Polish lawmakers have approved a measure that would exonerate most workers under the age of 26 from income taxes as the country seeks to stem the flow of its young people to other EU nations in search of better-paying jobs.

The lower house of parliament approved the measure introduced by the ruling conservatives in a vote late Thursday by an overwhelming majority.

The bill would exonerate workers under the age of 26 from Poland's 18 per cent personal income tax for those whose gross earnings don't surpass 85,500 zlotys (20,000 euros, $22,500) per year.

That level is higher than Poland's average income, estimated to be around 60,000 zlotys per year before tax.

The approval of the measure by the upper house of parliament and its signature by the president is widely expected.

Some two million people could benefit from the measure, according to supporters of the legislation, which should enter into force from August 1.

Poland has long been haemorrhaging skilled workers to other EU states where they can find better-paying jobs, posing both a long-term demographic risk and short-term problem finding enough labourers to continue the country's streak of economic growth since the fall of communism in 1989.

The measure was one of the campaign promises made by the ruling Law and Justice party ahead of the European parliamentary elections in May, which it won, and legislative elections scheduled for later this year. 
&nbsp;

Polish lawmakers have approved a measure that would exonerate most workers under the age of 26 from income taxes as the country seeks to stem the flow of its young people to other EU nations in search of better-paying jobs.

Polish lawmakers have approved a measure that would exonerate most workers under the age of 26 from income taxes as the country seeks to stem the flow of its young people to other EU nations in search of better-paying jobs. The lower house of parliament approved the measure introduced by the ruling conservatives in a vote late Thursday by an overwhelming majority. The bill would exonerate workers under the age of 26 from Poland's 18 per cent personal income tax for those whose gross earnings don't surpass 85,500 zlotys (20,000 euros, $22,500) per year. That level is higher than Poland's average income, estimated to be around 60,000 zlotys per year before tax. The approval of the measure by the upper house of parliament and its signature by the president is widely expected. Some two million people could benefit from the measure, according to supporters of the legislation, which should enter into force from August 1. Poland has long been haemorrhaging skilled workers to other EU states where they can find better-paying jobs, posing both a long-term demographic risk and short-term problem finding enough labourers to continue the country's streak of economic growth since the fall of communism in 1989. The measure was one of the campaign promises made by the ruling Law and Justice party ahead of the European parliamentary elections in May, which it won, and legislative elections scheduled for later this year.

Poland moves to exempt young workers from income tax

Poland has introduced a new law in the country to keep a check on the rising brain drain.

The law aims at scrapping income tax for nearly 2 million young workers and&nbsp;will come into effect this week.

Poles under the age of 26 earning less than 85,528 Polish zloty ($22,547) a year will be exempt from the country's 18 per cent&nbsp;income tax starting August 1.&nbsp;

The country has been experiencing increasing brain drain since the past 15 years after it joined the European Union.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki claims that the&nbsp;law will bring new opportunities for the young citizens of the country.

&nbsp;

Poland has introduced a new law in the country to keep a check on the rising brain drain. The law aims at scrapping income tax for nearly 2 million young workers and will come into effect this week.

Poland has introduced a new law in the country to keep a check on the rising brain drain. The law aims at scrapping income tax for nearly 2 million young workers and will come into effect this week. Poles under the age of 26 earning less than 85,528 Polish zloty ($22,547) a year will be exempt from the country's 18 per cent income tax starting August 1. The country has been experiencing increasing brain drain since the past 15 years after it joined the European Union. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki claims that the law will bring new opportunities for the young citizens of the country.

Poland scraps income tax for young workers

US payments company PayPal &lt;PYPL.O&gt; is expanding further in Europe by launching its international money transfers service Xoom in Britain and 31 other countries across the continent.

Xoom allows customers to transfer money abroad to more than 130 markets internationally, including India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Poland, and China.

The company said the roll-out would help it grab market share in the $689 billion global remittances market, building on previous launches of the service in the United States and Canada.

Britons alone transfer over $26 billion in remittances overseas annually, many sending money to help family members pay bills.

Xoom partners with major banks and other finance firms to facilitate the money transfers, with customers able to transfer up to 8,800 pounds ($11,029) per transaction.

US payments company PayPal <PYPL.O> is expanding further in Europe by launching its international money transfers service Xoom in Britain and 31 other countries across the continent.

US payments company PayPal <PYPL.O> is expanding further in Europe by launching its international money transfers service Xoom in Britain and 31 other countries across the continent. Xoom allows customers to transfer money abroad to more than 130 markets internationally, including India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Poland, and China. The company said the roll-out would help it grab market share in the $689 billion global remittances market, building on previous launches of the service in the United States and Canada. Britons alone transfer over $26 billion in remittances overseas annually, many sending money to help family members pay bills. Xoom partners with major banks and other finance firms to facilitate the money transfers, with customers able to transfer up to 8,800 pounds ($11,029) per transaction.

PayPal launches international money transfer service Xoom across Europe

Polish lawmakers have approved a measure that would exonerate most workers under the age of 26 from income taxes as the country seeks to stem the flow of its young people to other EU nations in search of better-paying jobs.

The lower house of parliament approved the measure introduced by the ruling conservatives in a vote late Thursday by an overwhelming majority.

The bill would exonerate workers under the age of 26 from Poland's 18 per cent personal income tax for those whose gross earnings don't surpass 85,500 zlotys (20,000 euros, $22,500) per year.

That level is higher than Poland's average income, estimated to be around 60,000 zlotys per year before tax.

The approval of the measure by the upper house of parliament and its signature by the president is widely expected.

Some two million people could benefit from the measure, according to supporters of the legislation, which should enter into force from August 1.

Poland has long been haemorrhaging skilled workers to other EU states where they can find better-paying jobs, posing both a long-term demographic risk and short-term problem finding enough labourers to continue the country's streak of economic growth since the fall of communism in 1989.

The measure was one of the campaign promises made by the ruling Law and Justice party ahead of the European parliamentary elections in May, which it won, and legislative elections scheduled for later this year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-announces-250-million-in-military-aid-to-ukraine-228506">Ukraine</a> on Tuesday announced it is withdrawing its invitation to monitors from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe elections later this month, in protest against Russia's reinstatement in the body.

Russian delegates had been stripped of their voting rights in the pan-European rights body in 2014 after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine, but last week were allowed to return over strong objections from Kiev.

Ukrainian parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy on Tuesday said he signed a letter to PACE president Liliane Maury-Pasquier saying its monitors were no longer welcome at the parliamentary elections to be held on July 21.

"Representatives of an aggressor country, Russia, cannot be among international observers; they will be agents of a hybrid war rather than observers," Parubiy wrote on his Facebook page.

"Any influence by Russia on Ukrainian elections, by any means, is not acceptable."

Ukraine, together with Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia had unsuccessfully tried to block Russia's return to PACE, but it was approved by a vote of 116 in favour to 62 against.

Russia's comeback is the first relaxation of the international sanctions that were imposed on Moscow for seizing Crimea.

Ukraine's snap parliamentary polls were called by the country's recently-elected <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-new-president-zelensky-says-ceasefire-first-priority-220138">President Volodymyr Zelensky</a> in a controversial move aimed at replacing lawmakers who he says no longer enjoy public support.

The legal status of Zelensky's move to dissolve parliament was initially disputed, but the Constitutional Court ruled that it is legitimate.

The Council of Europe on Tuesday confirmed to AFP that Russia paid its participant contribution of 33 million euros for the year 2019.

Ukraine on Tuesday announced it is withdrawing its invitation to monitors from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe elections later this month, in protest against Russia's reinstatement in the body.

Ukraine on Tuesday announced it is withdrawing its invitation to monitors from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe elections later this month, in protest against Russia's reinstatement in the body. Russian delegates had been stripped of their voting rights in the pan-European rights body in 2014 after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine, but last week were allowed to return over strong objections from Kiev. Ukrainian parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy on Tuesday said he signed a letter to PACE president Liliane Maury-Pasquier saying its monitors were no longer welcome at the parliamentary elections to be held on July 21. "Representatives of an aggressor country, Russia, cannot be among international observers; they will be agents of a hybrid war rather than observers," Parubiy wrote on his Facebook page. "Any influence by Russia on Ukrainian elections, by any means, is not acceptable." Ukraine, together with Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia had unsuccessfully tried to block Russia's return to PACE, but it was approved by a vote of 116 in favour to 62 against. Russia's comeback is the first relaxation of the international sanctions that were imposed on Moscow for seizing Crimea. Ukraine's snap parliamentary polls were called by the country's recently-elected President Volodymyr Zelensky in a controversial move aimed at replacing lawmakers who he says no longer enjoy public support. The legal status of Zelensky's move to dissolve parliament was initially disputed, but the Constitutional Court ruled that it is legitimate. The Council of Europe on Tuesday confirmed to AFP that Russia paid its participant contribution of 33 million euros for the year 2019.

Ukraine says European observers not welcome at July polls

Germany recorded its highest-ever June temperature on Wednesday, as much of continental Europe contends with a major heatwave. The German Weather Service said the mercury hit 38.6 degrees Celsius in Coschen, on the country's border with Poland.

Germany's temperature record smashed as Europe's heatwave intensifies

&nbsp;The US President Donald Trump pledged to Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday that he will<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/poland-offering-2-billion-to-host-us-military-base-donald-trump-166570"> deploy 1,000 US troops to Poland</a>, a step sought by Warsaw to deter potential aggression from Russia.

Despite their strong show of unity, Trump disagreed with Duda's attempt to force the retirement of some Polish Supreme Court judges, a decision last year that prompted protests. "No," Trump said when asked if he supported the move.

Trump announced the troop deployment at a joint news conference with Duda in the White House Rose Garden shortly after the two leaders signed a joint declaration affirming defence cooperation and watched a US made F-35 fighter jet fly overhead.

Duda, who is considering naming the US installation "Fort Trump," said the new influx of troops was needed because of Moscow's past aggression against Poland and to help solidify his country's ties to the West.

"Russia again is showing its unkind, unfriendly imperial face," he said. "Russia is always looking out to take our territory."

Trump said earlier the troop contingent could come from the US force in Germany, which he has accused of paying too little for NATO's common defence.

The decision by Trump represents an effort to cater to the interests of Poland, a key NATO ally, while not overly antagonizing Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom Trump would like to have friendly relations. He and Putin are to meet in Japan in two weeks.

"I hope that Poland is going to have a great relationship with Russia. I hope that we're going to have a great relationship with Russia," said Trump.

The United States already has troops in Poland as part of a 2016 agreement with the NATO military alliance in response to Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Poland's eastern neighbour Ukraine in 2014.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement welcoming the deployment.

"Today’s announcement is part of NATO’s measured, defensive and proportionate efforts to strengthen our deterrence and defence," he said.

Duda denied backsliding on democracy when asked about his attempt to remove the judges. He said some of them dated back to Poland's communist past and that he wanted to remove them as part of judicial reforms.

"This is a very complex issue," he said. "Everything that we were doing was aimed at retiring those people .. Let me assure you, freedom of speech is absolutely respected in Poland. Poland absolutely respects all constitutional standards."

With Trump to turn 73 on Friday, Duda wished Trump a happy birthday at an evening White House reception whose audience included Polish-Americans. Some in the crowd launched into a happy birthday song in Polish.

"This first term of your presidency will be the introduction to your second term," Duda told Trump.

The US President Donald Trump pledged to Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday that he will deploy 1,000 US troops to Poland, a step sought by Warsaw to deter potential aggression from Russia.

The US President Donald Trump pledged to Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday that he will deploy 1,000 US troops to Poland, a step sought by Warsaw to deter potential aggression from Russia. Despite their strong show of unity, Trump disagreed with Duda's attempt to force the retirement of some Polish Supreme Court judges, a decision last year that prompted protests. "No," Trump said when asked if he supported the move. Trump announced the troop deployment at a joint news conference with Duda in the White House Rose Garden shortly after the two leaders signed a joint declaration affirming defence cooperation and watched a US made F-35 fighter jet fly overhead. Duda, who is considering naming the US installation "Fort Trump," said the new influx of troops was needed because of Moscow's past aggression against Poland and to help solidify his country's ties to the West. "Russia again is showing its unkind, unfriendly imperial face," he said. "Russia is always looking out to take our territory." Trump said earlier the troop contingent could come from the US force in Germany, which he has accused of paying too little for NATO's common defence. The decision by Trump represents an effort to cater to the interests of Poland, a key NATO ally, while not overly antagonizing Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom Trump would like to have friendly relations. He and Putin are to meet in Japan in two weeks. "I hope that Poland is going to have a great relationship with Russia. I hope that we're going to have a great relationship with Russia," said Trump. The United States already has troops in Poland as part of a 2016 agreement with the NATO military alliance in response to Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Poland's eastern neighbour Ukraine in 2014. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement welcoming the deployment. "Today’s announcement is part of NATO’s measured, defensive and proportionate efforts to strengthen our deterrence and defence," he said. Duda denied backsliding on democracy when asked about his attempt to remove the judges. He said some of them dated back to Poland's communist past and that he wanted to remove them as part of judicial reforms. "This is a very complex issue," he said. "Everything that we were doing was aimed at retiring those people .. Let me assure you, freedom of speech is absolutely respected in Poland. Poland absolutely respects all constitutional standards." With Trump to turn 73 on Friday, Duda wished Trump a happy birthday at an evening White House reception whose audience included Polish-Americans. Some in the crowd launched into a happy birthday song in Polish. "This first term of your presidency will be the introduction to your second term," Duda told Trump.

US will deploy 1,000 troops to Poland; Warsaw may call them 'Fort Trump'

Polish firefighters have worked overnight to put out a huge blaze that broke out on the upper floors of a high-rise building under construction in downtown Warsaw.

Blaze engulfs upper floors of Warsaw high-rise

108 year-old Wanda Zarzycka opens her piano and starts playing a melody. As her fingers move quickly and skilfully over the keys, the lines on her hands are the only thing betraying her age.

108-year-old pianist doesn't let age stop her playing

Russia's pipeline monopoly Transneft is investigating a case of contaminated oil, Russian President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/parents-of-novichok-victim-ask-why-uk-settled-ex-spy-in-salisbury-197770">Vladimir Putin</a> said on Saturday, adding that this could lead to a wider inquiry, possibly including law enforcement agencies.

Poland, Germany, Ukraine and some other countries suspended imports of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline this week due to the contamination.

Russia said it plans to restore the pipeline to Europe to stability in two weeks.

"I am aware of what happened, but the details are unknown to me because in order to understand what happened there one needs to conduct an investigation," Putin told reporters in Beijing, adding that he briefly exchanged views on the case with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The problem arose last week when an unidentified Russian producer contaminated oil with high levels of organic chloride, which is typically used to boost oil output but which must be separated before shipment as it can destroy refining equipment.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered the energy and trade ministries to conduct an inquiry within seven days and prepare proposals on how to avoid a repeat, Interfax news agency reported, citing a government statement which said the results should be sent to the prosecutor's office.

Transneft said on Friday that the contamination which led to the suspension of the oil flows to Europe could be deliberate and that a criminal case was opened, Interfax news agency said.

"First of all, of course, it is necessary to conduct an investigation at the level of Transneft itself and to identify the place from which it came from, for what reasons, what it was and so on.

"This investigation is ongoing," Putin said.

"If the internal corporate investigation is not enough, I do not rule out that we will conduct more thorough (investigation) with the help of law enforcement agencies and specialists", Putin said.

Russia's pipeline monopoly Transneft is investigating a case of contaminated oil, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, adding that this could lead to a wider inquiry, possibly including law enforcement agencies.

Russia's pipeline monopoly Transneft is investigating a case of contaminated oil, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, adding that this could lead to a wider inquiry, possibly including law enforcement agencies. Poland, Germany, Ukraine and some other countries suspended imports of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline this week due to the contamination. Russia said it plans to restore the pipeline to Europe to stability in two weeks. "I am aware of what happened, but the details are unknown to me because in order to understand what happened there one needs to conduct an investigation," Putin told reporters in Beijing, adding that he briefly exchanged views on the case with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The problem arose last week when an unidentified Russian producer contaminated oil with high levels of organic chloride, which is typically used to boost oil output but which must be separated before shipment as it can destroy refining equipment. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered the energy and trade ministries to conduct an inquiry within seven days and prepare proposals on how to avoid a repeat, Interfax news agency reported, citing a government statement which said the results should be sent to the prosecutor's office. Transneft said on Friday that the contamination which led to the suspension of the oil flows to Europe could be deliberate and that a criminal case was opened, Interfax news agency said. "First of all, of course, it is necessary to conduct an investigation at the level of Transneft itself and to identify the place from which it came from, for what reasons, what it was and so on. "This investigation is ongoing," Putin said. "If the internal corporate investigation is not enough, I do not rule out that we will conduct more thorough (investigation) with the help of law enforcement agencies and specialists", Putin said.

Vladimir Putin flags wider investigation into contaminated Russian oil

Catholic priests in Poland burned books they say are sacrilegious this weekend, including tomes from British author J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of fantasy novels.

"We obey the Word," priests said in a Facebook post showing photographs of the public book burning and quoting Biblical passages from the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament.

One passage exhorting believers to destroy the enemies of God includes the command to "burn their idols in the fire".

The post, on a page run by the Catholic "SMS from Heaven" evangelical group, stirred controversy and has gone viral.

Photographs show three priests carrying a basket of books and other items, including an African-styled face mask through a church to an outside fire pit.

Priests are seen saying prayers over the fire pit where other items, including a book from the Twilight vampire-themed fantasy romance series, a 'Hello Kitty' umbrella and a Hindu religious figurine, are also burning.

Father Jan Kucharski, the priest in the Gdansk parish where the book burning took place, told the natemat.pl news website on Monday that they had burned items "linked to the occult and magic."

"Aside from the books, there were talismans and amulets. Parishioners brought them to put things in order" as part of spring cleaning, added the priest, who is also listed as an exorcist on the Gdansk dCatholic priests burn Harry Potter books in Polandiocese official website.

'Inappropriate'

The burning took place in front of his church after Sunday mass.

Kucharczyk dismissed comparisons to the cultural censorship of totalitarian regimes like Nazi Germany.&nbsp;

"We know what's harmful to our faithful so that's why we held an event like this. I'd even call it evangelical," he told natemat.pl.&nbsp;

Contacted by AFP on Monday, the Polish Episcopate and Gdansk diocese acknowledged the incident but declined to comment.

Father Wojciech Parfianowicz, a spokesman from the Koszalin-Kolobrzeg diocese where the "SMS from Heaven" group is based, condemned the book burning as "inappropriate".

But he told the Polish PAP news agency that the event risked "diverting attention from real spiritual dangers" posed by "the occult or magic".

"I'd like to believe this is a joke... Seriously? Are people burning fantasy literature in the 21st century in some kind of sick ritual?!" one Facebook user said in a comment underneath the post.

"It's hard for me to believe that we're so backward!" the user added.

Other Facebook users, however, backed the book burning.

"Get rid of everything that does not please God and see how your life will change," one person posted.

Child abuse scandal

Launched in 1997, the Harry Potter series of books spins an epic tale of good and evil focused on the adventures of the eponymous bespectacled young wizard as he struggles against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort.

It has sometimes drawn criticism from religious and conservative circles for what they say is its focus on witchcraft.

This latest incident comes as Poland's influential Roman Catholic church struggles to deal with the fallout of revelations about paedophilia among priests that are unprecedented in this overwhelmingly Catholic country.

Last month, the Polish episcopate admitted for the first time that nearly 400 of its clergy had sexually abused children and minors over the past three decades.

That reflected findings published in February by a charity focused on sex abuse in the church.&nbsp;

A survey published in the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza on Monday suggested that 64 per cent of Poles want a secular state, with 29 per cent opposed and seven per cent without an opinion.

The poll was carried out March 5-11 by Kantor Millward Brown on a random representative sample of 1,500 adult Poles.

Catholic priests in Poland burned books they say are sacrilegious this weekend, including tomes from British author J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of fantasy novels.

Catholic priests in Poland burned books they say are sacrilegious this weekend, including tomes from British author J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of fantasy novels. "We obey the Word," priests said in a Facebook post showing photographs of the public book burning and quoting Biblical passages from the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. One passage exhorting believers to destroy the enemies of God includes the command to "burn their idols in the fire". The post, on a page run by the Catholic "SMS from Heaven" evangelical group, stirred controversy and has gone viral. Photographs show three priests carrying a basket of books and other items, including an African-styled face mask through a church to an outside fire pit. Priests are seen saying prayers over the fire pit where other items, including a book from the Twilight vampire-themed fantasy romance series, a 'Hello Kitty' umbrella and a Hindu religious figurine, are also burning. Father Jan Kucharski, the priest in the Gdansk parish where the book burning took place, told the natemat.pl news website on Monday that they had burned items "linked to the occult and magic." "Aside from the books, there were talismans and amulets. Parishioners brought them to put things in order" as part of spring cleaning, added the priest, who is also listed as an exorcist on the Gdansk dCatholic priests burn Harry Potter books in Polandiocese official website. 'Inappropriate' The burning took place in front of his church after Sunday mass. Kucharczyk dismissed comparisons to the cultural censorship of totalitarian regimes like Nazi Germany. "We know what's harmful to our faithful so that's why we held an event like this. I'd even call it evangelical," he told natemat.pl. Contacted by AFP on Monday, the Polish Episcopate and Gdansk diocese acknowledged the incident but declined to comment. Father Wojciech Parfianowicz, a spokesman from the Koszalin-Kolobrzeg diocese where the "SMS from Heaven" group is based, condemned the book burning as "inappropriate". But he told the Polish PAP news agency that the event risked "diverting attention from real spiritual dangers" posed by "the occult or magic". "I'd like to believe this is a joke... Seriously? Are people burning fantasy literature in the 21st century in some kind of sick ritual?!" one Facebook user said in a comment underneath the post. "It's hard for me to believe that we're so backward!" the user added. Other Facebook users, however, backed the book burning. "Get rid of everything that does not please God and see how your life will change," one person posted. Child abuse scandal Launched in 1997, the Harry Potter series of books spins an epic tale of good and evil focused on the adventures of the eponymous bespectacled young wizard as he struggles against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. It has sometimes drawn criticism from religious and conservative circles for what they say is its focus on witchcraft. This latest incident comes as Poland's influential Roman Catholic church struggles to deal with the fallout of revelations about paedophilia among priests that are unprecedented in this overwhelmingly Catholic country. Last month, the Polish episcopate admitted for the first time that nearly 400 of its clergy had sexually abused children and minors over the past three decades. That reflected findings published in February by a charity focused on sex abuse in the church. A survey published in the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza on Monday suggested that 64 per cent of Poles want a secular state, with 29 per cent opposed and seven per cent without an opinion. The poll was carried out March 5-11 by Kantor Millward Brown on a random representative sample of 1,500 adult Poles.

Catholic priests burn Harry Potter books in Poland

A Chinese executive of Huawei arrested earlier this month in Poland on suspicion of spying said on Friday he was not guilty in the case, which has drawn attention to what some Western countries say is a security risk from the world's biggest telecoms equipment company.

"With reference to my detention on January 8 under charges of alleged actions in foreign intelligence against Poland, I hereby strongly declare that I am innocent," the man, who can be only partly identified as Weijing W under Polish law, said in a statement sent by his lawyer.

Poland announced on January 11 it had arrested him and a former Polish security official on spying allegations. Huawei said the following day that Weijing W&nbsp;was fired.&nbsp;

The court has ordered the men held for up to three months pending further investigation.

Weijing W&nbsp;also said that the charges against him are "completely groundless and terribly hurtful".

"I have never consciously had contact with and I certainly did not cooperate with any kind of intelligence, especially Chinese intelligence," the man said.

The Polish spying case comes as a range of Western countries have either taken steps or said they are considering measures to limit access of Huawei to their markets. The company denies wrongdoing or that it poses a security risk in the West.

US&nbsp;officials have said that the company is at the beck and call of the Chinese state and that its equipment could contain "back doors" allowing espionage. Huawei says such concerns are unfounded.

The company's chief financial officer is being held in Canada on a US extradition request over accusations of sanctions-busting which Huawei also denies.

Huawei, once a fast follower of Nordic firms Nokia and Ericsson, is now a $93 billion global market leader in an industry where there is no US champion.

In a lengthy statement e-mailed to Reuters by his lawyer on Friday, Weijing W said that he had lived in Poland for more than 12 years. He was hired at Huawei's Polish unit in 2011 as public relations manager.

Poland, where Huawei is the smartphone market leader and provides a significant part of telecom infrastructure, could also consider banning the use of Huawei products by public bodies, a senior government official said on Sunday.

A Chinese executive of Huawei arrested earlier this month in Poland on suspicion of spying said on Friday he was not guilty in the case, which has drawn attention to what some Western countries say is a security risk from the world's biggest telecoms equipment company.

A Chinese executive of Huawei arrested earlier this month in Poland on suspicion of spying said on Friday he was not guilty in the case, which has drawn attention to what some Western countries say is a security risk from the world's biggest telecoms equipment company. "With reference to my detention on January 8 under charges of alleged actions in foreign intelligence against Poland, I hereby strongly declare that I am innocent," the man, who can be only partly identified as Weijing W under Polish law, said in a statement sent by his lawyer. Poland announced on January 11 it had arrested him and a former Polish security official on spying allegations. Huawei said the following day that Weijing W was fired. The court has ordered the men held for up to three months pending further investigation. Weijing W also said that the charges against him are "completely groundless and terribly hurtful". "I have never consciously had contact with and I certainly did not cooperate with any kind of intelligence, especially Chinese intelligence," the man said. The Polish spying case comes as a range of Western countries have either taken steps or said they are considering measures to limit access of Huawei to their markets. The company denies wrongdoing or that it poses a security risk in the West. US officials have said that the company is at the beck and call of the Chinese state and that its equipment could contain "back doors" allowing espionage. Huawei says such concerns are unfounded. The company's chief financial officer is being held in Canada on a US extradition request over accusations of sanctions-busting which Huawei also denies. Huawei, once a fast follower of Nordic firms Nokia and Ericsson, is now a $93 billion global market leader in an industry where there is no US champion. In a lengthy statement e-mailed to Reuters by his lawyer on Friday, Weijing W said that he had lived in Poland for more than 12 years. He was hired at Huawei's Polish unit in 2011 as public relations manager. Poland, where Huawei is the smartphone market leader and provides a significant part of telecom infrastructure, could also consider banning the use of Huawei products by public bodies, a senior government official said on Sunday.

'Strongly declare that I am innocent': Huawei executive Weijing W says not guilty of spying charges

A former Polish security official arrested by Polish authorities has been charged with spying for China while still working for Polish government institutions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Piotr Durbajlo, who was working for Orange Polska at the time of his arrest on January 10, had previously worked for Poland's Internal Security Agency and the Office of Electronic Communications, among other state institutions between 2000 and 2017, according to a LinkedIn profile in his name.&nbsp;

Spokespeople from Poland's national prosecutor's office and security services declined to comment on the Journal's report when contacted by Reuters. Reuters was not able immediately to determine the identity of Durbajlo's lawyers.

On January 11, officials said Durbajlo was arrested along with Chinese national Weijing Wang, an executive of telecommunications equipment maker Huawei, on allegations of spying, in a move that fuels Western security concerns about the Chinese company. The officials did not disclose details of the alleged espionage.&nbsp;

Both men heard charges in a Polish court last week.

Poland's government could consider limiting the use of Huawei products by public bodies in the wake of the arrests, a government official told Reuters on Sunday.

Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecommunications equipment, faces intense scrutiny in the West over its relationship with China's government and US-led allegations that its devices could be used by Beijing for spying.

Piotr Durbajlo, who was working for Orange Polska at the time of his arrest on January 10, had previously worked for Poland's Internal Security Agency.

A former Polish security official arrested by Polish authorities has been charged with spying for China while still working for Polish government institutions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Piotr Durbajlo, who was working for Orange Polska at the time of his arrest on January 10, had previously worked for Poland's Internal Security Agency and the Office of Electronic Communications, among other state institutions between 2000 and 2017, according to a LinkedIn profile in his name. Spokespeople from Poland's national prosecutor's office and security services declined to comment on the Journal's report when contacted by Reuters. Reuters was not able immediately to determine the identity of Durbajlo's lawyers. On January 11, officials said Durbajlo was arrested along with Chinese national Weijing Wang, an executive of telecommunications equipment maker Huawei, on allegations of spying, in a move that fuels Western security concerns about the Chinese company. The officials did not disclose details of the alleged espionage. Both men heard charges in a Polish court last week. Poland's government could consider limiting the use of Huawei products by public bodies in the wake of the arrests, a government official told Reuters on Sunday. Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecommunications equipment, faces intense scrutiny in the West over its relationship with China's government and US-led allegations that its devices could be used by Beijing for spying.

Polish man arrested over spying for China while working in government: Report

A knife-wielding assailant on Sunday stabbed the mayor of the Polish port city of Gdansk in front of hundreds of people at a charity event, police and media said.

Paramedics resuscitated Pawel Adamowicz, 53, at the scene before taking him to hospital where he underwent surgery.

"I learned that doctors succeeded in re-establishing the cardiac function of Mr Adamowicz who has been gravely wounded. There is hope but his condition remains serious," Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Twitter.

A video recording of the attack posted on YouTube showed the attacker bursting onto the podium.

After knifing the mayor, he seized the microphone and claimed to have been wrongly jailed by the previous centrist government of the Civic Platform (PO) and tortured.

"That's why Adamowicz dies," the attacker said.

The Civic Platform had supported Adamowicz's re-election in 2018 municipal elections.

The attack took place at a fundraiser for the purchase of medical equipment and the assailant was quickly apprehended by security guards and arrested.

A Gdansk police spokesman said the detained man was a 27-year-old who lived in the city.

According to Polish media, the man had been sentenced to more than five years in prison for four armed attacks on banks in Gdansk.

"The attack on the life and health of the mayor of Gdansk must be firmly condemned," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Twitter.

Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski condemned the attack as "an incomprehensible act of barbarism".

A knife-wielding assailant on Sunday stabbed the mayor of the Polish port city of Gdansk in front of hundreds of people at a charity event, police and media said.

A knife-wielding assailant on Sunday stabbed the mayor of the Polish port city of Gdansk in front of hundreds of people at a charity event, police and media said. Paramedics resuscitated Pawel Adamowicz, 53, at the scene before taking him to hospital where he underwent surgery. "I learned that doctors succeeded in re-establishing the cardiac function of Mr Adamowicz who has been gravely wounded. There is hope but his condition remains serious," Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Twitter. A video recording of the attack posted on YouTube showed the attacker bursting onto the podium. After knifing the mayor, he seized the microphone and claimed to have been wrongly jailed by the previous centrist government of the Civic Platform (PO) and tortured. "That's why Adamowicz dies," the attacker said. The Civic Platform had supported Adamowicz's re-election in 2018 municipal elections. The attack took place at a fundraiser for the purchase of medical equipment and the assailant was quickly apprehended by security guards and arrested. A Gdansk police spokesman said the detained man was a 27-year-old who lived in the city. According to Polish media, the man had been sentenced to more than five years in prison for four armed attacks on banks in Gdansk. "The attack on the life and health of the mayor of Gdansk must be firmly condemned," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Twitter. Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski condemned the attack as "an incomprehensible act of barbarism".

Poland mayor stabbed during charity event; undergoes surgery

5 girls killed in Poland "Escape Room" fire

Nations appeared Saturday to be on the cusp of a deal to implement the Paris climate goals, after all-night negotiations to hammer out a plan aimed at limiting global temperature rises.

"I think we have a landing zone. It is a compromise," Gebru Jember Endalew, chair of the Least Developed Countries negotiating group at the COP24 climate summit, told AFP.

Delegates from nearly 200 nations have been locked in marathon talks in Poland designed to produce a common rule book to put the pledges they made in the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord into practice.

This means all countries, rich and poor alike, must agree to action that will cap global temperature rises to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and stave off the worst effects of planetary warming.&nbsp;

The talks have been beset by a host of disagreements, with different configurations of developed and developing nations straddling both sides of the divide.&nbsp;

Developing nations want more clarity from richer ones over how the future climate fight will be funded and have been pushing for so-called "loss and damage" measures.

This would see richer countries giving money now to help deal with the effects of climate change many vulnerable states are already experiencing.&nbsp;

"It is a bit difficult to compromise when there are 190-plus countries," said Endalew. "I am still collecting feedback from the coordinators."

The European Union's climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete on Saturday morning tweeted a photo of him poring over the draft decision text from the talks -- which were meant to wrap up Friday -- submitted by host Poland.

"A deal to make the #ParisAgreement operational is within reach," he said.

&nbsp;

Nations appeared Saturday to be on the cusp of a deal to implement the Paris climate goals, after all-night negotiations to hammer out a plan aimed at limiting global temperature rises.

Nations appeared Saturday to be on the cusp of a deal to implement the Paris climate goals, after all-night negotiations to hammer out a plan aimed at limiting global temperature rises. "I think we have a landing zone. It is a compromise," Gebru Jember Endalew, chair of the Least Developed Countries negotiating group at the COP24 climate summit, told AFP. Delegates from nearly 200 nations have been locked in marathon talks in Poland designed to produce a common rule book to put the pledges they made in the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord into practice. This means all countries, rich and poor alike, must agree to action that will cap global temperature rises to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and stave off the worst effects of planetary warming. The talks have been beset by a host of disagreements, with different configurations of developed and developing nations straddling both sides of the divide. Developing nations want more clarity from richer ones over how the future climate fight will be funded and have been pushing for so-called "loss and damage" measures. This would see richer countries giving money now to help deal with the effects of climate change many vulnerable states are already experiencing. "It is a bit difficult to compromise when there are 190-plus countries," said Endalew. "I am still collecting feedback from the coordinators." The European Union's climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete on Saturday morning tweeted a photo of him poring over the draft decision text from the talks -- which were meant to wrap up Friday -- submitted by host Poland. "A deal to make the #ParisAgreement operational is within reach," he said.

Marathon UN climate talks near final straight

Nations at <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nations-urged-to-tackle-urgent-threats-at-un-climate-talks-180985">UN climate talks</a> were haggling Friday over the world's plan to avert disaster as host Poland dumped a draft decision text on delegates just hours before the summit was due to end. &nbsp;

Negotiators told AFP that delegates from nearly 200 nations were still far apart on several crunch issues -- from how the future fight against climate change is funded, to the levels of help given to countries already experiencing its effects.&nbsp;

Ministers at the COP24 talks must agree on a common rulebook to make good on promises made by countries in the landmark <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/why-the-next-two-years-are-critical-for-the-paris-climate-deals-survival-181651">2015 Paris accord</a>, which vowed to limit global temperature rises to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).&nbsp;

But with the starkest warnings yet from scientists highlighting the need to drastically slash fossil fuel emissions within the coming decades in order to meet the safer cap of 1.5C warming, delegates were urged to act now or condemn at-risk nations to disaster.

One negotiator told AFP there were "several areas of concern" surrounding the draft decision text released overnight by Poland.&nbsp;

A major sticking point remains finance. Developing nations say they cannot afford to make their economies greener without reliable, transparent funding from richer nations.&nbsp;

'Cruel joke'

In the draft text there was no resolution on the key issue of finance, and developed nations -- responsible for the lion's share of historic greenhouse gas emissions -- were accused of seeking to shirk funding promises made in Paris.&nbsp;

"We are putting pressure on the (global) north to pay the cost," Costa Rica's environment minister Carlos Manuel Rodriguez told reporters.

Harjeet Singh, global climate lead at ActionAid, said rich countries were "playing a cruel joke" on developing nations.

As it stands, "there is no obligation on their part on finance, both in terms of how much money they are going to provide and how to count that money," he said.&nbsp;

The draft text gave short shrift to another red-line issue for poor countries exposed to the ravages brought on by global warming: so-called "loss and damage".

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions and helping nations prepare for a climate-addled future have long been the twin pillars of the UN climate forum.&nbsp; 
But more recently, a third plank of the regime was added to help nations cope with deadly heatwaves, drought and floods -- amplified by climate change -- happening today.

"It is extremely concerning that loss and damage has been relegated to a footnote in the current draft," Mark Lutes, delegation lead for WWF.

'Climate emergency'

Xie Zhenhua, China's top <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/organic-food-has-bigger-climate-impact-than-conventionally-farmed-food-study-184028">climate</a> negotiator, said his country -- the world's largest carbon emitter -- "will do what we can" to get a deal in Katowice.

"We may get an outcome that everyone may not be entirely satisfied with, but can accept," he told reporters.&nbsp;

The expectation is that talks will go deep into overtime, with a number of key issues still unresolved. &nbsp;

One potential breakthrough came in the form of tentative consensus over how to treat the latest UN scientific report.&nbsp;

Most nations wanted the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- which highlighted the need for greenhouse gas emissions to be slashed to nearly half by 2030 in order to hit the 1.5C target -- to form a key part of future planning.

But the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait objected, leading to watered-down language in the draft decision.

Activists lamented the inability of the UN climate forum to decisively address what they describe as a "climate emergency."&nbsp;

"People are no longer waiting for some global consensus," said Jennifer Morgan, International Executive Director for Greenpeace.

"They are suing their governments, they are suing the carbon major companies, they are blocking roads and bridges, they are organising school strikes -- and this is only the beginning."

Dozens of school children took part in a strike inside the COP24 complex called by climate campaigning schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, who has been issuing pleas for action at the UN summit.

"For two weeks, Greta has been alone pushing leaders to deliver a climate deal. Today we answer her call and bring the call of young people everywhere to our leaders," said 15-year-old schoolgirl Malgorzata Czachowska. &nbsp;

"The time for talk is over, the time for action is now." &nbsp;

Nations at UN climate talks were haggling Friday over the world's plan to avert disaster as host Poland dumped a draft decision text on delegates just hours before the summit was due to end.

Nations at UN climate talks were haggling Friday over the world's plan to avert disaster as host Poland dumped a draft decision text on delegates just hours before the summit was due to end. Negotiators told AFP that delegates from nearly 200 nations were still far apart on several crunch issues -- from how the future fight against climate change is funded, to the levels of help given to countries already experiencing its effects. Ministers at the COP24 talks must agree on a common rulebook to make good on promises made by countries in the landmark 2015 Paris accord, which vowed to limit global temperature rises to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). But with the starkest warnings yet from scientists highlighting the need to drastically slash fossil fuel emissions within the coming decades in order to meet the safer cap of 1.5C warming, delegates were urged to act now or condemn at-risk nations to disaster. One negotiator told AFP there were "several areas of concern" surrounding the draft decision text released overnight by Poland. A major sticking point remains finance. Developing nations say they cannot afford to make their economies greener without reliable, transparent funding from richer nations. 'Cruel joke' In the draft text there was no resolution on the key issue of finance, and developed nations -- responsible for the lion's share of historic greenhouse gas emissions -- were accused of seeking to shirk funding promises made in Paris. "We are putting pressure on the (global) north to pay the cost," Costa Rica's environment minister Carlos Manuel Rodriguez told reporters. Harjeet Singh, global climate lead at ActionAid, said rich countries were "playing a cruel joke" on developing nations. As it stands, "there is no obligation on their part on finance, both in terms of how much money they are going to provide and how to count that money," he said. The draft text gave short shrift to another red-line issue for poor countries exposed to the ravages brought on by global warming: so-called "loss and damage". Cutting greenhouse gas emissions and helping nations prepare for a climate-addled future have long been the twin pillars of the UN climate forum. But more recently, a third plank of the regime was added to help nations cope with deadly heatwaves, drought and floods -- amplified by climate change -- happening today. "It is extremely concerning that loss and damage has been relegated to a footnote in the current draft," Mark Lutes, delegation lead for WWF. 'Climate emergency' Xie Zhenhua, China's top climate negotiator, said his country -- the world's largest carbon emitter -- "will do what we can" to get a deal in Katowice. "We may get an outcome that everyone may not be entirely satisfied with, but can accept," he told reporters. The expectation is that talks will go deep into overtime, with a number of key issues still unresolved. One potential breakthrough came in the form of tentative consensus over how to treat the latest UN scientific report. Most nations wanted the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- which highlighted the need for greenhouse gas emissions to be slashed to nearly half by 2030 in order to hit the 1.5C target -- to form a key part of future planning. But the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait objected, leading to watered-down language in the draft decision. Activists lamented the inability of the UN climate forum to decisively address what they describe as a "climate emergency." "People are no longer waiting for some global consensus," said Jennifer Morgan, International Executive Director for Greenpeace. "They are suing their governments, they are suing the carbon major companies, they are blocking roads and bridges, they are organising school strikes -- and this is only the beginning." Dozens of school children took part in a strike inside the COP24 complex called by climate campaigning schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, who has been issuing pleas for action at the UN summit. "For two weeks, Greta has been alone pushing leaders to deliver a climate deal. Today we answer her call and bring the call of young people everywhere to our leaders," said 15-year-old schoolgirl Malgorzata Czachowska. "The time for talk is over, the time for action is now."

Nations still worlds apart at crunch UN climate summit

Delegates from nearly 200 nations on Sunday began two weeks of talks to tackle deep political divisions at the most important UN&nbsp;meeting on global warming since the landmark 2015 Paris deal to shift away from fossil fuels.

Expectations are low that negotiations in Katowice, at the heart of Poland's coal region, will fully resolve concerns laid out in reports over recent weeks on the severity of rising greenhouse gas emissions.

The political climate has also been transformed since the Paris agreement and the fragile global unity that brought about that accord has shattered.

"This is a very, very important conference," UN&nbsp;climate chief Patricia Espinosa told reporters. "It also takes place in a scenario where we have clear signals about the urgency with which we need to address the issues of climate change."

Four former presidents of UN&nbsp;talks, including Laurent Fabius of France, who led negotiations for the Paris agreement, issued a statement urging "decisive action".

"The world is at a crossroads and decisive action in the next two years will be crucial to tackle these urgent threats," they said in the joint statement.

However, political divisions were clear from the outset, with Brazil having withdrawn its offer to host the 2019 talks.

The United States, meanwhile, reiterated at the G20 summit in Argentina on Saturday its decision to withdraw from the Paris accord and a US&nbsp;commitment to all energy sources.

Year-end deadline

The other members of the group of industrialised nations - including the biggest polluter, China - reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Paris deal, taking into account their national circumstances.

The Katowice talks precede an end-of-year deadline to produce a "rule book" to flesh out the broad details that were agreed in Paris on limiting the rise in global temperatures to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius.

Delegates said that one of the trickiest issues could be monitoring emissions as the United States, which cannot quit the pact until 2020, uses the talks to press for a level of detail it perceives as useful to its foreign policy dealings.

Poland is hosting UN&nbsp;climate negotiations for a third time, but the nation remains hooked on coal, the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel. Coal provides about 80 per cent of Poland's power and has been a major source of employment and national pride.

The younger generation is less emotionally attached to coal and is increasingly environmentally aware, though any phasing out of the fuel in Poland is likely to be slow.

The energy ministry said only last week that Poland plans to invest in new coal capacity while its long-term energy strategy assumes it will still obtain about 60 per cent of its power from coal in 2030.

Delegates from nearly 200 nations on Sunday began two weeks of talks to tackle deep political divisions at the most important UN meeting on global warming since the landmark 2015 Paris deal to shift away from fossil fuels.

Delegates from nearly 200 nations on Sunday began two weeks of talks to tackle deep political divisions at the most important UN meeting on global warming since the landmark 2015 Paris deal to shift away from fossil fuels. Expectations are low that negotiations in Katowice, at the heart of Poland's coal region, will fully resolve concerns laid out in reports over recent weeks on the severity of rising greenhouse gas emissions. The political climate has also been transformed since the Paris agreement and the fragile global unity that brought about that accord has shattered. "This is a very, very important conference," UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa told reporters. "It also takes place in a scenario where we have clear signals about the urgency with which we need to address the issues of climate change." Four former presidents of UN talks, including Laurent Fabius of France, who led negotiations for the Paris agreement, issued a statement urging "decisive action". "The world is at a crossroads and decisive action in the next two years will be crucial to tackle these urgent threats," they said in the joint statement. However, political divisions were clear from the outset, with Brazil having withdrawn its offer to host the 2019 talks. The United States, meanwhile, reiterated at the G20 summit in Argentina on Saturday its decision to withdraw from the Paris accord and a US commitment to all energy sources. Year-end deadline The other members of the group of industrialised nations - including the biggest polluter, China - reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Paris deal, taking into account their national circumstances. The Katowice talks precede an end-of-year deadline to produce a "rule book" to flesh out the broad details that were agreed in Paris on limiting the rise in global temperatures to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius. Delegates said that one of the trickiest issues could be monitoring emissions as the United States, which cannot quit the pact until 2020, uses the talks to press for a level of detail it perceives as useful to its foreign policy dealings. Poland is hosting UN climate negotiations for a third time, but the nation remains hooked on coal, the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel. Coal provides about 80 per cent of Poland's power and has been a major source of employment and national pride. The younger generation is less emotionally attached to coal and is increasingly environmentally aware, though any phasing out of the fuel in Poland is likely to be slow. The energy ministry said only last week that Poland plans to invest in new coal capacity while its long-term energy strategy assumes it will still obtain about 60 per cent of its power from coal in 2030.

Emphasis on urgency as climate talks begin in Polish coal city Katowice

Poland forward Arkadiusz Milik scored from a twice-taken penalty to give his already-relegated side a 1-1 draw in Portugal in their final Nations League match on Tuesday.

Portugal, who had already qualified for next year's semi-finals as winners of Group A3, went ahead with Andre Silva's near-post header from a corner in the 34th minute, his 15th goal in 31 appearances for the European champions.

Yet the hosts gave away a penalty when midfielder Danilo tripped Milik as he burst into the area and was sent off. Milik's first effort from the spot was disallowed for encroachment, but he held his nerve to score again at the second attempt in the 66th minute.

Portugal, without Cristiano Ronaldo who has not been selected since the World Cup, finished the group unbeaten with eight points from four games while Poland ended with two, both picked up away from home.

Poland forward Arkadiusz Milik scored from a twice-taken penalty to give his already-relegated side a 1-1 draw in Portugal in their final Nations League match on Tuesday.

Poland forward Arkadiusz Milik scored from a twice-taken penalty to give his already-relegated side a 1-1 draw in Portugal in their final Nations League match on Tuesday. Portugal, who had already qualified for next year's semi-finals as winners of Group A3, went ahead with Andre Silva's near-post header from a corner in the 34th minute, his 15th goal in 31 appearances for the European champions. Yet the hosts gave away a penalty when midfielder Danilo tripped Milik as he burst into the area and was sent off. Milik's first effort from the spot was disallowed for encroachment, but he held his nerve to score again at the second attempt in the 66th minute. Portugal, without Cristiano Ronaldo who has not been selected since the World Cup, finished the group unbeaten with eight points from four games while Poland ended with two, both picked up away from home.

Milik's twice-taken penalty gives relegated Poland draw in Portugal

Thousands took part in Poland's commemorative march

Italy snatched a dramatic and deserved 1-0 win away to Poland in their Nations League match on Sunday thanks to a stoppage-time header from Cristiano Biraghi, his first international goal.

Biraghi gave Italy their first win in the competition and also their first in a competitive match since Roberto Mancini took over as coach in May.

It also meant that Poland, who have one point from three games after also losing at home to Portugal on Thursday, will finish bottom of Group Three in League A and will be relegated to the second-tier League B.

It was a richly-deserved win for Italy who produced one of their best performances in the last few years and twice hit the crossbar in the first half.

Italy have four points from three games while leaders Portugal, who remain firm favourites to win the group and qualify for the semi-finals at the end of the season, have six from two.

"We dominated the match, we should have scored earlier and it would have been very unfair if the game had finished 0-0," said Mancini who is rebuilding the side after their failure to qualify for this year's World Cup.

"It's a great win, we can still improve a lot but it needs patience -- these lads need time."

Poland made six changes to the team which lost to Portugal while Italy's line-up was unchanged from Wednesday's 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine.

Italy immediately took the initiative and midfielder Jorginho curled a shot against the bar in the first minute.

Lorenzo Insigne dinked the ball on to the roof of the net from Alessandro Florenzi's pass and the Napoli forward also struck the woodwork on the half-hour after Federico Chiesa sent him clear.

Jorginho then forced Wojciech Szczesny to make a difficult save as Italy continued to dominate the game and create chances.

Italy continued to push forward after halftime, playing some flowing football in the process, and should have gone ahead when Federico Bernardeschi found himself with a free header from Chiesa's cross but sent his shot wide of the target.

Then it was Poland's turn as Kamil Grosicki was sent clear by Roberto Lewandowski. His shot was parried by Gianluigi Donnarumma and the rebound fell to Arkadiusz Milik who fired wide.

A draw would have guaranteed Portugal top spot with two games to spare but Italy finally got their reward in the 92nd minute.

A corner was touched on by substitute Kevin Lasagne at the near post and Biraghi, winning his third cap, headed in to spark delirious celebrations on the Italy bench.

Italy snatched a dramatic and deserved 1-0 win away to Poland in their Nations League match on Sunday thanks to a stoppage-time header from Cristiano Biraghi, his first international goal.

Italy snatched a dramatic and deserved 1-0 win away to Poland in their Nations League match on Sunday thanks to a stoppage-time header from Cristiano Biraghi, his first international goal. Biraghi gave Italy their first win in the competition and also their first in a competitive match since Roberto Mancini took over as coach in May. It also meant that Poland, who have one point from three games after also losing at home to Portugal on Thursday, will finish bottom of Group Three in League A and will be relegated to the second-tier League B. It was a richly-deserved win for Italy who produced one of their best performances in the last few years and twice hit the crossbar in the first half. Italy have four points from three games while leaders Portugal, who remain firm favourites to win the group and qualify for the semi-finals at the end of the season, have six from two. "We dominated the match, we should have scored earlier and it would have been very unfair if the game had finished 0-0," said Mancini who is rebuilding the side after their failure to qualify for this year's World Cup. "It's a great win, we can still improve a lot but it needs patience -- these lads need time." Poland made six changes to the team which lost to Portugal while Italy's line-up was unchanged from Wednesday's 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine. Italy immediately took the initiative and midfielder Jorginho curled a shot against the bar in the first minute. Lorenzo Insigne dinked the ball on to the roof of the net from Alessandro Florenzi's pass and the Napoli forward also struck the woodwork on the half-hour after Federico Chiesa sent him clear. Jorginho then forced Wojciech Szczesny to make a difficult save as Italy continued to dominate the game and create chances. Italy continued to push forward after halftime, playing some flowing football in the process, and should have gone ahead when Federico Bernardeschi found himself with a free header from Chiesa's cross but sent his shot wide of the target. Then it was Poland's turn as Kamil Grosicki was sent clear by Roberto Lewandowski. His shot was parried by Gianluigi Donnarumma and the rebound fell to Arkadiusz Milik who fired wide. A draw would have guaranteed Portugal top spot with two games to spare but Italy finally got their reward in the 92nd minute. A corner was touched on by substitute Kevin Lasagne at the near post and Biraghi, winning his third cap, headed in to spark delirious celebrations on the Italy bench.

Biraghi gives Italy stoppage-time win in Poland

Portugal's Bernardo Silva scored a typical individual goal as their new-look side recovered to win 3-2 away to Poland in the Nations League with an impressive performance on Thursday.

Andre Silva's strike and a Kamil Glik own goal put the European champions ahead by halftime, after Krzysztof Piatek had given Poland an early lead, and Bernardo Silva then got in the act early in the second half of the League A Group 3 game.

Poland substitute Jakub Blaszczykowski, making his 103rd appearance as he became his country's most capped player, pulled a goal back but it was not enough for the hosts.

It was also an unhappy 100th Poland appearance for Robert Lewandowski, who barely had a touch of the ball.

After two games Portugal top the group with six points, while Poland and Italy have one apiece.

Portugal, who are rebuilding their team after a second-round exit at the World Cup, left out a number of old favourites including Joao Moutinho, Jose Fonte and Ricardo Quaresma.

Captain and all-time leading scorer Cristiano Ronaldo was also absent by what coach Fernando Santos said was mutual consent, although he is expected to be recalled next year.

Piatek, scorer of nine goals in seven Serie A matches for Genoa this season, struck an early blow when he outjumped Joao Cancelo at the far post to head Poland in front from a corner in the 18th minute.

But after that, it was mainly one-way traffic as Portugal took control.

Andre Silva levelled in the 31st minute, turning in Pizzi's low cross following a well-worked move down the right for his 14th goal in 29 appearances.

Ruben Neves set up the second with a majestic long ball from inside his own half which caught out the Polish defence.

Rafa Silva got on the end of it and his first touch took him past goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski before Glik put the ball into his own net.

Seven minutes after halftime, Bernardo Silva collected the ball near the touchline, jinked inside one marker, ran across the edge of the penalty area and scored with a low shot past Fabianski.

Portugal continued to dominate even after Blaszczykowski's goal and Renato Sanches was twice close to a fourth for the visitors.

Portugal's Bernardo Silva scored a typical individual goal as their new-look side recovered to win 3-2 away to Poland in the Nations League with an impressive performance on Thursday.

Portugal's Bernardo Silva scored a typical individual goal as their new-look side recovered to win 3-2 away to Poland in the Nations League with an impressive performance on Thursday. Andre Silva's strike and a Kamil Glik own goal put the European champions ahead by halftime, after Krzysztof Piatek had given Poland an early lead, and Bernardo Silva then got in the act early in the second half of the League A Group 3 game. Poland substitute Jakub Blaszczykowski, making his 103rd appearance as he became his country's most capped player, pulled a goal back but it was not enough for the hosts. It was also an unhappy 100th Poland appearance for Robert Lewandowski, who barely had a touch of the ball. After two games Portugal top the group with six points, while Poland and Italy have one apiece. Portugal, who are rebuilding their team after a second-round exit at the World Cup, left out a number of old favourites including Joao Moutinho, Jose Fonte and Ricardo Quaresma. Captain and all-time leading scorer Cristiano Ronaldo was also absent by what coach Fernando Santos said was mutual consent, although he is expected to be recalled next year. Piatek, scorer of nine goals in seven Serie A matches for Genoa this season, struck an early blow when he outjumped Joao Cancelo at the far post to head Poland in front from a corner in the 18th minute. But after that, it was mainly one-way traffic as Portugal took control. Andre Silva levelled in the 31st minute, turning in Pizzi's low cross following a well-worked move down the right for his 14th goal in 29 appearances. Ruben Neves set up the second with a majestic long ball from inside his own half which caught out the Polish defence. Rafa Silva got on the end of it and his first touch took him past goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski before Glik put the ball into his own net. Seven minutes after halftime, Bernardo Silva collected the ball near the touchline, jinked inside one marker, ran across the edge of the penalty area and scored with a low shot past Fabianski. Portugal continued to dominate even after Blaszczykowski's goal and Renato Sanches was twice close to a fourth for the visitors.

New-look Portugal hit back to win 3-2 in Poland

Hundreds of people in Warsaw of Poland took streets on Sunday to protest against child sex abuse in the Catholic Church -- a first major such rally in Catholic Poland.

The protestors marched through the capital with banners reading "Bishop, protecting paedophiles is a crime" and "We are fed up with the clergy's cowardice".

The protestors also carried a country's map with the black crosses to mark places where complaints about child sex abuse have been made against clerics.

They also stopped in front of four churches in Warsaw to read out victims' accounts.&nbsp;

Before the archbishop's seat, a long list of Polish cities and towns with documented paedophilia cases was read out to the sound of drums and with the crowd shouting "Shame!" in between.

There are no official statistics on the number of Polish priests convicted of child sex abuse, but a Polish association that helps victims estimates there were around 56 over nearly two decades, including clergy convicted of possessing child pornography.

Protests also took place in other Polish cities including in Poznan where an appeal court on Tuesday upheld a verdict ordering a Catholic priests' society to pay out record damages to a former child victim of a paedophile priest.

The ruling was the first of its kind in a country where the Church still wields considerable influence.&nbsp;

It is under increasing scrutiny worldwide over clerical sex abuse claims.

Pope Francis has called for a meeting of all the heads of Catholic bishops' conferences worldwide at the Vatican next February to discuss the issue of the "protection of minors".

In Poland, the recently released film "Kler" (The Clergy) about abuses and corruption in the Catholic Church drew close to two million spectators within a week -- a record in the country of 38 million.

(With inputs from agencies)

Hundreds of people in Warsaw of Poland took streets on Sunday to protest against child sex abuse in the Catholic Church -- a first major such rally in Catholic Poland.

Hundreds of people in Warsaw of Poland took streets on Sunday to protest against child sex abuse in the Catholic Church -- a first major such rally in Catholic Poland. The protestors marched through the capital with banners reading "Bishop, protecting paedophiles is a crime" and "We are fed up with the clergy's cowardice". The protestors also carried a country's map with the black crosses to mark places where complaints about child sex abuse have been made against clerics. They also stopped in front of four churches in Warsaw to read out victims' accounts. Before the archbishop's seat, a long list of Polish cities and towns with documented paedophilia cases was read out to the sound of drums and with the crowd shouting "Shame!" in between. There are no official statistics on the number of Polish priests convicted of child sex abuse, but a Polish association that helps victims estimates there were around 56 over nearly two decades, including clergy convicted of possessing child pornography. Protests also took place in other Polish cities including in Poznan where an appeal court on Tuesday upheld a verdict ordering a Catholic priests' society to pay out record damages to a former child victim of a paedophile priest. The ruling was the first of its kind in a country where the Church still wields considerable influence. It is under increasing scrutiny worldwide over clerical sex abuse claims. Pope Francis has called for a meeting of all the heads of Catholic bishops' conferences worldwide at the Vatican next February to discuss the issue of the "protection of minors". In Poland, the recently released film "Kler" (The Clergy) about abuses and corruption in the Catholic Church drew close to two million spectators within a week -- a record in the country of 38 million. (With inputs from agencies)

Poland sees first anti-paedophilia rally against Catholic Church

India’s largest travelling film festival - Jagran Film Festival, which is in its 9th&nbsp;edition this year,&nbsp;has received movie entries across 116 countries.

The festival has received a total of 3,080 movie entries so far, wherein 967 are from India, 249 from Iran, 243 from the United States, 123 from Spain, 118 from Brazil, 118 from France and 107 from Turkey.&nbsp;

Besides these countries, other participating countries include - Pakistan, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Poland, Malaysia and many more.

Scheduled to be inaugurated in New Delhi from&nbsp;June 29th, 2018, the festival invites film entries from filmmakers across several categories.&nbsp;

All the films in the competition sections would be previewed by the pre-selection panels comprising of filmmakers and film critics.&nbsp;

This panel includes names like Shivani Pandey, Sujata Shiven, Vinod Kapoor, Manjula Shirodkar, Sanjay Dattani and Sharad Dutt.

The festival will begin in New Delhi in June this year and will continue to tour in Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Dehradun, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Indore, Gorakhpur, Agra, Ludhiana, Hissar, Meerut, Raipur before concluding in Mumbai in&nbsp;September 2018.

9th edition Jagran Film Festival has incessantly carried the ‘Cinematic Culture’ from metro cities to smaller cities thereby spreading and promoting the appreciation of the cinematic art at the grass root level.&nbsp;

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The festival has already received a total of 3,080 movie entries from around the world

India’s largest travelling film festival - Jagran Film Festival, which is in its 9th edition this year, has received movie entries across 116 countries. The festival has received a total of 3,080 movie entries so far, wherein 967 are from India, 249 from Iran, 243 from the United States, 123 from Spain, 118 from Brazil, 118 from France and 107 from Turkey. Besides these countries, other participating countries include - Pakistan, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Poland, Malaysia and many more. Scheduled to be inaugurated in New Delhi from June 29th, 2018, the festival invites film entries from filmmakers across several categories. All the films in the competition sections would be previewed by the pre-selection panels comprising of filmmakers and film critics. This panel includes names like Shivani Pandey, Sujata Shiven, Vinod Kapoor, Manjula Shirodkar, Sanjay Dattani and Sharad Dutt. The festival will begin in New Delhi in June this year and will continue to tour in Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Dehradun, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Indore, Gorakhpur, Agra, Ludhiana, Hissar, Meerut, Raipur before concluding in Mumbai in September 2018. 9th edition Jagran Film Festival has incessantly carried the ‘Cinematic Culture’ from metro cities to smaller cities thereby spreading and promoting the appreciation of the cinematic art at the grass root level.

India’s largest travelling film festival, Jagran to kickstart in June this year

The mega event hosted by Russia will be keenly followed by thousands of fans around the world

FIFA 2018: All you need to know about 21st edition of football World Cup

Israeli&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that Israel will not let &#39;the historical truth about the Holocaust to be rewritten.&nbsp;

Israel and Poland experience strained ties after Israeli leaders accused Poland&#39;s prime minister of anti-Semitism. Isreal allegedly equated Polish perpetrators in the Holocaust to &#39;Jewish perpetrators.&#39;

The two countries also face&nbsp;unpleasant relations owing to a new Polish law that criminalised some statements about the country&#39;s actions during World War II.

Netanyahu spoke at the Munich Security Conference today and remembered the fact that nearly 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis. He further added that the incident will never be forgotten, nor will the historical truth about the Holocaust will ever be allowed to be rewritten.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Israel and Poland experience strained ties after Israeli leaders accused Poland's prime minister of anti-Semitism

Israeli's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that Israel will not let 'the historical truth about the Holocaust to be rewritten. Israel and Poland experience strained ties after Israeli leaders accused Poland's prime minister of anti-Semitism. Isreal allegedly equated Polish perpetrators in the Holocaust to 'Jewish perpetrators.' The two countries also face unpleasant relations owing to a new Polish law that criminalised some statements about the country's actions during World War II. Netanyahu spoke at the Munich Security Conference today and remembered the fact that nearly 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis. He further added that the incident will never be forgotten, nor will the historical truth about the Holocaust will ever be allowed to be rewritten. (With inputs from agencies)

Won't allow rewriting of historical truth about the Holocaust: Netanyahu to Poland

A new World Cup event featuring eight leading athletics nations and intended to attract a wider audience to the sport will take place in London this year, British Athletics said on Monday.

Britain and the United States will compete along with South Africa, Poland, France, China, Germany and Jamaica in the inaugural World Cup from July 14-15 at London Stadium, venue for the 2012 Olympic athletics events and last year&#39;s world championships.

&quot;This is one of the exciting innovative events we are seeing in our sport and our thanks go to British Athletics and the Mayor of London for creating it and hosting it,&quot; International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe said in a statement.

&quot;We have 8 lanes, 8 top nations, 8 teams and a host of world class athletes lining up in each event to win the trophy and prize pot. This will be a fast-paced and exhilarating experience for athletes and fans.&quot;

One male and one female athlete from each nation will be selected for every field event and each track race up to 1500 metres, with the total prize pot set at $2 million over two evening sessions.

UK Athletics Chairman Richard Bowker said the World Cup event was an extension of the original idea to host a competition between Britain and the U.S.

Because other countries were keen to become involved an eight-country format was devised to extend the sport&#39;s reach to a new audience.

&quot;The two sessions will be in the evening, under lights with straight finals. There will be no heats or rounds so it should be even more exciting,&quot; he said, adding that it might become more than a one-off.

&quot;We hope this can become a major event. The best way to do that is to ensure the success of his first edition,&quot; he said.

Bowker defended the timing, which was criticised by British athlete Kelly Sotherton on social media for clashing with soccer&#39;s World Cup final and Wimbledon tennis finals.

&quot;We were obviously aware of the dates,&quot; said Bowker, pointing out that organisers were constrained by the stadium sharing arrangement with Premier League soccer club West Ham United.

&quot;There is limited availability. We know the World Cup Final happens in the afternoon, UK time, so we would say that everyone can come along afterwards. What a fantastic weekend of sport that will be.&quot;

Britain and the United States will compete along with South Africa, Poland, France, China, Germany and Jamaica in the inaugural World Cup from July 14-15 at London Stadium

A new World Cup event featuring eight leading athletics nations and intended to attract a wider audience to the sport will take place in London this year, British Athletics said on Monday. Britain and the United States will compete along with South Africa, Poland, France, China, Germany and Jamaica in the inaugural World Cup from July 14-15 at London Stadium, venue for the 2012 Olympic athletics events and last year's world championships. "This is one of the exciting innovative events we are seeing in our sport and our thanks go to British Athletics and the Mayor of London for creating it and hosting it," International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe said in a statement. "We have 8 lanes, 8 top nations, 8 teams and a host of world class athletes lining up in each event to win the trophy and prize pot. This will be a fast-paced and exhilarating experience for athletes and fans." One male and one female athlete from each nation will be selected for every field event and each track race up to 1500 metres, with the total prize pot set at $2 million over two evening sessions. UK Athletics Chairman Richard Bowker said the World Cup event was an extension of the original idea to host a competition between Britain and the U.S. Because other countries were keen to become involved an eight-country format was devised to extend the sport's reach to a new audience. "The two sessions will be in the evening, under lights with straight finals. There will be no heats or rounds so it should be even more exciting," he said, adding that it might become more than a one-off. "We hope this can become a major event. The best way to do that is to ensure the success of his first edition," he said. Bowker defended the timing, which was criticised by British athlete Kelly Sotherton on social media for clashing with soccer's World Cup final and Wimbledon tennis finals. "We were obviously aware of the dates," said Bowker, pointing out that organisers were constrained by the stadium sharing arrangement with Premier League soccer club West Ham United. "There is limited availability. We know the World Cup Final happens in the afternoon, UK time, so we would say that everyone can come along afterwards. What a fantastic weekend of sport that will be."

London to host inaugural eight-nation Athletics World Cup

Poland`s president on Sunday promised to review a new bill regarding the Holocaust and the definition of Nazi death camps, after the measure sparked a diplomatic row with Israel.

Poland`s rightwing-dominated parliament on Friday adopted legislation that sets fines or a maximum three-year jail term for anyone who refers to Nazi German death camps as being Polish.&nbsp;

The measure, intended to apply to both Poles and foreigners, must still pass the Polish Senate before being signed by President Andrzej Duda.

In a statement on Sunday, Duda said he would present his &quot;final evaluation of procedural legal provisions after the completion of parliament`s work and a careful analysis of the final shape of the act&quot;.

The bill includes an article that applies a fine or a jail term to anyone who ascribes &quot;responsibility or co-responsibility to the Polish nation or state for crimes committed by the German Third Reich -- or other crimes against humanity, peace and war crimes&quot;.

Israel`s ambassador to Poland Anna Azari told the Polish PAP news agency that Israel believes the latter article could open the door to Holocaust survivors being prosecuted for their testimony should it concern the involvement of Poles in war crimes.

Azari said that while Israel`s government rejects the legislation, it also &quot;understands&quot; who built death camps like Auschwitz and that it was &quot;not the Poles&quot;.

A top Duda aide is due to meet with Azari on Monday in Warsaw. Israel`s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Poland of seeking to deny history with the bill.

&quot;We have no tolerance for the distortion of the truth and rewriting history or denying the Holocaust,&quot; he said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The Israeli leader later spoke with his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki on the phone and the pair agreed to &quot;immediately open a dialogue&quot; to reach an understanding about the legislation, Netanyahu`s office said.&nbsp;

The call came hours after Israel summoned a top Polish diplomat to ask for clarification about the bill.

The Israeli foreign ministry said the timing of the legislation, which was adopted by parliament the day before Holocaust Memorial Day, was &quot;particularly surprising and regrettable&quot;.&nbsp;

Duda earlier appeared to address Israel`s concerns by saying that &quot;everyone whose personal memory or historical research speaks the truth about the crimes and shameful behaviour that occurred in the past with the participation of Poles has full right to this truth&quot;.

Polish officials routinely request corrections when global media or politicians describe as &quot;Polish&quot; the former death camps such as Auschwitz set up by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland.Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, said it opposed the new legislation, but also noted there was &quot;no doubt that the term `Polish death camps` is a historical misrepresentation&quot;.

&quot;However, restrictions on statements by scholars and others regarding the direct or indirect complicity of Polish people with the crimes committed on their land during the Holocaust are a serious distortion,&quot; it said.

Pre-war Poland was a Jewish heartland, with a centuries-old community numbering some 3.2 million, around 10 percent of the country`s population.

When the country was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II, it lost six million of its citizens -- including three million Jews in the Holocaust.&nbsp;

Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki reacted via Twitter on Sunday with a metaphor referring to the fate of his country`s Jewish and non-Jewish citizens during the war.

&quot;A gang of professional thugs enters a two-family house. They kill the first family almost entirely. They kill the parents of the second, torturing the kids. They loot and raze the house. Could one, in good conscience, say that the second family is guilty for the murder of the first?,&quot; he asked.

After attending Saturday`s ceremonies in Auschwitz to mark the 73rd anniversary of its liberation Morawiecki, a trained historian, also remarked that &quot;Auschwitz-Birkenau is not a Polish name, and Arbeit Macht Frei is not a Polish phrase&quot;.

He was referring to the words on the Nazi camp`s infamous wrought-iron gate that mean &quot;Work makes you free&quot; in German.

Poland`s rightwing-dominated parliament on Friday adopted legislation that sets fines or a maximum three-year jail term for anyone who refers to Nazi German death camps as being Polish

Poland`s president on Sunday promised to review a new bill regarding the Holocaust and the definition of Nazi death camps, after the measure sparked a diplomatic row with Israel. Poland`s rightwing-dominated parliament on Friday adopted legislation that sets fines or a maximum three-year jail term for anyone who refers to Nazi German death camps as being Polish. The measure, intended to apply to both Poles and foreigners, must still pass the Polish Senate before being signed by President Andrzej Duda. In a statement on Sunday, Duda said he would present his "final evaluation of procedural legal provisions after the completion of parliament`s work and a careful analysis of the final shape of the act". The bill includes an article that applies a fine or a jail term to anyone who ascribes "responsibility or co-responsibility to the Polish nation or state for crimes committed by the German Third Reich -- or other crimes against humanity, peace and war crimes". Israel`s ambassador to Poland Anna Azari told the Polish PAP news agency that Israel believes the latter article could open the door to Holocaust survivors being prosecuted for their testimony should it concern the involvement of Poles in war crimes. Azari said that while Israel`s government rejects the legislation, it also "understands" who built death camps like Auschwitz and that it was "not the Poles". A top Duda aide is due to meet with Azari on Monday in Warsaw. Israel`s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Poland of seeking to deny history with the bill. "We have no tolerance for the distortion of the truth and rewriting history or denying the Holocaust," he said on Sunday. The Israeli leader later spoke with his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki on the phone and the pair agreed to "immediately open a dialogue" to reach an understanding about the legislation, Netanyahu`s office said. The call came hours after Israel summoned a top Polish diplomat to ask for clarification about the bill. The Israeli foreign ministry said the timing of the legislation, which was adopted by parliament the day before Holocaust Memorial Day, was "particularly surprising and regrettable". Duda earlier appeared to address Israel`s concerns by saying that "everyone whose personal memory or historical research speaks the truth about the crimes and shameful behaviour that occurred in the past with the participation of Poles has full right to this truth". Polish officials routinely request corrections when global media or politicians describe as "Polish" the former death camps such as Auschwitz set up by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland.Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, said it opposed the new legislation, but also noted there was "no doubt that the term `Polish death camps` is a historical misrepresentation". "However, restrictions on statements by scholars and others regarding the direct or indirect complicity of Polish people with the crimes committed on their land during the Holocaust are a serious distortion," it said. Pre-war Poland was a Jewish heartland, with a centuries-old community numbering some 3.2 million, around 10 percent of the country`s population. When the country was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II, it lost six million of its citizens -- including three million Jews in the Holocaust. Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki reacted via Twitter on Sunday with a metaphor referring to the fate of his country`s Jewish and non-Jewish citizens during the war. "A gang of professional thugs enters a two-family house. They kill the first family almost entirely. They kill the parents of the second, torturing the kids. They loot and raze the house. Could one, in good conscience, say that the second family is guilty for the murder of the first?," he asked. After attending Saturday`s ceremonies in Auschwitz to mark the 73rd anniversary of its liberation Morawiecki, a trained historian, also remarked that "Auschwitz-Birkenau is not a Polish name, and Arbeit Macht Frei is not a Polish phrase". He was referring to the words on the Nazi camp`s infamous wrought-iron gate that mean "Work makes you free" in German.

Poland president to review Holocaust bill after Israeli concern

Poland adopted legislation on Friday that will ban most Sunday trading by 2020, with opinion surveys showing that consumers have mixed feelings about the move in the heavily Catholic EU state.&nbsp;

First presented last year by Poland`s Solidarity trade union as a citizens` initiative bill, the new legislation limits shopping to the first and last Sundays of the month as of March 2018.

Trade will only be allowed on the last Sunday of the month in 2019 before a wider ban takes effect in 2020 that will allow shopping on seven Sundays per year, including two before Christmas and one before Easter.

The move applies to foreign-owned hypermarket chains as well as other non-Polish players, but will still allow online shopping as well as smaller locally-owned shops including bakeries and petrol stations to do business.

Lawmakers in Poland`s right-wing dominated 460-seat parliament passed the ban with 254 votes in favour to 156 against and 23 abstentions.

The Solidarity trade union says it sought the move to ensure retail staff gets free weekends, but opposition politicians and other critics argue that it will limit job opportunities for students and cramp cross-border shopping from the Baltic states, Belarus, Ukraine, and Slovakia.

Solidarity is allied with Poland`s governing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which is closely tied to the powerful Roman Catholic Church, long an advocate of shutting shops on Sundays for religious reasons.&nbsp;

Sunday shopping became a popular family pastime in Poland with the advent of the free market after the 1989 collapse of communism, but surveys published this week suggest that consumers have mixed feelings.&nbsp;

The independent Kantar TNS pollsters found that 76 percent of respondents supported a compromise that would allow Sunday shopping, but also give retail workers two free weekends per month.

However, the Warsaw-based CBOS agency found that 58 percent of respondents supported a blanket Sunday shopping ban, while just 37 percent were opposed. It also found that 52 percent of respondents said they shop on Sunday.

Switzerland and Norway limit Sunday shopping, while Austria has a blanket ban.&nbsp;

Up to now, stores in Poland have remained closed for 12 days a year for major national or religious holidays.

The Solidarity trade union says it sought the move to ensure retail staff gets free weekends, but opposition politicians and other critics argue that it will limit job opportunities for students and cramp cross-border shopping from the Baltic states, Belarus, Ukraine, and Slovakia

Poland adopted legislation on Friday that will ban most Sunday trading by 2020, with opinion surveys showing that consumers have mixed feelings about the move in the heavily Catholic EU state. First presented last year by Poland`s Solidarity trade union as a citizens` initiative bill, the new legislation limits shopping to the first and last Sundays of the month as of March 2018. Trade will only be allowed on the last Sunday of the month in 2019 before a wider ban takes effect in 2020 that will allow shopping on seven Sundays per year, including two before Christmas and one before Easter. The move applies to foreign-owned hypermarket chains as well as other non-Polish players, but will still allow online shopping as well as smaller locally-owned shops including bakeries and petrol stations to do business. Lawmakers in Poland`s right-wing dominated 460-seat parliament passed the ban with 254 votes in favour to 156 against and 23 abstentions. The Solidarity trade union says it sought the move to ensure retail staff gets free weekends, but opposition politicians and other critics argue that it will limit job opportunities for students and cramp cross-border shopping from the Baltic states, Belarus, Ukraine, and Slovakia. Solidarity is allied with Poland`s governing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which is closely tied to the powerful Roman Catholic Church, long an advocate of shutting shops on Sundays for religious reasons. Sunday shopping became a popular family pastime in Poland with the advent of the free market after the 1989 collapse of communism, but surveys published this week suggest that consumers have mixed feelings. The independent Kantar TNS pollsters found that 76 percent of respondents supported a compromise that would allow Sunday shopping, but also give retail workers two free weekends per month. However, the Warsaw-based CBOS agency found that 58 percent of respondents supported a blanket Sunday shopping ban, while just 37 percent were opposed. It also found that 52 percent of respondents said they shop on Sunday. Switzerland and Norway limit Sunday shopping, while Austria has a blanket ban. Up to now, stores in Poland have remained closed for 12 days a year for major national or religious holidays.

Poland adopts 'gradual ban' on Sunday shopping

Rajalakshmi from Bengaluru won the&nbsp;&#39;Miss Popularity&#39; award at&nbsp;Miss Wheelchair World 2017, held in Poland on Saturday.&nbsp;

The competition was organised by a Polish foundation, a first of its kind on a global scale -- with an aim to raise awareness and break stereotypes for people with disabilities.

Indian entry Rajalakshmi is a dentist by profession who took to a wheelchair after she met with an accident 10 years back. The road accident led to a spinal cord injury forcing her to be wheelchair-bound for life .

After the accident, she&nbsp;went on to pursue her interests in fields of psychology and fashion and also won 2014 Miss Wheelchair India contest.&nbsp;She is also the chairperson of her organisation SJ Foundation, which works for various causes of the disabled.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xoqiAvHir6U" width="970"></iframe>

TAleksandra Chichikova from Belarus was crowned Miss Wheelchair World at the pageant that took place in Warsaw.

After winning the title, as reported by Reuters,&nbsp;Aleksandra Chichikova said, &quot;Now I am so happy and my heart is... (performs heart pounding gesture) while Lebohand Monyatsi from South Africa (second-place winner) said, &quot;(I am) very happy because this is going to change many things, especially in my country where the people with disabilities have been disregarded, not taken seriously. Now I&#39;m going to go back home and change a whole lot of things.&quot;

The event featured 24 contestants from 19 countries including Brazil, Canada, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia and the United States.

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Rajalakshmi from Bengaluru is a dentist by profession

Rajalakshmi from Bengaluru won the 'Miss Popularity' award at Miss Wheelchair World 2017, held in Poland on Saturday. The competition was organised by a Polish foundation, a first of its kind on a global scale -- with an aim to raise awareness and break stereotypes for people with disabilities. Indian entry Rajalakshmi is a dentist by profession who took to a wheelchair after she met with an accident 10 years back. The road accident led to a spinal cord injury forcing her to be wheelchair-bound for life . After the accident, she went on to pursue her interests in fields of psychology and fashion and also won 2014 Miss Wheelchair India contest. She is also the chairperson of her organisation SJ Foundation, which works for various causes of the disabled. TAleksandra Chichikova from Belarus was crowned Miss Wheelchair World at the pageant that took place in Warsaw. After winning the title, as reported by Reuters, Aleksandra Chichikova said, "Now I am so happy and my heart is... (performs heart pounding gesture) while Lebohand Monyatsi from South Africa (second-place winner) said, "(I am) very happy because this is going to change many things, especially in my country where the people with disabilities have been disregarded, not taken seriously. Now I'm going to go back home and change a whole lot of things." The event featured 24 contestants from 19 countries including Brazil, Canada, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia and the United States.

Miss Wheelchair World 2017: Indian wins 'Miss Popularity'

She&rsquo;s all but 14 years old, but she&rsquo;s already the &ldquo;world&rsquo;s fastest flyer.&rdquo; Singaporean Kyra Poh wowed crowds at the 2017 Windoor Wind Games in Spain recently, bagging two gold medals in the freestyle indoor skydiving competition.

During the competition, each contestant was required to perform two routines, both with and without music. The contestants were judged on the basis of the difficulty and variety of their routines, along with rhythm, choreography and artistic merit.

Kyra, when doing her routines, outshined every other contestant with a difficulty rating of 8.8 (the highest among her competitors). She finished first with a total of 361.217 points ahead of Czech Republic&#39;s Jakub Harrer (349.033) and Poland&#39;s Maja Kyczynska (340.751).

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Kyra Poh - A 14-year-old gold medalist who is &quot;World&#39;s fastest flyer&quot; (Others)
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Amongst all this, she also won the solo speed competition, where contestants had to perform random and compulsory routines in the fastest time possible.

Around 200 contestants in all participated in the Wind Games, which were held in Catalonia, Spain. Kyra was the smallest of them all, but she doesn&rsquo;t believe that this offered her any advantage.

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<h5>A lot of people think that if you&#39;re lighter, you&#39;re faster. I don&#39;t think so. Because when you&#39;re small, you have less body surface area, so you can push off less wind. If you&#39;re taller, you can push off more and have more force. -Kyra Poh</h5>
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Kyra also won the gold medal in the junior freestyle category at the FAI World Cup of Indoor Skydiving in Poland last year.

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<h5>Humans are not meant to fly, but that has always been my dream. Now I can fly in a tunnel, so I&#39;m glad to find this sport. -Kyra Poh</h5>
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Written&nbsp;By - Karanveer Singh Arora

(Image courtesy - <a href="http://elle.my.com">My.com</a>)

(First Posted - <a href="http://www.followyoursport.com">Follow Your Sport</a>)

At the age of 14 when children are focused on their studies and playing, Kyra Poh only had one thing on her mind - Flying!

She’s all but 14 years old, but she’s already the “world’s fastest flyer.” Singaporean Kyra Poh wowed crowds at the 2017 Windoor Wind Games in Spain recently, bagging two gold medals in the freestyle indoor skydiving competition. During the competition, each contestant was required to perform two routines, both with and without music. The contestants were judged on the basis of the difficulty and variety of their routines, along with rhythm, choreography and artistic merit. Kyra, when doing her routines, outshined every other contestant with a difficulty rating of 8.8 (the highest among her competitors). She finished first with a total of 361.217 points ahead of Czech Republic's Jakub Harrer (349.033) and Poland's Maja Kyczynska (340.751). Kyra Poh - A 14-year-old gold medalist who is "World's fastest flyer" (Others) × Amongst all this, she also won the solo speed competition, where contestants had to perform random and compulsory routines in the fastest time possible. Around 200 contestants in all participated in the Wind Games, which were held in Catalonia, Spain. Kyra was the smallest of them all, but she doesn’t believe that this offered her any advantage. A lot of people think that if you're lighter, you're faster. I don't think so. Because when you're small, you have less body surface area, so you can push off less wind. If you're taller, you can push off more and have more force. -Kyra Poh × Kyra also won the gold medal in the junior freestyle category at the FAI World Cup of Indoor Skydiving in Poland last year. Humans are not meant to fly, but that has always been my dream. Now I can fly in a tunnel, so I'm glad to find this sport. -Kyra Poh × Written By - Karanveer Singh Arora (Image courtesy - My.com) (First Posted - Follow Your Sport)

Meet Kyra Poh - The 'world's fastest flyer'

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