The Polish central bank says it has brought around 100 tonnes of gold into the country from safekeeping in the Bank of England.
The gold transferred into the country is worth around 18.3 billion zloty, 4.26 bn EUR, or 4.69 bn USD) and is part of Poland’s official gold reserves, Poland’s central bank chief told reporters this week, as part of a plan to repatriate a significant proportion of its reserves to Polish soil.
He added that the gold transfer operation had been carried out by air, chiefly through airports in Warsaw and the western city of Poznań, by several hundred qualified employees.
The Polish central bank said in July that Poland’s gold reserves had increased to 228.6 tonnes, growing by 125.7 tonnes from last year.
The National Bank of Poland also said at the time that the country had moved up from 15th to 11th place in Europe in terms of gold reserves, and from 34th to 22nd worldwide, thanks to a series of purchases.
Source – Polskie Radio, PAP, IAR
German Minister fails to back appeal for return of looted Polish artwork
Germany’s culture minister has refused to back a Polish appeal to museums and private collection owners in her country for the return of artwork looted by the Nazis during World War II, according to a report.
The news came after Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Culture Minister came up with a plan for such a joint appeal when the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II was commemorated earlier this year.
The official list of Poland’s wartime losses still comprises some 60,000 items.
The ministry will continue in its efforts to recover masterpieces including Portrait of a Young Man, a missing painting by Raphael that is believed to have been stolen by the Germans from Poland during World War II and would be worth in excess of $100 Million if found.
Source – The First News
Bombel the Shortest Horse in the World
A pony from Poland has been named the shortest horse in the world. The miniature horse called Bombel (meaning bubble) stands at just 56.7 cm tall from hoof to shoulder blades, making him around the same size as Labrador dog.
Bombel’s owners in Łódź first noticed that Bombel was ‘noticeably tiny’, even though his parents were the normal size of miniature horses, when he was just two months old. They decided to contact Guinness World Records when they realised that he wasn’t growing as he was supposed to be.
Despite his small size, five-year-old Bombel has a huge personality and a huge heart and every month does voluntary work at a local children’s hospital where he drops in to see the patients and give them emotional support.
Eco-police in Gdansk
Gdansk municipal police have announced the formation of a new department who will ensure environmental protection is upheld in the city via regular checks. Tasks will include checking waste incineration and sampling of ash for testing as well as checks for sewage disposal, locating common littered areas, illegal garbage dumps, and carrying out activities to determine the perpetrators and remove waste.
Ash sampling is one of the tools that the agents will use to fight the burning of garbage at home. The guards will take samples, which will then go to the laboratory for analysis.
Weather
Friday is going to be cloudy with a fresh breeze and chances of rain and sleet and temperatures reaching 8 degrees centigrade (46 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, and -1 degrees centigrade (30 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight.
Saturday will be cold with sunny spells where temperatures will struggle to reach 3 degrees centigrade.
What’s On
Highlights of what’s going on this weekend in the Tricity
• First up this weekend, Saturday is St Andrew’s Day (Andrzejki) Poland’s answer to Halloween and St Patrick’s – rolled into one. Eat, dance, scream and shout – even discover the future by pouring liquid wax through a key-ring into water! There are dozens of events going on over the weekend across the Tricity including many Andrzejki themed nightclub events and balls as well as fireworks.
• If you’re a theatre lover, you may be interested to know that it’s Austrian week at the Shakespeare theatre in Gdansk from today onwards. The rich program will include drama, dance and opera performances, performance reading of dramas, as well as a concert, a photography exhibition, film reviews, and meetings with literature and lectures. Full details can be found on the website of Gdańsk Teatr Szekspirowski or just do a google search for “Gdansk Shakespeare Theatre”
• And finally for today, there’s a ballet rehearsal open to the public this Saturday at the Baltic Opera House. The event is an open ballet rehearsal in the form of ballet brunch on Saturday morning. The first part will be a typical classical dance lesson. After a coffee break and a light brunch, the second part – a rehearsal for the performance. Everyday dancers, body tuning for performances and crossing your own borders – you can experience it live by watching the beauty of the dance and enjoy a cup of hot coffee during the break.
RGEN NEWS/AG
