The Dispatch

UPDATE – Slovak parliament postpones vote on government’s fate to Thursday

PRAGUE, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Slovakia's parliament agreed on Tuesday to delay a vote on a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Eduard Heger's minority government until Thursday, giving more time for negotiations…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Heavy snow in Krakow, Poland

A man walks on a street during snowfall in Krakow, Poland. Temperatures in Krakow were reported at minus 1 degrees Celsius. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW)…

Read More Here

Photo Story: The International Ice Sculpture Festival in Poznan

An artist from Malaysia at work during the International Ice Sculpture Festival at the Poznan International Fair area in Poznan, Poland. The festival ends today Sunday 11 December. Via EPA-EFE/JAKUB…

Read More Here

Romania defuses mine drifting near its Black Sea shore

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's navy carried out a controlled explosion on Saturday of a naval mine that had drifted close to the country's Black Sea shore, the defence ministry said.…

Read More Here

EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Zakopane, Poland

Morning fog and smog hover over the city of Zakopane as seen from Szymoszkowa Glade, southern Poland. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) according to its website…

Read More Here

Polish banking sector resilient, but risks are rising, says cbank

WARSAW, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The Polish banking system remains resilient, but the balance of risks for the sector is worsening, the National Bank of Poland said on Friday in…

Read More Here

Hungary vetoes EU aid for Ukraine, bloc delays decision on funds for Budapest

By Jan Strupczewski and Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Hungary vetoed an 18 billion euro ($19 bln) loan to Ukraine from the European Union on Tuesday as its row with…

Read More Here

Speed far above the limit and we’ll take your car, Austria says

Drivers in Austria guilty of extreme speeding will have their cars seized and auctioned off, the government said on Monday, seeking to deter "boy racers" by threatening to take away…

Read More Here

Photo Story: A tram decorated for the Christmas holidays in Poznan

A tramway is decorated with Christmas lights in Poznan, Poland. Via EPA-EFE/Jakub Kaczmarczyk

Read More Here

Photo Story: The exhibition Peter Pan – Garden of Lights in Krakow

People visit the exhibition 'Peter Pan - Garden of Lights' in the Stanislaw Lem Garden of Experiences in Krakow, Poland. Via EPA-EFE/Lukasz Gagulski

Read More Here

Photo Story: Szczecin Mariner’s statue dressed as Santa Claus

The Mariner's statue from the Avenue of Fountains dressed as Santa Claus, in Szczecin, Poland, was dressed up as Santa Claus in preparation for the Christmas celebrations. The city's symbol…

Read More Here

Hungary still opposed to “job killing” global minimum tax, Orban says

BUDAPEST, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Hungary remains opposed to a global minimum corporate tax rate, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told public radio on Friday, citing concern over jobs in the…

Read More Here

Slovakia to cap household power prices in 6 bln euro package

Dec 1 (Reuters) - The Slovak government will cap energy prices for households next year at a cost of 6 billion euros ($6.25 billion), through subsidies and a contract with the main…

Read More Here

Poland braces for new wave of Ukrainian refugees

Poland braces for a new wave of refugees from Ukraine, which could reach the country, after recent Russian air strikes on civilian infrastructure that have led to massive power cuts and…

Read More Here

Strike brings trains to standstill across Austria

VIENNA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Austrian rail traffic ground to a halt from midnight, impacting around 8,000 connections and some one million passengers, as workers held a 24-hour strike on…

Read More Here

Poland’s unemployment rate at 5.1% in October

Nov 25 (Reuters) - Poland's registered unemployment rate remained flat at 5.1% in October compared with 5.1% in September, statistics office data showed on Friday, in line with analysts' expectations…

Read More Here

EU to approve Hungary’s recovery plan, hold payouts until conditions met

The European Commission is likely to approve next week Hungary's post-pandemic recovery plan to keep open the possibility of EU disbursements later, but hold back any payouts until Budapest fulfils all agreed conditions,…

Read More Here

Poland to put German Patriot missiles near border with Ukraine

NATO allies Poland and Germany have agreed to deploy additional Patriot missile launchers near the Polish border with Ukraine following an offer from Berlin, Poland's defence minister said on Monday. "The German Defence Minister confirmed…

Read More Here

Socialist, Liberal MEPs oppose release of funds to Hungary’s Orban

Some European Union lawmakers warned the bloc's executive Commission against unlocking billions of euros in funds for Hungary, saying Prime Minister Viktor Orban was trampling on democratic norms. The Brussels-based European Commission is expected…

Read More Here

Germany to offer Poland Patriot system after stray missile crash

BERLIN, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Germany has offered Warsaw the Patriot missile defence system to help it to secure its airspace after a stray missile crashed in Poland last week, Defence Minister…

Read More Here

EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Zalesie, Poland

An aerial picture taken with a drone shows snow-covered trees at a forest near Zalesie village, Poland. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) is forecasting continuing cold…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Polish village remembers missile victim’s help for refugees

PRZEWODOW, Poland (Reuters) - A Polish man buried on Saturday after being killed this week by a missile near the Ukrainian border had worked hard to shelter Ukrainian refugees in…

Read More Here

Hungarians widen protests over teachers’ pay as cost-of-living crisis deepens

BUDAPEST, (Reuters) - Hungarian teachers, students and parents stepped up their protest calling for higher wages and education reforms on Friday, forming a 10-km (six-mile) human chain in central Budapest,…

Read More Here

Hungary aiming to prevent economy sliding into recession, Orban says

BUDAPEST, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Hungary is aiming to prevent its economy sliding into recession, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday after data this week showed the economy contracting…

Read More Here

Polish parliament votes to loosen spending rules in 2022

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's parliament passed a bill loosening limits on additional spending in 2022 on defence and support related to the energy crisis and inflation, voting records showed on…

Read More Here

Factbox: What is the S-300 missile that is reported to have hit Poland?

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Poland has said the missile that hit a grain facility on Tuesday, killing two people near the border with Ukraine, was probably an "old" S-300 rocket,…

Read More Here

Serbia, Hungary and Austria agree to bolster fight against illegal migrations

By Aleksandar Vasovic BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia on Wednesday agreed with Hungary and Austria to deploy more joint police patrols along its southern borders and align visa policies with those…

Read More Here

Biden disputes Ukraine leader comments that missiles that landed in Poland weren’t Ukrainian

WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday disputed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's comment that missiles that landed in Poland were not of Ukranian origin. "That's not…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Poland says missile that hit it was Ukrainian stray, easing concern of escalation

By Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk WARSAW, Nov 16 (Reuters) - A missile that hit Poland was probably a stray fired by Ukraine's air defences and not a Russian strike, Poland and NATO…

Read More Here

Russia says missile strike in Poland caused by Ukrainian air defence

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Russia said an explosion in Poland on Tuesday had been caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile and that Russian strikes in Ukraine had been no closer than…

Read More Here

Brutality of war grips Polish village where missile struck

PRZEWODOW, Poland/WARSAW (Reuters) -Hours after an apparently stray missile delivered death to their village, the inhabitants of Przewodow, south-eastern Poland, struggled on Wednesday with the realisation that the war on…

Read More Here

What we know about the missile blast in Poland

By Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Kelly LONDON/MELBOURNE, Nov 16 (Reuters) - A missile blast in NATO-member Poland that Ukraine blamed on Russia raised fears of a deeper confrontation between the…

Read More Here

Russia’s Medvedev says Polish missile incident shows West moving closer to world war

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday that an alleged missile strike on Polish territory showed that the West was moving closer to another World…

Read More Here

Poland remains a very safe country thanks to NATO membership, Polish official says

WARSAW, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Poland remains a very safe country thanks to its membership in NATO, Poland's deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday, as NATO prepares to meet in…

Read More Here

EXPLAINER: NATO’s Articles 4 and 5: How the Ukraine conflict could trigger its defense obligations

By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A deadly explosion occurred in NATO member Poland's territory near its border with Ukraine on Tuesday, and the United States and its allies said…

Read More Here

China urges calm about Poland missile incident, NATO holds emergency meeting

BEIJING, Nov 16 (Reuters) - All parties should "stay calm and exercise restraint under current circumstances," China's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, told a regular briefing on Wednesday, in remarks…

Read More Here

Poland increasing monitoring of its airspace

WARSAW, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Poland has decided to increase surveillance of its airspace, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday, as he confirmed that Poland was studying the possibility…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Biden said Ukraine air defence missile responsible for Poland blast – NATO source

BERLIN, Nov 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden told G7 and NATO partners that a missile blast in Poland was caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile, a NATO…

Read More Here

UPDATE – Russian missiles kill two in Poland

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - A senior U.S. intelligence official said Russian missiles crossed into Poland, killing two people, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity…

Read More Here

Romanian central bank sees inflation higher, keeping slow approach to rate hikes

BUCHAREST, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Romania's central bank lifted its inflation outlook on Monday as supply-side shocks and war in Ukraine drive stronger-than-expected price growth. Energy prices and their transmission…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Slovenia elects first female president

LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - Natasa Pirc Musar, a lawyer, won the second round of Slovenia's presidential election on Sunday and will become its first female head of state, preliminary results showed.…

Read More Here

Czech border controls blocking migrants’ route to Germany frustrate Slovakia

KUTY, Slovakia (Reuters) - Slovakia this week stepped up pressure on the Czech Republic to ease border controls in place for weeks to combat an increase in the number of…

Read More Here

Polish police step up the pressure against online child sexual exploitation

The Polish Central Cybercrime Bureau (Centralne Biuro Zwalczania Cyberprzestępczości), supported by Europol, targeted child sexual abuse through the setting-up of a special team of police officers in August. The officers,…

Read More Here

Slovenia poised to elect first ever female president

Slovenia looks poised to elect its first-ever female president in an election on Sunday. Liberal candidate Natasa Pirc Musar is tipped to win a presidential election runoff in the small,…

Read More Here

EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Polanczyk, Poland

A picture taken with a drone shows Lake Solina in Polanczyk, Poland. The village is a popular tourist destination. PHOT: EPA-EFE/Darek Delmanowicz

Read More Here

Photo Story: Independence Day celebrations in Warsaw

President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda (L) lays a wreath in front of the monument to Ignacy Daszynski at Plac Na Rozdrozu in Warsaw, Poland. Independence Day in…

Read More Here

Pets returned to shelters in Hungary as owners face rising costs

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Chelsy, a soft-eyed dog with an immune illness, has been returned to a Hungarian animal shelter two years after he was adopted as his owners can no…

Read More Here

Czech lawmakers approve windfall tax on energy firms, banks

PRAGUE, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Czech lower house lawmakers have approved a 60% windfall tax on energy firms and large banks, backing government plans to take firms' excess profits to…

Read More Here

Poland’s first nuclear power plant to cost around $20 bln

Poland's first nuclear power station, which will be built by U.S. firm Westinghouse Electric Co, will cost around $20 billion, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki revealed. Last week, Poland chose Westinghouse…

Read More Here

Czech Republic on the way to legalizing cannabis

In the Czech Republic, hemp products like marijuana, hashish and cannabis oil have been available in pharmacies for years. Prague is now planning full legalization for 2023 and wants to…

Read More Here

Poland to build razor-wire fence on border with Russia’s Kaliningrad

WARSAW, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Poland will build a razor-wire fence on its border with Russia's Kaliningrad, its defence minister said on Wednesday, amid concerns that the enclave might become…

Read More Here

Photo story: All Saints Day celebrations in Hungary

People visit the graves of their loved ones on the occasion of the approaching All Saints Day and Day of the Dead in a cemetery of Nyiragyhaza, Hungary. All Saints…

Read More Here

Photo story: Dense fog on the streets of Lodz, Poland

Dense fog on the streets of Lodz, Poland, on Monday 31 October 2022. The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) has issued a first-level warning of dense fog over…

Read More Here

Polish inflation accelerates further in October

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Inflation in Poland accelerated to 17.9% year on year in October amid soaring energy prices, preliminary data showed on Monday, highlighting the challenges central bankers face…

Read More Here

Photo Story: The Retro Motor Show fair of vintage vehicles in Poznan

Guests visit the Retro Motor Show of vintage cars and classic vehicles at the Poznan International Fair in Poznan, Poland. It is the largest event of this type in Poland.…

Read More Here

Poland interested in joining NATO’s nuclear sharing program

Poland is interested in joining NATO’s nuclear sharing program, a Polish presidential aide has said. Last month, a White House official told public broadcaster Polish Radio that the United States…

Read More Here

Poland picks U.S. offer for its first nuclear power plant -PM

WARSAW, Oct 28 (Reuters) - U.S. firm Westinghouse Electric Co will build Poland's first nuclear power plant, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday, confirming a long-awaited decision aiming to reduce the country's carbon emissions and phase…

Read More Here