ADVERTISEMENT
Two miners were killed and one remains missing after a cave-in at the Myslowice-Wesola coal mine in southern Poland early on Tuesday.
Authorities say 12 people were also injured.
The cave-in happened around 3:30 am local time, some 870 metres underground in an area where 15 miners were working, authorities said.
Two of the miners located by rescuers and brought to the surface were declared dead, while one was being taken to the hospital.
Eleven other miners were rescued earlier from the mine with various injuries, and nine of them remain hospitalized.
Rescuers were still searching for one missing miner but had no contact with him. Six teams of rescuers were working in the area.
The accident happened near the coal face, an area especially exposed to cave-ins or explosions of methane gas, which is present in the rock in many Polish coal mines.
It is the second cave-in at the Myslowice-Wesola mine this year, following one on 17 April that killed one miner. Two other coal mine workers were killed in accidents inside other mines in Poland this year, while in 2023, 15 miners were killed in on-the-job accidents.
ADVERTISEMENT
At least two French prison officers were reported dead as four armed men ambushed their van on inmate transfer duty in the country's northwest on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at the Incarville toll booth near Val-de-Reuil in Normandy. The two officers, including the driver, died in the shootout, while three others were injured.
The freed inmate was being transported from the town of Rouen to Evreux. According to the domestic press, the detainee is known as 30-year-old Mohammed Amra. He is said to have been convicted of burglary and is known for cases linked to drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron and Minister of Justice éric Dupond-Moretti both expressed their condolences to the families and colleagues of the slain officers.
"Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people," Macron said on X.
The national road R154 linking Val-de-Reuil and Artenay (near Orléans) has been closed following the incident.
The organised crime office and judicial police are currently investigating the attack.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Georgian parliament has approved a controversial law tightening checks and increasing fines on organisations getting funds from overseas.
Any company - including media outlets and NGOs - would now be required to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if receiving over 20 percent of funds from abroad.
The opposition defined the bill as "the Russian law," drawing parallels to Moscow's use of similar measures to suppress independent media and stigmatise activists.
Police try to detain a demonstrator near the Parliament building during an opposition protest against "the Russian law" in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia, on Monday, 13May 24 AP
Tens of thousands have been demonstrating against the bill
The law's approval followed weeks of intense and widespread protests in Georgia marked by clashes between protesters and police authorities, as well as several arrests, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets.
In a desperate attempt to stop the bill getting to the final reading, activists tried to block parliament's access on Monday, while over the weekend, huge gatherings took place in the streets of the capital, Tbilisi, with protesters draped in Georgian and EU flags.
Georgia's ruling Dream Party had tried to get the law passed last year already, but they finally had to backtrack after a huge wave of demonstrations.
They pressed ahead again in March 2024, arguing such legislation was needed to stem a perceived foreign influence and destabilisation attempts on Georgia's politics.
EU urges Georgia's government to stick with democratic path to EU membership
Is it over for Georgia's EU membership application?
Many argue the "foreign influence law" is going to hamper Georgia's EU membership bid.
The country was granted candidate status in December, but the Commission warned Georgia would need to get on a path of rule of law and justice reforms.
Following recent events, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warnedGeorgia was standing "at a crossroads" and should remain "on course" to join Europe.
The block's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed concerns too over parliamentary proceedings, cautioning that the bill's enactment would impede Georgia's progress toward EU integration.
Similarly, the US said two weeks ago that "Georgia's Western trajectory was at risk".
"The United States condemns the Kremlin-inspired 'foreign influence' legislation'", said the US Department of State, denouncing "the false narrative government officials have adopted to defend it."
"Members of the ruling party have been clear that the intent of the law is to silence critical voices and destroy Georgia’s vibrant civil society", it added.