TVN24 News in English

TVN24 News in English

People queue up to buy collector banknotes with Lech Kaczyński

The National Bank of Poland has launched sales of collector banknotes with a face value of 20 zlotys, commemorating Poland's late president Lech Kaczyński, who died in the Smolensk plane crash in 2010, along with 95 others. Long queues have formed at NBP branches, as they also offer special 500-zloty coins with the president's likeness. Collectors can also buy the items online, but the prices are much higher than at the counter.

PiS: Independence March to have an official character

Poland's ruling PiS party spokeswoman Anita Czerwińska said on Tuesday that the Independence March on November 11 will have an official status. She also appealed for the march to be held with dignity, and that it would not lose its civic character.

Poland braces to protect its border as hundreds of migrants camp out in Belarus

Poland's Ministry of National Defence has published a new video from the Polish-Belarusian border. "A large group of Belarusian officers are approaching the migrant campsite in Kuźnica," the ministry informed in social media on Tuesday. Hundreds of migrants camped out near the Belarus border with Poland on Tuesday in freezing overnight temperatures as the Polish Prime Minister visited the border and officials warned tension could increase in coming days.

Human ashes instead of spices in a box from Canada

Polish customs checked a package sent from Canada to an address in the town of Chociwel (Western Pomeranian Voivodeship). Inside the box, instead of spices declared by the sender, the officers found human ashes. The customs suspect the sender wanted to bypass tight restrictions regarding transport of human remains into Poland. The police were notified about the case.

EU Human Rights Court: Poland should fix its system of nominating judges

European Court of Human Rights ruled on Monday that Polish Supreme Court's Chamber of Extraordinary Review and Public Affairs was not an independent and impartial court, as the country's system of nominating judges was faulty. The ruling is likely to be a significant argument in the ongoing debate on the legality of all nominations of judges issued by Poland's new National Council of the Judiciary.

Defence ministry shows footage of a huge group of migrants at Belarus border

Poland's Ministry of National Defence published a video on Monday showing a huge group of migrants in the state of emergency area. Earlier that day the group was seen entering the border area in the assist of Belarusian services. The migrants followed a path starting in Belarusian village of Bruzgi and continuing through a forest towards the border with Poland. Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said that already 12,000 soldiers were protecting the border with Belarus. Moreover, Poland's Territorial Defence Force has been put on high alert.

Poland named "Fossil of the Day" by climate activists

Climate activists have presented Poland with an ironic "Fossil of the Day" title for dodging its commitment to phase out coal by 2030 already the day the country made the pledge. The title is being awarded on each day of the COP26, to countries "doing the most to achieve the least" in terms of the progress on climate change.

Poland signed a contract for COVID-treatment drug purchase

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki informed on Friday that Poland has signed a contract for a COVID-treatment drug delivery. He added, however, that the European Union still has not approved the already manufactured medicines, and that Poland was waiting for a decision of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Monetary Policy Council raises interest rates again

Poland's Monetary Policy Council on Wednesday decided to increase the interest rates yet again. The NBP reference rate has been raised by 0.75 percentage points, from 0.50% up to 1.25%. The Council's decisions affect the situation of loan borrowers. When the interest rates go up, they can expect their monthly payments to go up accordingly.

Where is president's amendment to abortion law?

One year ago, the president submitted a draft amendment to the abortion law in the Sejm, but the lower house still has not started works over the bill. Deputy Speaker of the chamber, Ryszard Terlecki from the ruling PiS party, said that "it's being prepared somewhere, but frankly speaking, it's not in the Sejm at the moment". He also told journalists that "maybe we need to speed some things up".

"Ahmed returns home". Family of an Iraqi still wait for his body

29-year-old Ahmed Hamid died in September in the region of Podlasie. A month later, his devastated family could not bury him, as his body did not return to Iraq, with no information being provided. The prosecutor's office said the body would be released as soon as all the necessary examination has been done regarding the cause of death. TVN24 reported Piotr Czaban has just learned the body of the man, who was the first fatal victim of the migrant crisis at the border with Beklarus, will finally return to his homeland.

Pregnant woman dies in a hospital. National Health Fund launches inquiry

The National Health Fund (NFZ) has launched an inquiry into the death of a 30-year-old pregnant woman in a hospital in Pszczyna - Health Ministry spokesman Wojciech Andrusiewicz told TVN24 on Tuesday. He added the ministry would refrain from commenting on the issue until the inspection has been completed. The hospital issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the doctors and midwives had done everything they could to save the woman and her baby.