The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA) established a Haiti Relief Fund following the 7.0 magnitude quake that ripped through Haiti on January 12, 2010. This quake caused great destruction and widespread casualties. At the same time, the Polish National Alliance (PNA) made a donation for Haiti Relief in the sum of $5,000 from its emergency fund.

The Polish parliament [Sejm] passed a more restrictive law on drunk driving on January 8, 2010, under which an intoxicated driver who causes a fatal accident may lose his driving license forever. Those who are caught driving under the influence of alcohol more than once will be sentenced from three months to five years. The parliament also decided to establish a fund for road accident victims, who will be able to get professional psychological, social and legal aid.

DB Schenker Rail Polska S.A. is planning to offer a new train service between Germany and Poland. Operated in cooperation with DB Schenker Rail Deutschland AG, the new through-train known as the Silesia Line will run twice weekly between the city of Seddin in Brandenburg and central business locations in the south of Poland (Slask).

According to the illustrated weekly Angora magazine in late December, 2009, Al-Qaeda was planning a terrorist attack in Poland, but Polish intelligence agencies thwarted the plan. Reportedly, the secret operation, codenamed "Stand," was carried out by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) and its Foreign Intelligence Agency (AW) in cooperation with the CIA and the German secret service. The operation began in 2005 when American intelligence agencies informed the Polish authorities about a possible Al-Qaeda terrorist attack in Poland during a large event. However, when Poland and Ukraine won the battle to organize Euro 2012, terrorists postponed their attack until the tournament. Several explosives were supposed to be planted in the structure of a renovated football stadium and detonated during one of the Euro 2012 matches.

As of January 1, 2010, approximately 40,000 ex-communist Polish secret service agents have been forced to take a significant cut in their pensions. A new law, originally set up in March, will drastically affect the privileges that former communist functionaries had come to expect. Previously, members of the Military Council of National Salvation (the military dictatorship set up in December, 1981, to administer Poland during martial law) could expect to take home as much as $2,900 a month in pensions. That figure has now been slashed to a much more modest sum of about $1,400. The controversial decision to alter the pension law comes after widespread anger that people like General Wojciech Jaruzelski and others have been enjoying comfortable lives in their senior years.

The first days of 2010 forced many Polish train passengers to alter their travel plans due to weather-related service disruptions. Travelers can anticipate further changes this year as Polish Rail (PKP) is forced by law to allow competitors equal access to Poland’s railways. Among the negative changes is the recent elimination of internet ticket sales for inexpensive Rail Lines (TLK) routes, Polish Rail’s only current competition for intercity rail travel. A potentially positive change is Deutsche Bahn’s plans to open new rail lines to Poland's largest business cities, including Warsaw, Gdynia, Katowice, Krakow and Poznan.

The 18th Grand Final of the Orchestra of Christmas Charity started its money collection early January 10, 2010. This time the Orchestra plays for children with oncological diseases. The Orchestra, which is the biggest non-governmental, non-profit charity organization in Poland, unites Poles around the world as collection Orchestra points are set up in many countries. Young people who volunteer to take part in the money collection appear throughout Poland, Europe and the U.S. carrying the characteristic collection boxes with the Orchestra's emblem: a red heart. Organizers said they expected to beat last year's total of $13.7 million once they had a final count.

Polish authorities released the surprising statement on January 9, 2010, that Poland’s roads are safer. Only 94 people died on Warsaw roads last year, the first time the death toll has been reduced to double digits in nearly two decades. This is a 25% decrease from 125 fatalities recorded in 2008, and is a trend set to continue, with Sunday, January 3, the first day in memory with no lethal car accidents in the country. Prior to last year, accidents were decreasing, but deaths on roads increasing. Police say the change comes from increased police presence, speed cameras and mobile units with recording capabilities, increased road works which inevitably forced drivers to slow down, and social campaigns against irresponsible and drunk driving.

Polish-born film director Jerzy Skolimowski was shooting his latest film, "The Essence of Killing," in Warsaw during early January, 2010. Locales include the Kampinos Forest near the capital and the Pieniny mountain range in the south. It features Roman Polanski’s wife, actress Emmanuelle Siegner, and Vincent Gallo, U.S. actor, director and musician. The film, the details of which are kept a mystery, is about a escaped prisoner, an alleged Asian terrorist. Skolimowski is a graduate of the prestigious Film School in Lodz and is the author of over twenty movies. He now lives in the U.S.

President Lech Kaczynski has expressed concern over the extended intergovernmental negotiations on the supplies of Russian gas to Poland. On January 9, 2010, he asked Prime Minister Donald Tusk to clarify the matter. The President fears that the prolonged talks may result in far reaching concessions, which in the long run would subordinate Poland to only one supplier. Jaroslaw Gowin from the ruling Civic Platform (PO) underlined that certain progress has been made, but talks with the Russian gas giant Gazprom are difficult. Russia has the advantage in the negotiations since Poland lacks infrastructure and secured gas supplies from other partners.

A ten person team of students and lecturers left in mid-January to conquer Aconcagua the highest mountain in the Americas, and the highest mountain outside Asia, located in the Andes, as a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Gdansk University. In addition to conquering the peak, the team also met with the Polish community resident in Mendoza, the capital city of Mendoza province in Argentina. The Polish expedition conducted research to find documents concerning the post WWII emigration of Poles to Argentina. Gdansk University was founded in 1970 as a result of a merger of two schools of higher learning one in Gdansk and the other from Sopot.

The head of the European Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Europe’s soccer governing body, Michel Platini, said on January 19, 2010, that the decision to grant Poland and Ukraine the right to co-host the upcoming Euro 2012 championships was "risky." Platini, a former soccer player, told Przeglad Sportowy [Sport Review] that the two countries are inexperienced in organizing sporting events of this scale.

Four businessmen suspected of cheating would-be homebuyers were detained by Wroclaw police. According to the Polska [Poland] daily, developer Architect 21 commenced construction of multi-family residences in Iwiny, a Wroclaw suburb, and began selling the units before the completion of construction. Customers paid as much as $137,000 each, but the company did not use the money to continue construction and instead bought new land.

Thousands of Poles were left without electricity and trains have been delayed because of heavy snowfall on January 11, 2010. The Government Security Center said around 110,000 homes had lost their power, concentrated in areas in the south and southwest. Local officials said firefighters had to evacuate around 1,000 shoppers from a supermarket in Bydgoszcz, northern Poland, after a dangerous buildup of snow on the roof.

According to the Warsaw Business Journal, Krakow’s City Development Agency has announced a tender for the construction of a sports arena, which could also be used for exhibition and conference purposes, providing 15,000 seats. The city has dedicated $123 million for the facility.

Over 300 Hasidic Jews flocked to the small village of Aleksandrow Lodzki , central Poland, on January 15, 2010, to pray at the tomb of their spiritual leader, Rabi Yerachmiel Yisroel Yitzchok Dancyger, marking the 100 anniversary of his death. The followers visited places significant to the Alexander Hasidic movement in Lodz and prayers at the tombs of their spiritual leaders. The Alexander Hasidic movement flourished in Poland from 1880 until it was crushed by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Poland sent 54 rescue workers, 10 rescue dogs and four tons of special equipment on January 15, 2010, to search for survivors in the rubble of earthquake-torn Haiti. The aid came after Prime Minister Donald Tusk recommended increasing help and sending experienced rescue workers to the island. Poland had originally pledged $50,000 in aid, but upped its donation after Tusk consulted with Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, and is now sending 150,000 dollars in addition to the rescue workers. Charities also raised relief funds.

Poland’s annual Heineken Open’er festival in Gdynia won the prestigious Best Major Festival award, beating giants such as Glastonbury, Rock Werchter and Roskilde. The award was received on January 14, 2010, by the director of the festival Mikolaj Ziolkowski at the inaugural European Festival Awards in Groningen, Netherlands. The Heineken Open’er Festival is the largest of Poland’s open-air music and performing arts festivals.

Representatives of Warsaw University signed a deal in Delhi in mid-January, 2010, on cooperation with Indian research centers. The deal is part of a project aiming to establish a Center on Studies of Modern-day India at the Warsaw University. The center is co funded by the EU and the UN Program for Development. The Warsaw center is the first such institution to be set up in Central and Eastern Europe.

According to a survey conducted by GfK Polonia for the daily Rzeczpospolita [The Republic], some 53% of Poles do not mind exceptions in calculating pensions, whereas 46% disapprove of them. Apparently, the existence of privileged pension groups does not bother the public and, therefore, they might be reluctant to support the pension reform planned by the government. Special benefits are not frowned upon especially when they are awarded to those performing hard physical work, such as miners.

Scheduled runway repairs at Warsaw’s Okecie airport, taking out three weekends from the September schedule, has angered tour operators. Twenty travel agencies have made official protests and are not excluding taking the matter to court. Air France has joined the protest and other carriers are expected to follow. Changing dates of departures and arrivals and finding a replacement airport could cost the tour companies approximately $3.5 million. Representative at Warsaw’s airport counter that all interested parties had been notified of repairs and the renovation must be carried out for safety reasons.

Poland’s 24-hour television news station TVN24 reported a power black-out in Warsaw’s city center at 4:00 p.m. on January 14, 2010. The station said trams (called streetcars in the U.S.) were backing up traffic, the Metro (subway) was likely paralyzed and that the thousands to street, city and motor vehicle lights were completely black. They showed a supposed camera image of Marszalkowska street in the center of Warsaw and indeed the image was pitch black. However, in actuality, the only thing that blacked out was the TVN24 camera. Whoops.

Claude Monet’s Beach at Pourville (1884), recovered in mid-January by Polish police, has been returned to the National Museum in Poznan, western Poland. The work of the French impressionist was stolen from the Museum nine years ago. It was recovered in Olkusz, southern Poland, and a 41-year-old man suspected of the robbery was arrested. The painting, worth over one million dollars, was thoroughly examined in police laboratories before being returned to the Poznan collection and found to be slightly damaged. The thief cut it out from the frame when stealing it and replaced it with a fake, resulting in its edges being torn.

Polish Airlines LOT has been waging a price war with Polish Railways PKP InterCity by offering cheaper domestic flights as an alternative to often delayed trains. Heavy snow and low temperatures, which affected Poland in January, caused a series of train delays. A key railway route from Warsaw to Krakow and Katowice in the south of Poland was out of operation for several days, which resulted in train cancellations. LOT decided to make use of passengers’ outrage and decreased prices of domestic flights to encourage people to travel by air.

Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak said on January 15, 2010, that the economy ministry allowed pipeline operator Gaz System to tap the country’s strategic gas reserves in order to lower risk of delivery cut-offs. Poland’s new gas deal with Russia, aimed at plugging an annual gap of 2.5

billion cubic meters, is delayed and Poland started the year with lower-than-usual gas storage levels. In addition, high winter gas consumption has raised concerns the stocks will not last until the end of the season.

Young Polish inventors have designed an innovative vehicle for the handicapped. What sets the "Cool Car" apart from other similar vehicles is that the driver does not need to get out of the wheelchair to sit behind the wheel. The masterminds behind the project are Marlena Krzyzanowska, graduate of the Warsaw University of Technology and student of the Fine Arts Academy, along with Krzysztof Buczek, from the Systems Research Institute at the Polish Academy of Sciences. The young scientists plan to create a prototype of the car next year.

A new Polish conservative political party, Polska Plus [Poland Plus], emerged on Poland’s political scene on January 9, 2010. Formerly an eight-member congressman’s circle, its rebirth as a party was launched with a comedy skit in which competing women in cleaner’s uniforms shouted slurs at each other and waved brooms around arguing over who was the better in a clear reference to the currently warring parties. Polska Plus plans to continue a tradition of reform started under the governance of Tadeusz Mazowiecki by changing everything from the farmers pension system to the constitution, as well as the ever popular promise to lower taxes.

A half dozen different bills presenting six different approaches to in vitro fertilization in Poland are before the Polish Parliament [Sejm]. Boleslaw Piecha of the Law and Justice (PiS) Party, head of the parliamentary health commission, said "social debate over in vitro has continued for over a year … delaying is unjustified. It’s time to settle this issue." On the other hand, Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska of the Civic Platform (PO) said "these bills evoke emotions that are more political than substantive." The approval of President’s Kaczynski is necessary to allow the procedure, but it seems unlikely. The Speaker, Bronislaw Komorowski, stated, "PO’s role should be to step in at the right time with a moderate bill that will be a fair compromise that stands a chance of holding up for longer than into the next term."

Residents of the central city of Lodz, Poland, have voted almost unanimously to kick out their mayor, Jerzy Kropiwnicki, in a special referendum on January 17, 2010. Over 95% of Lodz citizens wanted the incumbent mayor dismissed. Jerzy Kropiwnicki will officially be dismissed when the electoral committee confirms the results of the referendum, and will be replaced by a commissioner appointed by the Prime Minister. Local council members from the Law and Justice (PiS) party, which Kropiwnicki leads in Lodz, will have to vacate their offices. The referendum was initiated by local Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) politicians, who claim that the right-wing mayor is incompetent, creating utter chaos, economic and otherwise, in the city.

Observances commemorating the fifth anniversary of the death of Jan Nowak-Jezioranski began on January 18, 2010. The journalist, writer, politician, and a longtime head of the Polish section of Radio Free Europe died January 20, 2005. A Mass was held at St. John’s Cathedral in Warsaw and flowers laid at his grave during a special ceremony. Commemorations also included a series of film screenings and other events at the Museum of Warsaw Rising. Nowak-Jezioranski was an emissary of the Home Army and the Polish Government in Exile in London. The legendary "Courier from Warsaw" was the last envoy from the British capital that made his way to Warsaw before the Warsaw Rising in 1944.

One hundred years ago, Polish composer Feliks Nowowiejski (1877-1946) wrote the music to a poem "Rota" ["Oath"] by Maria Konopnicka, which was meant to be a protest against the suppression of Polish culture in German-occupied western Poland. It was sung in public for the first time, by several hundred choristers conducted by the composer, during the unveiling in Krakow in July, 1910, of the Grunwald Memorial, commemorating the 1410 victory over the Teutonic Knights. The ceremony turned into a patriotic demonstration and "Rota" quickly became popular in the whole of partitioned Poland. After Poland regained independence in 1918 it was considered as a possible national anthem.

A Roman Catholic Nun who beat a disabled child was charged in a Polish court on January 18, 2010, for the physical abuse of a disabled person. The Franciscan nun was recorded on a tourist’s mobile video phone as she hit a small girl in the face, yanked her hair and forcefully pulled her. The nun is Sister Jadwiga, a guardian in a social care home which looks after 50 children with brain damage, Down’s Syndrome, autism and physical disability. Her fellow nuns stated that the material was taken out of context, that violence doesn’t occur in their institution and that the sister’s action was of self defense. The child was said to be exceptionally violent.

Tarnow, Poland, held the main celebrations of the 13th Judaism Day on January 17, 2010. In the Catholic Church, it is to be a special day of prayer and reflection on the relations between Jews and Christians, and discovering the roots of Christianity. Polish Episcopate representative Father Jozef Kloch said Judaism Day in Poland is one of the realizations of the road to reconciliation between Catholics and Jews.