Protesters blocked all exits from the Polish parliament on Friday after the opposition said ruling party lawmakers illegally passed the budget for next year by moving the vote outside of the main chamber of parliament.

The protest marked the biggest political standoff in years in the&nbsp;European Union member Poland and the sharpest escalation of the conflict between the opposition and the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party since it came to power in October last year.

The police attempted in the early hours of Saturday to remove protesters by grabbing them and pulling them aside, but later ceased in their efforts as new protesters arrived at the scene, a Reuters witness said.

The police also called on protesters blocking the parliament to disperse, saying on loudspeakers that they might otherwise use force.

&quot;Everybody sees that PiS has crossed a certain line and nothing will be the same anymore,&quot; Tomasz Siemoniak, deputy leader of the biggest opposition party Civic Platform told local media outside parliament.

The parliament was surrounded by hundreds of policemen, some of whom were carrying rubber bullet guns. Police reinforcements were arriving at the parliament as well.

The protesters chanted that lawmakers will remain blocked and called on the head of PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, to come out and face them.

It was unclear how many lawmakers and staffers were inside waiting for the exits to be unblocked. Some opposition lawmakers said they would spend the night in parliament.

Polish opposition parties accused PiS earlier on Friday of violating the constitution after Speaker Marek Kuchcinski moved a key vote on next year&#39;s budget outside of the main chamber of parliament and blocked the media from recording the vote.

It was the first time since Poland&#39;s transition from communism in 1989 that a sitting of the lower chamber of parliament was conducted outside of the main chamber.

&quot;The &#39;sitting&#39; was illegal. Period. This is a constitutional crisis,&quot; Civic Platform head Grzegorz Schetyna said on social media.

Kuchcinski decided to transfer the sitting and the budget vote outside the main chamber after opposition lawmakers occupied the parliamentary podium protesting against a plan to curb media access and against Kuchcinski&#39;s decision to exclude one lawmaker.Ruling party lawmakers said the transfer of the vote was legal and the vote itself was valid.

&quot;What the opposition did was a scandal. And we were working,&quot; said PiS lawmaker Jaroslaw Zielinski, who took part in the budget vote.

Opposition parties Civic Platform and Nowoczesna together with the PSL party said in a statement that the speaker has violated the constitution. Opposition lawmakers also said they had problems in accessing the budget vote.

The parties demanded that the parliament sitting be held once again next week.

Since coming to power last year, the nationalist-minded, eurosceptic PiS has tightened its control over public news media and state prosecution and moved to weaken the country&#39;s highest court.

PiS is the first party since Poland&#39;s transition to democracy to hold an outright majority in parliament.

(Reuters)

The protest marked the sharpest escalation of conflict between the opposition and the ruling Law and Justice party since it came to power

Protesters blocked all exits from the Polish parliament on Friday after the opposition said ruling party lawmakers illegally passed the budget for next year by moving the vote outside of the main chamber of parliament. The protest marked the biggest political standoff in years in the European Union member Poland and the sharpest escalation of the conflict between the opposition and the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party since it came to power in October last year. The police attempted in the early hours of Saturday to remove protesters by grabbing them and pulling them aside, but later ceased in their efforts as new protesters arrived at the scene, a Reuters witness said. The police also called on protesters blocking the parliament to disperse, saying on loudspeakers that they might otherwise use force. "Everybody sees that PiS has crossed a certain line and nothing will be the same anymore," Tomasz Siemoniak, deputy leader of the biggest opposition party Civic Platform told local media outside parliament. The parliament was surrounded by hundreds of policemen, some of whom were carrying rubber bullet guns. Police reinforcements were arriving at the parliament as well. The protesters chanted that lawmakers will remain blocked and called on the head of PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, to come out and face them. It was unclear how many lawmakers and staffers were inside waiting for the exits to be unblocked. Some opposition lawmakers said they would spend the night in parliament. Polish opposition parties accused PiS earlier on Friday of violating the constitution after Speaker Marek Kuchcinski moved a key vote on next year's budget outside of the main chamber of parliament and blocked the media from recording the vote. It was the first time since Poland's transition from communism in 1989 that a sitting of the lower chamber of parliament was conducted outside of the main chamber. "The 'sitting' was illegal. Period. This is a constitutional crisis," Civic Platform head Grzegorz Schetyna said on social media. Kuchcinski decided to transfer the sitting and the budget vote outside the main chamber after opposition lawmakers occupied the parliamentary podium protesting against a plan to curb media access and against Kuchcinski's decision to exclude one lawmaker.Ruling party lawmakers said the transfer of the vote was legal and the vote itself was valid. "What the opposition did was a scandal. And we were working," said PiS lawmaker Jaroslaw Zielinski, who took part in the budget vote. Opposition parties Civic Platform and Nowoczesna together with the PSL party said in a statement that the speaker has violated the constitution. Opposition lawmakers also said they had problems in accessing the budget vote. The parties demanded that the parliament sitting be held once again next week. Since coming to power last year, the nationalist-minded, eurosceptic PiS has tightened its control over public news media and state prosecution and moved to weaken the country's highest court. PiS is the first party since Poland's transition to democracy to hold an outright majority in parliament. (Reuters)

Poland's parliament blocked by protesters as political crisis escalates

Mateo Kovacic&#39;s late strike avoided embarrassment for Real Madrid as the European champions surrendered a two-goal lead before drawing 3-3 with Legia Warsaw in an enthralling Champions League game played amid an empty stadium on Wednesday.

&nbsp;

Croatia midfielder Kovacic capped a fine individual display by rifling in the equaliser in the 85th minute after Legia had come from behind in the Group F encounter to take the lead in the 83rd through Thibault Moulin&#39;s powerful finish.

&nbsp;

UEFA had ordered the game to be played behind closed doors after crowd trouble overshadowed Legia&#39;s opener against Dortmund, meaning only several hundred visiting Real supporters witnessed the thriller that featured a historic start.

&nbsp;

Gareth Bale gave Real the lead in the Polish Army Stadium in just 57 seconds with a thunderous strike from outside the area to record the fastest ever goal scored by Real in a Champions League match.

&nbsp;

Karim Benzema doubled their advantage in the 35th, taking advantage of a Bale cutback to sidefoot home.

&nbsp;

Yet Legia hit back with a brilliant piece of skill and finish from Vadis Odjidja five minutes before halftime, while Miroslav Radovic completed a shock comeback by the hosts with an arrowed toe poke into the bottom corner in the 58th.

&nbsp;

Real are second in Group F on eight points, two behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, who qualified by beating Sporting Lisbon 1-0 on Wednesday.

&nbsp;

Real travel to Sporting on Nov. 22, where a point will also see them through. Legia are out but can still challenge Sporting for third place to reach the Europa League last 32 after taking their first point in the competition for 21 years.

&nbsp;

Bale, who signed a new five-year contract with the European champions in midweek, got the game off to a flying start by swiveling to hook the ball into the top corner.

&nbsp;

The Wales international teed up Benzema later in the half with the help of Kovacic and Real looked set to cruise towards a victory that would have qualified them for the last 16, but Legia hit back before the break with Odjidja&#39;s wonderful goal.

&nbsp;

Radovic then took advantage of slack Real defending to drive at the defence and let fly from the edge of the box, sending the ball under Keylor Navas.

&nbsp;

Aleksandar Prijovic hit straight at Navas but barely a minute later made amends by laying the ball off to Moulin to crash the ball in off the post.

&nbsp;

Real&#39;s blushes were saved barely two minutes later though by Kovacic, who has taken on new importance in the absence of compatriot Luka Modric.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)&nbsp;

Mateo Kovacic's late strike avoided embarrassment for Real Madrid as the European champions surrendered a two-goal lead before the draw

Mateo Kovacic's late strike avoided embarrassment for Real Madrid as the European champions surrendered a two-goal lead before drawing 3-3 with Legia Warsaw in an enthralling Champions League game played amid an empty stadium on Wednesday. Croatia midfielder Kovacic capped a fine individual display by rifling in the equaliser in the 85th minute after Legia had come from behind in the Group F encounter to take the lead in the 83rd through Thibault Moulin's powerful finish. UEFA had ordered the game to be played behind closed doors after crowd trouble overshadowed Legia's opener against Dortmund, meaning only several hundred visiting Real supporters witnessed the thriller that featured a historic start. Gareth Bale gave Real the lead in the Polish Army Stadium in just 57 seconds with a thunderous strike from outside the area to record the fastest ever goal scored by Real in a Champions League match. Karim Benzema doubled their advantage in the 35th, taking advantage of a Bale cutback to sidefoot home. Yet Legia hit back with a brilliant piece of skill and finish from Vadis Odjidja five minutes before halftime, while Miroslav Radovic completed a shock comeback by the hosts with an arrowed toe poke into the bottom corner in the 58th. Real are second in Group F on eight points, two behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, who qualified by beating Sporting Lisbon 1-0 on Wednesday. Real travel to Sporting on Nov. 22, where a point will also see them through. Legia are out but can still challenge Sporting for third place to reach the Europa League last 32 after taking their first point in the competition for 21 years. Bale, who signed a new five-year contract with the European champions in midweek, got the game off to a flying start by swiveling to hook the ball into the top corner. The Wales international teed up Benzema later in the half with the help of Kovacic and Real looked set to cruise towards a victory that would have qualified them for the last 16, but Legia hit back before the break with Odjidja's wonderful goal. Radovic then took advantage of slack Real defending to drive at the defence and let fly from the edge of the box, sending the ball under Keylor Navas. Aleksandar Prijovic hit straight at Navas but barely a minute later made amends by laying the ball off to Moulin to crash the ball in off the post. Real's blushes were saved barely two minutes later though by Kovacic, who has taken on new importance in the absence of compatriot Luka Modric. (Reuters)

Champions League: Real Madrid held to 3-3 draw against Legia Warsaw

World champions Germany struck twice in four first-half minutes to beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in their 2018 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday and stretch their winning run in Group C with their best ever start in a tournament qualification.

Julian Draxler&#39;s 13th-minute strike put them ahead and Sami Khedira added another goal as Germany killed off the game for their third win in three qualifiers in their best start to a World Cup or Euro qualification with no goals conceded.

Germany, who made three times as many passes as the Irish, are top with nine points, two clear of Azerbaijan, who drew 0-0 away to the Czech Republic. The Irish stay third on four points.

Northern Ireland, who battled hard in a 1-0 Euro 2016 group stage defeat by Germany, were no match for the hosts, who had over 75 percent possession and were never really threatened.

&quot;We did our job. We got the six points we wanted from our (latest) two qualifiers,&quot; said Loew, who equalled former Germany coach Sepp Herberger&#39;s record 94 wins.

&quot;Northern Ireland were defending deep in their half and it was at times difficult for us.&quot;

&quot;We were in a good run after our win over the Czechs (on Saturday). I wanted two or three goals in the first half to be able to then rest some players.&quot;

Messy performance mars Southgate&#39;s audition

England interim manager Gareth Southgate is halfway through his audition for the full-time job but his hopes were hardly helped by an ugly performance in a 0-0 draw in Slovenia on Tuesday.

Southgate claims he inherited a &quot;mess&quot; after replacing Sam Allardyce, who lasted only 67 days in the job, and the display in Ljubljana was anything but pretty.

England rode their luck to stay top of Group F and on course for the 2018 Russia World Cup, thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping by Joe Hart, but there were few positives in a shapeless display that classier opposition than 67th-ranked Slovenia would have punished.

His decision to drop skipper and England&#39;s all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney in favour of Eric Dier was hardly a qualified success with the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder almost gifting Slovenia an early goal.

Jordan Henderson, who wore the captain&#39;s armband, struggled to exert much authority and he too was guilty of a careless pass that would have led to a Slovenia goal after the break but for another fine intervention by the over-worked Hart.

When Rooney did finally come off the bench in the 73rd minute he almost gave his side an undeserved lead with a shot that flashed past the post, but there was precious little to excite the visiting fans as England laboured to a draw.

Southgate&#39;s first game since replacing disgraced Allardyce was a nondescript 2-0 win over Malta last weekend.

Now he must wait another month before a qualifier at home to Scotland and a friendly versus Spain, after which the English&nbsp;Football&nbsp;Association are expected to make a decision on his future.

Lewandowski scores stoppage time winner

Robert Lewandowski struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Poland a dramatic 2-1 home win over 10-man Armenia in a World Cup Group E qualifier on Tuesday.

The result kept Poland on course to reach the 32-team finals in Russia, as it left them second in Group E on seven points from three games, behind surprise leaders Montenegro on goal difference.

Romania have five points, Denmark are on three after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Montenegro, Kazakhstan have two and Armenia none.

(Reuters)

Goals by Draxler and Khedira gave Germans their best-ever start in a World Cup or Euro qualification stage

World champions Germany struck twice in four first-half minutes to beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in their 2018 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday and stretch their winning run in Group C with their best ever start in a tournament qualification. Julian Draxler's 13th-minute strike put them ahead and Sami Khedira added another goal as Germany killed off the game for their third win in three qualifiers in their best start to a World Cup or Euro qualification with no goals conceded. Germany, who made three times as many passes as the Irish, are top with nine points, two clear of Azerbaijan, who drew 0-0 away to the Czech Republic. The Irish stay third on four points. Northern Ireland, who battled hard in a 1-0 Euro 2016 group stage defeat by Germany, were no match for the hosts, who had over 75 percent possession and were never really threatened. "We did our job. We got the six points we wanted from our (latest) two qualifiers," said Loew, who equalled former Germany coach Sepp Herberger's record 94 wins. "Northern Ireland were defending deep in their half and it was at times difficult for us." "We were in a good run after our win over the Czechs (on Saturday). I wanted two or three goals in the first half to be able to then rest some players." Messy performance mars Southgate's audition England interim manager Gareth Southgate is halfway through his audition for the full-time job but his hopes were hardly helped by an ugly performance in a 0-0 draw in Slovenia on Tuesday. Southgate claims he inherited a "mess" after replacing Sam Allardyce, who lasted only 67 days in the job, and the display in Ljubljana was anything but pretty. England rode their luck to stay top of Group F and on course for the 2018 Russia World Cup, thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping by Joe Hart, but there were few positives in a shapeless display that classier opposition than 67th-ranked Slovenia would have punished. His decision to drop skipper and England's all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney in favour of Eric Dier was hardly a qualified success with the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder almost gifting Slovenia an early goal. Jordan Henderson, who wore the captain's armband, struggled to exert much authority and he too was guilty of a careless pass that would have led to a Slovenia goal after the break but for another fine intervention by the over-worked Hart. When Rooney did finally come off the bench in the 73rd minute he almost gave his side an undeserved lead with a shot that flashed past the post, but there was precious little to excite the visiting fans as England laboured to a draw. Southgate's first game since replacing disgraced Allardyce was a nondescript 2-0 win over Malta last weekend. Now he must wait another month before a qualifier at home to Scotland and a friendly versus Spain, after which the English Football Association are expected to make a decision on his future. Lewandowski scores stoppage time winner Robert Lewandowski struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Poland a dramatic 2-1 home win over 10-man Armenia in a World Cup Group E qualifier on Tuesday. The result kept Poland on course to reach the 32-team finals in Russia, as it left them second in Group E on seven points from three games, behind surprise leaders Montenegro on goal difference. Romania have five points, Denmark are on three after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Montenegro, Kazakhstan have two and Armenia none. (Reuters)

World Cup 2018 qualifiers: Germany cruise to win as England draw blanks against Slovenia

Thousands of women protested&nbsp;across Poland today against a proposed near-total abortion ban, international news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

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Pro-choice activists took to social media to launch the nationwide &quot;Women strike&quot;, asking women to stay away from offices and schools to attend protests.

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According to the news agency, around 2,000 people rallied outside the headquarters&nbsp;of&nbsp;the governing rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party in Warsaw.&nbsp;

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PiS in late September went &nbsp;ahead with a controversial bill that would allow abortions&nbsp;only if the mother&#39;s life is at risk and increase the maximum jail term for practitioners from two years to five, in the devoutly catholic country.

&nbsp;

The citizen&#39;s initiative tabled in the parliament by the &#39;Stop abortion&#39;&nbsp;coalition would make women who&nbsp;terminate pregnancies liable to jail term but judges could waive punishment in their case.&nbsp;

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The country&#39;s highly influential Catholic church approved the initiative earlier this year, even though its bishops have since then opposed jailing women.

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&quot;I don&#39;t like what the Polish government is doing to women,&quot; protester Jolanta Bienicka told AFP.

&nbsp;

&quot;Unfortunately, we&#39;re going in the direction of countries like Afghanistan and the worst countries in the world.&quot;

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Protester Katazyna Goluch, a 17-year-old high school student, told AFP that &quot;no one has the right to decide what I am supposed to do with my uterus&quot;.

&nbsp;

&quot;If this law comes into effect and I&#39;m raped and I get pregnant, I&#39;ll have to give birth. It&#39;s the same thing if the foetus is deformed, so we just have to say no.&quot;

&nbsp;

The current law, which was introduced in 1993, &nbsp;bans all terminations except in cases of&nbsp;rape or incest, the pregnancy poses a health risk to the mother or the foetus is severely deformed.

 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

A bill introduced by the governing party last month allows abortion only if the mother's life is at risk

Thousands of women protested across Poland today against a proposed near-total abortion ban, international news agency AFP reported. Pro-choice activists took to social media to launch the nationwide "Women strike", asking women to stay away from offices and schools to attend protests. According to the news agency, around 2,000 people rallied outside the headquarters of the governing rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party in Warsaw. PiS in late September went ahead with a controversial bill that would allow abortions only if the mother's life is at risk and increase the maximum jail term for practitioners from two years to five, in the devoutly catholic country. The citizen's initiative tabled in the parliament by the 'Stop abortion' coalition would make women who terminate pregnancies liable to jail term but judges could waive punishment in their case. The country's highly influential Catholic church approved the initiative earlier this year, even though its bishops have since then opposed jailing women. "I don't like what the Polish government is doing to women," protester Jolanta Bienicka told AFP. "Unfortunately, we're going in the direction of countries like Afghanistan and the worst countries in the world." Protester Katazyna Goluch, a 17-year-old high school student, told AFP that "no one has the right to decide what I am supposed to do with my uterus". "If this law comes into effect and I'm raped and I get pregnant, I'll have to give birth. It's the same thing if the foetus is deformed, so we just have to say no." The current law, which was introduced in 1993, bans all terminations except in cases of rape or incest, the pregnancy poses a health risk to the mother or the foetus is severely deformed. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Women protest against abortion ban in Poland

Portugal&#39;s coach Fernando Santos will leave his final decision on team selection for the quarter-final clash against Poland until today morning because of injuries to at least two players, he told reporters. 
 
Speaking on the eve of the game in Marseille, Santos also said he viewed the two sides as evenly matched which could result in a tight, defensive contest. 
 
&quot;There are some players who aren&#39;t 100 per cent fit so we&#39;ll wait until tomorrow to ascertain whether they are entirely fit or not and if they can play or not,&quot; Santos said. 
 
&quot;Sometimes the players can recover and we still have 24 hours to go.&quot; 
 
Defender Raphael Guerreiro and midfielder Andre Gomes have not trained since Monday and on Wednesday were again not on the pitch with the rest of the squad. 
 
The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012 and the omens are that it could be another close game. 
 
Apart from a stunning bicycle kick goal by Switzerland&#39;s Xherdan Shaqiri, the Polish defence has not been breached. 
 
Portugal&#39;s last five European Championship ties have ended in draws after 90 minutes, although they scraped through against Croatia in the last 16 with a 117th minute winner. 
 
&quot;I think it&#39;s a 50-50 match. My players know that. They (Poland) are here on their own merit,&quot; Santos said. 
 
Asked if it could be similar to the Croatia clash, Santos lauded Poland&#39;s defensive unity and collective spirit. 
 
&quot;Of course, it will be a game of a lot of strategy. Sometimes there is a Gordion Knot that you can&#39;t untie,&quot; he said, referring to the mythological legend used as a metaphor for a difficult problem. 
 
&quot;There will be a strong strategic component to this game, because if you concede four goals nobody can ensure you can score five,&quot; he quipped. 
 
Talisman Cristiano Ronaldo struggled against Croatia producing one shot, but Santos defended his &quot;amazing&quot; captain. 
 
&quot;We want to strike a balance, of course. We want Ronaldo to shoot on target 15 times and score 10 goals, but our opponents won&#39;t let us and that&#39;s part of the game,&quot; Santos said. 
 
There have also been concerns over the Stade Velodrome pitch, but Santos, whose country lost to France in the 1984 European Championship semi-final in Marseille, said it looked better than expected. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve thought about the match here in 1984, but we played against France so you can&#39;t compare the two. It&#39;s apples and oranges,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012

Portugal's coach Fernando Santos will leave his final decision on team selection for the quarter-final clash against Poland until today morning because of injuries to at least two players, he told reporters. Speaking on the eve of the game in Marseille, Santos also said he viewed the two sides as evenly matched which could result in a tight, defensive contest. "There are some players who aren't 100 per cent fit so we'll wait until tomorrow to ascertain whether they are entirely fit or not and if they can play or not," Santos said. "Sometimes the players can recover and we still have 24 hours to go." Defender Raphael Guerreiro and midfielder Andre Gomes have not trained since Monday and on Wednesday were again not on the pitch with the rest of the squad. The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012 and the omens are that it could be another close game. Apart from a stunning bicycle kick goal by Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri, the Polish defence has not been breached. Portugal's last five European Championship ties have ended in draws after 90 minutes, although they scraped through against Croatia in the last 16 with a 117th minute winner. "I think it's a 50-50 match. My players know that. They (Poland) are here on their own merit," Santos said. Asked if it could be similar to the Croatia clash, Santos lauded Poland's defensive unity and collective spirit. "Of course, it will be a game of a lot of strategy. Sometimes there is a Gordion Knot that you can't untie," he said, referring to the mythological legend used as a metaphor for a difficult problem. "There will be a strong strategic component to this game, because if you concede four goals nobody can ensure you can score five," he quipped. Talisman Cristiano Ronaldo struggled against Croatia producing one shot, but Santos defended his "amazing" captain. "We want to strike a balance, of course. We want Ronaldo to shoot on target 15 times and score 10 goals, but our opponents won't let us and that's part of the game," Santos said. There have also been concerns over the Stade Velodrome pitch, but Santos, whose country lost to France in the 1984 European Championship semi-final in Marseille, said it looked better than expected. "We've thought about the match here in 1984, but we played against France so you can't compare the two. It's apples and oranges," he said. (Reuters)

Portugal sweating on injuries ahead of Poland clash

Poland beat Switzerland 5-4 in a shootout to reach their first European Championship quarter-final, as a riveting clash ended 1-1 after extra time on Saturday, following a brilliant late equaliser by Swiss Xherdan Shaqiri. 
 
Grezgorz Krychowiak drilled in the winning spot-kick after Granit Xhaka had missed Switzerland&rsquo;s second penalty to send the Polish fans at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium into raptures. 
 
The Poles will meet Croatia or Portugal, who play later on Saturday, for a berth in the semis. 
 
Jakub Blaszczykowski had given Poland a 39th-minute lead, before Shaqiri levelled with a spectacular bicycle kick in the 82nd, to send the contest into a dramatic climax. 
 
&quot;We were prepared for this kind of battle,&quot; Poland coach Adam Nawalka said. &quot;The Swiss are a world class side and it was no surprise that they came storming back in the second half. 
 
&quot;But the important thing is that my team showed potential after conceding the equaliser. We are mentally prepared for the quarter-final match in Marseille on Thursday.&quot; 
 
Man of the match Shaqiri, who was superb in the second half and extra time, said the goal meant little after a painful loss. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a great disappointment, we could have achieved something very big,&quot; the 24-year old forward told a news conference. 
 
&quot;It was a beautiful goal and I am always proud to score for my country, but we are out.&quot; 
 
Gaping goal

Poland dominated the first half and should have gone ahead inside the first minute, when Arkadiusz Milik sent his shot over a gaping goal, following a calamitous defensive mix-up. 
 
With striker Robert Lewandowski subdued, the Poles created had to rely on chances created by livewire left winger Kamil Grosicki and the impressive Blaszczykowski on the other flank. 
 
Switzerland captain Stephan Lichsteiner could not keep up with Grosicki, who fired over the bar from 18 metres after a clever run through the middle. 
 
Blaszczykowski broke the deadlock with a composed finish from 10 metres after a darting run by Grosicki and a dummy from Milik gave the winger time and space to pick his spot. 
 
With Shaqiri and striker Haris Seferovic stifled by Poland&rsquo;s rock-solid defence, the Swiss created little in the opening period despite roaring &ldquo;Go Suisse&rdquo; chants by their supporters. 
 
They came out with renewed purpose in the second half and Shaqiri finally showed a glimpse of his talent with a dazzling solo run and a stinging shot which Lukasz Fabianski parried. 
 
Blaszczykowski had Yann Sommer at full stretch as the pace increased with Switzerland throwing men forward. 
 
Shaqiri produced a moment of magic with one of the best goals of the tournament in the 82nd minute, twisting his body in the air to unleash a fierce shot, which gave Fabianski no chance as it went in off the post. 
 
Galvanised by the goal, Switzerland took the upper hand and dominated extra time, forcing several desperate clearances by a defence which had conceded in only one other match in 2016. 
 
Substitute Eren Derdiyok missed a sitter for the Swiss when Fabianski kept out his close-range header and they paid the price as a rattled Poland held on to force the shootout. 
 
(Reuters)

Poland beat Switzerland 5-4 in a shootout to reach their first European Championship quarter-final, as a riveting clash ended 1-1 after extra time on Saturday, following a brilliant late equaliser by Swiss Xherdan Shaqiri. Grezgorz Krychowiak drilled in the winning spot-kick after Granit Xhaka had missed Switzerland’s second penalty to send the Polish fans at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium into raptures. The Poles will meet Croatia or Portugal, who play later on Saturday, for a berth in the semis. Jakub Blaszczykowski had given Poland a 39th-minute lead, before Shaqiri levelled with a spectacular bicycle kick in the 82nd, to send the contest into a dramatic climax. "We were prepared for this kind of battle," Poland coach Adam Nawalka said. "The Swiss are a world class side and it was no surprise that they came storming back in the second half. "But the important thing is that my team showed potential after conceding the equaliser. We are mentally prepared for the quarter-final match in Marseille on Thursday." Man of the match Shaqiri, who was superb in the second half and extra time, said the goal meant little after a painful loss. "It's a great disappointment, we could have achieved something very big," the 24-year old forward told a news conference. "It was a beautiful goal and I am always proud to score for my country, but we are out." Gaping goal Poland dominated the first half and should have gone ahead inside the first minute, when Arkadiusz Milik sent his shot over a gaping goal, following a calamitous defensive mix-up. With striker Robert Lewandowski subdued, the Poles created had to rely on chances created by livewire left winger Kamil Grosicki and the impressive Blaszczykowski on the other flank. Switzerland captain Stephan Lichsteiner could not keep up with Grosicki, who fired over the bar from 18 metres after a clever run through the middle. Blaszczykowski broke the deadlock with a composed finish from 10 metres after a darting run by Grosicki and a dummy from Milik gave the winger time and space to pick his spot. With Shaqiri and striker Haris Seferovic stifled by Poland’s rock-solid defence, the Swiss created little in the opening period despite roaring “Go Suisse” chants by their supporters. They came out with renewed purpose in the second half and Shaqiri finally showed a glimpse of his talent with a dazzling solo run and a stinging shot which Lukasz Fabianski parried. Blaszczykowski had Yann Sommer at full stretch as the pace increased with Switzerland throwing men forward. Shaqiri produced a moment of magic with one of the best goals of the tournament in the 82nd minute, twisting his body in the air to unleash a fierce shot, which gave Fabianski no chance as it went in off the post. Galvanised by the goal, Switzerland took the upper hand and dominated extra time, forcing several desperate clearances by a defence which had conceded in only one other match in 2016. Substitute Eren Derdiyok missed a sitter for the Swiss when Fabianski kept out his close-range header and they paid the price as a rattled Poland held on to force the shootout. (Reuters)

Poland beat Switzerland 5-4 on penalties

Poland international midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has signed for French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from Sevilla on a five-year deal, both clubs confirmed on Sunday. 
 
The 26-year-old, who started his career at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, links up again with former Sevilla coach Unai Emery, now at the helm of PSG. 
 
He becomes PSG&#39;s second recruit of the summer after French international midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa from Nice. 
 
Emery&#39;s focus in Paris is to win the Champions League and Krychowiak, who has spent the past two years in Spain, was a key part of Sevilla winning a third consecutive Europa League title, beating Liverpool in the final in May. 
 
The Spanish press have reported the deal for Krychowiak -- part of Poland&#39;s Euro 2016 squad eliminated in the quarter-finals by Portugal -- to be worth around 26 million Euro ($28.9m). 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a feeling of great pride that drives me to return to France to wear the jersey of a club as ambitious as Paris SG,&quot; said Krychowiak in comments reported by his new club. 
 
&quot;To continue working with Unai Emery obviously played a part in my choice. I&#39;m coming to Paris to experience strong emotions and to win as many trophies as possible.&quot; 
 
PSG president Nasser Al-Khela?fi said he was &quot;very satisfied&quot; with the signing. 
 
&quot;These past two seasons, he was very efficient with Sevilla, in particular on the European scene, and he was one of the most prominent players in the Euro (2016).&quot; 
 
&quot;Grzegorz embodies the values of discipline and combativeness that are dear to our club, our fans and our new coach with whom he wanted to continue working,&quot; the Qatari added. 
 
Emery took over last month from Laurent Blanc who won the domestic treble in each of his last two seasons with the club but it was his failure to make substantial progress in the Champions League that proved his undoing. 
 
(AFP)

Spanish press have reported Krychowiak's five-year deal to be worth around 26 million Euro

Poland international midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has signed for French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from Sevilla on a five-year deal, both clubs confirmed on Sunday. The 26-year-old, who started his career at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, links up again with former Sevilla coach Unai Emery, now at the helm of PSG. He becomes PSG's second recruit of the summer after French international midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa from Nice. Emery's focus in Paris is to win the Champions League and Krychowiak, who has spent the past two years in Spain, was a key part of Sevilla winning a third consecutive Europa League title, beating Liverpool in the final in May. The Spanish press have reported the deal for Krychowiak -- part of Poland's Euro 2016 squad eliminated in the quarter-finals by Portugal -- to be worth around 26 million Euro ($28.9m). "It's a feeling of great pride that drives me to return to France to wear the jersey of a club as ambitious as Paris SG," said Krychowiak in comments reported by his new club. "To continue working with Unai Emery obviously played a part in my choice. I'm coming to Paris to experience strong emotions and to win as many trophies as possible." PSG president Nasser Al-Khela?fi said he was "very satisfied" with the signing. "These past two seasons, he was very efficient with Sevilla, in particular on the European scene, and he was one of the most prominent players in the Euro (2016)." "Grzegorz embodies the values of discipline and combativeness that are dear to our club, our fans and our new coach with whom he wanted to continue working," the Qatari added. Emery took over last month from Laurent Blanc who won the domestic treble in each of his last two seasons with the club but it was his failure to make substantial progress in the Champions League that proved his undoing. (AFP)

Paris Saint-Germain sign Poland star Grzegorz Krychowiak from Sevilla

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said that the EU&#39;s deal with Turkey on halting the flow of migrants towards the bloc is at risk of breaking down, in comments published on Friday. 
 
&quot;The risk is big. The success so far of the pact is fragile. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already hinted several times that he wants to scrap it,&quot; Juncker told Austrian daily Kurier. 
 
&quot;(If that happens) then we can expect migrants to start coming to Europe again,&quot; he told the paper in an interview to be published today. 
 
The March accord between the European Union and Turkey succeeded in stemming the flow of migrants but there are concerns that it could fall apart after a failed coup against Erdogan on July 15. 
 
A subsequent purge in Turkey has seen thousands of arrests among the army, the police and judiciary, and hundreds have lost their jobs in every major Turkish ministry. 
 
Three days after the attempt on the government, a group of Turkish officials assigned to monitor the migration deal on the Greek side returned home, and have yet to be replaced. 
 
In a wide-ranging interview, Juncker also said he was &quot;very concerned&quot; about developments within the 28-nation EU, particularly with regard to Poland and Hungary. 
 
&quot;In Poland the government&#39;s course of action has damaged the rule of law... I am watching with concern preparations for Hungary&#39;s referendum on migration,&quot; Juncker was quoted as saying. 
 
On Wednesday the European Commission handed Poland&#39;s right-wing government a three-month deadline to reverse changes to its Constitutional Court or face sanctions for breaching EU norms on the rule of law and democracy. 
 
The move by the EU&#39;s executive arm is the second step in an unprecedented procedure which could eventually see Warsaw&#39;s voting rights suspended in the council of ministers, the EU&#39;s highest decision-making body. 
 
Hungary meanwhile has refused to accept a single migrant under a mandatory EU quota plan to share them around the bloc, and will hold a referendum on the scheme on October 2. 
 
Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban this week called migration &quot;poison&quot; for Europe and said that his country &quot;does not need a single migrant&quot;. 
 
&quot;If referendums are going to be organised on every decision of the council of ministers and the European Parliament, then legal security is in danger,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
&quot;The Commission should really - although we&#39;re not that far yet - launch a breach of treaty procedure against Hungary. Orban though would then claim that the Commission is taking the Hungarian people to court.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

March accord between EU and Turkey succeeded in stemming the flow of migrants but there are concerns that it could fall apart

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said that the EU's deal with Turkey on halting the flow of migrants towards the bloc is at risk of breaking down, in comments published on Friday. "The risk is big. The success so far of the pact is fragile. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already hinted several times that he wants to scrap it," Juncker told Austrian daily Kurier. "(If that happens) then we can expect migrants to start coming to Europe again," he told the paper in an interview to be published today. The March accord between the European Union and Turkey succeeded in stemming the flow of migrants but there are concerns that it could fall apart after a failed coup against Erdogan on July 15. A subsequent purge in Turkey has seen thousands of arrests among the army, the police and judiciary, and hundreds have lost their jobs in every major Turkish ministry. Three days after the attempt on the government, a group of Turkish officials assigned to monitor the migration deal on the Greek side returned home, and have yet to be replaced. In a wide-ranging interview, Juncker also said he was "very concerned" about developments within the 28-nation EU, particularly with regard to Poland and Hungary. "In Poland the government's course of action has damaged the rule of law... I am watching with concern preparations for Hungary's referendum on migration," Juncker was quoted as saying. On Wednesday the European Commission handed Poland's right-wing government a three-month deadline to reverse changes to its Constitutional Court or face sanctions for breaching EU norms on the rule of law and democracy. The move by the EU's executive arm is the second step in an unprecedented procedure which could eventually see Warsaw's voting rights suspended in the council of ministers, the EU's highest decision-making body. Hungary meanwhile has refused to accept a single migrant under a mandatory EU quota plan to share them around the bloc, and will hold a referendum on the scheme on October 2. Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban this week called migration "poison" for Europe and said that his country "does not need a single migrant". "If referendums are going to be organised on every decision of the council of ministers and the European Parliament, then legal security is in danger," Juncker said. "The Commission should really - although we're not that far yet - launch a breach of treaty procedure against Hungary. Orban though would then claim that the Commission is taking the Hungarian people to court." (AFP)

European Commission head Juncker: EU-Turkey migrant deal at risk of breaking down

Portugal substitute Ricardo Quaresma, keeper Rui Patricio and 18-year-old midfield sensation Renato Sanches emerged as the heroes as Portugal beat Poland 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to reach the Euro 2016 semi-finals on Thursday. 
 
Patricio dived full length to block Jakub Blaszczykowski&#39;s penalty, Poland&#39;s fourth, allowing substitute Quaresma, whose goal late in extra-time beat Croatia in the round of 16, to bang in Portugal&#39;s fifth in the shootout. 
 
Two hours earlier, Robert Lewandowski put Poland ahead with a second minute strike only for teenager Sanches to equalise with a superb shot 33 minutes into his first international start. 
 
Precious little happened from then on but Portugal, beaten on penalties by Spain in the semi-finals four years ago, will not care as they advance to the last four at the Euros for the fourth time in five tournaments to face Belgium or Wales. 
 
&quot;The goal was an amazing moment. I&#39;m happy to be man of the match again, but the individual comes after the team,&quot; said Sanches, who also scored the second shootout penalty. 
 
Cristiano Ronaldo, who four years ago did not get to take his planned spot kick when he was fifth in line as Portugal lost to eventual winners Spain, went first this time. 
 
Joao Moutinho and Nani also scored confidently from the spot before Patricio swung things Portugal&#39;s way with his fine save and Quaresma applied the coup de grace.&nbsp; 
 
But this defeat hurts: Poland coach 
 
Poland had converted all five of their penalties in knocking out Switzerland in the last round, also after a 1-1 draw, but could not repeat the feat. 
 
&quot;The players put a lot of heart into this match and played bravely throughout this tournament and this defeat hurts,&quot; said Poland coach Adam Nawalka. 
 
&quot;We haven&#39;t lost a match at the tournament - we were knocked out on penalties. We&#39;ve moved forward - this tournament has proved that. We played some very good football but this defeat hurts,&rdquo; the coach added.&nbsp; 
 
An all-action first half followed by 75 minutes of inaction 
 
It was a somewhat strange encounter, with an all-action first half followed by 75 minutes of inaction. 
 
Poland went ahead when Portugal defender Cedric&rsquo;s misjudgement allowed a long ball to bounce over his head to Kamil Grosicki. He drove on down the left and squared for Lewandowski to guide the ball in.&nbsp; 
 
It was the striker&#39;s first goal of the tournament and, at one minute 40 seconds, the second-fastest in European Championship history after Dmitri Kirichenko&#39;s for Russia against Greece after 65 seconds in 2004 
 
Poland looked the more confident team for the next 20 minutes but failed to press home their advantage as Portugal settled and began to make inroads. 
 
The Portuguese levelled when Sanches, due to join Lewandowski at Bayern Munich after the Euros, played a neat 1-2 with Nani and found time to shift the ball onto his left foot at the edge of the box and smash it past Lukasz Fabianski. 
 
Both sides came out for the second half seemingly under instruction to slow things down and the life bled from the game. 
 
 
When near-64,000 crowd was drugged into a drowsy-near silence&nbsp; 
 
The only clear chance of the half came in the 85th when substitute Moutinho lobbed a clever pass for Ronaldo who, having taken the time to glance at the keeper&rsquo;s positioning, failed to make any contact on the dropping ball with the goal gaping. 
 
Little changed in the additional 30 minutes, with the near-64,000 crowd drugged into a drowsy-near silence, seemingly knowing what was afoot almost from the restart. 
 
Portugal have failed to win any of their five games here in 90 minutes, having drawn three group matches and beaten Croatia in extra time but midfielder Sanches, on the greatest day of his fledgling career, was in no mood to apologise. 
 
&quot;It takes a lot of hard work to be this lucky,&quot; he said. &quot;People criticise us but we don&#39;t care because in the end we are in the semis.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The game was described as a 'strange encounter', with an all-action first half followed by 75 minutes of inaction

Portugal substitute Ricardo Quaresma, keeper Rui Patricio and 18-year-old midfield sensation Renato Sanches emerged as the heroes as Portugal beat Poland 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to reach the Euro 2016 semi-finals on Thursday. Patricio dived full length to block Jakub Blaszczykowski's penalty, Poland's fourth, allowing substitute Quaresma, whose goal late in extra-time beat Croatia in the round of 16, to bang in Portugal's fifth in the shootout. Two hours earlier, Robert Lewandowski put Poland ahead with a second minute strike only for teenager Sanches to equalise with a superb shot 33 minutes into his first international start. Precious little happened from then on but Portugal, beaten on penalties by Spain in the semi-finals four years ago, will not care as they advance to the last four at the Euros for the fourth time in five tournaments to face Belgium or Wales. "The goal was an amazing moment. I'm happy to be man of the match again, but the individual comes after the team," said Sanches, who also scored the second shootout penalty. Cristiano Ronaldo, who four years ago did not get to take his planned spot kick when he was fifth in line as Portugal lost to eventual winners Spain, went first this time. Joao Moutinho and Nani also scored confidently from the spot before Patricio swung things Portugal's way with his fine save and Quaresma applied the coup de grace. But this defeat hurts: Poland coach Poland had converted all five of their penalties in knocking out Switzerland in the last round, also after a 1-1 draw, but could not repeat the feat. "The players put a lot of heart into this match and played bravely throughout this tournament and this defeat hurts," said Poland coach Adam Nawalka. "We haven't lost a match at the tournament - we were knocked out on penalties. We've moved forward - this tournament has proved that. We played some very good football but this defeat hurts,” the coach added. An all-action first half followed by 75 minutes of inaction It was a somewhat strange encounter, with an all-action first half followed by 75 minutes of inaction. Poland went ahead when Portugal defender Cedric’s misjudgement allowed a long ball to bounce over his head to Kamil Grosicki. He drove on down the left and squared for Lewandowski to guide the ball in. It was the striker's first goal of the tournament and, at one minute 40 seconds, the second-fastest in European Championship history after Dmitri Kirichenko's for Russia against Greece after 65 seconds in 2004 Poland looked the more confident team for the next 20 minutes but failed to press home their advantage as Portugal settled and began to make inroads. The Portuguese levelled when Sanches, due to join Lewandowski at Bayern Munich after the Euros, played a neat 1-2 with Nani and found time to shift the ball onto his left foot at the edge of the box and smash it past Lukasz Fabianski. Both sides came out for the second half seemingly under instruction to slow things down and the life bled from the game. When near-64,000 crowd was drugged into a drowsy-near silence The only clear chance of the half came in the 85th when substitute Moutinho lobbed a clever pass for Ronaldo who, having taken the time to glance at the keeper’s positioning, failed to make any contact on the dropping ball with the goal gaping. Little changed in the additional 30 minutes, with the near-64,000 crowd drugged into a drowsy-near silence, seemingly knowing what was afoot almost from the restart. Portugal have failed to win any of their five games here in 90 minutes, having drawn three group matches and beaten Croatia in extra time but midfielder Sanches, on the greatest day of his fledgling career, was in no mood to apologise. "It takes a lot of hard work to be this lucky," he said. "People criticise us but we don't care because in the end we are in the semis." (Reuters)

Portugal beat Poland 5-3 on penalties, are first team to get into Euro semi-finals

China and Poland have agreed on Monday to upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Chinese President Xi Jinping&#39;s&nbsp;visit to the country.

The move was made as Xi met with Polish President Andrzej Duda, in a bid to further promote cooperation across the board and benefit the two peoples.

Xi said at the meeting that the two peoples have enjoyed lasting friendship since the two countries established diplomatic relations 67 years ago.

The two countries have borne fruitful results in high-level and people-to-people exchanges, and economic and trade cooperation, especially since they established a strategic partnership in 2011, said Xi.

He added that China has cherished the traditional friendship with Poland and stands ready to work with Poland to push forward the bilateral relations in a sound and steady way.

Xi also called for efforts to enhance mutual trust, align development strategies of the two countries and boost interconnectivity and production cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative.

Bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, finance, agriculture, science and technology should be promoted, according to Xi.

Hailing the bilateral ties, Duda said that Poland is willing to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Sino-Polish comprehensive strategic partnership in various areas including the Belt and Road initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and people-to-people exchanges.

A joint statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership was inked after the meeting, as well as a memorandum of understanding on a bilateral cooperation blueprint.

Poland is the second leg of Xi&#39;s Eurasia tour. Before visiting Poland, Xi visited Serbia from June 17 to June 19.

After visiting Poland, Xi will travel to Uzbekistan for a state visit and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. 
 
(Reuters)

A bunch of cooperation agreements signed covering various aspects, including infrastructure construction, education, culture and aerospace

China and Poland have agreed on Monday to upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the country. The move was made as Xi met with Polish President Andrzej Duda, in a bid to further promote cooperation across the board and benefit the two peoples. Xi said at the meeting that the two peoples have enjoyed lasting friendship since the two countries established diplomatic relations 67 years ago. The two countries have borne fruitful results in high-level and people-to-people exchanges, and economic and trade cooperation, especially since they established a strategic partnership in 2011, said Xi. He added that China has cherished the traditional friendship with Poland and stands ready to work with Poland to push forward the bilateral relations in a sound and steady way. Xi also called for efforts to enhance mutual trust, align development strategies of the two countries and boost interconnectivity and production cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative. Bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, finance, agriculture, science and technology should be promoted, according to Xi. Hailing the bilateral ties, Duda said that Poland is willing to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Sino-Polish comprehensive strategic partnership in various areas including the Belt and Road initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and people-to-people exchanges. A joint statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership was inked after the meeting, as well as a memorandum of understanding on a bilateral cooperation blueprint. Poland is the second leg of Xi's Eurasia tour. Before visiting Poland, Xi visited Serbia from June 17 to June 19. After visiting Poland, Xi will travel to Uzbekistan for a state visit and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. (Reuters)

China, Poland to lift ties to comprehensive strategic partnership

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