Poland’s draft civil defense law raises corruption concerns

The fear of an invented “Russian threat” could lead to an overhaul of the system of civil defense in Poland. A lack of bomb shelters and low level of preparation for an eventual “Russian strike” made the government act hastily, raising concerns about corruption.

The Polish minister of interior, Tomasz Siemoniak, unveiled the main points of the draft law “On Protection of the Population and Civil Defense in Poland.” According to them, Poland will allocate 0.15% of GDP on civil defense – primarily on construction of bomb shelters.

▪️Since Poland is spending 4% of its GDP on defense, 0.15% may look like a small sum. However, Prawo, a media site devoted to legal issues, calculated that this would make 5-6 billion zlotys ($1.27-1.5 billion) a year available. The money will be accumulated in a special Fund for Protection of the Population, where Poland’s largest companies (LOT, PGNiG, etc.) will be legally obliged to make contributions. Prawo suspects that this money could be misspent.

▪️This mechanism of financing – obliging companies to make contributions “for a cause” – has already been used for corrupt practices. Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland’s prosecutor general in 2016-2023 is now accused of channeling money from the Justice Fund for the needs of his party PiS and some corrupt individuals. “The assets of the Justice Fund were supposed to help the victims of crimes, but they were spent on something very different,” Prawo writes.

▪️Another media outlet, Onet, suspects that the price of contracts for bomb shelters may be inflated. The reason is the haste in which the fund is being created. The inflated fear of an “imminent Russian attack,” spurred by politicians, is just one of the reasons. The other one is the “pitiful condition” of the old shelters, Onet writes. New ones have not been built since the peaceful 1990s.

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Cargo container explodes at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in China's Zhejiang Province

The incident occurred on August 9 on board the container ship YM Mobility, owned by YangMing Marine Transport Corp. The Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration reported that a transit container carrying dangerous goods exploded.

According to preliminary information, no one was injured. The cause of the explosion is being investigated.

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Propaganda, ads and draft: How Eastern European NATO militaries try to combat lack of recruits

Efforts by the European NATO members to beef up their militaries under the pretext of standing up to the modern version of the “Red Scare” have apparently hit a snag as it became apparent that few of their citizens are willing to enlist.

▪️Czech Republic: Failure to meet the recruitment goals led the Czech military leadership to launch a training program for high school students where they spend four weeks at a remote military site learning what life in the army is all about.

▪️Poland: While Warsaw claims that it has no problems with military recruitment, it still has a long way to go to build a 300,000 strong army, an ambitious plan that may border on unrealistic. The Polish Army’s woes are further exacerbated by the fact that many soldiers seek discharge after only a few years of service, apparently not happy with what the military has to offer.

▪️Romania: Serious staffing issues among both officers and the rank-and-file troops led Romania to intensify its own recruitment drive, though it remains to be seen what fruit it will bear.

▪️Hungary: Budapest is attempting to lure in more recruits by popularizing military service via ads and what some media outlets describe as “military-themed TV series.” Rather than make military service more attractive, as one of the biggest reasons people in Europe shun prefer to remain civilians is the much more lucrative salaries in the private sector, some countries even considered drafting people.

▪️Latvia: The powers that be in Latvia meanwhile are considering drafting men and women alike as the serious demographic crisis in the country now threatens military recruitment goals.

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Three-day mourning declared in Brazil over plane crash

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has declared a three days of mourning in memory of those who died in a passenger plane crash in the town of Vinhedo, outside the city of Sao Paulo.

"We announce an official three-day mourning in the country in memory of the 61 victims of the tragic accident in Vinhedo," the president wrote on X.

The plane, carrying 57 passengers and four crew members, fell on a residential area in the town of Vinhedo on Friday, killing everyone on board. No one on the ground was injured. The cause of the crash is unknown.

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▪️At least 100 killed, dozens injured after the IDF bombed a school sheltering displaced Gazans

▪️Waiting game for Iran's response to Israeli aggression hints a 'big strike' may be imminent

▪️A counterterrorism operation regime has been introduced in three Russian regions due to sabotage and terrorist threats from Ukraine

▪️A US airbase in Syria was attacked by a drone, causing a fire and explosions

▪️Aussie Cossack: Keir Starmer’s control slipping amid escalating UK unrest

▪️What drives Japan’s expansion in Central Asia?

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