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When are the German Elections?

The Elections are on Sunday the 23rd of Feb 2025

Why are they having a snap election?

The German coalition government failed a no confidence vote

Do Germans vote?

Germans vote in big numbers, usually as high 70+ percent voter turnout

Ebola patients who escaped from hospital face evasion of treatment after attacks

Get you up to speed: Ebola patients who fled hospital set on fire by families ‘now evading treatment’ | News World

In Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of Congo, 18 Ebola patients escaped from the local hospital amid attacks from grieving families seeking to retrieve bodies for burial. Authorities confirmed one positive case of Ebola in the community, with at least 220 deaths attributed to the outbreak since it was declared earlier this month.

The World Health Organisation has declared the Ebola outbreak an ‘emergency of international concern’ amid rising cases across the region. As of now, at least 220 fatalities have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the outbreak was confirmed earlier this month, with additional cases reported in neighbouring Uganda.

The World Health Organisation has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo an ’emergency of international concern’, noting an urgent need for increased operations as the epidemic is currently ‘outpacing’ health officials. In response, Uganda has imposed travel restrictions to and from Congo and suspended all flights as health officials anticipate the number of cases may rise significantly.

What remains unclear — It is uncertain how many additional cases may be confirmed as health officials expect the number to rise significantly.

Ebola patients who escaped from hospital face evasion of treatment after attacks

Ebola patients who escaped from hospital face evasion of treatment after attacks
Red Cross carry a coffin with the dead body of a child who died of Ebola in Mongbwalu, Ituri (Picture: Reuters)

At least 18 people possibly infected with Ebola fled hospital after it was attacked multiple times by grieving families.

At least 220 people have died of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo since an outbreak was declared earlier this month.

Attacks by residents on makeshift hospitals in Ituri province, the centre of the outbreak, have risen in the last week.

Some 18 Ebola patients escaped Mongbwalu general referral hospital on Saturday as people burnt tents set up by Médecins Sans Frontières.

Of them, four lab cases have come back; three were negative and one was positive.

Dr Richard Lokodu, medical director of the facility, told Reuters: ‘We have one confirmed case of Ebola that continues to circulate in the community and evade the response.’

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Red Cross workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) walk in a formation as they disinfect the ground outside the house of an unidentified man who died of Ebola, before retrieving his body, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain, in Quartier Shuni 1, a residential sector in Mongbwalu, Djugu Territory of Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 24, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Health aid groups are now playing ‘catch-up’ since the outbreak was first detected in mid-May (Picture: Reuters)

Hospital beds are seen among the ruins of an Ebola treatment center, which was destroyed by a fire set by family members seeking to retrieve their loved ones' bodies, in Rwampara, Congo, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
People were being treated at the time (Picture: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

Charred hospital beds stand in smoldering Ebola treatment center in Rwampara, Congo, Thursday, May 21, 2026, after it was set fire by people angry at being stopped from retrieving a body, according to a witness and police. (AP Photo/Dirole Lotsima Dieudonne)
At least one hospital worker was injured (Picture: AP Photo/Dirole Lotsima Dieudonn)

He added that the hospital was attacked four times on Sunday in attacks plotted by the family of a Christian religious leader who died of Ebola.

A suspected patient who was in critical condition died in the second attack while trying to flee from his bed.

The attackers, Dr Lokodu said, wanted to take the bodies of the Ebola victims by force for burial.

Ebola can be contracted through contact with the bodily fluids of a dead person; the virus has spread during mourning and funeral proceedings in previous outbreaks.

@metrouk

The World Health Organisation has officially declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo as an ‘emergency of international concern’. Officials have stressed that whilst this isn’t a global pandemic like Covid, there’s concern about regional spread after cases have crossed into Uganda. Ebola is spread through bodily fluids and this strain is the Bundibugyo virus, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment. 🎥 @zofia_louise #worldnews #ebola #congo #vaccine

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A similar incident happened last Thursday, which saw a grieving family burn hospital tents down in Rwampara Hospital after medical professionals refused to release a young footballer’s body.

Local officials say the attacks are down to a lack of awareness, with some seeing Ebola as a ‘white man’s invention’ or a cash-grab by hospitals.

Ebola outbreak ‘outpacing’ response

The Ebola epidemic is now outpacing health officials and aid groups, ​the head of the World Health Organization said today.

WHO’s director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told African leaders today: ‘We are urgently scaling up operations, but at the moment the epidemic is outpacing us.’

Neighbouring Uganda reported two more Ebola cases, bringing its total number of cases to seven, Dr Ghebreyesus added.

The new cases are both Ugandan health workers in a private health facility in the capital, Kampala.

He said a delay in detecting Ebola cases meant responders were now ‘playing catch-up’.

The type of Ebola virus behind the outbreak, known as Bundibugyo, is rare. There is no vaccine or approved treatment.

The first known case involved a healthcare worker whose symptoms began on April 24 and who later died at a medical facility in Bunia.

The hotspots are Rwampara, Mongbwalu, Nyankunde and Bunia in Ituri. The province is popular among migrating labourers for its gold mines, while many civilians have been displaced by conflict.

Cases have also been reported in North Kivu. M23, a rebel group that controls territory in eastern Congo, confirmed a death in South Kivu.

While the US has cautioned Americans against visiting the DRC, the UK Foreign Office only advises against travel to the border of Likouala.

The Department of State strongly urges Americans not to travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, or Uganda for any reason and to reconsider travel to Rwanda due to the Ebola Bundibugyo Virus disease outbreak in the region. The Department’s Travel… pic.twitter.com/rC4vRJxVp7

— TravelGov (@TravelGov) May 19, 2026

Uganda has restricted travel to and from Congo and suspended all flights to and from the country. 

As test results continue to come in, health officials expect this number to rise to as many as 1,000 – if it’s not already that high.

What is Ebola?

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The rare and deadly virus has emerged again in Uganda and Congo (Picture: Getty)

Ebola is an illness caused by a group of related viruses, known as orthoebolaviruses.

Infections come in two parts – dry and wet.

The so-called dry symptoms, which include fever, aches, pains and fatigue, can progress to ‘wet’ ones such as diarrhoea, vomiting and bleeding.

As the first round of symptoms, which show within 21 days, resemble the common cold or flu, many Ebola cases go undiagnosed.

Ebola is mainly spread through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected, sick or dead person, or contaminated objects like clothing.

It does not spread through particles that linger in the air. Instead, infected fluid must directly enter the body through an opening, like the mouth.

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16-year-old boy arrested as divers search Vilaine river for clues

16-year-old boy arrested as divers search Vilaine river for clues

Teen Arrested
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested as divers conduct a search in the Vilaine for clues, following a report involving a girl.
Investigation Depth
Authorities are conducting a thorough search in the Vilaine, indicating a significant effort to uncover crucial evidence following the arrest of the teenagers involved.
Investigation Update
“We are treating this case with the utmost seriousness as divers continue their search for answers in the Vilaine,” stated Rennes’s public prosecutor.

Shocking case in France: Two minors in custody after 12-year-old found dead with towel around neck

16-year-old boy arrested as divers search Vilaine river for clues
Rennes’s public prosecutor said a 16-year-old boy has been arrested and a girl later came forward; both are in custody as divers search the nearby Vilaine for clues.

Attorney general requests to resume White House ballroom construction after shooting incident

Get you up to speed: Attorney general files request to resume ballroom construction, citing latest White House shooting

A gunman was killed after opening fire on a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint near the White House on Saturday evening, with authorities confirming that a bystander was also wounded. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche cited the incident in a court filing seeking to resume construction on the White House ballroom for enhanced security.

The White House ballroom, a 9,000-square-foot structure, is designed to provide enhanced security features, including bomb shelters and military-grade materials. Construction has been permitted to continue until at least early June, when an appellate court will hear the ongoing case concerning its funding and congressional approval.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has urged the resumption of construction on the White House ballroom, citing recent violence as evidence of the need for enhanced security measures, stating that “without the ballroom, the President cannot safely conduct the business of the United States.” President Trump has added that the project is privately financed and that security funding is contingent on congressional approval, warning that lack of funding could render the White House “not a very secure place.”

What remains unclear — It is not known how Congress plans to address the funding objections raised by the federal judge regarding the ballroom’s construction.

Attorney general requests to resume White House ballroom construction after shooting incident

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche asked in a court filing late Sunday to resume construction on the White House ballroom, arguing that the nearby shooting over the weekend underscores the need for security the ballroom will provide. 

“This second attack on the President this month underscores the critical need for top level, state of the art security at the White House, including the Ballroom, a knitted, unified, cohesive part of the East Wing Project, which is vital for National Security, and is being constructed to ensure that the President can perform his constitutional duties in a safe and heavily secured facility,” Blanche said in the court filing. 

Blanche wrote that without the ballroom, “the President cannot safely conduct the business of the United States.”

A gunman was killed after allegedly opening fire on a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint near the White House Saturday evening, officials said. Secret Service officers returned fire, hitting the suspect, who later died at a hospital. A bystander was also wounded.

A Washington, D.C. district court judge last month temporarily halted construction of the 9,000-square foot ballroom until the administration obtains congressional approval. But the Senate parliamentarian ruled the $1 billion for the ballroom’s security could not be included as part of a reconciliation bill and Congress left for recess last week without agreement on the measure. 

An appellate court has allowed construction to continue until at least early June when a panel of judges will hear the case. 

In the latest filing, Blanche argues that the ballroom is “being constructed for the physical safety and security of all Presidents, their families, staff, Foreign Dignitaries, and guests.” He calls it a “SAFE HAVEN,” unlike the current tented structures that are used for state dinners. 

The filing lists several security features, including “heavy steel, drone proof roof, missile resistant and drone proof columns, bullet, ballistic, and blast proof glass, Military grade venting for air conditioning and heating, and much more. Together, the entire Facility, which includes bomb shelters, a state of the art hospital and medical facilities, Top Secret military installations, structures, and equipment, protective partitioning, and other features, is a single integrated, complex unit that is vital for the National Security of the United States.”

The ballroom’s roof will include a drone port, sniper stations and “will be hermetically sealed to prevent malign forces from contaminating the circulating air.”

Blanche made a similar argument last month after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Federal Judge Richard Leon has expressed reservations about the project’s $400 million private financing arrangement and the lack of congressional input. 

President Trump last week told reporters that the ballroom is being privately financed and the funds included in the reconciliation were for security. He said if Congress wouldn’t sign off on the funding, the White House “won’t be a very secure place.” 

King Charles chooses to avoid brother Andrew during stay at Sandringham

Get you up to speed: King Charles avoids brother Andrew while staying in Sandringham | News UK

King Charles and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were in close proximity over the weekend in Sandringham, but did not meet. Andrew is under investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct, while Charles chose not to visit him at his residence nearby.

Investigators are examining allegations of sexual misconduct involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor during his time as a government trade envoy, with claims dating back to 2010 now under review. Following his arrest in February, Andrew has been evicted from Royal Lodge, where he had resided for over two decades, and he will now be moving to alternative private accommodation.

King Charles has not met with his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor during a recent visit to Sandringham, following the King’s previous decision to strip Andrew of his titles amidst ongoing allegations of misconduct. The investigation into Andrew’s alleged sexual misconduct continues, as he faces scrutiny from law enforcement over claims linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

What remains unclear — It is uncertain whether King Charles will ultimately remove Andrew from the line of succession.

King Charles chooses to avoid brother Andrew during stay at Sandringham

King Charles chooses to avoid brother Andrew during stay at Sandringham
King Charles was on his brother’s doorstep over the weekend (Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

King Charles and the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were just a stone’s throw from each other over the weekend.

However, the monarch did not meet with the former Royal — who could now be investigated for allegations of sexual misconduct — the Daily Mail reports.

Charles spent the bank holiday in Sandringham, heading to Wood Farm on the royal Norfolk estate instead of the main house, which is open to tourists for the summer season.

Wood Farm, which was Prince Philip’s primary home after he retired from public royal duties in 2017, is only a 15-minute drive from Marsh Farm, where Andrew now resides.

The Mail reports that Charles has not visited his brother, nor did the monarch invited Andrew to see him.

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This snub comes after the King stripped Andrew of all his titles last year amid his links to Jeffrey Epstein, the late former financier and sex offender.

Then, he initiated Andrew’s eviction from his former home of Royal Lodge, the 30-room Grade II-listed property where he lived for over two decades.

File photo dated 16/9/25 of Prince Andrew arriving for the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral, central London. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and is in police custody. Issue date: Thursday February 19, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
Andrew was arrested in February (Picture: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)

It was also recently revealed that the King’s wife, Queen Camilla, was one of the driving forces behind Andrew’s downfall, alongside Prince William.

Christopher Wilson, author of A Greater Love – Charles and Camilla, revealed that they allegedly convinced the King to punish his younger brother in the wake of the Epstein scandal, which involved the removal of his titles and his eviction.

Wilson also said that Camilla’s ‘steeliness’ can ‘stiffen his backbone when needed.’

For example, it’s long been discussed whether Andrew should lose his place in the line of succession. While Wilson claimed it’s an ‘uncomfortable’ decision for Charles, he said Camilla is ‘urging him’ to follow it through.

The author also suggested that it’s not just Andrew who is in the Queen’s firing line – Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie reportedly are too. Wilson said it’s ‘even likely that her influence will take [them] out of the royal pecking order as well.’

He finished: ‘The Queen has apparently concluded that all the Yorks, including Princesses Beatrice, Eugenie and their children, should be excluded from the line of succession.’

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Queen Camilla reportedly feels strongly about Andrew’s exclusion from the royal family (Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Back in February, Andrew was arrested on his birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest was related to his time as a government trade envoy. He was held in custody for 11 hours before being released under investigation.

Andrew categorically denies any wrongdoing.

Now, detectives investigating Andrew are also looking into claims of sexual misconduct with Jeffrey Epstein links.

Officers are reviewing a claim made by a woman that she was sent by Epstein to the Royal Lodge to have sex with him in 2010, followed by a tour of Buckingham Palace.

She was in her 20s when the allegations are said to have happened, according to her lawyer, Brad Edwards, who first spoke to the BBC.

When Charles removed Andrew’s titles, Buckingham Palace released a statement standing by Epstein’s victims.

It said: ‘His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.

‘Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him. 

‘Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.’

Then Britain's Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, departs after the Coronation of Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, London, Britain, 06 May 2023 (reissued 19 February 2026).
King Charles stripped Andrew of his titles last year (Picture: EPA)

Following Andrew’s February arrest, the King released a separate statement where he stressed that the ‘law must take its course.’

The monarch said: ‘I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.

‘What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.’

The King reiterated his previous comment of the police having the royal family’s ‘full and wholehearted support and co-operation.’

Charles continued: ‘Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.’

He rounded off the statement by saying it ‘would not be right’ for him to ‘comment further on this matter.’

However, Charles said that he and his family ‘will continue in our duty and service to you all.’

Russian underground movement Black Spark vows to remove Putin by force

Get you up to speed: Russia’s anti-Putin underground movement vows to overthrow dictator by force | News World

Igor Volobuev, a former vice president of Gazprombank who defected to Ukraine, has revealed his involvement in a Russian resistance movement called Black Spark, which is advocating for the removal of Vladimir Putin by force. The group, consisting of professionals and anti-war activists, claims to be building a covert anti-regime network within Russia and denounces the invasion of Ukraine.

Black Spark claims to have influential members embedded across Russia, including within Gazprom, and asserts that its main objective is to sabotage the oil industry, which it identifies as Russia’s ‘lifeblood.’ Igor Volobuev, the group’s leader, emphasised that the movement is made up of diverse professionals and anti-war activists, asserting that its members are crucial to its operations despite its limited online presence.

Igor Volobuev, the leader of the underground Russian resistance movement Black Spark, condemned Vladimir Putin’s regime, stating that “justice is forced to stand with Molotov cocktails” amid calls for armed resistance. The group, comprising professionals opposed to the war in Ukraine, claims to have influential members within Russia’s power structure and aims to disrupt the oil industry, a move they deem essential for weakening the Kremlin’s hold.

What remains unclear — The specific extent of Black Spark’s influence within Russian state-linked institutions remains unverified.

Russian underground movement Black Spark vows to remove Putin by force

(Left) Former Gazprombank vice president turned Ukrainian fighter Igor Volobuev and (Right) Vladimir Putin.
The former banking vice president defected to Ukraine and took up arms against Russia (Picture: E2W)

An underground Russian resistance movement calling for the removal of Vladimir Putin has said the despot can only be overthrown by force.

The group, known as Black Spark, claims it is building a clandestine anti-regime network inside Russia made up of ‘middle-class’ professionals, business figures, anti-war activists and fighters with combat experience.

The man behind the group has been revealed as Igor Volobuev, a Kremlin-linked banking vice-president who defected to Ukraine after Putin’s invasion and took up arms against Russia.

Volobuev, who works at Gazprombank, said ‘shifts’ were underway inside Russia and claimed members of Putin’s elite had lost faith in the Kremlin leader.

‘Everyone sees it. He cannot hit any target anymore,’ Volobuev said.

Black Spark’s manifesto openly calls for armed resistance against the Russian state.

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‘Putin’s terror killed our belief in dialogue. We realised that under a dictatorship, justice is forced to stand with Molotov cocktails,’ the group said.

Former Gazprombank vice president turned Ukrainian fighter Igor Volobuev, 55
Volobuev said the movement is ‘truly powerful’ (Picture: E2W)

The movement denounces Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as ‘our shame and our crime’ and argues that simply removing Putin is not enough.

‘The empire itself — Russia’s greatest curse — must collapse,’ the manifesto states.

Despite its tiny social media footprint — fewer than 3,000 Telegram followers and around 1,500 on X — the organisation claims it already has influential members embedded across Russia, including within state-linked energy giant Gazprom.

Volobuev insisted Black Spark was not an FSB trap or factional Kremlin project, adding: ‘I was given compelling evidence that this movement was truly powerful.

‘I met people there whom I knew while living in Russia. Some are from the Gazprom system.’

The ex-banker claimed members included engineers, IT specialists, lawyers, entrepreneurs and Russians of Ukrainian heritage who oppose Putin’s war.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 21: Russian President Vladimir Putin grimases during an award ceremony at the Kremlin, on May 21, 2026 in Moscow, Russia. President Vladimir Putin presented prestigious national awards at the Kremlin, honouring outstanding Russian citizens who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
The group believes Putin won’t leave without force (Picture: Getty)

Some participants had access to ‘various offices in Russia, including those in power.’

Black Spark’s name itself is tied to their planned sabotage, according to Volobuev. The group sees its main goal as destroying the oil industry, which they call Russia’s ‘lifeblood’.

Ukraine is known to cooperate with the group and is hitting key oil targets almost daily.

Volobuev argued Putin’s war machine was exhausting Russia politically, economically and psychologically.

‘People are fed up with Putin,’ he said. ‘He’s burning them in the fire of war.’

Volobuev fled Russia in 2022 after resigning from Gazprombank, one of the Kremlin’s most important financial institutions.

Born in Ukraine’s Sumy region, he later joined Ukrainian territorial defence units and has repeatedly appeared in Russian opposition media attacking Putin’s rule.

‘There is no scenario where Putin simply leaves. He can only be overthrown by force.’

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Warsaw bans overnight alcohol sales in shops from June 2024.

Warsaw bans overnight alcohol sales in shops from June 2024.

Alcohol Sales Ban
Warsaw’s City Council has implemented a ban on alcohol sales from 10pm to 6am in shops, kiosks, and petrol stations, effective from June.
Public Support
Support for the night-time alcohol sales ban in Warsaw is substantial, with 81% of nearly 9,000 participants in public consultations advocating for its citywide implementation.
Official Response
“After years of debate, I have been persuaded that this could have a positive impact on this city,” remarked Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski on the new alcohol sales restrictions.

Night-time alcohol ban in Warsaw: will the capital be safer?

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Warsaw’s City Council has decided that alcohol will no longer be sold in the Polish capital’s shops, kiosks and petrol stations between 10pm and 6am.

“I am not a supporter of restrictions, but after years of debate I have been persuaded that this could have a positive impact on this city,” said Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski.

City authorities stress that the decision was preceded by a pilot scheme in Śródmieście and Praga-Północ. According to data from the Municipal Guard and the police, the number of night-time interventions in these districts has clearly fallen.

The restriction is also intended to curb so-called “alcohol tourism”, a phenomenon where people roam around the city in search of 24-hour alcohol outlets.

The ban will not apply to restaurants and bars, nor to the duty-free zone at Warsaw Chopin Airport.

Warsaw residents are largely in favour of night-time prohibition. In public consultations held in 2024, in which almost 9,000 people took part, as many as 81% supported the introduction of the ban. Of these, 97% believed it should apply across the entire capital, not just in selected districts.

What will change on Warsaw’s streets?

In a street poll we carried out, residents expressed a range of views on the new rules. Most believe that restricting alcohol sales will have a positive effect on safety and on quality of life in the city.

“Thanks to this, it will be much calmer,” an older woman tells us.

Some Varsovians point out that similar measures were in place many years ago and, in their view, worked well. A ban on alcohol sales before 1pm was introduced in the communist era, in autumn 1982, to combat drunkenness in workplaces and queues. In democratic Poland this rule was finally scrapped in November 1990.

“They used to sell alcohol from 1 pm to 10 pm and everyone was happy. I think it is a very good idea,” an elderly Warsaw resident tells us.

Residents also refer to the experience of other countries where restrictions on alcohol sales have been in force for many years.

“I think it will be safer. My husband and I often go to Sweden, where it works well, and I think this is a good time to stop sales,” a young woman tells us.

Not everyone, however, supports the new regulations, with some residents opposing any form of restriction.

The most critical of a citywide ban are younger residents, who point, among other things, to the difficulties it may create for spending summer evenings in public spaces and to the prospect of higher alcohol prices in bars and restaurants.

“If there was this prohibition, I would have to be sober – I don’t like that idea,” say young men from whom we can clearly smell alcohol. “Prohibition in general, no matter what time it is. Definitely no to prohibition.”

In the conversations, concerns were also raised about the possible growth of illegal alcohol trading.

“With prohibition there is always some sort of black market,” we hear from one pensioner. “There is always an old lady selling bottles out of her window, and it has been like that for ages. But I am very much in favour of prohibition, because it will certainly be curbed and there will definitely be fewer incidents and rows.”

We also asked whether drinking alcohol should be banned on the Vistula boulevards. Allowing the consumption of alcoholic drinks on the Vistula embankment is an exception to the statutory ban, in force since 9 March 2018, on drinking alcohol in all public places. Most residents are against introducing such a ban.

“I myself have spent a lot of time there with friends. Maybe not so much now, but I think there should be spaces where young people can sit and relax,” says one woman.

Some residents, however, believe that the problem is not alcohol itself but people’s behaviour and lack of moderation.

“The fact that I don’t drink doesn’t mean others shouldn’t. I’m just saying everything should be done in moderation and in a sensible way. You throw bottles in the bin or, if need be, take them to a recycling point – you don’t smash them in the middle of the boulevard so that you can neither sit nor stand there.”

The capital’s police confirm a fall in the number of interventions in the districts covered by the pilot scheme. They also remind the public that retailers who breach the ban face serious consequences under the Act on Counteracting Alcoholism and Promoting Sobriety, including the possible loss of their licence to sell alcohol.

The new rules will come into force at the beginning of June, and only in the following months will it become clear whether restricting night-time alcohol sales really translates into greater peace and safety in the capital.

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