Polish protesters take to

streets to back embattled judges

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Protesters in Poland have held demonstrations across the country to express their solidarity with judges who say they are facing increased political pressure and intimidation from the right-wing government.

The largest protest Sunday took place in the capital, Warsaw, in front of the Justice Ministry. Polish media reported that protests were also held in a total of 105 cities and towns, including Gdansk and Krakow.

Among the protesters was one of the judges whose case was a catalyst for Sunday’s protests. Judge Pawel Juszczyszyn was recently dismissed for questioning a recent appointment under new rules passed by the ruling Law and Justice party.

He told those gathered, “we judges must not be afraid. We cannot succumb to pressure because without free courts there are no free citizens and law-abiding Poland.”

24 killed in Tunisia when bus

plummets off hill

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A bus plummeted off a hill in Tunisia on Sunday morning, killing 24 passengers who were on an excursion in the country’s north, government officials said.

The regional bus, which was carrying 43 people and belonged to a private local company, veered off a winding road after the driver failed to maneuver a sharp turn and crashed at the bottom of a ravine, the Interior Ministry said.

Local media showed images of an overturned, crumpled bus with smashed windows at the foot of a hill.

Health Ministry spokesman Chokri Nafti said that the crash left 18 people injured. Some were rushed to the nearby Amdoun and Beja hospitals, while the more seriously injured were transported to specialized hospitals in Tunis.

When it crashed, the vehicle was headed 185 kilometers (115 miles) west from capital Tunis to Ain Draham, a beautiful local tourist spot renowned for its mountainous reliefs on the border with Algeria. Ain Draham is located at an altitude of 800 meters (more than 2,600 feet) on the slopes of the Djebel Bir, one of the Kroumirie mountains.