Workers trapped in a gold mine in China since Jan. 10 may have to wait another 15 days before they can be rescued because of a blockage on their intended escape route, officials said on Thursday.A total of 22 workers were trapped underground after an explosion at the Hushan mine in Qixia, a major gold-producing region under the administration of Yantai in Shandong province on the northeast coast.
One is confirmed to have died, while 11 are known to be alive. The remaining 10 are missing.
Rescuers were drilling new shafts on Thursday to reach 10 of the men in the middle section of the mine, more than 600 metres from the entrance, who have been sent food and medical supplies. Another survivor has been found in a different section.
The shafts include one 711-mm (28-inch) diameter shaft that rescuers hope to use to bring the survivors to safety.
However, at least another 15 days may be needed to clear obstacles, Gong Haitao, deputy head of Yantai’s propaganda department, told a news conference at the headquarters of the rescue operation.
A “severe blockage” 350 metres down was much worse than feared, officials said, adding that it was about 100 metres thick and weights some 70 tonnes.
Thick smog, reeking of chemicals, hung over the muddy road leading up to the mine site and a row of ambulances on standby in a carpark, reducing visibility to a few hundred metres.
Police have sealed off the road to the mine, cutting through muddy apple orchards and warehouses, to ensure rescue efforts are not hampered. Health workers in white protective gear took temperatures beside mounded earth and tents as part of COVID-19 precautions.
About 600 people are involved in the rescue, with as many as 25 ambulances waiting at the scene, as well as neurosurgeons, trauma specialists and psychologists.
A Reuters team saw fire trucks and cars coming and going through a checkpoint on an approach road.
China’s mines are among the world’s deadliest. It has recorded 573 mine-related deaths in 2020, according to the National Mine Safety Administration.

A total of 22 workers were trapped underground after an explosion at the Hushan mine in Qixia

Security members keep watch at an entrance to the Hushan gold mine, where workers are trapped underground after the January 10 explosion, in Qixia, Shandong province, China January 21, 2021.

Trapped China gold miners have to wait 15 days for rescue

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippines Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage and a tsunami warning was not issued.
The quake hit about 310 kilometres (193 miles) southeast of Davao city on the main southern island of Mindanao at a depth of 95 kilometres at 8:23 pm local time (1223 GMT), according to USGS.
Residents in Jose Abad Santos town near the southern tip of the island lost electricity for about 15 minutes after the quake shook the region but there was no damage, police chief Captain Glabynarry Murillo told AFP.
-From our vantage point at the police station we saw many residents rushing outside- said Murillo.
-We also rushed outside because the police station is a three-storey building.-
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of aftershocks but said damage was not expected.
-It was felt extensively because it's a major earthquake but it's deep so it won't be damaging to the infrastructure because it's considerably far (from the island)- Renato Solidum, director of the institute, told DZBB radio station.
The Philippines is regularly rocked by quakes due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

The quake hit about 310 kilometres (193 miles) southeast of Davao city

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of aftershocks but said damage was not expected

7.0-magnitude quake strikes off southern Philippines: USGS

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday braved temperatures well below freezing to take a bare-chested dip into icy water in an Orthodox ritual marking the baptism of Jesus.
The Russian leader shed a thick coat and boots, as temperatures hovered at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) and stepped into a pool surrounded by snow and facing a large cross made of ice outside Moscow.
The 68-year-old Russian leader immersed himself three times while crossing himself, in line with tradition.
The Kremlin said in a statement that the tradition "celebrates one of the main Christian holidays -- the baptism of the Lord."
Every year on January 19, tens of thousands of Orthodox believers mark Epiphany by dunking themselves in ponds or rivers.
Russian authorities install wooden steps to facilitate access for worshippers throughout the country wishing to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ.
While the ritual has become popular among Russian politicians and even foreign diplomats, the Orthodox Church has said the event is not actually a canonical tradition and dismiss it as a fad.

The 68-year-old Russian leader immersed himself three times while crossing himself, in line with tradition

Putin takes icy plunge to mark Orthodox Epiphany

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake trembled Argentina's west-central San Juan province Monday night, according to the nation's disaster agency.
The National Institute for Seismic Prevention (INPRES) said the quake struck at 11.46 p.m. local time Monday (0246GMT Tuesday) with a depth of 8 kilometers (around 5 miles).
A series of aftershocks were recorded with lesser magnitudes of 4.4, 4.9, and 4.1 during the early hours of Tuesday, affecting San Juan and towns of Caucete, Mirayes, and Barreal as well as the Media Agua Valley, the INPRES said.
-So far, there are no fatalities- Governor Sergio Unac told a news conference following the quake, adding that local authorities continue to analyze the damage.
Several locations experienced power cuts, while in the town of Zonda four people were evacuated from their homes.
Unac said the electricity service is now gradually being re-established.
-At this moment I want to transmit calm to the families, after the earthquake that we have experienced in San Juan- the governor on Twitter called on families affected by the quake.
-Let us put into practice all the measures that we have learned to prevent incidents, while we are committed to knowing the impact of the earthquake to collaborate in everything necessary.-
No tsunami alert has been issued by authorities yet.
The South American nation is also in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 1.8 million cases and nearly 46,000 deaths.

Quake strikes west-central San Juan province, no casualties reported so far

Several locations experienced power cuts, while in the town of Zonda four people were evacuated from their homes

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits Argentina

President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is set to pledge on Tuesday that he will work to revitalize damaged American diplomacy and build a united front to counter the challenges posed by Russia, China and Iran.In a speech a day before Democrat Biden takes over from Republican Donald Trump, whose four-year tenure was marked by unilateral American action that often upset allies, Blinken will pledge to act together with them and with humility.
Blinken, 58, a veteran foreign policy hand who is a close confidant of Biden, will also explain why U.S. leadership is vital for the world, while promising a foreign policy that will deliver for the American people.
-When we’re not engaged, when we don’t lead, then one of two things happen: either some other country tries to take our place, but probably not in a way that advances our interests or values. Or no one does, and then you get chaos- Blinken will say, according to his prepared remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee later on Tuesday.
-Either way, that does not serve the American people.-
His comments to the U.S. Congress will come two weeks after the building representing American democracy was stormed by thousands of members of a pro-Trump mob as they attempted to overturn Biden’s election victory.
The unprecedented attack stunned the world, further bruised America’s standing in it and gave ammunition to U.S. adversaries globally. Aware of the damage, Blinken is set to put frequent emphasis on humility in his speech. “Humility because we have a great deal of work to do at home to enhance our standing abroad,” he will say, according to his prepared remarks.
Biden will be taking on a much different world from the one he left four years ago as President Barack Obama’s vice president. China has assumed a larger global role, ranging from multilateral institutions to assisting development in Africa and Latin America. Ties between Washington and Beijing have sunk to their worst in decades, prompting Cold War comparisons.
Blinken’s remarks show that the incoming administration is aware of the changed nature of the challenge.
-We’ll engage the world not as it was, but as it is. A world of rising nationalism, receding democracy, growing rivalry with China, Russia, and other authoritarian states, mounting threats to a stable and open international system, and a technological revolution that is reshaping every aspect of our lives, especially in cyberspace- Blinken will say.

A veteran foreign policy hand who is a close confidant of Biden, will also explain why U.S. leadership is vital for the world, while promising a foreign policy that will deliver for the American people

Antony Blinken, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of state, speaks as President-elect Biden announces his national security nominees and appointees at his transition headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., November 24, 2020.

Biden's top diplomat, Blinken, vows to revitalize alliances, U.S. leadership

A young woman identified as having taken part in the storming of the US Capitol reportedly stole a laptop from top Democrat Nancy Pelosi's office and hoped to sell it to a Russian spy agency, according to an FBI criminal complaint.
The complaint, filed late Sunday in a US District Court in Washington, seeks the arrest of Riley June Williams of Pennsylvania on grounds including "violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds."
The Washington Post reported Monday night that federal authorities said they had arrested Williams, but the report included few details.
Relying on several photos and videos of the chaotic January 6 intrusion, an FBI agent said Williams was seen near the office of House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
A witness, identified in the court document only as W1 but who claimed to be "the former romantic partner of Riley June Williams," alleged that Williams planned to send the laptop to a friend in Russia to sell it to the SVR foreign intelligence agency. 
That sale "fell through for unknown reasons, and Williams still has the computer device or destroyed it," the affidavit says. 
It was unclear whether a laptop from Pelosi's office was actually stolen. The FBI said it was continuing to investigate.
Several videos show the woman believed to be Williams actively directing fellow rioters, urging them "upstairs, upstairs, upstairs."
The complaint says Williams' mother in the city of Harrisburg was shown pictures taken in the Capitol and confirmed a thin, bespectacled brown-haired woman in several pictures was her.
She said her daughter had "taken a sudden interest in President Trump's politics."
Williams had traveled to Washington with her father, though the two were separated during the chaos that day.
The complaint says that after Williams returned home, she packed a bag and told her mother she was leaving "for a couple of weeks."
-It appears that Williams has fled- the complaint says.
Scores of those who forced their way into the Capitol have been identified and arrested, usually with the help of photos and videos posted on social media.
The Capitol remains on heavy lockdown ahead of the inauguration Wednesday of Joe Biden as president -- an event the rioters had hoped to prevent.

The Washington Post reported Monday night that federal authorities said they had arrested Williams

An FBI agent said Riley June Williams was seen near the office of House speaker Nancy Pelosi

FBI says Capitol rioter allegedly hoped to sell Pelosi laptop to Russia

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) plans to authorise the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again next week, 22 months after the plane was grounded following two fatal crashes.
-For us, the MAX will be able to fly again starting next week- after publication of a directive clearing the jet, EASA director Patrick Ky said in a video conference.
-We have reached the point where our four main demands have been fulfilled- Ky said during the conference, organised by the German association of aviation journalists.
The MAX was grounded in March 2019 after two crashes that together killed 346 people -- the 2018 Lion Air disaster in Indonesia and an Ethiopian Airlines crash the following year.
Investigators said a main cause of both crashes was a faulty flight handling system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS.
Meant to keep the plane from stalling as it ascends, the automated system instead forced the nose of the plane downward.
The findings plunged Boeing into crisis, with more than 650 orders for the 737 MAX cancelled since last year.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered Boeing to revamp the jet and implement new pilot training protocols, before finally approving the plane for a return to service in November.
Ky had already indicated in October that EU approval was likely after Boeing promised a new sensor would be added to prevent the type of problems that caused the 737 crashes.

The MAX was grounded in March 2019 after two crashes that together killed 346 people

EU regulator to approve Boeing 737 MAX flights next week

A small fire at an apparent homeless encampment less than a mile away from the US Capitol Building on Monday prompted the building to enter lockdown, a reflection of the heightened state of alarm at the complex.
The incident involved a tent near the Capitol Building, DC Fire and EMS spokesman Vito Maggiolo said. The fire was on the 100 block of H St SE, authorities said, and was reported extinguished around 10:30 a.m. ET. There were no injuries.The report prompted US Capitol Police to tell people inside the building to stay inside, away from windows and to not leave due to what was initially described as an outside security threat. The city's security around its downtown has been significantly strengthened in the wake of the deadly riot earlier this month and President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
Capitol authorities evacuated the west front of the building as well as the first-floor crypt.
-I just tried to leave (the Longworth House Office Building) after getting my Covid test, only to be told that the building is now on lockdown. Apparently some external threat. Propane tanks under some bridge. Stuck in my office- a Democratic congressman told CNN.

The incident involved a tent near the Capitol Building, DC Fire and EMS spokesman Vito Maggiolo said

Capitol Building put on alert after a small fire several blocks away

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island on Jan. 15 has risen to 81, the country’s disaster agency said late Sunday.
The National Disaster Management Agency reported that the bodies of eight people were found during search and rescue operations.
A total of 70 people were killed in Mamuju Regency and 11 in Majene Regency after the magnitude 6.2 quake struck six kilometers (3.73 miles) northeast of Majene city at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
Authorities reported Saturday that 253 seriously injured people were treated in hospitals in the region and the number of those evacuated to safe areas was approximately 28,000.
Several buildings were severely damaged, including the office of the West Sulawesi governor, Mamuju Hospital and a minimarket.
The strong quake also caused power and phone service outages and landslides along roads.&nbsp;Earthquakes regularly strike parts of Indonesia since the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire.
On Feb. 23, 1969, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 rocked Majene, killing 64 people and injuring 96 others.

Around 28,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas, say officials

The strong quake also caused power and phone service outages and landslides along roads

Death toll from earthquake in Indonesia climbs to 81

An international alliance of 36 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) representing 13 countries has petitioned the UN Human Rights Council, complaining against systematic Islamophobic actions in France.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Managing Director of the UK-based CAGE Advocacy Group Muhammad Rabbani, a signatory to the complaint, said the French government’s policies have led to “securitization” of Muslim life and shutdown of their places of worship, charities, and NGOs.
-In the last few days, the French interior minister has closed down further nine mosques. France is attempting to export its model of Islamophobia across the EU- he said.
About the International community’s response, Rabbani said although the backlash in the aftermath of the offensive caricatures of Prophet Muhammed by French weekly Charlie Hebdo, followed by calls of boycotting French products did jolt the establishment in Paris, things have remained unchanged at the policy level.
He said that France’s treatment of Muslims has encouraged the far-right populists in Europe.
-France is arguably the testing laboratory for European Islamophobia. It is, therefore, crucial that it is challenged robustly and in an organized fashion so it does not expand beyond the French borders- Rabbani added.
He also informed that the International Coalition of NGOs is also planning to take legal actions against the French government to ensure the rights of Muslims are protected. The group will also highlight the violation of international rights obligations by France.
Feroze Boda, the spokesperson of ​the Association of Muslim Professionals of South Africa (AMPSA), also told Anadolu Agency that French President Emmanuel Macron’s hostile policies are more than just hostile. The AMPSA is also a signatory to the complaint.
-They are aimed at eradicating Islam under the guise of France’s ideology of liberty and egalitarianism- he added.

-They unapologetically discriminate against Muslims among others, tarnishing the dignity of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) under the disguise of free speech, attacking the wearing of the hijab, raiding Muslims homes, masjids and organization and banning Muslim charities- Boda said.
Drawing parallels between Macron’s policies to the apartheid experienced in South Africa, the AMPSA spokesperson said the experiences during the apartheid regime will enable his organization to provide insight and expertise to the other international complainants.
According to the press statement, the NGOs have forensically identified and documented evidence of structural Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslims in France.
The statement said that the documents chart the history of discrimination against Muslims since 1989 and find that France has violated several basic rights that are protected in legislations ratified by Paris.
-France exploited acts of political violence to entrench Islamophobia in policing and the judiciary. State policies designate religious practice as a sign of risk and is highly similar to failed Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) models- said the statement.
The statement also alleged that the French government has weaponized Laicite (French version of secularism) to justify the intrusion of the state in the religious and political practice of Muslims.
-France stands in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. France infringed on freedoms of children, specifically to target Muslim children in violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child- the statement added.
The document also calls upon the UN to ensure that France upholds and enforces the UN Universal Declaration/International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (UDHR/ICCPR) and every directive on the prohibition of discrimination and racism.
The statement further urges France to enact or rescind legislation where necessary to prohibit any such discrimination and to "take all appropriate measures to combat intolerance on the grounds of religion in this matter”.
The NGO’s also sought the intervention of international bodies in the wake of the lack of real or any effective remedy within the French legal system to tackle this discrimination.

36 NGOs from 13 nations seek UN body intervention to end Islamophobic actions and discrimination against Muslims in France

In the last few days, the French interior minister has closed down further nine mosques

Voluntary groups petition UN to end Islamophobia in France

&nbsp;Gun rights activists will converge on the Virginia state capital on Monday for an annual demonstration that falls at an especially tense time this year, after the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol and two days before the presidential inauguration.“Lobby Day” has authorities on alert in Richmond, about 110 miles (175 km) south of Washington, D.C., where Democratic President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on Wednesday, replacing Republican President Donald Trump.
Lobby Day takes place in a highly polarized climate, following a year in which anti-racist and white nationalist demonstrators clashed across the United States, and as strident Trump supporters cling to hope he can remain in power.
Nationwide pro-Trump demonstrations scheduled for Sunday largely fizzled after the FBI issued warnings and several states deployed the National Guard.
-We’re showing up to remind them that we’re still here- a gun rights activist, who identified himself only as Trevor, told Reuters outside the Virginia statehouse on Sunday evening, walking the perimeter to help plan the protest.
Virginians traditionally petition their lawmakers on Lobby Day at the start of the state’s General Assembly session, with the pro-gun Virginia Citizens Defense League taking a leading role in recent years.
Other groups including the anti-government “boogaloo” movement will attend Monday, as could liberal demonstrators. Lobby Day always falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday honoring the civil rights leader assassinated in 1968.
Boogaloo boys also walked the perimeter of the statehouse on Sunday, striking poses with semiautomatic rifles for photographers.
Philip Van Cleave, leader of the defense league, said demonstrators would come from as far away as New York and Texas. The group says it plans to petition state lawmakers to loosen gun curbs, as it has done during many Lobby Days in the past.
-We’ve been doing this for 25 years- Van Cleve added. -We’ve never had a single problem. No arrests, nothing.-
Police estimated last year’s crowd at 22,000.

Police estimated last year’s crowd at 22,000

Law enforcement officers patrol on the grounds of Virginia State Capitol, days ahead of President-elect Joe Biden inauguration, in Richmond, Virginia, U.S. January 17, 2021.

Pro-gun demonstration set for Virginia capital in wake of Capitol siege

A rescue party near the capital's coast has worked for days to salvage human remains and wreckage from the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500, as well as two flight recorders.
More than 3,000 people are taking part in the recovery effort, assisted by dozens of boats and helicopters.
Divers on Tuesday hauled the data recorder to the surface, with the hunt now focused on finding a cockpit voice recorder on the wreckage-littered seabed.
The 26-year-old plane crashed just four minutes after setting off from Jakarta, bound for Pontianak city on Borneo island, a 90-minute flight away.
Authorities said the crew did not declare an emergency or report technical problems with the plane before its dive, and that it was probably intact when it hit the water -- citing a relatively small area where the wreckage was scattered.
The crash probe was likely to take months, but a preliminary report was expected in 30 days.
Indonesia's fast-growing aviation sector has long been plagued by safety concerns, and its airlines were once banned from US and European airspace.
In October 2018, 189 people were killed when a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX jet crashed near Jakarta.
That accident -- and another in Ethiopia -- led to the grounding of the 737 MAX worldwide over a faulty anti-stall system.
The 737 that went down Saturday was first produced decades ago and was not a MAX variant.

The crash probe was likely to take months, but a preliminary report was expected in 30 days

The recorder could supply critical clues as to why the aircraft plunged

Data recovered from crashed Indonesia jet's flight recorder

Poland's government said Friday it was working on new legislation to limit the power of social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter to delete content or ban users.
Under the draft rules, sites will only be allowed to do so if posts break Polish law.
The proposed legislation provides for the creation of a five-member "freedom of speech council" tasked with reviewing complaints by social media users whose accounts have been blocked or had content removed. 
-The law will provide tools guaranteeing the basic freedoms and liberties of Polish citizens on the internet- Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro told reporters in Warsaw.
The new legal framework would require "global players" to respect Polish law, he said, adding that "today social media decide for themselves what content will be censored."
Parliament would appoint the members of the future council for six-year terms and politicians would not be eligible, he said.
-The council will protect the constitutional right to exercise freedom of speech on all social media operating in Poland- the minister said.
The measures are intended to come into effect by next January, according to Sebastien Kaleta, a senior justice ministry official overseeing the process.
The move comes days after Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he wants EU rules to defend free speech online and warned against "political correctness" by tech giants after several social media platforms banned outgoing US President Donald Trump.
Under the new draft proposal, social media users in Poland who have been blocked or have had content removed will be able to complain directly to the given platform, which will have to respond within 24 hours.
-The platform considers the complaint and either restores access to the content and the case is closed, or it does not accept the complaint- Kaleta explained.
-The user will then have the right to appeal to the council, which will have seven days to consider the user's complaint- he added, explaining the procedure will be entirely electronic.
Decisions by the council will be subject to appeal in a Polish court.
Non-compliance with the rulings of the council and court will carry fines for social media platforms ranging up to 50 million zloty (11 million euros, $13 million).
Twitter's banning of Trump has sparked some consternation in Europe, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling it "problematic".
US internet giants have often been accused of holding too much power over social media, and many governments have called for them to face more regulation.

They are working on new legislation to limit the power of social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter

Under the draft rules, sites will only be allowed to delete content or ban users  if posts break Polish law

Poland plans 'free speech' council in social media law

President-elect Joe Biden will unveil a stimulus package proposal on Thursday designed to jump-start the economy during the coronavirus pandemic with an economic lifeline that could exceed $1.5 trillion and help minority communities.Biden campaigned last year on a promise to take the pandemic more seriously than President Donald Trump, and the package aims to put that pledge into action with an influx of resources for the coronavirus vaccine rollout and economic recovery.
The incoming administration will work with Congress on the quick stimulus package after Biden takes office on Jan. 20, although the impeachment of Trump threatens to consume lawmakers in the initial weeks.
The stimulus package has a price tag above $1.5 trillion and includes a commitment for $1,400 stimulus checks, according to a source familiar with the proposal, and Biden is expected to commit to partner with private companies to increase the number of Americans getting vaccinated.
A significant portion of the additional financial resources will be dedicated to minority communities. “I think you will see a real emphasis on these underserved communities, where there is a lot of hard work to do,” said another transition official.
Biden plans to introduce his package during a prime-time address on Thursday evening, underscoring the seriousness of the topic, but he will have to compete for attention with the political drama in Washington.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump on Wednesday, making him the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. Ten of his fellow Republicans joined Democrats to charge him with inciting an insurrection in last week’s deadly rampage in the Capitol.
The impeachment proceedings threaten to hang over the beginning of Biden’s term.
In a statement on Wednesday night, Biden said: “I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation.”
The Democratic president-elect said last week the stimulus package would be “in the trillions of dollars” and argued that more spending early on would reduce the long-term economic damage from the shutdowns spurred by the pandemic.
He also said there would be “billions of dollars” to speed up vaccine distribution, along with money to help reopen schools and for state and local governments to avoid laying off teachers, police officers and health workers.
More than 380,000 people in the United States have died of COVID-19 during the pandemic, with 22.7 million infected during that time. Pandemic-related shutdowns and restrictions have cost millions of U.S. jobs.
Although Trump himself supported $2,000 checks for Americans in the last round of stimulus, many of his fellow Republicans balked at the high amount, settling on $600 checks instead. Biden may face additional opposition from Republicans to his efforts, but he will be helped by the fact that his fellow Democrats will control both the House and the Senate.
Biden’s incoming White House economic adviser, Brian Deese, told Reuters on Wednesday the president-elect would press Congress to pass immediate stimulus measures and then turn to longer-term economic recovery measures related to healthcare and infrastructure.

Biden plans to introduce his package during a prime-time address on Thursday evening

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden speaks as he announces members of economics and jobs team at his transition headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., January 8, 2021.

Trump impeachment to be sent to Senate Monday

China says 10 workers trapped in gold mine are searching for others

Trapped China gold miners have to wait 15 days for rescue

7.0-magnitude quake strikes off southern Philippines: USGS

Putin takes icy plunge to mark Orthodox Epiphany

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits Argentina

Biden's top diplomat, Blinken, vows to revitalize alliances, U.S. leadership

FBI says Capitol rioter allegedly hoped to sell Pelosi laptop to Russia

EU regulator to approve Boeing 737 MAX flights next week

Capitol Building put on alert after a small fire several blocks away

Death toll from earthquake in Indonesia climbs to 81

Voluntary groups petition UN to end Islamophobia in France

Pro-gun demonstration set for Virginia capital in wake of Capitol siege

Data recovered from crashed Indonesia jet's flight recorder

Poland plans 'free speech' council in social media law

Biden to unveil plan to pump $1.5 trillion into pandemic-hit economy

World

Trump impeachment to be sent to Senate Monday

China says 10 workers trapped in gold mine are searching for others

Trapped China gold miners have to wait 15 days for rescue

7.0-magnitude quake strikes off southern Philippines: USGS

Putin takes icy plunge to mark Orthodox Epiphany

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits Argentina

Biden's top diplomat, Blinken, vows to revitalize alliances, U.S. leadership

FBI says Capitol rioter allegedly hoped to sell Pelosi laptop to Russia

EU regulator to approve Boeing 737 MAX flights next week

Capitol Building put on alert after a small fire several blocks away

Death toll from earthquake in Indonesia climbs to 81

Voluntary groups petition UN to end Islamophobia in France

Pro-gun demonstration set for Virginia capital in wake of Capitol siege

Data recovered from crashed Indonesia jet's flight recorder

Poland plans 'free speech' council in social media law

Biden to unveil plan to pump $1.5 trillion into pandemic-hit economy