A Polish man who was stabbed while tackling an armed terrorist on London Bridge last month is set to receive one of Britain’s highest civilian awards for bravery, according to media reports. The man, was wounded several five times during his confrontation with the knife-wielding assailant, who moments earlier killed two and seriously wounded three others in the attack in the British capital last month.
According to the Sun newspaper, the man is likely to receive the Queen’s Gallantry Medal or the George Cross next year. The Polish hero has been gathering tributes from the Queen as well as the British and Polish prime ministers, but has preferred to stay out of the limelight saying he „acted instinctively.”
Poland summons Russian ambassador over WWII Insult
Poland has summoned Russia’s ambassador over Putin’s comments on the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact in the lead-up to WWII. The Polish authorities protested „historical insinuations” made by top Kremlin officials including President Putin. Warsaw and Moscow have been trading verbal blows about the 1939 non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
„[W]e are ready to explain to Russian diplomats historical facts for as long as it will take for them to understand that the world will never forget the true meaning of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact,” a Polish minister tweeted on Saturday.
Germany has also waded into the discussion with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung calling the Russian comments immoral and inadequate. Poland responded by summoning Russia’s ambassador Andreyev on Friday. who later described the talks as „tough but civil.”
LOT Polish airlines sets new passenger record
The Polish national airline – LOT has already carried over 10 million passengers in 2019, the first time in the airline’s 90 year history that this threshold has been breached. The figures released on Friday follow a prolonged period of rapid expansion for LOT. The airline which carried just 4.3 million passengers in 2015, has since seen an increase in numbers every year.
LOT ran into financial difficulty a decade ago, eventually leading to government intervention. Since the end of 2015 LOT has opened new routes, relying heavily on the modern Boeing-787 Dreamliner to increase capacity. LOT has opened over 80 new routes during the past four years, with 15 of these commencing 2019 alone. New long haul destinations include Miami, Delhi, Colombo and Seoul and plans to open a further 16 new routes in 2020
Traditionally been based in Polish airports, the airline now has opened a hub in Budapest. The airline’s CEO Rafał Milczarski said: “Our aim is to become the largest airline in Central and Eastern Europe.”
First Congress of the Fahrenheit Scholarship Association
On Saturday at the Academy of Fine Arts, members of the Gdańsk Fahrenheit Fellowship Association summed up their activities and had the opportunity to get to know each other better. The Fahrenheit Scholarship is the first scholarship in Poland to help finance local students study abroad and was the idea of the former mayor of Gdansk, the late Paweł Adamowicz.
Current scholarship holders study, at top universities such in London, Rotterdam or Edinburgh to name a few. They not only acquire knowledge at a high level, but also develop their passions. According to the rules, Scholarship holders are also required to do volunteer work in Gdansk but most importantly, they need to focus on gaining knowledge and skills at the highest level and to represent and promote Gdańsk with dignity.
The weather
Sunday will be cloudy with some sunny spells however no rain or snow are expected. Temperatures closer to the seasonal average at close to freezing. A perfect day in fact to visit the Christmas illuminations at Oliwa Park.
RGEN/AG
