Poland's economy is experiencing an upswing due to growing domestic demand, low unemployment, and a transparent tax system that is attracting foreign capital and labor — also from neighboring Ukraine.

Warsaw

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Poland has become the 20th largest economy in the world, with a projected GDP of 900 billion euros in 2025, partly due to strong domestic demand and the influx of Ukrainian entrepreneurs and refugees. Ukrainian-founded businesses now account for around 2.7% of Poland's GDP, with over 90,000 companies in the country having Ukrainian involvement.

Entrepreneurs such as Oleksandr Bondaryev and Mykola Snikovsky have established and expanded businesses in Poland, benefiting from the country's favorable business environment and structured tax system. Ukrainian brands are also entering the Polish market, particularly in response to the growing Ukrainian community, and are active in sectors ranging from technology to hospitality.

Ukraine refugees help Poland's economy thrive

Poland is now the 20th largest economy in the world with a projected GDP of 900 billion euros in 2025. Strong domestic demand, low unemployment and a clearly structured tax system make the country attractive for entrepreneurs, especially those arriving from Ukraine. I think Poland provides, apart from great business opportunities, governmental opportunities, it's a huge market and it's a fast-growing market and we see that the country has an amazing job moving from ex-communist society to capitalist society and in just one generation. Oleksandr Bondaryev is the head of Plezotherapy, an AI-driven mental health platform. The company moved from London to Warsaw in 2022, shortly after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. In Poland to open a company it was quite a straightforward process, it was easy. I think everything to do with the government is quite easy, quite electronic, so I think it is very fair. I believe that Poland is one of the better examples in Europe. Plezotherapy now has about 70 employees, most of them based in Poland. The start-up first received support from the Google Ukraine support fund, followed by other accelerator programs. And today it cooperates with more than 500 licensed therapists across Europe. Ukrainian founders were present in Poland even before the war, so we are not some exotic entity here. Everyone understands that yes, we are Ukrainians, but everyone proved already that Ukrainians can build businesses here, can raise the money. I have to say that one of the harder parts in Poland specifically is to raise capital. Ukrainians now contribute around 2.7% of Poland's GDP through businesses, jobs and investments. Ukrainians have been coming to Poland to work since the late 90s. Today, more than 90,000 companies here have Ukrainian involvement, including entrepreneurs like Mykola Snikovsky, who moved here with his family in March 2022. There is a place for Ukrainians here. The mentality is close to ours, and we understand the language. Snikovsky is the founder of the Boki Group, which makes doors and sliding systems supplied by five Ukrainian manufacturers. But over the past three years, he has also launched further ventures, from innovative loan services in Africa to a beauty salon in Warsaw. One positive aspect is that Poland has a strong economy and people have money. Another advantage is the clearly structured tax system. And across his own burgeoning business empire in Poland, nearly 30 employees work locally, with only one being Polish. The rest come from Ukraine and other countries. And there are more Ukrainian brands coming to Poland. Mimosa Brooklyn Pizza was founded in Kiev in 2017. It's just opened its first location in Poland, bringing along the original menu and design. I think it was established mainly in response to the arrival of people from Ukraine in Poland after the beginning of the war in Ukraine. They simply needed places where they can feel a little bit more at home. Ukrainian entrepreneurs continue to expand in sectors from tech to hospitality. And their role in Poland's economic growth is becoming increasingly significant.

The New York Times has sued the U.S. Defence Department and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in an effort to force the Pentagon to abandon its restrictive new press policy. The Times alleges that the policy, rejected by at least 30 news organizations, violates its rights to free speech and due process.

New York

New York Times sues Pentagon, Hegseth over press restrictions

President Trump weighed in on Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with his envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio has more.

Moscow

Trump insists Putin wants to end Ukraine war after Witkoff's trip

Democrats have released never-before-seen images in the Jeffrey Epstein case. They were taken at his private island estate. It comes as the Trump administration faces a deadline to release the full Epstein case files in two weeks.

Newly released images and videos show Epstein's private island estate

Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, more than five times more than the United States.

Caracas

Maduro accuses U.S. of pushing for regime change to get Venezuela’s oil

Australia starts enforcing a landmark ban requiring social media platforms to take down accounts belonging to under-16s

Canberra

Australia under-16s social media accounts to be taken down

European Union lawmakers and member states reached a deal to ban all imports of Russian gas before the end of 2027, as the bloc seeks to choke off key funds feeding Moscow's war chest. Aimed at breaking a reliance the bloc has struggled to end despite the invasion of Ukraine, the accord marks a compromise between EU capitals and the European Parliament, which wanted the ban to hit sooner.

Brussels

EU agrees deal to ban Russian gas by end of 2027

President Trump pardoned Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife on Wednesday. The couple was indicted in 2024 on more than a dozen federal charges. Cuellar has denied any wrongdoing.

Washington

Trump pardons Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife

Sources say the Pentagon watchdog found Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could have endangered American service members when he shared military information in a Signal group chat in March. Alex Plitsas, a former Pentagon official, joins "The Daily Report" to discuss.

Watchdog found Hegseth jeopardized sensitive military information

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee Wednesday released never-before-seen images of the private island owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. CBS News legal reporter Katrina Kaufman has more details.

Never-before-seen images of Jeffrey Epstein's island released

The doctor who pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to Matthew Perry in the weeks before the actor's overdose death has been sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Los Angeles

Doctor who sold Matthew Perry ketamine sentenced to 30 months in prison

Google subsidiary YouTube has criticized an Australian law banning social media accounts for under-16s, arguing the legislation set to start Dec 10 makes young users of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube less safe.

YouTube attacks Australia's underage social media ban

U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Putin in the Kremlin on a revised Ukraine peace plan but left without a deal. Russia insists on territorial gains, army cuts, and blocking NATO membership, while Zelenskyy calls for long-term deterrence against future aggression.

U.S. envoys Kushner, Witkoff leave Kremlin without Ukraine deal

U.S. President Donald Trump, in a televised cabinet meeting, said “I don't want them in our country” about Somali immigrants, sparking outrage from politicians and migration experts. His remarks coincided with reports of planned federal raids targeting Minneapolis’ Somali community.

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A Russian tanker carrying sunflower oil was hit by a drone off the Turkish coast, with no casualties. The attack is part of recent strikes on Russian-flagged vessels targeting Moscow’s oil sector, while Putin warns of possible retaliatory measures.

Russian tanker attacked off Turkey, Putin warns of retaliation

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he had watched the first U.S. strike in September on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in real time, but did not see survivors in the water or the second lethal strike that he described as being carried out in the "fog of war."

Hegseth says he didn't see survivors before second strike on boat

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Tennessee

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U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to expand his crackdown on drug trafficking during a cabinet meeting, suggesting he’d order land strikes on Venezuela and attacks on any country transporting illegal drugs into the U.S.

Trump threatens to expand strikes beyond Venezuela

Ahead of a meeting to discuss the U.S. proposal for peace in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed European counter-proposals as 'unacceptable' and said his country was ready for war if Europe wants one.

Putin says Russia is 'ready' if Europe wants war

OpenAI has declared a "code red" as Google threatens to unseat the AI industry's early leader, according to the Wall Street Journal. Technology journalist Jacob Ward joins CBS News to discuss.

California

OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google threatens its AI lead

Russian President Vladimir Putin met U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the Kremlin on Tuesday (December 2) for talks on a possible way to end the deadliest European conflict since World War Two.

Putin meets Trump envoys Witkoff, Kushner for Ukraine peace talks

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the deadly boat strikes in the region near Venezuela and Colombia have "only just begun." This comes as Republicans and Democrats in Congress question the legality of the military action.

Hegseth defends boat strikes near Venezuela during Cabinet meeting

President Vladimir Putin has hailed what his commanders told him was the full Russian capture of the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine as an important victory after a prolonged campaign, saying it would help Moscow fulfil its wider war aims.

Pokrovsk

Russia claims control of Pokrovsk

Major rescue and recovery efforts are underway across Southeast Asia after a series of severe storms battered the region displacing millions and killing more than 1,100 people.

Nuwara Eliya

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Honduras’ presidential race is too close to call, with Nasry Asfura and Salvador Nasralla nearly tied at just under 40% each as technical glitches delay official results.

Tegucigalpa

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Airbus must inspect hundreds of its A320 jets for potential quality flaws in the plane's body as a total of 628 aircraft contain panels that may be too thick or too thin due to a manufacturing issue at a supplier.

Blagnac

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U.S. President Trump warns against actions that could ‘interfere with Syria’s evolution’ amid new Israeli incursions and strikes.

Damascus

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Monday is World AIDS Day. It has been recognized globally since 1988, but this year, the U.S. government is not commemorating it for the first time.

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Operation "Swamp Sweep," a monthslong immigration crackdown centered in New Orleans, is set to begin Monday. CBS News national reporter Kati Weis has the details.

New Orleans

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Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was in a New York City courtroom on Monday for a pre-trial hearing focused on what evidence the jury will see. CBS News' Anna Schecter has the details.

Ukraine refugees help Poland's economy thrive

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Ukraine Invasion