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Minneapolis police chief testifies in George Floyd murder trial

AFP/Editor

The head of the Minneapolis Police Department discussed training and de-escalation techniques on the witness stand on Monday at the trial of the former police officer accused of killing George Floyd.

Police chief Medaria Arradondo, 54, fired Derek Chauvin and the three other officers involved in the May 25, 2020 arrest that led to Floyd’s death, within days of the incident.

Chauvin, who is white, was seen in a video taken by a bystander kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, for nearly nine minutes. The video touched off protests against racial injustice and police brutality in the United States and around the world.

Chauvin, 45, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and manslaughter. The first five days of his trial featured emotional testimony from bystanders who witnessed Floyd’s arrest and repeatedly urged Chauvin to remove his knee from Floyd’s neck.

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Arradondo was questioned extensively on Monday by prosecutor Steve Schleicher about the training his officers receive in de-escalation techniques designed to prevent the use of force. He was also asked about the code of ethics followed by Minneapolis police officers and the department’s “professional policing policy.” Arradondo, who joined the Minneapolis Police Department in 1989 and worked his way up through the ranks, described it as “treating people with dignity and respect.”

The Police chief has previously described Floyd’s death as a “murder.”

Besides listening to the testimony of police officers, the nine-woman, five-man jury hearing the case in a heavily guarded Minneapolis courtroom has been shown the graphic video of Floyd’s arrest. Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge — second-degree murder. The other three former police officers involved in the arrest — Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng — are to be tried separately later this year.

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International

Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore

Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday but continues to pose a threat to parts of the U.S. East Coast with potentially dangerous flooding, according to meteorologists.

Although the hurricane’s eye is expected to remain offshore, experts are concerned about Erin’s size, as strong winds extend hundreds of kilometers beyond the storm’s center.

In its 18:00 GMT bulletin, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) lifted tropical storm warnings for the Bahamasand Turks and Caicos Islands, but kept them in effect for parts of North Carolina.

Erin was located several hundred kilometers southeast of North Carolina and was moving northwestward.

“This means there is a risk of potentially life-threatening flooding of 60 to 120 centimeters above ground level,” said NHC Director Michael Brennan.

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He also warned of the possibility of destructive waves, combined with storm surge, that could cause severe damage to beaches and coastal areas, making roads impassable.

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International

Three U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking

Three U.S. naval vessels are moving toward the coasts of Venezuela, according to international media reports on Tuesday, after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump is ready to combat and curb international drug trafficking.

Reports indicate that the ships will reach Venezuelan waters within the next 36 hours as part of a recent U.S. deployment aimed at countering international narcotics operations.

The announcement coincides with Leavitt’s statement that Trump is prepared to “use the full extent of his power” to halt drug flows into the United States. The naval deployment involves approximately 4,000 military personnel.

“The President has been clear and consistent. He is ready to use every element of U.S. power to prevent drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela—it is a narco-terror cartel,” the spokesperson said during a press conference.

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International

Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing

Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.

“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.

He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.

A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.

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Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.

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