Briefs | Poland: Opposition ends blockade of parliament

Polish opposition party Civic Platform ended its blockade of the speaker’s podium in parliament yesterday, stepping back in what had been a bitter standoff with the populist ruling party. Lawmakers from Civic Platform and another centrist party, Modern, had staged the blockade since Dec. 16 over a plan to curb media access to parliament — which has since been dropped — and then over a budget they say was passed illegally. Civic Platform leader Grzegorz Schetyna said his party was ending the protest, declaring it at least a partial success because it pushed the ruling party to abandon the media restrictions. He vowed to continue to oppose the budget vote in other ways, and appealed to the president not to sign the budget.

France: Ex -Kosovo premier freed pending extradition decision

A French court has ordered the release of a jailed former prime minister of Kosovo pending a decision on whether to extradite him to Serbia, where he’s wanted on war crimes charges. Overturning an earlier decision, the court in the eastern French city of Colmar said in a statement yesterday that Ramush Haradinaj can leave jail but must stay in France under judicial supervision while his case is studied. Serbia’s government formally requested his extradition after French police detained Haradinaj last week at Basel Mulhouse Frieburg airport.