Poland

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21 Killed in Polish Homeless Shelter Fire

20 injured in blaze; cause unknown

(Newser) - A fire at a Polish hostel for the homeless has killed at least 21 people and injured 20 more, many of whom jumped three stories to escape the flames, the BBC reports. Emergency teams are on the scene, as is the prime minister, assessing damages and offering comfort. Some 77...

Drunken Cyclists Face the Slammer in Poland

2,000 Poles are in prison for drunken cycling

(Newser) - Polish courts have left intact a law that allows two-year prison terms for drunken cyclists. Critics say bikers—2,000 of whom sit behind bars—should be treated like pedestrians, who face only fines for being drunk in public. The Constitutional Court dismissed that argument, saying the speedier transport uses...

'Gay' Elephant Gets Polish Pol Riled Up

(Newser) - A Polish lawmaker is incensed over a local zoo's acquisition of an elephant that might be gay, Reuters reports. “We were supposed to have a herd, but as Ninio prefers male friends over females how will he produce offspring?” the flustered lawmaker said. Zoo officials said the 10-year-old elephant...

Accused Nazi Guard 1 Step From Deportation

Demjanjuk has one more appeal between him an a German trial

(Newser) - A federal court today denied John Demjanjuk’s appeal to be granted a stay of deportation, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The alleged former Nazi concentration camp guard has one more appeal to file. If that fails, the 89-year-old will be sent to Germany to stand trial for being an...

Accused Nazi May Be Deported to Germany

(Newser) - An immigration judge today revoked John Demjanjuk's stay of deportation to Germany, clearing the way for the retired autoworker to be sent to Germany to face charges of being a Nazi death camp guard. The 89-year-old suburban Cleveland man, who came to America after World War II, is accused in...

Polish Meaning of New Name Embarrasses 'Syfy'

Slang for VD probably not what network had in mind for rebranding

(Newser) - The much-maligned rebranding of the channel formerly known as Sci-Fi has yielded another embarrassment for the network. “Syfy”—the new name—is Polish slang for syphilis, Broadcasting & Cable reports. Native Poles, however, may be less offended by the name change than hard-core fans: Polish embassy officials say...

Katyn Horrific, Excellent
 Katyn Horrific, Excellent 
Movie Review
Feb 20, 2009 11:15 AM CST

Katyn Horrific, Excellent

(Newser) - American art houses are finally getting a taste of Katyn, legendary Polish director Andrzej Wajda’s acclaimed film about the World War II-era massacre of the same name, and critics are heaping yet more acclaim on it. AO Scott of the New York Times calls it “solemn and searing,...

WWII Mass Grave of German Civilians Unearthed

Corpses found near Polish castle believed to have been killed as Soviets advanced

(Newser) - The corpses of 1,800 men, women and children believed to be German civilians have been found in a mass grave near the Polish city of Malbork, Der Speigel reports. The city was German until the end of World War II. Officials believe many of its former residents were massacred...

China Warns of Sanctions for Sarkozy-Dalai Lama Meeting

Dalai Lama criticism of China's lack of 'moral authority' sparks Beijing fury

(Newser) - China is making noises about possible trade sanctions against France to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to meet tomorrow with the Dalai Lama in Poland, reports the Times of London. Such a meeting threatens the "long-term development of ties" with France, warned a Chinese official. China has already pulled...

Crisis Makes Former Skeptics Rethink Euro

From Poland to Iceland, once-resistant nations want to join up

(Newser) - When the euro was first proposed, skeptics cautioned of the dangers of an integrated system during a time of crisis. Now that the crisis is here, the euro has performed relatively well while smaller currencies have plunged in an investor "flight to quality." As the New York ...

Polish Court: Go Ahead, Call Prez a 'Duck'

Twin pols railed against newspaper's rip on their name

(Newser) - Poland’s president and his twin brother, the head of the opposition party, called it slander when the press labeled them “ducks”—but a Polish court is letting it fly, Der Spiegel reports. The Kaczynski brothers' surname comes from the word for “duck,” and at first,...

Polish Actors Paid to Fake iPhone Frenzy

Phone company tries to boost enthusiasm with longer lines

(Newser) - Poland’s largest mobile provider is refreshingly straightforward about its efforts to boost iPhone sales, Reuters reports. “We have these fake queues at front of 20 stores around the country to drum up interest in the iPhone,” a spokesman for Orange said. The iPhone flew off the shelves...

Rice, Polish Counterpart Sign Missile Defense Deal

But American base is decried by Russia

(Newser) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski signed a deal today that will put an American missile defense base in Poland, a plan that has provoked increasingly belligerent opposition from Russia. The formal signing comes 6 days after the two countries agreed to the agreement that...

Georgian Conflict Highlights Eastern Anxieties

Ex-Soviet states unite in opposition to Russia

(Newser) - As Russian forces continue to roll through Georgia, both Eastern and Western nations are reconsidering their relations in the face of an emboldened and insolent Moscow. The Christian Science Monitor examines this new geopolitical reality from the perspective of ex-Soviet states determined to prevent a renaissance of Russia's hegemony over...

Russia Issues Nuke Threat to Poland

Nation 'exposed' to strike if it hosts US base, general warns

(Newser) - A top Russian general warned yesterday that Poland would be "100% exposed" to nuclear attack if it follows through with plans to host a US missile defense system, reports the Times of London. The agreement "cannot go unpunished," the general warned in the first direct threat from...

Medvedev Blasts US 'Fairy Tales' About Defense Shield

Timing of Polish deal says it all to Russia government

(Newser) - US-Russian relations took another turn for the worse today with Moscow lashing out at America's new missile-defense deal with Poland. Dmitry Medvedev said the system will be aimed at Russia and denounced as "fairy tales" the US contention that it will deter strikes from rogue nations such as Iran,...

Poland Agrees to Host US Missile System

Russia opposes controversial defense shield

(Newser) - Poland and the US signed a preliminary agreement to install US interceptor missiles on Polish soil today, the Telegraph reports. The move is widely seen as a response to Russian aggression in Georgia, a notion buttressed by the Polish prime minister. “The events in the Caucasus show clearly that...

Book Reawakens Doubts About Polish Hero Walesa

Did the country's democratic pioneer collaborate with Poland's secret police?

(Newser) - A new book is stirring up an old debate in Poland: Did democratic hero Lech Walesa, leader of the Solidarity union and former president, collaborate with the secret police? Walesa has successfully defended himself against the claim for 15 years, in and out of court. But historians working with police...

Gruesome Soccer 'Joke' Kicks Off Outrage

Poland's coach apologizes for bloodied German tabloid photos

(Newser) - The coach of Poland's soccer team has apologized to Germany after a tabloid paper printed doctored photos making it look like he was holding the severed heads of Germany's coach and captain, the Guardian reports. The countries face each other in the Euro 2008 tournament on Sunday, and elements of...

Fisher-Price Courts Far-Flung Fans

Firm adjusts to shifting global sales patterns

(Newser) - Fisher-Price has tackled some unexpected challenges lately, from perfecting a recording of the phrase “It’s learning time!” in Mandarin to removing pig illustrations from Turkish kids’ books. In the past 5 years, Fisher-Price’s sales abroad have more than doubled while sales drop domestically—as traditional toys...

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