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Geopolitics In The News War in Ukraine

Putin And Poland: Reflections On Europe’s Ultimate Border

A historic ally of Kyiv, Poland has found itself on the frontlines of the Ukraine-Russia war. What began as a border crisis back in 2021 has now evolved into a full-scale struggle for security, sovereignty, and survival on NATO’s eastern flank.

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Economy Work In Progress

Work Less, Live More: The Push For A Four-Day Work Week Around The World

From remote work to unlimited time off to now, the four-day working week, the workplace continues to evolve. While workplaces seek to avoid employee burnout, and workers hoping for greater flexibility, what was once a dream is quickly becoming reality around the world.

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Geopolitics In The News

Russian Drones Over Poland? That’s Putin Testing If Europe Is Ready For War

The incursion of 19 Russian drones into Polish airspace prompted several NATO countries to mobilize, but also highlighted the weakness of the alliance’s defense capabilities. Warsaw has called it a “provocation” and the incident will accelerate the move towards European defense.

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Geopolitics In The News Israel Israel-Palestine War Society

Israel Plans To Take Over Gaza City, French Wildfires, Brand New ChatGPT

👋  নমস্কাৰ* Welcome to Friday, where Israel’s plans to take control of Gaza City spark widespread condemnation, historic wildfires rage on in France and California, and today’s quiz question comes courtesy of a motorist in Germany. Meanwhile, Kyrgyz investigative outlet Kloop uncovers potential wavering support from Central Asia’s traditionally Kremlin-aligned nations. The Worldcrunch Today crew […]

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

The Kaliningrad Question: An Implied Threat Is Rising In Russia’s Western Enclave

This small but strategically located Russian exclave is the most militarized area in Europe. Much of the continent remains within range of Kaliningrad’s Iskander missiles which allows Russia to keep NATO in check. What is the real potential of the Russian military forces stationed just beyond our northern border?

“More Time” Needed For Gaza Ceasefire, Macron’s Historic UK Visit, Pamplona’s Bulls

👋 здраво* Welcome to Tuesday, where Israel says Gaza ceasefire can be reached but may take more time, Emmanuel Macron aims to rekindle France-UK relations, and Milan’s opera-goers better pay attention to today’s quiz question. Meanwhile, Caterina Soffici in Italian daily La Stampa about what our four-legged friends can teach us about adapting to climate […]

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics In The News

Romania And Poland: Two Elections, Opposite Results In Trump v. Europe Showdown

The Trump administration backed populist and far-right presidential candidates in Romania and Poland: It lost in Romania but won in Poland. Washington’s agenda is to weaken the European Union by supporting its detractors within it.

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Geopolitics

Poland’s Populist Revenge: How Nawrocki Played The Trump Card To Perfection

Poland’s new president Karol Nawrocki, a political outsider backed by the far right, won with a campaign echoing Donald Trump. His victory closes the door on liberal reforms and paves the way for a nationalist comeback.

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Geopolitics In The News Society

Le Weekend ➡️ Poland’s presidential showdown, between Europe and its illiberal shadow

May 31-June 1 • Who owns AI?• RIP Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o• Reading from a mile away• … and much more ⬇️  STARTER Poland’s presidential showdown, between Europe and its illiberal shadow It has become something of a classic pattern: every election in Europe is presented as decisive in the battle between democracy and illiberalism — […]

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In The News

Poland’s Economy, A Perfect Example Of Why Globalization Is The Only Way Forward

Since the 1990s and the fall of communism in Poland, the country’s economic life has changed drastically, moving from a command economy focused on national production to a global one, which is now becoming an increasingly important player in Europe and the world. In the face of Donald Trump’s protectionist inclinations, Witold Gamoski argues that globalization is exactly what economies need to grow.

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In The News

How The Pope Francis Years Revealed Dark Sides Of John Paul II’s Legacy In His Native Poland

Pope Francis had a remarkable impact on the Vatican. In Poland, the last Catholic stronghold of Europe, Francis took action, forcing high-ranking officials in the Church to resign, and dismissing some altogether. For Poland, a country still reckoning with the impacts of Pope John Paul II, both positive and negative, Francis’s papacy held particular weight. 

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Geopolitics In The News

“Familiar Strangers”: The Art Exhibit Exploring How Poland Sees Eastern Europe

A new exhibit, “Eastern Europeans From a Polish Perspective,” in Brussels aims to shed new light on Poland, which has long been seen as an outlier to European affairs.

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Food / Travel

Gusto! How · What · Where Locals Eat (And Drink) In Krakow

Known for its historic architecture, booming nightlife and intellectual life, Poland’s second-largest city has much to offer in terms of local (and international) cuisine. Much like the city itself, Krakow’s food scene can be best described as a blend of old and new, combining Poland’s traditions with newer-wave experimentation.

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Ideas LGBTQ Plus Society

Why Are Poland’s LGBTQ+ Voters Turning To The Far Right?

Konfederacja, or Confederation, is Poland’s furthest-right mainstream party. Describing itself as economically liberal and nationalist, the party has been rising in the polls ahead of the the May 18 and June 1 presidential election, with growing support from women, young people and the LGBTQ community.

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Russia-Ukraine War

Beyond The White House, The “Ungrateful” Ukraine Narrative Has Spread In Poland

Poland, one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine since the beginning of the war, and a neighboring country to Ukraine, has accepted over one million refugees fleeing the Russian invasion. However, as time has gone on, Poles have grown to increasingly resent Ukrainians. But why? Olena Babakova, a Ukrainian journalist, explains for Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza.

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Future Society

Mining Culture, Literally! Inside Poland’s Coal-Mine-Turned-Library

In a region known for its strong, centuries-long ties to the mining industry, areas once dedicated to coal are now being transformed into cultural hubs. Among these is a disused mine in the town of Pszów, which has now been transformed into a library.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War War in Ukraine

Tracking The Flood Of Anti-Ukraine Propaganda Across The Border In Poland

Although Poland is known as a key supporter of the Ukrainian cause, public opinion is beginning to shift, especially among the far-right. Leading the charge is far-right presidential candidate Grzegorz Braun.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War War in Ukraine

Why Trump (And Ukrainians) Will Be Watching Poland’s Election So Closely

Poland was right to vote alongside Ukraine and other Western countries on a UN resolution this week that clearly indicated President Vladimir Putin’s Russia as the culprit in the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. But would Polish diplomats have made that same choice if the nationalist-conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS) were in power. The election in May could see that happen.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Gen Z And AfD? One More Sign Of My Generation’s Shift To The Right

Young men showed one of the most dramatic shifts toward Donald Trump in this year’s election. But with rightward shifts among both men and women of the Gen Z demographic, the reality is reaching deeper — and farther — than most pollsters or analysts can explain.

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Geopolitics

Eighty Years After The Holocaust, Why So Many Israelis Are Seeking Polish Citizenship

The number of Israeli citizens applying for a Polish passport has quadrupled, and law offices as well as provincial citizenship offices have been struggling to keep up with the rising demand. But why have so many people suddenly taken an interest in Poland?

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Society Women Worldwide

How Polish Women Are Shamed By Catholic Gynecologists

One-third of young Polish women don’t go to the gynecologist from fear of being judged. Catholic Polish doctors often refuse to prescribe birth control, openly make references to their religion, make judgmental remarks about their patients, and, in the worst cases, deny women life-saving care because of Poland’s draconian abortion laws.

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Food / Travel Society

How Poland Has Become A Bonafide Destination For Food Lovers

With the popularity of food travel shows, the rise of international dishes like Basque cheesecake and Japanese ramen, and the enduring allure of the culinary traditions of Italy and France, Gazeta Wyborcza‘s culture editor Małgorzata Muraszko argues that Poland should (and can) become a foodie destination.

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Geopolitics

How Poland Became The Far Right’s Global Obsession

With a growing number of far-right victories in Western democracies, many individuals have begun idealizing Poland as “the ideal combination of capitalism and tradition.” What are the origins of the conservative fascination with Poland, and is it even true?

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Society

Art From Auschwitz: A Last Chance To Preserve Prisoner Voices For Posterity

Some 80 years after the end of the Holocaust, there are fewer and fewer survivors to bear witness to their experiences. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial in Poland is developing an exhibition of works of art created by prisoners as a way of sharing their voices and emotions with future generations.

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This Happened

Famous Movie Premiere To The Birth Of A Pop Icon — On This Day In History December 13

The premiere of a Hollywood epic, the selection of a future U.N. leader, and the birth of a pop superstar.

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LGBTQ Plus Society

Why Poland Still Lags On LGBTQ+ Rights, Even After Defeat Of Homophobic Party

Last December, the European Court of Human Rights found that Poland was violating the right to respect for private and family life by refusing to recognize same-sex civil partnerships. This, along with the end of conservative-Catholic rule last year, brings some signs of change to couples who have been waiting for years for the legislation to pass.

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Society

When Artistic Grandkids Of Holocaust Survivors Find Their Muse In Poland’s Footprints

The memory of the Holocaust remains a painful and ever-present stain on Polish history. While the trauma continues to affect the living survivors and their families today, many survivors’ descendants are facing it head-on, and returning to Poland to learn about their family history and transform it into artistic works.

Categories
Future Green Russia-Ukraine War

Missiles Or Science? Why Our Best Weapon Against Putin May Be Arctic Research

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and fears of westward escalation have already led many European countries to up their own defense strategies. But instead of the latest technologies, rockets, and fighter jets, the true key to fighting back may lie in studying the polar region, critical for world stability.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics

U.S. Election And Europe: Why The Era Of “Geopolitical Outsourcing” Is Over

While the Western establishment is hoping for a Kamala Harris victory, either way fundamental changes are coming to the Transatlantic relationship that Europe can no longer evade.

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Society Women Worldwide

Abortion And The U.S. Election: Women Of The World Are Watching

A landmark decision last year by the Mexican Supreme Court is part of a push in Latin America to expand abortion access. But as seen by the U.S. overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022 and the presidential election in November of this year the issue is moving in different directions around the world.

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Society

The 4-Day School Week — Feedback From Experiments Around The World

More and more schools around the world are starting to implement four-day weeks, in a variety of ways. But will this be a short-lived experiment, or the beginning of a new approach to education that can reduce stress for students, help recruit teachers and rethink learning altogether?

Categories
climate change Future Green Society

Can Extreme Weather Flip Views On Climate Change? Fear And Hope From Flooded Poland

Along with much of central Europe, Poland has experienced large scale flooding that has impacted the country’s infrastructure, budget, and sense of safety. Will this tragedy change the way Poles view climate change?

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War Society

Publishing War: When A Pro-Ukraine Author Refuses A Russian Translation

Russians want to publish a translation of Polish author Szczepan Twardoch’s bestselling novel The King — a confusing development given that the writer has just been awarded for helping Ukraine.

Categories
Geopolitics Migrant Lives

The Poland-Belarus Border: One More Migrant Crisis In Search Of Common Sense

Ongoing since 2021, the Polish-Belarusian border crisis has escalated in recent months. As some want to push all migrants away and others say let them all in, Poland must have a system for allowing people to apply for entry — both for humanitarian and economic reasons.

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Society Women Worldwide

With The Activists Fundraising Poland’s First Abortion Clinic

Activists in Poland, a country known for having some of the most restrictive laws on abortion in all of Europe, plan to open the country’s first abortion clinic in Warsaw. As they gather funds to make their dream a reality, they explain the legal loopholes that will help them to provide safe abortions for Poland in a physical, non-judgemental space.

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This Happened

This Happened — August 14: Lech Walesa Leads Shipyard Strikes In Poland

Updated August 14, 2024 at 11:50 a.m. Lech Wałęsa led strikes at the Gdańsk shipyards in Poland on this day in 1980. A Polish electrician and labor activist, he led the movement to protest against the oppressive Communist regime in Poland. What were the key demands of the strikes led by Lech Wałęsa? The strikes […]

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Society Women Worldwide

Why Poland’s New Government Isn’t Keeping Its Pledge On Abortion Rights

More than seven months after Poland’s longstanding conservative government lost national elections, its moderate successors are struggling to reconcile their coalition that includes traditional Catholics intent on blocking changes to the strictest abortion bans in Europe.

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Geopolitics

How The Far Right Capitalizes On Social Media To Capture The Youth Vote

There is real generational disaffection that is pushing some young voters to the far right in Europe and the U.S.. But their skills, including on social media, is a real advantage for success among the youth.

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This Happened

This Happened — June 2: John Paul II’s First Visit To Poland As Pope

Updated June 2, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. On this day in 1979, Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyła in Poland, visited his home country for the first time as pontiff, marking a crucial moment in Polish history. And beyond… Why was Pope John Paul II’s visit to Poland significant? Pope John Paul II’s visit […]

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This Happened

This Happened — May 16: Warsaw Uprising Photograph

Updated May 16, 2024 at 11 a.m. The Warsaw Uprising officially ended on this day in 1943, when the remaining Jewish fighters were killed or captured by German forces. What was the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising? The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was a military operation by the Jewish resistance during World War II aimed at resisting the […]

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