Poland’s top court ruled on Thursday that eugenic abortion due to foetal defects and genetic illnesses violates the country’s constitution. Poland which under communism allowed unlimited abortion on demand due to public pressure over the years has been systematically limiting abortion regulations and now has one of the least liberal laws in the European Union.
After the new decision goes into effect, eugenic abortions will only be allowed if the pregnancy is the result of a crime such as incest or rape or threatens the life or health of the woman. The ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal came among calls from MPs from various parties for tighter abortion rules. The court ruling was welcomed by anti-abortion campaigners including the Children’s Ombudsman but triggered anger among some women’s rights activists and leftist groups.
Private hospitals in Poland will provide 1,000 beds to treat COVID-19 patients amid the escalating epidemic, the country’s Health Minister said on Thursday. The announcement came following negotiations between the government and private healthcare providers.
The European Parliament has awarded Belarus’ democratic opposition its annual human rights prize, in support of the country’s protests against the results of an August presidential election that the West and the opposition say was rigged.
The parliament cited 10 opposition figures in its award statement, including the main opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Nobel laureate author Svetlana Alexievich. The 50,000 euro Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, is awarded every year. Past winners include South African President Nelson Mandela, Venezuela’s democratic opposition and Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai.
And finally, until recently, the residents of Gdynia could apply for funding for the construction of rain gardens on properties. In recent days, a catalogue of investments for which you can receive up to 10 thousand.
PLN, was extended to include retention and drainage devices, closed garden systems and retention ponds. Rain gardens are an alternative method of rainwater management on the property to the sewage system and a natural method of removing pollutants from runoff rainwater. The hydrophilic plants that form them capture and retain harmful substances in the rhizomes or roots, thus purifying the water.
Weather
Friday will be a cloudy day with sunny intervals once this morning’s rain has cleared. Temperatures will reach 15 degrees centigrade (59 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, dropping to 7 degrees centigrade overnight. Saturday will remain cloudy with sunny intervals and there will showers possible throughout the day. Temperatures will reach 14 degrees centigrade during the day, and 5 degrees overnight.
Martin Caren/ako
