Rydzyk Closing Down

Problems?

Father Rydzyk’s controversial TV Trwam is set to be closed down. From June 1st the TV Trwam European broadcast will be blocked. Polish National Television (TVP) leases two satellite transponders from SES Astra, one of which will no longer be used meaning TVP’s European viewers will no longer be able to watch many TVP programmes. TV Trwam employees are currently negotiating with TVP officials, who have promised to help resolve the problem.
Polska The Times

Newzar can be emailed to you directly

Police Watching Facebook

Facebook Filth

Are you throwing a party and would like to advertise it on the net? Be careful how many people answer. The organisers of the grand opening of 5-10-15 club advertised the event to such an extent that they had to cancel it. In a tenement house, in the centre of the capital, three galleries, a concert hall and artificial beach were opened. The opening of the club was planned on Saturday, 15^th May. The party and club were advertised on the Facebook profile of 5-10-15. If you were planning on going to the opening you could click and let the organisers know. The result was stunning: on Friday 6,000 people declared that they would like to come. However, the success turned into a failure. “On Saturday morning, the police arrived at the club. They told us that we didn’t have necessary permission to have such a large party and if there was more than 300 people we would be breaking the law,” said Bartosz Stroiński of 5-10-15. Marcin Szyndler of the Warsaw Police Force maintains that they were well within their authority to close the event down as the organisers had given out 6,000 invitations. The opening was postponed and nobody knows when it will take place. This time, the organisers will certainly not be sending out Facebook invitations.
Dziennik Gazeta Prawna

Newzar can be emailed to you directly

Pobieraczek Punished By UOKiK

Always Read the Small Print

The owner of the website Pobieraczek.pl mislead users according to the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK). Gdańsk-based Eller Service, the owners of Pobieraczek.pl have been fined PLN 239,100 by the Office. Pobieraczek.pl acts as a middleman for users in the downloading of films, computer games, photos and music. It promotes itself with the slogan “10 days downloading for free”. When accepting the terms, the user must input his/her their personal details: name, address, date of birth and e-mail address. However, as the Office has established, the contract comes into force on the first day of registration at Pobieraczek.pl and the fee was charged not after 10 days but after the first day. According to UOKiK, the practice is unfair and consumers have been misinformed. The Office claims that customers were led to believe the service was free during the first 10 days of the agreement. UOKiK received thousands of complaints from users. Company representative Ireneusz Lejczak has stated that the company will appeal against UOKiK’s decision. According to Lejczak, users are free to break the agreement. Most people do not do it because they do not read the terms.
Gazeta Wyborcza

Newzar can be emailed to you directly

Wealthy? He’s Probably A Thief

Are Business People Thieves?

According to an opinion poll conducted recently by Gazeta Wyborcza, more than 80% of Poles believe that the country’s authorities should monitor companies to a greater degree. People tend to assume, often wrongly, that entrepreneurs are thieves, schemers and fraudsters. The poll results are somewhat shocking and would lead one to believe that we live in a country where corruption runs rampant. And who is to blame? Owners of small companies “naturally”! Nearly half of those polled believe that successful businessmen managed to gain considerable profits by resorting to dishonest practices of various kinds. You have to know people in order to achieve success, especially politicians or other government officials, connections are crucial.

Approximately 25% think that breaking or bending the law is the method to use if one is looking to make financial gains, in the form of rigging auctions, stealing confidential business information or bribing. Only about 19% believe that business success is a direct result of honesty and hard work. The activities of dishonest entrepreneurs ought to be closely monitored. 8 out of 10 want more government officials tasked with controlling business activity and they claim that the controlling process is not thorough enough. In contrast to those opinions, Polish employers maintain that excessive and unnecessary investigation is detrimental to the development of small business ventures in Poland. In addition, OECD Economic Surveys Poland 2010 concludes that Poland is very strict when it comes to monitoring its entrepreneurs as there are as many as 40 agencies authorised to carry out inspections. These include the police, the district attorney’s office, the Internal Security Agency (ABW), the Central Investigation Bureau (CBŚ), the fire department, the Highest Chamber of Control (NIK), the tax office, the Social Insurance Office (ZUS), the Commercial Inspection Office and the Labour Inspection Office.
Gazeta Wyborcza

Newzar can be emailed to you directly

Lech Poznań: Champions of Poland

Champions of Poland

After beating Zagłębie Lubin 2:0, Lech Poznań sealed their sixth Polish championship. ‘Kolejorz’ (The Railwaymen) regained the Polish ‘Ekstraklasa’ (Premiership) for the first time in seventeen years. The celebrations started after the final whistle. The team cracked open the champagne and were driven in an open-top bus to Poznań’s Old Town where the celebrations continued. The last time Lech Poznań’s fans had the opportunity to celebrate their team’s success was in 2004 when Lech won the Polish Cup. On Sunday, the team will travel to the capital to receive their winners’ medals.
Wirtualna Polska

Newzar can be emailed to you directly

Destination: Polska

Looking for a perfect holiday destination? You can find it here, in Poland. From the seaside and lakes of the north to the highlands of the south, Poland has something for everyone. Below you will find a brief description of some of the most beautiful spots in Poland:

Sokolica

Sokolica
To get to Sokolica Peak (747 metres above sea level) you have take a trip to the Pieniny Mountains in southern Poland. The trail starts in Szczawnica. The very name of the peak indicates that it used to be a home for falcons (Polish sokoły). Sokolica is a magnificent vantage point from which you can admire both the Pieniny and the Dunajec River Gorge. The peaks of Belianske and the High Tatras can also be seen from this point. What adds to this view is a pine tree just below the very peak.

Karpacz

Karpacz
Karpacz is a picturesquely situated town at the foot of the Karkonosze mountains, in the valley of the Łomnica river. It is located at 4,890 to 885 metres above sea level and one of the main attractions is the Vang Stave Church dating back to the turn of the 12th century. The wooden church was originally built in Vang, Norway and was then brought to Karpacz in 1842. There is also a belfry next to the church built to prevent it from the mountain winds. The church and surrounding hills are stunning.

Zakrzówek

Zakrzówek
The turquoise water and rugged, lush shore could be part of a Mediterranean landscape. However, one does not have to travel that far because Zakrzówek bay offers such a view. This part of Kraków  came into existence when an old limestone quarry was flooded. Unfortunately, swimming in the reservoir is forbidden and only divers are allowed to use it.

Moszna

Moszna
Moszna, a village in the Opolskie Province (south-west Poland), is famous for its majestic baroque castle erected in the second half of the 19th century. In 1896 a fire gutted the interior and roof of the castle but it was later rebuilt and a Neo-Gothic east wing with an orangery were added.

Ogrodzieniec

Ogrodzieniec
To get to the ruins of Ogrodzieniec Castle one has to go down the Trail of the Eagles’ Nests. The Castle is perched on Castle Mountain (Zamkowa Góra) in the Polish Jura Chain. There are numerous legends that add a magical touch to this place, for example, the legend of the Black Dog from Ogrodzieniec that wanders around the Castle by night.

Mazuria

Mazuria
The Great Mazurian Lakes are the pride of Poland. The region is a nominee in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign (the competition ends on 11 November 2011). A favourite destination in Mazuria is Mikołajki which, owing to its picturesque setting, is also called the “Venice of Mazuria” and the “Mazurian Pearl”. In the summer the town becomes a place of get-togethers and a starting point for cruises around nearby lakes. It is a perfect place for those who enjoy water sports (windsurfing, kayaking, fishing) and other forms of relaxation such as horse riding, cycling or trekking.

Słowiński National Park

Słowiński National Park
In Słowiński National Park, near Łeba (northern Poland), we can find one of the most unusual and unique seashores in Europe. It fascinates visitors due to the intensity of the erosion processes and its moving sand dunes. This is the only place in Europe where dunes, lakes, peat bogs and forests can all be found in one area. The landscape is continuously changing. This spectacular and at the same time dramatic view is caused by the constant “battle” of the elements: the moving dunes cover forests or even the lakes with sand.
Wirtualna Polska

Newzar can be emailed to you directly

Poles March in Moscow

Polish Armed Forces in Red Square

For many in Europe the 9th May 2010 will go down as one of the most surprising days in history. Who would have suspected that on this day, representatives of the armed forces of Russia, the United States, France, Britain and Poland would march together in Red Square? A little over twenty years ago, Red Square was synonymous with Soviet oppression and communism. Who would have then imagined that Poland would soon become a member of Nato and that four Nato countries (USA, Britain, France, and Poland) would march in honour of the glorious Soviet victory over Nazi Germany?
Wirtualna Polska/Gazeta Wyborcza

Newzar can be emailed to you directly

Obama Thanks Poland

Obama Speaks to Poland

In a special address, US President Barack Obama sent his warmest wishes to the Republic of Poland on account of the 3rd May Constitution Holiday and, once again, his deepest condolences on account of the tragic Smolensk air crash. The Presidential statement reads: “For the 219 years which have passed since Poland passed its Constitution, this document has served as an inspiration for many people around the world, as a standard of equality and democratic freedoms”. The statement also highlights the importance to the American people of Polish-US relations. US President Barack Obama has been particularly active and vocal in his praise and support for Poland in recent weeks.
Polish Press Agency (PAP)

Newzar can be emailed to you directly

Turning In Their Graves

Kuba Wojewódzki and Michał Figurski have both shocked and amused thousands of radio listeners and YouTube viewers with their latest shenanigans. Live on EskaRock radio, rapping to the tune of Dr Dre’s “Still”, Figurski and Wojewódzki launched into a full frontal attack on Law and Justice (PiS) presidential candidate Jarosław Kaczyński. Wojewódzki’s and Figurski’s song, entitled, “Po Trupach Do Celu” (literally, ‘to trample over corpses in order to get what one wants’) begins with Wojewódzki rapping, “Be afraid Poles, the (Kaczyński) Fourth Republic is returning”. We hear him later singing, “Jarek, Jarek, has lots of friends and every one of them wants to be buried at Wawel”.  The song has led to Coca-Cola pulling out of their sponsorship deal with Wojewódzki and Figurski. What is more, Magdalena Bajer, head of the Media Ethics Commission has called the song disgraceful and feels it goes well beyond the ethical line that journalists should not cross. However, the head of EskaRock Bogusław Potoniec does not believe the song was over the top. Listen for yourselves:

Newzar can be emailed to you directly