Poland’s president announces plan to pardon 2 convicted politicians before the start of a protest

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s president says he’s started the process to once again pardon two politicians who were arrested earlier this week. The case is at the center of a standoff between Poland’s new government and its populist predecessor. The move Thursday came as thousands of supporters of Poland’s now opposition party Law and Justice were gathering to protest against moves that the new pro-European Union government has undertaken to take control of state media and against the arrest of the two politicians. The Law and Justice party governed for eight years before losing October’s parliamentary election.