World News

Photo Story: Railway crash in Smolecin, Poland

The site of a crash between a truck and a train at an unguarded railroad crossing in Smolecin, Poland, 29 July 2021. After the collision, two carriages of the train…

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Photo Story: Sunny day in the Tatra Mountains

Tourists visit Morskie Oko lake (Eye of the Sea) on a sunny day in the Tatra Mountains, southern Poland. Temperatures around the Morskie Oko reach plus 29 degrees Celsius. Photo:…

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Could the European Union kick out Hungary?

Relations between Hungarian president Viktor Orban and other European leaders seem to have reached a nadir. For years, Orban has pursued a right-wing agenda that has often contradicted the bloc’s…

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Photo Story: St. Dominic’s Fair in Gdansk, Poland

People in costume perform during St. Dominic's Fair in Gdansk, northern Poland. Around 650 exhibitors from seven countries took part in the event, during which COVID-19 vaccinations were offered at…

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Polish opposition seeks ban on fireworks to protect animals – Reports

Poland’s largest opposition group has proposed a law that would ban the use of most fireworks and firecrackers, in a bid to protect domestic and wild animals. They hope to…

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Thousands join Budapest Pride march against anti-LGBTQ law

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Thousands of Hungarians joined the annual Budapest Pride march on Saturday to support LGBTQ people and protest against a law that limits teaching about homosexuality and transgender…

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Poland’s unemployment rate falls to 5.9% in June

Poland's registered unemployment rate fell to 5.9% in June compared with 6.1% in May, statistics office data showed on Friday, below analysts' expectations of 6.0%. The statistics office also said…

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Romania lets towns shoot encroaching bears, angering green groups

Romania has given town and city authorities the power to shoot bears that break into yards and houses, angering environmental groups who said the government should try other techniques to…

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Sinopharm’s COVID-19 shot offers weaker protection among elderly – study

Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine was less effective in offering protection against the disease among the elderly, according to the results of a Hungarian study. The study of 450 participants who had…

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U.S. warns Poland about licence renewal for Discovery-owned news channel

Future American investments in Poland could be jeopardised if the country does not renew the licence of 24-hour news channel TVN24, U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said on Thursday,…

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EU seeks two-month delay in talks on Hungary recovery plan

The European Union is seeking a two-month delay in talks on Hungary's pandemic recovery plan, with funding likely to be delayed over contested issues as part of an "ideological war"…

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Polish justice minister says Warsaw cannot comply with EU’s court ruling

Poland’s justice minister said it was not possible to comply with a ruling by the top European Union court that the country’s new system for disciplining judges broke EU law…

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UPDATED: Hungary to hold referendum on child protection issues by early 2022 -PM aide

Hungary plans to hold a referendum on legislation that limits schools' teaching about homosexuality and transgender issues late this year or early next year, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of…

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Poland postpones contested media law debate amid coalition splits

Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party postponed a parliamentary debate over a new media law, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday, amid a split with allies over amendments that…

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Hungary’s Viktor Orban will hold referendum on anti-LGBT law

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has declared that his government will be holding a referendum on a controversial anti-LGBT law. Orban made the announcement in a live video on his…

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Poland expects COVID cases to rise as Delta variant spreads

After weeks of low infection rates, Poland faces growing numbers of new coronavirus cases as the Delta variant spreads, the health ministry said. Poland's new daily cases have been hovering…

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EU lists rule-of-law concerns for Hungary, Poland, could withhold funds

The European Commission listed on Tuesday serious concerns about the rule of law in Poland and Hungary in a report that could help determine whether they receive billions of euros…

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Austria investigating reported ‘Havana syndrome’ cases among U.S. envoys

Austria is working with the U.S. authorities to get to the bottom of a reported spate of suspected cases of an ailment known as "Havana syndrome" among U.S. diplomats in…

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Poland’s Tusk says conflicts within the EU could eventually end the bloc

Poland and Hungary's conflicts with the European Union could start a process that results in the bloc falling apart, former European Council President Donald Tusk warned, amid a worsening standoff…

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Hungary to offer third dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Hungary will offer the option of taking a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from Aug. 1 and will make coronavirus vaccines mandatory for all healthcare workers, Prime Minister Viktor…

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Hungary PM calls EU action on LGBT rights ‘legalised hooliganism’

Hungary's Prime Minister on Friday accused the European Commission of "legalised hooliganism" for an infringement action against measures by his government that the EU executive said discriminated against LGBT people.…

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Austria says it opposes EU plan to cap cash payments at 10,000 euros

Austria on Thursday reinforced its status as one of Europe's most cash-loving countries by saying it opposed a plan by the European Commission to cap cash payments at 10,000 euros…

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Rule of law dispute deepens as rulings by Polish and EU courts clash

WARSAW, July 14 (Reuters) - Interim measures imposed on the Polish judicial system by the top European court are against the Polish constitution, Poland's Constitutional Tribunal said on Wednesday, accelerating…

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Hungary’s economy could grow by 6.5% this year

Hungary's economy could grow by more than 14% in the second quarter and by 6.5% in the whole of 2021, Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said in an interview posted on…

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Photo Story: Heavy rains cause flooding and damage in Poland

A view of the flooded area and damages after intense night rainfalls in the village of Swidnik in the Nowy Sacz district, southern Poland. Heavy rainfalls and thunderstorms caused flash…

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Hungary’s clash with EU over LGBT rights deepens

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vowed he would not give in to EU pressure to repeal a new law banning schools from using materials seen as promoting homosexuality, as the…

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Hungary seeks workers from outside EU to ease labour shortage

Hungary will allow in temporary workers from non-EU states to alleviate a labour shortage and help the economy recover, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday. Szijjarto said some employment…

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Orban says Hungary will not let LGBTQ activists into schools

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Thursday that EU efforts to force Hungary to abandon a new law banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools would be in vain. His…

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Romanian PM fires finance minister over delayed projects

Romanian Prime Minister Florin Citu sacked Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare on Thursday, saying ministry projects to tap European Union funds and combat tax evasion were delayed. Nazare had refused to…

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Poland risks 15,000 COVID cases a day in autumn

Poland could face around 15,000 cases a day if too few people get COVID-19 shots before a potential fourth wave in autumn, the health minister said on Tuesday, amid concern…

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Poland’s Tusk returns to frontline to face old foe Kaczynski

WARSAW, July 3 (Reuters) - Former European Council President Donald Tusk returned to the fore of Polish politics on Saturday, becoming leader of the main opposition party in a move…

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Photo Story: Lavender picking in Hungary

A woman holds a bag of lavender plants (Lavandula angustifolia) in a garden in Nyircsaholy, Hungary. Photo: EPA-EFE/ATTILA BALAZS

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UPDATED: Poland’s Tusk returns to frontline, vowing to lead opposition to victory

Former European Council President Donald Tusk returned to the fore of Polish politics on Saturday, becoming leader of the main opposition party in a move that many members hope can…

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Hackers breached several Polish MPs’ email accounts

The email accounts of about a dozen members of parliament were hacked recently, Polish counter-intelligence revealed, disclosing further details of one of the biggest cyberattacks on the country in recent…

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Dutch criticism of Hungary over LGBT rights reeks of ‘colonial’ past -Orban

Dutch criticism of Hungary over a new law on LGBT rights reeks of a moral supremacy rooted in a colonial past, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday. EU…

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Hungary plans export curbs on construction materials

Hungary plans to impose export restrictions on construction materials from October to help rein in inflation in the sector, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday. Orban said on Tuesday…

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UPDATED: Romanian Black Sea refinery blast kills one, injures five

A blast on Friday at Romania's biggest crude oil refinery killed one person and injured five others, authorities and the company which runs the Petromidia plant on the Black Sea…

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Slovenia will be honest broker in EU rights dispute, PM says

Slovenia will act as an honest broker in European Union disputes over the rule of law and human rights while it holds the bloc's six-month presidency, Prime Minister Janez Jansa…

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Czech holidaymakers face COVID-19 tests after trips abroad

Czechs will be required to undergo a COVID-19 test when they return from summer holidays abroad if they are not fully vaccinated, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said. The step is…

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Polish PMI hits fresh record high as rebound accelerates

usiness conditions for Polish manufacturers improved at a record rate for the second consecutive month in June, a survey showed on Thursday, as new orders shot up, leading to unprecedented…

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Photo Story: Heavy rainfall causes flooding in Szczecin, Poland

A flooded parking lot at Ostrobramska Street in Szczecin, Poland, 01 July 2021. There has been heavy rainfall over the city in the last 24 hours. Photo: EPA-EFE/MARCIN BIELECKI

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Coronavirus ‘R’ number rises above 1 in Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has reported its second successive week-on-week rise in new daily coronavirus cases and the reproduction “R” number has risen above 1 for the first time since mid-April,…

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Slovenia assumes EU’s presidency

Amid high tension between east and west over democratic values, the European Union's presidency passes on Thursday to Slovenia, led by a nationalist who has a history of crossing swords…

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Czechs ban travel to Russia, Tunisia due to coronavirus variants

The Czech Health Ministry has banned Czechs from travelling to Russia, Tunisia and other countries due to the spread of COVID-19 variants there, the ministry said. The Czech Republic on…

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Poland eyes mandatory jabs for some ahead of fourth COVID wave

Poland could make vaccinations obligatory for some people at high risk from COVID-19 to help fend off a potential new surge of infections from August, the health minister said. The…

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European rights court says Poland denied judges right to appeal

WARSAW, June 29 (Reuters) - The Polish justice minister infringed on the rights of two court officials when he dismissed them without letting them appeal, the European Court of Human…

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Poland should copy Hungarian LGBT law, says Polish minister

Poland should copy a Hungarian law that bans schools from using materials seen as promoting homosexuality, the Polish education minister said in comments published on Monday, as the nationalist government attacks…

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Polish Catholic Church facing wave of sex abuse allegations

WARSAW (Reuters) - The Catholic Church in Poland is facing a wave of allegations of sexual abuse, church authorities said on Monday, as they laid out statistics on the extent…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Pszczyna, Poland

A picture taken with a drone shows an aerial view of several hundred brightly coloured umbrellas decorating the Bankowa Street walkway in Pszczyna, southern Poland. Photo: EPA-EFE/Andrzej Grygiel

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Respect LGBT rights or leave EU, Hungary’s Orban told

Respect LGBT rights or leave the European Union, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told his Hungarian counterpart as the bloc's leaders confronted Viktor Orban over a law that bans schools…

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Photo Story: Rare tornado, storms rip through southern Czech Republic, killing three

A woman walks past damaged cars after a tornado hit in Mikulcice, Czech Republic. A rare tornado on 24 June evening swept through the region of South Moravia, in south-eastern…

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Poland tightens COVID quarantine rules for travellers from Britain

Poland is introducing a mandatory seven-day quarantine for all travellers from Britain in a bid to curb the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the health ministry said…

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Austria to provide a million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Western Balkans

Austria will provide a million doses of coronavirus vaccine to the countries of the Western Balkans in addition to the doses it is funnelling towards the region on behalf of…

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Austria seeks to build coalition against softening EU budget rules

Austria is seeking to build a coalition of EU countries that would prevent a softening of EU budget rules when they come under review later this year and in 2022,…

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Harry Potter, ‘Friends’ may fall victim to Hungary’s anti-LGBT law

The largest broadcasters in Hungary criticised a new law banning the “display and promotion of homosexuality” among under-18s as a threat to freedom of expression, and one said it could…

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Slovakia court orders businessman’s retrial over journalist murder

Slovakia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a retrial of a businessman acquitted over the 2018 murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, following an appeal from prosecutors. Citing…

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Hungary approves law banning promotion homosexuality and gender change among children

Hungary's parliament passed legislation on Tuesday that bans the dissemination of content in schools deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change, amid strong criticism from human rights groups and opposition…

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