Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki met with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London yesterday to discuss the crisis at the border with Belarus, along with energy policy and the situation in Ukraine.

In a post on Twitter following the meeting, Morawiecki was reportedly “glad that Prime Minister @BorisJohnson has a similar opinion on all the crises and disputes surrounding us” going on to call the UK “an excellent ally of Poland.”

Morawiecki’s visit was part of his tour of European capitals as Poland seeks to shore up European support to resolve the migrant crisis along the border with Belarus, Poland’s PAP news agency reported.

Poland’s border service on Friday reported that a group of some 200 migrants had tried to cross illegally into the country from Belarus overnight but were reportedly caught.

Source: PAP, Radio Poland

In response to the increasing popularity of online shopping and Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Poczta Polska announced it will start delivering parcels on Saturdays.

Both regular and online stores offer special deals to shoppers during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a tradition that originated in the United States but is increasingly popular in Poland.

The two days are widely seen as the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season. According to Justyna Siwek, a spokesperson for Poczta Polska, the number of parcels handled per week is 50-70 percent higher during the holiday shopping season than during non-holiday periods.

To compensate for the increased demand and hours, Poczta Polska is currently looking to hire additional drivers and employees for sorting shipments. More information on their seasonal recruitment drive can be found on the Poczta Polska website.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland

“The Champion,” a full-length feature film debut by Maciej Barczewski, is now officially a contender for the 2022 Golden Globes in the non-English films category.

The biographical film is based on the true story of boxer Tadeusz Pietrzykowski, Poland’s second-best bantamweight fighter before he was sent to Auschwitz in 1940 at the age of 23.

While in the camp, Pietrzykowski was enticed and later forced to fight for the entertainment of the Nazi guards. He later joined an underground resistance movement (Związek Organizacji Wojskowej), engaging in sabotage and information gathering activities under the leadership of Captain Witold Pilecki. After being liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Pietrzykowski joined the Polish 1st Armoured Division to fight for a free Poland.

As Maciej Barczewski, the director of the film, emphasized in an interview with journalists, “The Champion” is primarily a story about a man who, thanks to his passion and skills, showed that even in inhumane conditions, it is possible to overcome evil and maintain dignity.

The shortlist of nominations for the Golden Globes is due to be announced on December 13, with the Golden Globe awards ceremony scheduled for January 9.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland

Poland’s national football team will face off against Russia in a playoff match for a spot in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar next year.

In an interview with Radio Gdańsk yesterday, Tri-City football authority Michał Globisz described the outcome as something that “could have been much worse” but could “definitely be better.”

Poland has never won an away match with the Russian national team. Recently, however, matches with the Russians have ended in draws, with Polish fans reportedly optimistic that the Russians have not been playing their best lately and did not manage to get out of the group phase during the Euro 2020 competition.

The Polish team will play away to Russia in a “semifinal” on March 24. If Poland manages to advance beyond the match with Russia, they will face either Sweden or the Czech Republic in a “final” in Poland on March 29.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland

Weather

Today will be cold and wet, with a good chance for rain or snow throughout the day and winds coming in from the northwest. Temperatures will peak around a high of 3°C, or 38°F, dropping overnight to a chilly low of -1°C or 31°F. Similar cloudy, wet weather is expected throughout the week, with a chance for snow again tomorrow morning. 

Elizabeth Peck/aka