Poland voted this week against a resolution on the adoption of the UN Global Compact for Refugees at the 74th UN General Assembly session in New York.
Poland already voted down the GCR pact last year. Arguments given by the Polish delegation for the decision are that the document could be used to exert pressure on countries in refugee resettlement issues, also its very general tone left openings for illegal migration, the misuse of the EU members’ asylum systems and refugee smuggling. In Poland’s opinion the best remedy for the migration problem was to deepen cooperation with refugee-producing countries and the countries refugees transited on their way to Europe. Poland also strongly supports placing migration and asylum policy under the EU countries’ own jurisdiction.
PM Warns Against Youth Access to Pornography
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said this week that it is necessary to protect young people from pornography, in the same way as they are protected from alcohol and drugs as he spoke at a meeting of Poland’s Family Council. Morawiecki said the issue of access to pornography had been highlighted as a cause for concern by many NGOs who have observed that it was ever more common for children of 12, 13 and 14 years of age to access pornography and that the trend was growing. „This is an activity that disrupts emotional function, disrupts the perception of sexuality, leads to very serious emotional deficiencies and to threats in the future, to mental health threats of today’s young people, later adults,” the PM said.
Indian Traveller Recovers Passport and Plane Ticket from Tram
An Indian traveller on his first visit to Europe has experienced the kindness of Poles who came to him in his hour of need after he lost his passport and plane ticket home. The young adventurer had been travelling around England for several weeks promoting his travel company before coming over to Poland for a week. But disaster struck when he left his backpack, which contained his laptop, a railway ticket to Warsaw, his plane ticket to India and his passport, on a Kraków tram. Not speaking Polish, and it being Sunday, the man was stumped as to what to do, but using Google on his phone he managed to explain his predicament to a young woman at the tram stop. What followed next is a heart-warming tale of compassion and kind-heartedness. From the English-speaking officers at the local police station who helped him in fill in forms for the Indian embassy to the joyous news that arrived at the embassy that Krakow police had located the bag with all the contents which had been handed in by a good Samaritan. The traveller conveyed his thanks to the good Samaritan and concluded by saying, “I want to tell everyone to visit Poland, It’s a beautiful place with beautiful people.”
Gdynia Firm Takes Gold Medal in Haemorrhage Detection Challenge
APolish MediTech company has won a gold medal for their work in brain scanning technology. BrainScan from Gdynia were formed in 2017 and since 2018 they have worked on an algorithm for interpreting CT scan imagery.
During the recent 105th scientific assembly and annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, the company finished 8th out of 1,345 competitors in the ‘Intracranial Haemorrhage Detection Challenge’.
Weather
Today’s weather will bring light rain in a gentle breeze. Temperatures will reach 8 degrees centigrade (46 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, and 4 degrees centigrade (39 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight.
Sunday will see temperatures fall by a few degrees to 5 degrees in a gentle breeze, and it will be cloudy throughout the day
What’s On
Highlights of what’s going on this weekend in the Tricity
On Sunday at 2pm at the Consul of Culture in Gdynia Centre the Little Gdynia Philharmonic will hold their Christmas Concert. „Fryderyk Chopin in a green glade” awaits us this time. Fryderyk Chopin, the main character of the concert, wrote almost exclusively piano music, and jokingly talked about himself „I only have piano keys in my head”. Not everyone knows that he also composed several songs to folk words and poems by poets, such as „Lithuanian Song”, „Wish” or „My Caress”. You will hear them in unforgettable arrangements for string quartet and soprano.
This weekend is the final weekend of the Gdynia Christmas Market, on Plac Grundwalzki in Gdynia. Grunwaldzki Square will change its face to introduce Gdynia’s Christmas atmosphere. Illuminations, stalls, food, stuff for the kids and a magical atmosphere – there’s so much to do and see and you might also get some inspiration for last minute Christmas present ideas! Time is running out!
And finally for today there’s the Illuminations in Oliwa Park which are going on throughout the festive season. Oliwa Park is one of the nicest, most peaceful and relaxing places in the entire Tri-City and a walk around the gardens is thoroughly recommended to get away from the drudgery of an everyday life. During the winter the gardens are illuminated with thousands of Christmas lights which turn the park into a magical kingdom. If you are in the area between 4 pm and 10 pm do look, and if you happen to take a stroll on Christmas Eve, remember you can admire the beautiful lights display from 4 pm until 2 am.
