#warsaw law firms

[companypoland2]

Company Registration in Poland Starting a business in Poland can be an exciting and rewarding endeavor. With its growing economy and strategic location in the heart of Europe, Poland offers numerous opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors.When it comes to company registration in Poland, there are certain steps and requirements that need to be followed. Here is a brief overview of the process:

[mariacallous]

WARSAW, Poland — In the heart of the former Warsaw Ghetto, where Jews were killed and their neighborhood razed during World War II, a Jewish community has never recovered — but a museum has for a decade drawn visitors to learn about their history.

The Polin Museum is marking 10 years since opening its exhibition about the 1,000-year history of Polish Jews. In that lifespan, it rose to fame as one of the world’s leading Jewish museums and a symbol of Poland’s long-deferred recognition of its extinguished Jewish past.

But it also faced down challenges from a government ruled by Poland’s right-wing nationalist Law and Justice party, which sought to remove museum leaders seen as too critical of government policies or unwilling to conform with nationalist versions of history. Law and Justice was overturned by a centrist coalition last year.

During a weekend of anniversary programming in late September, which included a gala, a symphony orchestra concert and curatorial tours, nearly 10,000 people passed through the museum, a modernist building designed by the Finnish firm Lahdelma & Mahlamäki.

Special guests ranged from government officials and museum founders and donors to influential members of Poland’s small Jewish community, including Polish Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich and Marian Turski, a 98-year-old historian and Holocaust survivor who presides over the museum council.

The hoopla surrounding Polin’s 10-year anniversary reflects its impact on Poland, a society that only in recent decades has confronted the history of its Jewish community and the 3 million Polish Jews who were killed there under the Nazis. The museum’s name draws from a story about Jews who fled persecution in Western Europe and arrived in Poland during the Middle Ages. According to legend, they heard birds singing “Po-lin,” a transliteration of the Hebrew words for both “rest here” and “Poland.”

Before Germany invaded Poland in 1939, it was one of the most diverse countries in Europe. Jews made up 10% of the total population and a majority in many towns. Warsaw was home to more than 350,000 Jews — about 30% of the city.

After the Nazis killed most of Poland’s Jews, the country came under decades of communist rule. Soviet authorities suppressed Jewish religious and cultural life and folded the Holocaust into an ideological narrative about the Soviets’ total victory over the Nazis — relegating Polish-Jewish history to what scholars call “the communist freezer.” Only in the early 1990s, after the fall of communism, did the idea of the Polin Museum first come into being.

Over 20 years and more than $100 million later, with the help of wealthy American donors and the Polish government, the Polin Museum opened its core exhibit in October 2014.

“For 50 years, people didn’t learn anything about what Polish Jews were about — including Polish Jews,” Schudrich told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “What’s really happened since 1989 is people beginning to learn, and the key pivotal place for that education to take place is here.”

The ambition of Polin was distinct from the memorials at Poland’s slew of concentration camps and Nazi killing centers: This place called itself a “museum of life.”

Only one of the eight multimedia galleries is dedicated to the Holocaust. The rest follow a millennium of Jewish life in Poland, from the first appearance of Jews in the 10th century to the development of Jewish towns; life under Poland’s partition between Russia, Prussia and Austria; waves of pogroms; the birth of modern Jewish social, political and religious movements; and a period of newfound freedoms after World War I, in the Second Polish Republic, all before the devastation wrought by the Holocaust.

A final gallery also traces the post-war years, when a small number of Jews remained in Poland. After a government-sponsored antisemitic campaign in 1968 purged thousands of Jews from the country, only about 10,000 remained. This gallery also looks at a renewed curiosity about Jewish history since the 1990s, which has given rise to festivals of Jewish culture across Poland, many of them organized by non-Jews.

Dariusz Stola, a historian at the Polish Academy of Sciences and the museum’s first director, said that Polin arrived at the perfect time — when interest in the Jewish heritage of Poland was surging at home and interest in the Polish heritage of Jews was surging abroad. (About 70% of the world’s Jews have roots in Poland, according to Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, a professor emerita of New York University and chief curator of Polin’s core exhibit.)

Today the museum has been visited more than 5 million times, with about half of its visitors from Poland and half from other countries. Its collection of accolades includes the European Museum Academy Award and the European Union’s Europa Nostra Award.

“The Polin Museum was an outcome of the opening of Polish society after 1989, of democracy, of certain liberal principles — such as the idea that people are different and we should live together — but it also contributed to these developments,” Stola told JTA.

But the past 10 years have also brought challenges for people who work in education about Poland’s Jewish history. Between 2015 and 2023, a nationalist-conservative government made controlling history a central part of its platform, promising to revive Poland’s pride in its past and eradicate a so-called “pedagogy of shame” — which meant stifling discussions about Polish people who killed Jews or cooperated with the Nazi regime.

In 2018, the country passed a law that outlawed accusing Poland or the Polish people of complicity in the Holocaust. Although its penalty has changed — lawmakers downgraded it from a crime punishable with three years in prison to a civil offense — the law remains in effect today.

Stola was among the casualties of the eight-year government, which accused him of “politicizing” the Polin Museum after an exhibition that documented Poland’s antisemitic campaign of 1968. Stola was pushed out as the director in 2019, despite winning a competition to extend his tenure.

Still, Stola believes that Polin has triumphed in educating the Polish public about the Jewish history in their midst. He pointed out that even those who oppose the museum’s contents have been forced to contend with them.

“There was a moment a couple of years ago, when a group of antisemites made a little campaign online: ‘This is Poland, not Polin,’” Stola said in his remarks at the 10-year anniversary gala. “I’m pretty sure they had never heard the name ‘Polin’ before we opened this museum, so they also learned something.”

For Jews in Poland and abroad, Polin presented an opportunity to learn about Polish-Jewish heritage beyond the most-remembered story of death and destruction. At the Auschwitz memorial in Oświęcim, a regular parade of Jewish students, tourists and officials leaves dizzy with despair — but Polin sought to inspire other feelings, too.

“Many of our Jews in Poland today didn’t even grow up knowing they were Jewish, so one of the challenges is for people to learn about their history — and also have a great sense of being proud,” said Schudrich. “This is a place where someone who has Jewish roots can come and learn, wow, look what my ancestors have created.”

That offering has made the museum some high-profile friends in the United States. The actor Jesse Eisenberg spoke remotely at the gala about visiting Poland to shoot his new film “A Real Pain,” about two cousins who travel there to learn about their grandmother’s Holocaust story, based on his own roots in the country.

Eisenberg joked that when he arrived for filming last year, he was annoyed to see the Polin Museum built on a site he remembered being empty during his first trip to uncover his family history.

“I was initially frustrated because it conflicted with my image of that set from 2008, but when I went in the museum, I was just overwhelmed,” said Eisenberg, who has applied for Polish citizenship. “I cannot wait to go back.”

Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, the chief curator, said Polin rose from a demand to understand what vanished from Poland together with most of its Jews. Unlike many other Holocaust museums in Europe, Polin’s founding was not based on a collection of Jewish relics and remains — but on their absence.

“This museum is built on the rubble of the ghetto, on the rubble of the pre-war Jewish neighborhood,” Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, professor emerita at New York University,  said at the gala. “That is for me a very powerful symbol, because we began without a collection. We’ve now formed a collection — we have over 19,000 objects — but our greatest asset wasn’t a collection. Our greatest asset was the powerful story of the largest Jewish community in the world.”

[newstfionline]

Monday, August 19, 2024

Deploying on U.S. Soil: How Trump Would Use Soldiers Against Riots, Crime and Migrants (NYT) During the turbulent summer of 2020, President Donald J. Trump raged at his military and legal advisers, calling them “losers” for objecting to his idea of using federal troops to suppress outbreaks of violence during the nationwide protests over the police murder of George Floyd. It wasn’t the only time Mr. Trump was talked out of using the military for domestic law enforcement—a practice that would carry profound implications for civil liberties and for the traditional constraints on federal power. He repeatedly raised the idea of using troops to secure border states, and even proposed shooting both violent protesters and undocumented migrants in the legs, former aides have said. In his first term in office, Mr. Trump never realized his expansive vision of using troops to enforce the law on U.S. soil. But as he has sought a return to power, he has made clear that he intends to use the military for a range of domestic law enforcement purposes, including patrolling the border, suppressing protests that he deems to have turned into riots and even fighting crime in big cities run by Democrats.

Venezuelans in Caracas and across the world demonstrate to defend opposition’s victory claim (AP) Venezuelans across the world—some with flags and other patriotic paraphernalia—responded to a call from their country’s political opposition Saturday and took to the streets to defend the faction’s claim to victory over President Nicolás Maduro in last month’s disputed presidential election. The demonstrations in Tokyo, Sydney, Mexico City and several other cities were an effort by the main opposition coalition to make visible what they insist is the real outcome of the election. They also called on governments to throw their support behind candidate Edmundo González and express support to Venezuelans who are fearful in their home country of speaking against Maduro and his allies during a brutal repression campaign.

Austria battles flooding after record downpours (Reuters) Heavy rains lashed Alpine regions of Austria and left parts of Vienna under water at the weekend, causing severe damage in parts of the country and disrupting road and rail transport, authorities and local media said. Fast-moving torrents of muddy water swept cars through the ski resort of St. Anton, in western Austria, on Friday, footage posted on social media showed. Meanwhile record rainfall hit parts of Vienna in the east of the country on Saturday, state broadcaster ORF said. A large proportion of Vienna's average summer rainfall hit on Saturday in just one hour, according to weather data firm UBIMET.

Polish leader urges Nord Stream patrons to ‘keep quiet’ as pipeline mystery returns to spotlight (AP) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Saturday reacted to reports that revived questions about who blew up the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, saying the initiators of the gas pipeline project should “apologize and keep quiet.” That comment came after one of his deputies denied a claim that Warsaw was partly responsible for its damage. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Ukrainian authorities were responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in September 2022, a dramatic act of sabotage that cut Germany off from a key source of energy and worsened an energy crisis in Europe. Germany was a partner with Russia in the pipeline project. Poland has long said its own security interests have been harmed by Nord Stream. “To all the initiators and patrons of Nord Stream 1 and 2. The only thing you should do today about it is apologise and keep quiet,” Tusk wrote on the social media portal X Saturday. Tusk appeared to be reacting specifically to a claim by a former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, BND, August Hanning, who told the German daily Die Welt that the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines must have had Poland’s support. Hanning said Germany should consider seeking compensation from Poland and Ukraine.

Russia readies for “decades” under Western sanctions (Reuters) Economic sanctions imposed by the West on Russia will remain in place for decades, even if there is a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, a senior Russian foreign ministry official said on Friday. Russia became the most sanctioned country by the West after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, surpassing Iran and North Korea. Despite the pressure, Russia’s economy grew by 4.7% in the first half of this year. A Russian official said sanctions had some benefits, forcing Russia to restructure its economy and produce more value-added goods that were previously imported from Western countries.

India’s doctors strike in protest at rape and murder of colleague (Reuters) Hospitals and clinics across India turned away patients except for emergency cases on Saturday as medical professionals staged a 24-hour shutdown in protest over the rape and murder of a doctor this month in the eastern city of Kolkata. More than one million doctors were expected to join the strike, paralysing medical services across the world’s most populous nation. Hospitals said faculty staff from medical colleges had been pressed into service for emergency cases. The walk-out was the latest action in response to the killing of a 31-year old trainee doctor last week inside the medical college in Kolkata where she worked. The crime has triggered nationwide protests among medical workers and a public outpouring of anger over violence against women reminiscent of what followed the notorious gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi in 2012.

Inflation has come for one of Japan’s most beloved cheap eats: Ramen (Washington Post) Ramen is an affordable comfort dish in Japan, where a bowl of warm noodles in hearty broth rarely costs more than 1,000 yen, or about $6.80. It’s a quick and reliable meal during a work lunch break, for teenagers hungry after school and salarymen taking a late train home. But as Japan experiences inflation after decades of falling or stagnant prices, one of the country’s favorite cheap meals is taking a hit. Ramen shops are closing at a record pace this year, as owners face the dilemma of raising their prices beyond the “1,000-yen wall” to cope with rising costs or shutting down. As of July, 49 ramen shops filed for bankruptcy, on pace to set a record for most closures in a single year, according to Teikoku Databank, a corporate research company based in Tokyo. The cost of ingredients, labor and electricity making ramen has increased by 10 percent over three years, the company found.

Doubting America’s ‘Nuclear Umbrella,’ Some South Koreans Want Their Own (NYT) Ever since the Korean War was halted in an uneasy truce in 1953, South Koreans have lived under an American promise to defend their country, if necessary, with nuclear weapons. President Biden emphatically reiterated that commitment last year, vowing that any nuclear attack by North Korea would lead to the destruction of its government. But decades of American assurances have failed to deter North Korea from building a nuclear arsenal and then expanding it. Led by Kim Jong-un, North Korea has also become more provocative, testing missiles powerful enough to reach the United States. And it has rattled South Korea by reviving a Cold War-era defense agreement with Russia, another nuclear-armed state. The South has long considered it a taboo to pursue atomic weapons in defiance of Washington’s nonproliferation policy. But jitters about security here have been intensified by the possible re-election of former President Donald J. Trump, whose commitment to the alliance between Washington and Seoul appears to be shaky at best. Now, a growing majority of South Koreans say their country needs its own nuclear weapons instead of relying on the United States for protection.

Israeli strikes in Gaza and Lebanon kill at least 25, officials say (Washington Post) Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon killed at least 25 civilians Saturday, according to Lebanese and Palestinian health authorities, as the United States and allies were racing to conclude delicate cease-fire negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The Gaza strike early Saturday in the town of Zuweida killed at least 15 members of the Al-Ajlah family, according to a relative of the family. A spokesman for the Gaza civil defense said at least 17 members of the family had been killed. In southern Lebanon, a strike on what local officials said was a metal warehouse killed 10 people, including a Syrian woman and her two children, the health ministry said.

‘There Is No Childhood in Gaza’ (NYT) The war in Gaza had barely begun when 9-year-old Khaled Joudeh suffered an unimaginable loss. His mother, father, older brother and baby sister, along with dozens of other relatives, were all killed in an Israeli airstrike on their home. In the months that followed, Khaled tried to be brave, his uncle, Mohammad Faris, recalled. He would comfort his younger brother Tamer, who, like Khaled, had survived the Oct. 22 strike that killed their family. But Tamer, 7, was left badly injured with a broken back and a broken leg, and was in constant pain. “He would always quiet his brother when he cried,” Mr. Faris told The New York Times in a recent phone interview. “He would tell him: ‘Mama and Baba are in heaven. Mama and Baba would be sad if they knew we were crying because of them.’” At night, when the unrelenting Israeli airstrikes on Gaza would start up again, Khaled would wake up shaking and screaming himself, sometimes running to his uncle to seek comfort. It was a short and terrifying existence for the young brothers that ended when another airstrike hit the family home where they were sheltering on Jan. 9, killing Khaled, Tamer, their 2-year-old cousin, Nada, and three other relatives, according to two family members. “There is no childhood in Gaza,” Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the main U.N. agency that aids Palestinians, UNRWA, wrote on social media last month.

The trash in Mali’s capital is piling up. Donkey carts are coming to help (AP) When handling the garbage of a city of over 3 million people and equipped with little more than a face mask and gloves, it helps to have a sense of humor. Yacouba Diallo decided to name the two donkeys that pull his cart after his cousins, Keita and Kanté. Hauling garbage in Mali’s capital, Bamako, can be otherwise grim. The city more than doubled its population in recent years and struggles to manage its waste. Piles of garbage dominate some streets. Residents are turning to donkey carts like Diallo’s for trash pickup. The carts can weave in and out of vehicle traffic and reach more places than trucks can, especially on bad roads. Diallo said he can make up to $166 a month. That kind of money is attractive to youth who come from Mali’s rural areas seeking employment in the West African nation with high unemployment.

[bllsbailey]

They Lied to You

Lying is certainly nothing new in politics. It is said that prostitution is the world's oldest profession, but politics is assuredly the dirtiest -- filthier even than garbageman, mortician or, well, the world's oldest profession itself.

Former President Bill Clinton (while we're on the topic of sexual promiscuity) perjured himself, leading to his impeachment. Former President Barack Obama, in what PolitiFact called its 2013 "Lie of the Year," promised that "if you like your health care plan, you can keep it." And on and on it goes.

The corporate media, whose 21st-century raison d'etre is propping up the Regime Party (Democrats) and punishing the Deplorable Party (Republicans), often joins the fray. The Russia-collusion delusion disinformation operation was laundered by Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign to seedy "intelligence" firm Fusion GPS and law firm Perkins Coie LLP. For years, the corporate media then dutifully pushed the false narrative. Indeed, it is unclear to this day whether MSNBC has ever read the Mueller report.

But after last Thursday's CNN presidential debate in Atlanta, in which President Joe Biden delivered a catastrophic performance for the ages, there is only one conclusion: The yearslong effort by Biden administration flunkies, Democratic Party poohbahs and pro-Regime media stenographers to forcefully deny Biden's obvious physical and mental decline will go down as the single greatest lie in American history.

And what an assiduous effort it was. For years, Democrats and the corporate media lied through their teeth about the blatant decline of the president's physical and mental faculties.

When Biden fell off a stationary bicycle in 2022, handlers brushed it off as no big deal. When Biden started wearing funny-looking tennis sneakers instead of dress shoes, presumably in order to stabilize his gait and prevent debilitating falls, aides informed us that Biden was just embracing a certain sartorial savviness.

When former Special Counsel Robert Hur declined to pursue charges against Biden due to the fact he "would likely present himself to a jury ... as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," media apparatchiks denounced Hur as a "Trump plant" in the Justice Department. (Where is Hur's apology?)

After multiple videos emerged of Biden freezing, staring and wandering off, The New York Times called them "misleading"; the Biden White House dismissed them as "cheap fakes." The Wall Street Journal's recent story in which reporters interviewed 45 officials who expressed concern about Biden's senescence was excoriated as a "hit job."

All along the way, costly "gaffes" -- such as Biden inadvertently calling for regime change in Moscow during a March 2022 visit to Warsaw -- were simply chalked up to Uncle Joe being Uncle Joe. How dare you question hardscrabble Joe from Scranton: nothing to see here!

Anything -- anything -- to prevent the American people from learning the truth. Axios reported last Friday how "close aides have carefully shielded (Biden) from people inside and outside the White House since the beginning of his presidency." For Democrats and their media enablers, there can be no stone left unturned to protect their precious. The ends always justify the means, after all, just as Saul Alinsky taught.

The media's hubris in thinking it could get away with this is astounding. Biden is the president of the United States. His decline wasn't exactly a state secret, at least for anyone with functioning eyes and ears. This column two years ago, in lamenting Biden's "indications of a palpable senility," concluded that "[t]here is something very, very clearly wrong with the president of the United States."

Really, just how stupid do Democrats and the corporate media think we are? How long did they think they could get away with this gaslighting operation?

A Gallup poll last October revealed that 32% of Americans trust the corporate media either "a great deal" or "a fair amount." That seems far too high. These hacks deserve nothing but disgust and contempt.

Nor has the persistent media gaslighting for the past two to three years been a victimless crime. The collective victim is us: all of us. America is wildly insecure under the "leadership" of Biden. Xi Jinping is sure to move on Taiwan before year's end. Who knows what Xi's friends, from Pyongyang to Moscow to Tehran, might do. Who will stop them, after all?

The ultimate irony of it all? The massive lie and disinformation operation to obfuscate the president's decline has been perpetrated in the name of -- you guessed it -- "our democracy." The chutzpah!

"Democracy Dies in Darkness," reads The Washington Post's masthead slogan, conveniently adopted mere weeks after former President Donald Trump took office in 2017. Come again? We don't actually know who is running the country right now. It certainly isn't Uncle Joe. Now that is some serious "darkness."

Never forgive, and never forget, what these lying miscreants have done to us -- and to the republic.

[cyberbenb]

Former NATO envoy to Moscow: ‘Potential escalation with Russia is a myth’

The West failed to understand the Russian regime before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Robert Pszczel, the former NATO envoy to Moscow from 2010-2015, said on the sidelines of the Warsaw International Summit in Kyiv on July 7.

Once the punching bag of Russian propagandists during his appearances on Russian TV, the outspoken 60-year-old official doesn’t mince words.

“The constant problem is not looking at Russia as it is, but dealing with Russia as we would like it to be,” Pszczel told the Kyiv Independent. “And that’s one of the biggest mistakes people still make.”

Pszczel called Russia’s war against Ukraine “a direct attack on international law,” saying that “one should not fall into the trap of being ambiguous.”

“Russia has, with this invasion, destroyed the international security architecture,” he said.

The Kyiv Independent spoke with Pszczel just days before the NATO summit in Vilnius, where Ukraine’s bid for membership is high on the agenda.

Failed reset

“I think we have gone too quickly back to business as usual after the invasion of Georgia,” Pszczel said, referring to Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 that led to the ongoing occupation of about 20% of its territory.

When Pszczel took his office in 2010, NATO, led by the U.S., was still looking at a “strategic partnership” with Russia, he said.

Back in 2009, then U.S. President Barack Obama called for a “reset” of relations with Russia.

The policy resulted in the “New START” treaty to reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenal in 2010 after Washington dropped the George Bush administration’s plan to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, denounced as a threat by Russia.

“So the plan was to cooperate when it suits us, and that’s the only way. If it suits them, the Russians want to do something for us. And by engaging, you kind of hope to achieve something.”

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin after their bilateral meeting in Los Cabos, Mexico, on June 18, 2012, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. (Photo by Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images)

The “reset” policy would prove one-sided, as Russia would annex Crimea and invade the Donbas in 2014.

Pszczel didn’t hesitate to call the illegal annexation of Crimea “Anschluss,” comparing it to Adolf Hitler’s annexation of Austria in 1938 under Nazi Germany.

“If we are serious about international law, Crimea is part of Ukraine, full stop,” he said.

Russia’s annexation of Crimea marked a turning point between NATO members and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s regime, Pszczel said.

“It was a brutal use of force and you have to have an IQ of 15 to believe that there was any kind of democratic (process),” he said, referring to Russia’s sham referendum.

“It was a shock to the system,” said Pszczel. “Business as usual was over.”

The annexation shook the alliance’s eastern flanks member states, including the Baltics and Poland, which had no illusion over the fact that Putin had orchestrated the invasion of Donbas involving paid militias in 2014 to sow chaos.

“They were saying, look, guys, this is getting out of hand, not only by the Anschluss of Crimea but, of course, the intervention in Donbas,” he said.

“I mean, again, you have to be an idiot not to understand what they had to do with it, it was engineered, they sent these thugs, they paid for them, so this had implications for the security of member states.”

Russian personnel wield guns in Sevastopol’s Nakhimova Square in Russian-occupied Crimea on March 19, 2023. (Photo by Vladimir Aleksandrov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

NATO’s response

Pszczel believes NATO should have been more firm with Russia since the invasion of Georgia in 2008.

“You don’t draw a line and say: This is the line, if you cross, you will be hurt. And then the line is crossed and there are no consequences – that is terrible,” he said.

Yet, the annexation of Crimea was the beginning of a wake-up call for the alliance, he said.

“The romantic vision of Russia had just gone out in smoke,” he said.

NATO had to adapt to this new reality, thus laying out the groundwork for helping Ukraine in the following years.

Still, Pszczel admitted to NATO’s slow response.

“NATO’s like a tanker. And because democracy is like this, genetically speaking, they don’t know how to deal with (the war). NATO is made of democratic countries, so they are always reluctant to look confrontational.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at a press conference ahead of the annual NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 10, 2023. (Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

However, the alliance increasingly started to listen to member states who had warned for years about Russia’s expansion threat, such as Poland and the Baltic states.

Pszczel said NATO has seen “a dramatic” change, with more and more countries admitting that NATO’s eastern members were right all along.

“But, you know, at the end of the day, the intellectual pleasure of being told you were right is kind of short-lived,” he said. “The most important thing is what happens now.”

Russia’s fascist state

During his five years for NATO in Moscow, Pszczel saw first-hand Russia plunging into an increasingly fascist state while most alliance members failed to grasp the scope of Moscow’s threat to security in Europe.

“Putin’s regime in so many domains is a disaster for Russia,” he said. Putin started to get scared in 2011, when protesters marched through Moscow and “outside the Kremlin wall,” demanding fair elections.

“Suddenly you have these big crowds which nobody controls,” Pszczel said.

The regular protests continued into 2012, but soon dwindled, achieving nothing.

“Then the usual pattern of reaction came back, of course you whip out the enemy,” instead of dealing with “domestic issues.”

“They had to come up with more aggressive propaganda, and disinformation that the enemies always surround the country,” he added.

The increasing militarization of Russia’s society shocked him the most through his mandate. Another thing was Russia’s penchant for distorting history, often seen in history textbooks, to justify its aggression against neighbors by denying their very existence.

“I traveled quite a bit in universities all across Russia, and every time I asked, “can you show me some of your textbooks?” And this was just staggeringly, incredibly bonkers,” he said.

Editorial: Today’s Russia is fascist. It’s time to start calling it that

Editor’s Note: Editorials are articles that present the opinion of the editorial team of the Kyiv Independent. “We went and killed everyone. There were women, men, seniors, and children.” These were the words of Azamat Uldarov, an ex-fighter of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group who personally admit…

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent

Another sign of this deterioration was how Russian diplomats' discourse behind closed doors gradually became the same as on Russian propaganda TV.

“Russian diplomacy became almost a misnomer: If you have a foreign ministry, it’s supposed to smooth relations,” he said.

“Who in their right mind could trust any kind of thing Russian officials say?” he asked, pointing out Russia’s long history of disinformation at its higher level.

“There’s nobody to discuss or negotiate with,” he said. “If Russia were a company, it would be insolvent, and nobody would give it any credit.”

Russian diplomats gradually became more aggressive, with fearmongering officials advocating for “Armageddon” – the biblical battle between good and evil at the end of the world – becoming increasingly mainstream.

“That’s really scary, but that is modern Russia.”

And yet, Pszczel said there is one reason for optimism – Putin’s will to last and his cowardice.

“I don’t believe Putin is suicidal, he has accumulated too much wealth,” he said.

“Putin is a coward, the man who is ready to be laughed at because of the length of his table over Covid-19. If you’re such a coward, do you really want to die in a nuclear exchange?”

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 14 – Wagner’s mutiny attempt in Russia, and its consequences

Episode #14 of our weekly video podcast “This Week in Ukraine” is dedicated to Wagner mercenary group’s failed attempt to take on the Russian military establishment and its consequences. Host Anastasiia Lapatina is joined by the Kyiv Independent’s reporter Francis Farrell. Listen to the audio vers…

The Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Lapatina

Support for Ukraine

Pszczel said that at the moment, NATO’s strategy toward Ukraine lies on two pillars.

“The gist of the policy strategy is: one, we don’t want to go to war with Russia,” he said. “That’s Washington, but many countries are hiding behind it.”

“The second part is we will support Ukraine to the maximum possible extent.”

As of April 23, NATO allies have delivered more than 150 billion euros in aid, including 65 billion euros in military assistance, to Ukraine since March 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

However, getting nearly every type of weapon, from tanks to long-range missiles, has been a result of diplomatic ordeal, with Kyiv constantly asking for more. The West has been extremely cautious not to provoke a so-called “escalation” with Russia.

Russia’s war against Ukraine is “black and white,” he said, calling looking for nuances “not acceptable” and saying that the whole world must wake up.

The situation should call for the whole world’s reaction, not just NATO, he said.  

“If you don’t, then by your inaction or by following this trap of kind of nuance, you actually are undermining the principle which should serve the global order.”

“Why is Russia still in the U.N. Security Council?” he asked.

“It’s difficult to understand why we still have to deal with the obscene moral situation when you have Russian and Belarusian tennis players participating in Wimbledon.”

The diplomat dismissed the widespread discourse over potential escalation with Russia as a “myth."

“And this escalation myth is still there.”

Vilnius summit brings Ukraine closer to NATO, but direct invitation withheld

NATO allies adopted a three-part support package for Ukraine, which includes removing the requirement to undergo the Membership Action Plan, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during the Vilnius summit on July 11. Ukraine will receive an invitation to join NATO when “the allies agree, and…

The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova

[corporate-lawyer]

Can Nri File A Case Against Any Indian Company?

In other cases, such as those involving contracts with predetermined jurisdiction, arbitration, etc., the Indian court may decline to hear cases with a foreign element despite having jurisdiction. The doctrine of forum non conveniens is sometimes used by Indian courts to deny jurisdiction in a particular case.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs was founded by the Government of India for building deeper links with the Indian Diaspora. This has made the new initiatives for the diaspora not only feasible but also simple to implement and follow up on quickly.

Since relationships need to be developed, the ministry serves as a relationship manager.Building alliances at the interpersonal, institutional, and civil society levels is what it does as a partnership manager. In addition, it provides direct services in areas like immigration clearances, dual citizenship, etc.

Apart from these, it even functions as an indirect Service Provider in fields like Education, Health, Investing, etc.

Legal Provisions:

Sections 83 and 84 of the Code of Civil Procedure in India govern the locus standi of proceedings brought by foreign individuals and foreign governments.

According to Section 83, alien enemies and alien friends who are residents of India with the Central Government's permission may file a lawsuit in any court that is otherwise qualified to hear the case as if they were Indian citizens, but alien enemies who are residents of India without the Central Government's permission or who are foreign nationals may not file a lawsuit in any such court.

Explanation: For the purposes of this section, every individual resident in a foreign country whose government is at war with India and conducting business there without a license in that regard provided by the Central Government shall be deemed to be an alien enemy residing in a foreign country.

Section 84 stipulates that In any capable court, a foreign state may file a lawsuit: Provided that the goal of the suit is to enforce a private right vested in the Ruler of such State or in any officer of such State in his public position.

A competent Indian court will hear a foreigner's lawsuit against an Indian.

An Indian firm can be sued by a foreign company in an Indian court.

A suit can be defended by an alien foe.

An Indian person may be sued in India by a foreign state for a private wrong.

Case Laws:

The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India made this observation in the case of Ethiopian Airlines vs. Ganesh Narain Saboo, finding that the specific statutes of the Consumer Protection Act of 1986 and the Carriage by Air Act of 1972 would take precedence over the general statute of the Code of Civil Procedure of 1908.

The Court determined that the Warsaw Convention, 1929 to which Ethiopia is a party was intended to be implemented by the passing of the Transport by Air Act, 1972. In practice, it is clear that these restrictions apply to airlines of any nationality based on a reading of the Warsaw Treaty of 1929 and the Transport by Air Act of 1972.

With this justification, the Hon. Supreme Court demonstrated that the Convention and Act have the following implications: By enacting the Transport by Air Act, 1972, the Central government has already provided its approval in accordance with Section 86. By ratifying the Warsaw Agreement of 1929, the Foreign State of Ethiopia impliedly waived privilege.

The government has therefore established a suitable grievance procedure for NRIs. Any unhappy NRI can use the previously outlined procedure to file a complaint with the Office of Protector of Emigrants or the state NRI cell (if his home state has one).

If the offended NRI finds it difficult to approach such an officer, he may record his complaints with any non-governmental organization, such as the NRI Welfare Society of India, which will then transmit them to the government.

Corporate Lawyers In Gurgaon can be appointed if the case has been filed in Gurgaon. Moreover, if the case has been filed in Noida then Corporate Lawyers In Noida can also be appointed. Corporate Lawyers In Delhi can also be appointed if the case has been filed in Delhi.

At Lead India, we offer a range of legal and professional services. You can ask free question here. Talk to a lawyer and get the best advice possible in this scenario. The members of our legal team will help you make informed decisions. We also provide free legal advice online.

SOURCE:-

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Corporate Lawyers In Delhi, Corporate Lawyers In Gurgaon, Corporate Lawyers In Noida

[irwinkitten]

men of mayhem | a.i |

notes: thank you for the support on part one! it honestly meant the world since i’ve been working on this for idea for a while now. this part isn’t as lengthy as part one, but part three will certainly make up for it. chances are this will be wither four or five parts depending on how the last part gets written and whether i need to split it or not. for those who may or may not be confused by the timeline, i have a small list of what’s happened.

—Michelle and Ashton are both born in 1978

—Become friends at the age of five in 1983

—Her younger brother Matthew (Matty) is born in 1992

—Heads off to university at 18 in 1996 (First four years as an undergrad and then 3 years for law school) 

—They get engaged at the end of her first year. They’re both 19.

—Ashton and Michelle get married at 20 in the June of 1998

—Michelle returns to university in the fall of 1999. 

—Michelle and Jen accept their internships in the January of 2000

warnings: none word count: 2.6

part one

-

          The honeymoon was everything Michelle had dreamed of her life becoming. Travelling each state, spending some days there before moving onto the next one, it was a thrill of the unknown. 

Only twice did Ashton have to use his name to get them through territories. His face was known enough that a few of the locals thought they’d get something. Most of them got a few bullets and a warning to the others. 

When the Irwin’s left the States, both of them relaxed much more. Ashton knew of a group over in Ireland, however he knew better than to try and antagonise them on their own soil. The last thing he wanted was to cause problems overseas and Michelle had been firm that they were staying in Dublin for their duration.

Not one to argue with his best friend and wife, they kept the trip to Northern Ireland short before making the trip across to the UK. When they’d arrived in the UK, Christmas was fast approaching, only three weeks away. That was when they both suffered with bouts of homesickness. Long distance calls didn’t do much and it was going to be their first Christmas together, away from their families.

They travelled up and down the country, exploring the small seaside towns in the south before partying with strangers up in the north. It was a thrill for the both of them with so many new sights that they’d made the decision to see the new year whilst they were in the UK.

Ashton could see his wife thriving in this environment, especially since she’d made good on her plans to have sex in every state and every country they were visiting. And for a brief second, he imagined what it would be like if they immigrated. 

But it was at night, on the quieter ones when they needed the peace away from the busy streets, when he was holding her tightly as she told him how much she missed their parents and Matty. It was too far and he knew that he’d get bored of a relaxed lifestyle. 

Both of them made sure to send him postcards from every place they visited. When they had the chance to call, Matty was always crowing about how he was making a book so he could show his classmates where they’d been. Ashton had laughed and told him to wait till he saw his gifts. 

January brought in the year 1999 and they crossed into mainland Europe on the channel tunnel. Ashton managed to surprise his wife with a hotel that overlooked the Eiffel tower as well as bookings for top restaurants in Paris before they ventured north into Belgium.

As much as they both missed riding the bikes back home, they’d gone with the sensible route of hiring a car, making their trips easier. It certainly helped that once they passed through Belgium into the Netherlands, they’d become adept at getting by.

It was certainly an experience for the Irwin’s, especially in Germany. As they travelled over to Berlin, they decided to make more days out of their trip. They knew that there was a time limit now, they needed to get back in time for Michelle to register for her fall classes. 

With that in mind, they worked their way around Europe. From Germany they travelled through Poland and spent time in Warsaw before travelling down to Czechia so they could visit Prague before going through Slovakia and into Hungary. From there they went west into Austria before finally reaching Italy which had been one of their main destinations. The plan was to spend a month in Italy before travelling to Spain via France and then back to the UK once more.

The last few months seemed like a dream to both of them. Michelle almost regretted the fact that she had to go back for fall classes, but when they returned home greeted by their families when they arrived from the airport-suitcases in tow-it was a relieved Michelle who greeted their parents and her little brother, the four adults asking rapid fire questions to the younger couple.

Matty listened to both of their stories, the adventures that they had, the smaller trips that they made in the countries to the long drives. He was beside himself with glee when, after each story about each country, he was given small gifts from those countries. 

Before either of them knew it, Michelle was back in the city and Ashton was back on his bike, joining the various smuggling runs that were going on. 

The travelling had only heightened his instincts, stopping standard runs from turning into bloody massacres. 

That was when Bert finally made his decision, knowing that after a few more years in the business, he’d be able to leave the club in safe hands.

-

Michelle fell back into her classes with ease. Although some of her classmates were the same, there were new faces as well. 

Jen had come over for wine and dinner after the first week and thanked her for all of the beautiful postcards that had been sent to her.

“Did you really think you weren’t going to be kept up to date on my travels? Especially having so much sex all year?” They shared giggles as Michelle moved from her spot on the sofa, picking up one of the last few bags that she’d brought with her.

“What’s in the bag, Chelle?” Jen nearly dropped her wine as Michelle threw it to her.

“Open it and see.” Came the playful response as she retook her spot and Jen eyed her curiously before opening the bag.

Dipping her hand in, she pulled out the most beautiful scarf she’d ever seen, the colours vibrant and the fabric soft. Happily, the other woman abandoned her wine to really get a feel for the scarf, her eyes moving to Michelle in almost an awe like manner.

“Where did you get this from?” Jen breathed, placing the scarf on her lap before grabbing the bag to see if there was anything else. They were small trinkets; little snow globes and a small toy.

“I got the scarf when we were in Czechia. We met a lady in the UK who had recently travelled there and we’d told her that we were planning to go there as well. She told us to at least stop in Prague, collect some scarves as gifts. She said that she bought some for her daughter and nieces, and it’d been one of the better and more practical gifts.” Michelle explained as Jen stroked her fingers over the scarf once more.

“She’s certainly right. Oh I can’t wait to be able to wear this when it gets colder.” This prompted another giggle before they moved into the kitchen to eat.

The year began to fly by and as they started to venture into the courthouses, Michelle was beginning to win her cases that were presented. She was beginning to get recognised and requested, which had surprised her tutors, but they encouraged her, especially when Jen began to carve her own path.

It was no surprise to either women when they were offered Internships at different law firms, both of them surpassing the expectations of the class. Both offers had been made at the start of 2000, and both women toasted this to the start of a better decade. 

It was the first year that she had all of their families come to visit during her summer off from university. Ashton stayed for the duration, her brother travelling up for the occasional weekend with Calum who did a few runs in between and kept Ashton up to date with things that couldn’t be discussed over the phone. 

It was during this period when Ashton had a second moment of consideration to the thought of moving the club, but he knew that the police in the city weren’t so easy to bribe. Michelle had sensed his hesitation and when he mentioned it, the look on her face spoke volumes to him.

“If you do that Irwin, you’re not the man that I married. And anyway, you most likely won’t become the club President til long after I move back, so get those thoughts outta your head.” 

And it was easy for him to switch them off, to forget that the thoughts even existed in his mind for a few moments. They were moments forgotten, replaced with moments of excitement at the prospect of his wife finally coming home. 

When normality returned for Michelle in the fall, it only highlighted to her how much she missed her home. She may have lived in that house, but it wasn’t home by a long shot.

Her school years began to slip away from her. 2000 slipped into 2001, and as her days became routine, 2002 crept up on her. Life became steady for them both, despite their own disruptive lives with work and school on Michelle’s part and the club on Ashton’s part. But they worked through it. 

Numerous times Calum showed up instead of Ashton, being her protective detail every so often which alerted her that things were happening back home which potentially put her in danger.

Sometimes he showed up without any warning and those were her favourite times, especially when Jen had taken a shining to Calum. Michelle had quietly warned her friend that Cal’s life was not for the faint of heart and Jen had smirked at her friend in reply before asking if she could show him around the city.

Michelle all but shoved him out of the door laughing when that had happened.

A few months on from that, she’d learned from Jen that she wasn’t after anything serious with Calum and they’d come to the mutual agreement for it after the first night. Michelle had only been partially relieved and still rolled her eyes whenever they crossed paths whilst he was there and they’d flirt as if they’d never met.

After a few months of this, some of the guys in her class had seen sides to the ladies that they never realised was there. It’d been a long week for Michelle, constantly on edge whenever her and Jen went out. That edge served her well when she spotted one of the guys from her course trying to convince her staggering friend to let him take her home.

She was certain his chest was sporting a bruise from her elbow.

Calum had shown up that weekend, and seeing her taut like a spring, he didn’t take long to convince her to go out with him.

“It’ll be safe, doll. Would Jen want to join us?” The surprise on his face as she scowled at the floor briefly was missed entirely by Michelle.

“It’s been a rough week for her. Let’s just go out, you and me. Like old times.” He snorted at that but nodded before she vanished upstairs to change. 

Calum was unfamiliar with the bars, he’d not really bar hopped in the city before, but Michelle had a level of comfort and familiarity with some of the bartenders, so he let her lead the way. 

Conversation was light and easy between the two. Calum knew to steer away from her cases and she knew better than to ask about any of the runs in such a public setting. But like always, there was something to talk about and more often than not, Michelle had taken to teasing him about Jen.

“Please tell me she told you that she got a noise complaint from her neighbours?” Calum laughed at that as he paid for their drinks. They were on bar three an the alcohol was leaving a pleasant buzz. Whereas Michelle was more likely to get herself plastered, Calum knew better, especially with the gun that was tucked into the back of his jeans.

“She failed to mention that to me. Maybe I should drop by tomorrow after I’ve had dinner with you, see if we can get another complaint before I head back.” Michelle laughed at the cheeky grin before she felt someone grab her arm.

“Stay with me sweetheart, you don’t need a gang banger like him for a night. I can show you a real good night if you’ll let me.” It took a minute for her to register the voice, her mind finally placing the name to his face as well.

“Fuck off Evan. You know I’m married.” She held up her left hand and he scoffed.

“Hey gang banger, you fucking her on the side or is she your main piece?” Fury ripped through Michelle but before she could verbally flay him, she felt Calum’s towering presence and smirked as Evan’s face dropped.

“You wanna say that about my sister again?” Panic in his eyes made Michelle snort as he tried to step back, but she stuck her foot out, making him stumble.

“Take it outside.” The bartender warned and Calum simply nodded, grabbing Evan by his jacket and pulling him outside. Michelle followed, making sure that he wouldn’t get himself arrested.

“Apologise to her now.” His voice was harsh with his demand and she watched in a stony silence as Evan stuttered out his apology.

“It was-was just a j-joke. I’m sorry if I-if I offended you.” Calum glanced back to Michelle and it finally hit her where she really recognised him from. 

“You weren’t apologising last week when you tried to drag my friend home with you and ended up with my elbow in your chest. So no, that bullshit of an apology doesn’t float with me, sunshine.” She snapped, her eyes meeting Calum’s briefly. 

It took a second for it to dawn on his face who she meant and he turned to face Evan.

“Maybe this will be a reminder of how not to treat women, piece of shit.” The first punch was landed before Evan could fight back, the second managed to make a cut and break his nose, blood dripping down. The third one knocked him out.

Michelle didn’t hesitate to hand him a napkin to clean off some of the blood before he offered his arm to her, making her snort as he gauged where they were for a second before going in the rough direction of where he knew her house was.

“So how are your parents doing? I know they asked after me when I didn’t come home again this summer.” Calum just laughed.

“They know that you’re in your last two years and with the Internship they don’t blame you for staying in the city. Momma Hood wants you back for Christmas this year, no arguments. Keeps saying the town feels too empty without you.” This had her groaning but also agreeing with his mother's demand.

No one could say to his mom and not feel guilty. She learned the trick of making people feel like they’d kicked a puppy if they said no to her.

When school recommenced in the fall, she’d spoken with Charlie, her employer, and managed to request that she have the following summer off to return home, and the agreement was in principal, as long as she remained contactable for any cases that they needed the full team or a fresh set of eyes for. 

It worked in her favour that she rarely took any vacation time off and had been available last minute for some of their bigger cases. With that promise of the summer off, Charlie also told her that there was going to be a position on his team, waiting for her once she graduated. 

That news had been welcomed gleefully and gratefully accepted.

Getting to the last year was going to be a breeze, especially knowing that she had a job waiting for her on the other side of her studies. For now, she was content to get to the summer and finally get some time off with her family and spend time with her little brother. 

-

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[companypoland2]

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[mariacallous]

Polish energy giant Orlen has made windfall profits on oil imported from Russia and refined by its Czech subsidiary, Unipetrol.

A report by a Helsinki-based think tank said that the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, all landlocked countries which received special EU dispensation to continue with imports of pipelined Russian oil until they could secure alternative sources, have made little effort to wean themselves off supplies via the Druzhba pipeline from Siberia. The profits that Russian companies like Gazprom make on oil are fed back into the Russian war machine. “The Czech Republic has spent more than €7 billion on Russian oil and gas, more than five times more money than it has provided in assistance to Ukraine,” said a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent, Helsinki-based think tank. The CREA report, published on October 14, put the Czech Republic in the spotlight for its purchases and ignited a controversy. The country’s Ministry of Industry pointed out that the issue is not just a Czech one. The ministry said Polish energy firm Orlen has been making money on oil imported from Russia at prices as low as $36 per barrel, much lower than market rates.

Orlen owns Unipetrol, the largest refinery in the Czech Republic, which was the biggest importer in that country of piped oil over the period covered by the report, stretching from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 until September 2024. While the Czech government makes money on VAT and duty on the fuel sold, the Polish government, which has a 49.9% stake in Warsaw-listed Orlen, took a share of the company’s high dividends in 2022 and 2023. The Czech Ministry of Industry told the Politico news website that it was making efforts to “cease its dependence on Russian fossil fuels.” The ministry referred to investments in pipelines to the Adriatic coast, from where alternative supplies could be shipped in. However, officials said they "could not interfere with the purchasing decisions of private companies like Orlen Unipetrol." Daniel Obajtek, the chairman of Orlen between 2018 and February 2024, appointed by the previous Law and Justice government, deflected responsibility for Unipetrol’s reliance on Russian supplies. He told news website Onet that during his stewardship of the company, he had repeatedly stressed that investment in the transport infrastructure for oil “depends on the Czech government.” The CREA report found that the EU as a whole was the fifth-largest purchaser of Russian hydrocarbons, with France and Italy making up the top five importers in the bloc along with the Czechs, Hungarians and Slovaks.

[companypoland2]

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[companypoland2]

Immigration Law In Poland provides a structured framework for non-EU nationals seeking to live and work in the country. It encompasses visas, residence permits, and citizenship processes, balancing openness with security. The law facilitates various immigration paths, including family reunification, employment, and education, while promoting integration and compliance with EU standards. As Poland's economy grows, its immigration policies continue to evolve, making it an increasingly attractive destination for international talent and investors. For detailed guidance, consulting with legal experts or official resources is recommended.

[arcticdementor]

Facebook is often criticized for not doing enough to police its platform for hate speech. But the opposite has also been a problem: Mark Zuckerberg’s company uses rather vague “community standards” as the basis for decision to remove users and posts. It doesn’t feel compelled to explain exactly how it applies them, either. Now, a Polish court may decide it should.

When Facebook banned Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos, Louis Farrakhan, Laura Loomer and others last week, all it said was that “the process for evaluating potential violators is extensive and it is what led us to our decision.” The prominent right-wingers with huge audiences on the Facebook-owned platforms didn’t, in other words, get much in the way of explanation.

Those banned from Facebook and Instagram last week might take a look at Poland, where a local non-governmental organization is suing Facebook for removing its page.  The Polish nonprofit, called the Civil Society Drug Policy Initiative and known by the Polish abbreviation SIN for short, filed suit against Facebook’s European arm in the Warsaw District Court this week.  At least in Europe, the case may help set up more transparent procedures for banning content and its creators from social networks.

The group specializes in “harm reduction,” an approach to fixing drug-related social problems in part by removing the stigma from drug use and respecting users’ rights. It may be controversially soft on drug users, but the approach has been backed by the United Nations and influential private donors and is by no means illegal.

…

The group is represented pro bono by a prominent Warsaw law firm and aided by another NGO, Panoptykon, which describes itself as a civil society watchdog over all kinds of regulators. SIN mostly wants the page reinstated because it says it was important as a hotline for drug users the organization is trying to help as well as an information channel. Panoptykon’s goals are broader: It’s trying to set a precedent and have the practice it describes as “private censorship” explicitly regulated.

…

This line of attack skirts an issue long debated by Facebook and its critics -- whether the company is a tech platform for users’ free expression or a publisher with its own editorial policy. Publicly, Facebook says it’s a tech platform, which is supposed to absolve it of responsibility for what appears on it (and explain why it doesn’t pay for content). But in a U.S. court case last year, its lawyers argued that it was a publisher and its decisions on what not to publish should be protected for that reason.

I’d be in favor of treating Facebook and its peers as publishers, holding them liable for content and getting them to pay news organizations for providing core material for debate on their platforms. But Panoptykon’s approach – effectively treating the massive social networks as public utilities – also has its advantages: If upheld by the courts, first in Poland and then on the European Union level, it would force the platforms to leave all lawful speech alone and stop taking down posts, profiles and pages simply because it feels like it, because a government objects to the content or because an interest group has put pressure on them with a flagging campaign.

SIN and Panoptykon want the platforms to issue reasoned statements explaining why they removed a certain post or account and who was responsible for the decision – a human or an algorithm. Platforms should only remove posts for violating specific rules, not entire accounts. And users, according to Panoptykon, should have recourse to courts when they want to appeal the networks’ decisions. These demands are largely in line with the so-called Santa Clara Principles, developed by a team of ethics and tech experts and backed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

[bloggggggg1234]

Accounting services in Warsaw

If you have come to find accounting services in Warsaw or are already the head of a company in this country, you must conduct your activities in accordance with the legislation and established legal norms that are established in the state and relate to the field of activity in which your company specializes.

The work of a company providing accounting services in Poland plays a big role for your business: the development of your company will depend on how well the work was done and how well the accounting was done.

How your company will develop in Poland is influenced by many things - the quality of the goods and services you provide, compliance with the law. In order for everything to be in order in the field of accounting, and no fines were charged, an experienced specialist should deal with these matters in the company, who will monitor changes in legislation, taxes and accounting. His professional approach influences many processes in the firm.

[facepalming-since-chernobyl]

Do you watch any Polish tv shows? Which ones and what are they about?

Polish shows suck.... but:

I like Wataha from HBO and it was quite popular in other countries. It's about border patrol from Bieszczady (aka the place where we have Polish, Ukrainian and Slovakian border, aka EU's border too. Also wataha = pack of the wolves and that's how a border patrol unit's is called). It's about one group being blown up and there is only one survivor so immediatelly he becomes a suspect and he tries to clean his name.

I liked Prawo Agaty (Agata's Law) about a lawyer from big corporation who is framed, fired and with her best friend's help, create a small lawyer firm.

I liked first season of Czas Honoru (Honour's time) about cichociemni (erm, Polish soldiers during WWII, who were trained in England and then sent back to Poland to help the underground army).

Similar to this is Wojenne dziewczyny (War's girls) about three young girls from Warsaw under German's occupation. Haven't seen, but heard it was good.

There are some other good shows, but I haven't watched. We seriously, don't make a lot of good shows =='