Former interior minister Mariusz Kaminski and deputy interior minister Maciej Wasik were arrested inside the presidential palace in Warsaw for abuse of power dating back to 2007. Despite being sentenced to jail last month, they were pardoned by President Andrzej Duda in 2015, who maintains the pardon's validity. The arrests underscore the conflict between the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and the new pro-EU coalition. Both Kaminski and Wasik, now stripped of their parliamentary mandates, along with President Duda, assert they remain legally elected MPs.

Poland's top police officer, General Szymczyk, accidentally detonated a grenade launcher that was a gift from Ukraine. He described the explosion as powerful, causing damage to the floor and ceiling. The BBC has sought confirmation from Polish police but has not received a response. The Interior Ministry of Poland had previously issued a statement about the incident, which occurred after the police chief's working visit to Ukraine on December 11-12. The Ukrainians had claimed the launchers were used and safe to transport, with one even converted into a loudspeaker.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has warned that Wagner fighters in Belarus could pose as migrants to enter the EU, potentially facilitating illegal migration in what Poland considers 'hybrid warfare'. Approximately 100 Wagner troops are near Grodno, close to the Polish and Lithuanian borders. Warsaw views Wagner's presence as a threat and is reinforcing its eastern flank. Belarusian leader Lukashenko has denied instigating a migrant crisis, while Morawiecki reported over 16,000 border crossing attempts this year, with Frontex recording 2,312 illegal crossings from Belarus to the EU. Poland and Lithuania have erected fences along their borders with Belarus.

A spy network working for Russia has been dismantled in Poland, with six individuals arrested for allegedly installing secret cameras near transport infrastructure aiding Ukraine. The network reportedly planned sabotage and was active in Podkarpackie province, near the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport, a key logistics hub for military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The airport, protected by US Patriot air defense systems, is a critical site with heightened security. Poland's Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski is expected to address the media regarding the arrests. This follows a series of arrests for espionage in Poland, including a Russian citizen charged last month for spying from 2015 to 2022.

During a New Year's Eve TV special in Poland, the Black Eyed Peas wore rainbow armbands in support of LGBT rights, sparking controversy. Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Warchol criticized the act as 'LGBT promotion,' while Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki refrained from restricting the band's 'artistic expression.' The incident highlights the tension between the junior coalition partner United Poland's stance against LGBTQ rights and the main governing party Law and Justice's position. The band's performance and statements were in favor of unity, love, and tolerance, contrasting with the anti-LGBT rhetoric used by some Polish politicians.

The article discusses the significant decline of the Jewish population in Poland due to the Holocaust, where approximately 90% were killed by the Nazis. It highlights the current state of Jewish cemeteries in Poland, numbering around 1,400, which are mostly neglected and in disrepair. With only a few thousand Jews remaining in Poland, the responsibility of maintaining these historical sites is a considerable challenge.

A group of academics has penned an open letter to Poland's culture minister, Piotr Glinski, urging him not to close a significant exhibition that has involved years of preparation and substantial financial investment. The letter, which highlights the potential injustice of shutting down the exhibition, has been published in the Polish language by the liberal newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza.

Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski criticized the previous government's approach to public media, describing it as a leftist programme that promoted a Marxist worldview. In his interview with the German newspaper Bild, Waszczykowski portrayed the former government's ideology as one that favored a homogeneous mix of cultures and races, cyclists, vegetarians, renewable energy, and was anti-religious. His comments reflect a broader political discourse on the direction of Poland's societal values and the role of public media.

Medieval knight tournaments and battle re-enactments are particularly popular in Poland, with events occurring nearly every weekend during the summer. Participants dress as knights and engage in jousting, sword fights, and other competitions. BBC Warsaw correspondent Adam Easton visited one of the largest annual gatherings at Malbork Castle to explore the Polish people's interest in this historical period.

A new generation in Poland, unfamiliar with communism except through history books and stories, is experiencing the Catholic Church's adaptation to the freedoms it helped achieve after playing a pivotal role in the fall of the Communist regime. The program, presented by Adam Easton, is the second of two parts.

In April 1989, an agreement between Poland's communist leaders and the Solidarity trade union marked the end of communist rule in the country. The transformation of Polish society began with the 1979 visit of the Polish Pope, John Paul II, as detailed in the first of two programmes presented by Adam Easton.