Poland’s foreign ministry has called on „all sides in Israel and Palestine” to put an end to violence amid the most serious fighting in the area since 2019. In a post on Twitter yesterday, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned „actions that led to many civilian casualties” and called for the crisis to “be resolved through dialogue, with respect for human rights.”
Earlier this week, the Polish foreign ministry voiced concern over the escalation of tension in Jerusalem after a series of rocket attacks on the city and other locations within Israel. In a statement, it urged “all sides to take immediate actions aimed at de-escalating the current situation and to refrain from confrontational rhetoric.”
The latest outbreak of fighting between Israel and armed factions in Hamas-controlled Gaza was triggered by clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police at Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Monday, according to reports by Reuters news agency.
Source: Radio Poland, Reuters
The European Union is working on a new round of sanctions against Belarus in connection with reported repressions against Poles living in the country.
At a press conference in Brussels on Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called out the Belarusian regime for “contin[uing] to repress and intimidate its own citizens” and taking aim at the Polish minority living there.
Borrell told reporters on Monday that he hoped a new raft of EU sanctions would be adopted in the coming weeks, PAP reported. The European Commission previously called on Belarusian authorities to free and drop all charges against detained leaders of the Polish ethnic minority, many of whom are members of the Union of Poles in Belarus.
Wiktoria Dubaj, the daughter of one of the Belarusian Poles detained in March, was the “Gość Dnia” with Andrzej Urbański on Radio Gdańsk yesterday; her full interview is available here: https://radiogdansk.pl/audycje-rg/gosc-dnia-radia-gdansk/item/126669-czy-dzialalnosc-polonijna-to-nazim-za-ktory-trzeba-karac-wiezieniem-tak-wyglada-obecnie-rzeczywistosc-na-bialorusi
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland, PAP
A Polish singer, an opera company from Poznań, and a stage designer are among the winners of the 2020 International Opera Awards held in London this week.
Renowned Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński won for “best solo recording” for his latest CD, “Facce d’amore (Faces of Love),” while the Grand Opera Theatre in Poznań received an International Opera Award in the “rediscovered work” category for its production of “Paria” by Stanisław Moniuszko.
Costume designer Małgorzata Szcześniak rounded out the trio of award winners after taking home the top prize in design for her work on the opera “Anhelli” by contemporary Polish composer Dariusz Przybylski.
The coveted awards were presented in a virtual ceremony delayed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic; a complete list of the winners is available online at www.operaawards.org.
Source: Radio Poland
Polish tennis phenom Iga Świątek has made it through to the second round of the Italian Open tennis tournament set to continue this afternoon.
Her previous opponent, American Alison Riske, was forced to retire from Monday’s match due to injury.
Świątek became the first Pole to lift a Grand Slam singles trophy after winning the French Open last October. She followed up her success in 2020 by claiming a second singles title at the Adelaide International tournament in Australia last February.
The 19-year-old will face off against top-ranked American Madison Keys today at 13:45 CEST.
Source: Radio Poland, wtatennis.com
Weather
Today will be mostly sunny and warm, with a light breeze coming in from the southeast and very little chance of rain. Temperatures will peak around a pleasant high of 25°C, or 77°F, dropping to a low of 12°C or 52°F overnight. The sunshine and warm temps are expected to continue through tomorrow, with cooler weather and a chance for rain returning on Friday.
EPeck/pb
