“We have a large army – the third largest in NATO in terms of numbers – but we must also have a resilient society,” says the defence minister.
Society
Carp in the bath, hay on the table and Home Alone: the most unusual Polish Christmas traditions
Agata Pyka and Richard Greenhill
From talking animals to Macauley Culkin, here are seven of Poland’s most interesting Christmas traditions.
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One third of Poles aged 25-34 live with parents
The majority are men.
Silesian added as language on Google Translate
The decision comes shortly after Poland’s own president declared that Silesian is not a language but rather a dialect of Polish.
Man convicted of destroying swallow’s nest in Poland’s first case of its kind
Under Polish law, such nests cannot be destroyed between 1 March and 15 October.
Poland’s first queer museum to open in Warsaw with support of city hall
“Warsaw is also a city with a queer history and a queer identity,” says the deputy mayor.
Mixed-race beauty pageant winner in Poland reports online abuse to prosecutors
Victoria Forrest says she has received “unimaginable hate on the internet” since her victory was criticised by a far-right commentator.
Poles in Lithuania take high-school exams in Polish for first time in 26 years
With around 183,000 members, the Polish community constitutes 6.5% of Lithuania’s total population and is the country’s largest ethnic minority.
Ridesharing firms report big loss of drivers after new rules require them to hold Polish driving licence
One provider says it has lost 15% of its drivers and another reports that it now has 26% fewer drivers in Warsaw.
Almost half of government voters disappointed with failure to liberalise abortion law
Over half of young Poles – who voted in record numbers last year – say they are disappointed.
Labour inspectorate warns against lifting penalties for unintentionally employing immigrants illegally
The proposed change could “increase the scale of the problem of foreigners illegally staying in Poland”.
Warsaw prepares for launch of “clean transport zone” banning older cars
The city has launched a website allowing people to check if their car is among those that will now be barred.
Poland starts monitoring opioid prescriptions following fentanyl deaths
Almost 50 cases of fentanyl poisoning have been recorded in Poland so far this year.
First hospital fined for refusing to provide abortion under new Polish government rules
Last month the government decreed that healthcare providers who receive public funds are obliged to offer abortions.
