Notes from Poland 🇵🇱
@notesfrompoland
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Independent and informed news and insight on Polish politics, culture, business and history. Support us: https://t.co/gL9UBeoIvi…
Kraków, Poland
Joined October 2017
Meet Alicja, Daniel, Agnieszka, Agata and Richard, the team that brings you @notesfrompoland. We can only do this thanks to the support of our readers. If you want to help us keep bringing you informed, independent news and analysis on Poland, donate here:
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Dutch TV interviews Polish academic and former anti-communist activist Jerzy Targalski - but it's his cat that steals the show
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A domesticated cow escaped from her farm and spent the winter with a herd of wild bison in Poland's Białowieża Forest. She 'chose freedom', says a local scientist
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A man in Poland continued watching the World Cup even while having an operation under spinal anaesthesia. The picture was shared by the hospital treating him, SP ZOZ MSWiA in Kielce.
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A cow escaped from a transport to the slaughterhouse, smashed through a metal fence, broke the arm of an employee who tried to catch her, then swam to an island in the middle of a lake, where she remains 3 weeks later, attacking anyone who approaches
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Hundreds of classic Polish films have been made available to watch online for free, all with English subtitles. Among them are works by famed directors Andrzej Wajda and Krzysztof Kieślowski. The website also features thousands of communist-era newsreels
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Poland will “demand the broadest possible sanctions” against Russia – including an embargo on nuclear fuel and the transfer of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine – says @donaldtusk as the EU begins discussions over a new package of measures
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Priests officially opening a new shooting range in Poland earlier this week
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It's got so cold in Poland that even the seals' whiskers at the aquarium in Hel, a town on the Baltic coast, have turned into icicles. Hel has literally frozen over.
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A Polish woman in Canada received a surprise when the educational toy she bought for her granddaughter started swearing and singing in Polish about drug abuse, suicide and depression. Walmart has now removed the item from its online marketplace
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Fans waiting for a Taylor Swift concert in Poland's National Stadium stood and fell silent at 5pm to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, as sirens sounded around the city to mark the moment the operation was launched on 1 August 1944
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Poland's most famous bus line - the 666 to Hel, a town on the Baltic coast - has been brought to an end. The operator has confirmed it made the decision after receiving complaints about the number, which one Christian group warned was "spreading Satanism"
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Poland's new foreign minister @sikorskiradek has called for the West to boost arms production and maintain support for Ukraine. "It was easy to be enthusiastic when Ukraine was taking back territory: the real test is now, when there is a stalemate"
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The man armed with a Narwhal tusk who helped to stop the terrorist attack yesterday on London bridge was a Polish chef called Łukasz, reports @thetimes
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A Polish government minister has launched a bid to extradite the 98-year-old Ukrainian Canadian who received a standing ovation in Canada’s parliament. Yaroslav Hunka served in a German Nazi unit that was involved in war crimes against Poles and Jews
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The world's largest producer of kimchi, Daesang, has chosen Poland for its first production site in Europe. The factory - a joint venture with a Polish firm specialising in fermented food - will produce up 3,000 tons of kimchi a year under the Jongga brand
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The #exitpoll from Poland's election shows PiS (37%) winning but with a vote share unlikely to retain its parliamentary majority. That could open the way for an opposition coalition of KO (32%), Third Way (13%) and The Left (9%). Confederation has 6%. Our full report to follow
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This overhead kick by Polish amputee footballer Marcin Oleksy has been chosen as one of the candidates for FIFA's Puskás Award for the best goal of 2022. Other nominees include Kylian Mbappé and Richarlison. You can vote here:
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To mark the 120th anniversary of the birth of Witold Pilecki - the Polish underground officer who deliberately had himself imprisoned at Auschwitz - @onetpl has created a multimedia page about him in collaboration with @AuschwitzMuseum and @InstPileckiego:
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Police in Poland entertain children in coronavirus quarantine by dancing to YMCA by the Village People
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Hundreds of thousands of people have joined protests around Poland today against the ruling PiS party. "We are here today so the whole world can see how strong we are and how many of us are ready to fight for democracy and a free Poland," said @donaldtusk
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Russia is not invited to Friday's anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by the Red Army. "Given the aggression against Ukraine. Russia will need an extremely long time and deep self-examination to return to the civilized world," says @AuschwitzMuseum
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The #exitpoll from Poland's elections indicates that, although the ruling party came first, it has lost its parliamentary majority and that an opposition coalition could form a government. See our full report by clicking here ⬇️
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Polish government figures have criticised the “unacceptable” decision by Ukraine to appoint as deputy foreign minister Andrij Melnyk, who recently denied that nationalist leader Stepan Bandera was responsible for the massacre of Poles and Jews during WWII
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Poles have rallied in support of Ciapunio - a dog accused of eating 100 heads of cabbage from a neighbouring farm - after he featured in an investigative programme on public television
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The oldest surviving veteran of the Warsaw Uprising, 106-year-old Barbara Sowa, died today, on the 80th anniversary of the uprising. She served in the Polish underground resistance for five years and during the uprising ran a field hospital in a basement
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When a homophobic group calling gay people pedophiles set up stall outside a metro station in Warsaw, LGBT activists responded by forming a circle around the stand and dancing
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Poland’s foreign ministry has intervened after Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany denied that Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera was responsible for the mass murder of ethnic Poles and Jews, and sought to justify his collaboration with Nazi Germany
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The “brutal truth” is that the “survival of Western civilisation” depends on preventing “uncontrolled migration”, says Polish Prime Minister @donaldtusk. "We [must] wake up and understand that we have to protect our borders. [or] our world will collapse"
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When Matteo Salvini visited a Polish town near the Ukraine border today to proclaim support for refugees, the mayor protested by presenting the Italian far-right leader with a Putin T-shirt of the type he was once pictured wearing in Moscow
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Polish MP @MagdaBiejat spoke in Spanish in parliament as she appealed to CAF, the Spanish owner of Polish bus-maker Solaris, to provide better pay to its workers, many of whom are currently on strike. "Poland, Spain and Europe must end social dumping"
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Some of the world's most iconic sites were lit up in red and white today to honour Poland's independence centenary, including the Eiffel Tower, Egypt's pyramids, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Niagara Falls #PL100 #SwietoNiepodleglosci #IndependenceDay
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Poland will “temporarily suspend the right to asylum”, announced @donaldtusk in a speech outlining a tougher new migration strategy aimed at “regaining control and ensuring security". "I will demand recognition of this decision in Europe," he added
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A large black-and-white cat named Gacek has become the top-rated tourist attraction in the Polish city of Szczecin
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Poland today celebrates its Independence Day, marking the regaining of sovereignty in 1918 after over a century of partitioned rule by Germany, Austria and Russia
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Polish speed climber Aleksandra Mirosław broke her own world record twice at the Olympics today, setting a fastest time of 6.06 seconds, 0.3 seconds ahead of second-place Emma Hunt of the USA. She will now compete in the final on Wednesday
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A Polish university has become the first in the country to allow transgender students to register their preferred name. "To learn well, you have to feel safe," says the Jagiellonian University, which is the oldest in Poland
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One of the first towns in Poland to declare itself "free from LGBT ideology" four years ago has now replaced that resolution with one expressing opposition to discrimination against sexual minorities. The decision came amid fears over losing EU funds
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Turnout for the government's referendum today was 40%, below the threshold for it to be valid, according to the exit poll. In the parliamentary elections that took place at the same time, turnout was 73%, indicating many voters boycotted the referendum
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Poland has surpassed Russia in terms of the value of exports for the first time on record. New @WorldBank data show that Poland has risen to become the world's 19th largest exporter
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A far-right MP has been expelled from parliament after using a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukkah candles lit during a ceremony involving Polish-Jewish leaders and Israel’s ambassador. His actions have been condemned across the political spectrum
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Polish celebrities have been posting #BananaSelfies in response to the National Museum's decision to remove an artwork showing bananas being eaten in a sexually suggestive manner. There will be a banana-eating protest outside the museum later today
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Poland’s government has published a list of ten lies told by Vladimir Putin during his interview with Tucker Carlson, in particular regarding Polish and Ukrainian history. The speaker of Poland's parliament said Carlson had acted as Putin's "useful idiot"
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Prime Minister @MorawieckiM's government has lost a vote of confidence in parliament. It marks the end of eight years of conservative PiS rule in Poland and paves the way for a new, more liberal administration led by @donaldtusk to take power this week
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A Polish constitutional court judge published details of a 10-year-old transgender child, including the address of her school and name of its principal. The judge has faced widespread criticism in response, including from the mayor of the town in question
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The results of Poland's elections have been announced. As indicated in the exit poll, PiS came top but will lose its parliamentary majority. The opposition - KO, Third Way and The Left - would be able to form a government. Distribution of seats and our full report to follow soon
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A Polish couple who used their hotel chain to provide accommodation to over 14,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion have won the UN's annual award for outstanding service in helping refugees
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Despite FIFA ordering Russia to play on neutral territory, without its flag and anthem, and under the name Football Union of Russia, Poland's FA says: "Our stance remains intact: the Polish national team will not play Russia, no matter what their name is"
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Parliament has chosen @donaldtusk as Poland's new prime minister. That paves the way for him to form a new government in the coming days, ending the eight-year rule of the national-conservative PiS party
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Poland's foreign minister has warned that foreign interference in Polish elections is illegal, following @elonmusk's recent forays into German and UK politics. "We must protect our democratic process so that Poles, not foreigners, choose our president"
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When gay British singer and LGBT rights advocate @alexander_olly agreed to perform on Polish state TV, whose director has barred same-sex couples from dating shows, @queerpl asked him if he could display a 🏳️🌈 symbol. He went one step further and wore one
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Cemeteries across Poland have been filled with candles today as millions of people visit the graves of loved ones to mark All Saints' Day
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Russian diplomats at a residence in Warsaw were woken at 6 a.m. this morning, the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, by activists playing the sound of air-raid sirens, gunfire and explosions
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A Polish couple have been hailed by medical staff for using their 3D printers to produce enough protective masks to supply the entire local hospital. Within a month they aim to make enough for the whole region
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A Polish sportswoman criticised Warsaw's LGBT declaration, asking: 'Is this what my grandfather fought for in the Warsaw Uprising?'. Yes, answers an actual uprising veteran: 'We fought for every person to be respected and not treated as a subhuman'
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The Polish man who bravely confronted the #LondonBridge terrorist during last month's attack, helping prevent more deaths, is set to receive Britain's highest civilian honour for bravery
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With almost 100% of votes counted, the opposition has not only held the Senate - the weaker upper house of parliament, which it has controlled since 2019 - but strengthened its control, reports @onetpl. It now has 67 seats to 33 for PiS:
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Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising fought against 'the Polish and Nazi regime', says @mitchellreports on @NBCNews. The claim is completely false. There was no collaborationist Polish government and the Polish Home Army provided some support to Jews fighting against the Germans.
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A Polish town decided this year to revive an old Easter tradition of creating an effigy of Judas 'with sidelocks and a large nose, immediately resembling a stereotypical image of a Jew', whom they hanged, beat, beheaded, set on fire then threw in a river
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Witnesses say a Polish man prevented a 'massacre' during the terror attack in Strasbourg by stopping the assailant from entering a crowded club. He suffered a gunshot to the head as a result and is in critical condition. One of his friends was shot dead
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“Poles will be wealthier than the British” within five years, pledged @donaldtusk as he lauded the benefits of EU membership on the 20th anniversary of Poland’s accession
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The opposition groups likely to form the next government have signed a coalition agreement. They pledged to:.- restore rule of law.- annul the near-total abortion ban.- depoliticise public media.- prosecute anti-LGBT hate speech.- separate church and state
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A Polish schoolgirl who set up a fake online shop that helps victims report domestic violence without alerting their abuser has won an EU award
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Protests against last week's ruling that introduces a near total ban on abortion continue for a seventh consecutive day in Warsaw. Similar demonstrations are taking place in other towns and cities nationwide
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The Medical University of Warsaw has suspended a Norwegian student who was pictured at a recent pro-Palestine march in the Polish capital holding a banner featuring the Israeli flag being thrown in a bin alongside the words “Keep the world clean”
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A policeman was required to intervene after a wild boar entered a backyard where children were playing and ate their pierogi. The police reassure that the offender is well known to them and is not aggressive, having become used to being fed by humans
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Five women have died during a fire at an escape room (an adventure game in which players are trapped in a room and must solve puzzles to get out). Early information indicates the victims were there as part of a birthday party
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Poland's economy has grown more than any other in the EU during the pandemic. Its GDP grew 9.2% between the 4th quarter of 2019 and 3rd quarter of 2022, compared to 2.7% growth for the EU as a whole. Via @PKO_Research based on @MacrobondF data
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Mystery tree “creature” reported to animal services actually a croissant
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A man posed as a mannequin in a Warsaw shopping centre, waited until it closed, and then stole jewellery and clothes while also stopping to eat food at a restaurant
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Large queues have formed outside bakeries around Poland today on "Fat Thursday" (#TłustyCzwartek) - the last Thursday before Lent - when Poles stuff themselves full of doughnuts (pączki)
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Warsaw's mayor has banned the display of religious symbols such as crosses from city hall. He has also ordered officials to respect the rights of same-sex couples and to use people’s preferred pronouns
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Prime Minister @MarinSanna has pledged that Finland will provide free abortions to women from Poland if she remains in power after next month's elections, says a delegation of Polish left-wing politicians who met with her in Helsinki
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Five conclusions from Poland's elections:. 1. Tusk remains a formidable force.2. Opposition strength in diversity.3. Policies and positivity win elections.4. An uncertain future for PiS.5. The far right peaked too early. Read our full analysis here ⬇️
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Large protests are taking place around Poland this evening in response to yesterday's Constitutional Tribunal ruling that ends almost all legal abortions.
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Kraków’s Christmas market has been named as Europe’s best in a new ranking. Two other Polish cities, Wrocław and Poznań, also appeared in the top ten, making Poland the only country to feature three times
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Poland’s culture minister has ended state subsidies for religious journals and magazines. "The mission of the state is not to spread faith and salvation. This is a secular state," says @BartSienkiewicz
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Poland has set up eight reception points for refugees along its border with Ukraine following last night's invasion by Russia. "We will show our Ukrainian brothers solidarity and support”, says the interior minister
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Protests are taking place in Warsaw and other cities in response to the death of a pregnant woman that many blame on Poland's strict abortion law. She reportedly died after doctors waited for her foetus, which had birth defects, to die before removing it
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Kraków's animal shelter has been left stunned after locals offered homes ahead of a winter freeze to all its dogs kept outdoors. Even the police, who came to issue tickets to cars parked around the shelter, instead ended up taking a dog to their station
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Footage of a group of men attacking the abortion protest in Warsaw this evening
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A large opposition march has passed through Warsaw, two weeks ahead of parliamentary elections. "We are moving towards a Poland that is open, tolerant, European," declared the city's opposition mayor @trzaskowski_
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A number of Polish cities played the Ukrainian national anthem at noon today as a sign of support and solidarity. Among them was Kraków, where the song was performed by one of the famous buglers at St Mary’s Basilica on the market square
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The Netherlands has decided to finance abortions for women from Poland. Previously it only provided such funding to women from “third world countries”, but Poland's near-total abortion ban and the death of a pregnant woman in hospital prompted it to act
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Poland’s new government has announced that police will no longer cover their faces and will stop “serving as a security agency” for Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the former ruling PiS party. "This is the process of restoring trust in the Polish police"
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There is 'compulsory homosexuality' in Ireland, suggests Polish right-wing weekly @DoRzeczy_pl, which also warns that 'Marxist-lesbianism is well on its way to becoming a state ideology' in Ireland
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Poles dislike Russians, Belarusians, Hungarians and Germans much more now than before the invasion of Ukraine, finds a study by @CBOS_Info. Meanwhile, they like Ukrainians, Americans and the English much more. For more details, see our report:
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A Nigerian migrant to Poland called August Agboola Browne participated in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. His story is remembered in the Polish capital today. Browne was a jazz percussionist who joined the resistance under the code name “Ali”.
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A visualisation showing the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto superimposed on the modern city. The full video, produced by @300gospodarka to mark the anniversary of the #WarsawGhettoUprising, can be viewed here:
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Ukraine's @ZelenskyyUa, speaking in Polish, has sent Poland a message to mark its Independence Day. "Ukraine and Poland together. We are relatives, we are free. Ukrainians will always remember how you were beside us, how your people welcomed us, helped us"
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Poland has a record number of female MPs, 136, after Sunday's elections. Women will now make up 30% of members of the Sejm, up from 10% in 1991
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Some polling stations in Kraków have run out of ballot papers today amid record-breaking turnout. One had to request an additional ballot box after filling up the ones it had. There are also reports of similar situations in Warsaw and Wrocław
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Gacek the cat, who recently came to global attention after becoming Szczecin's best-rated tourist attraction, has been elected as the city's new mayor. For more on the rise to power of the "King of Kaszubska Street", as he is known, see our recent report:
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Wrocław, Poland's third-largest city, has called for an end to municipal funding for Catholic catechism classes in schools. It says it spends millions of zloty a year on the lessons even though only a minority of pupils now attend them
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Donald Tusk has confirmed the names of members of his government, which is likely to take office next week. Radosław Sikorski will return as foreign minister while Marzena Czarnecka will head a newly created industry ministry based in Silesia
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Ski jumper Andrzej Stękała has become Poland’s first major male athlete to come out as gay, in an emotional statement following the death of his partner. "For years I lived in hiding, afraid that who I was could erase everything I worked so hard for"
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Parliament has voted to remove the legal immunity of the far-right MP who last month attacked a Jewish religious celebration. Prosecutors want to bring seven charges against him over that incident and several others
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