Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, has spurned the ice bucket challenge but said he has made a donation equivalent to $100 to a fundraising campaign to help people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable degenerative disease which causes paralysis and death.

Initiated in July for the US ALS Association, the ice bucket challenge has gone global and is generating tens of millions of dollars each week to help patients with ALS.

A person challenged is given 24 hours to donate 100 US dollars or take a cold shower. Challenged this week by soccer goalie Wojciech Szczesny, Mr Tusk tweeted to say he was donating to Poland's ALS charity, the Dignitas Dolentium Association.

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