The Prime Minister of Portugal announced on Saturday that Lisbon would join other Western allies in providing Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
According to Prime Minister Antonio Costa, the Portuguese government is in talks with Germany to obtain spare parts needed to mend a number of inoperable Leopard tanks in Portugal’s inventory.
The head of the Portuguese armed forces, admiral António Silva Ribeiro, said last month his country had 37 Leopard 2 tanks. According to reports by local media, however, most of these tanks are currently inoperable.
Last week, Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv would be receiving 120 to 140 Western tanks in a „first wave” of deliveries from a coalition of 12 countries.
Today is day 347 of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Source: Radio Poland
Officials from Poland’s Tatra National Park announced yesterday that they have decided to close the entire area to tourism until further notice.
Adverse weather conditions and a high avalanche danger were among the reasons cited for the closure, as recent heavy snowfall and strong winds have made conditions in the Tatra Mountains extremely dangerous.
Tourists have been advised against all trips to the mountains as blowing snow and blizzards reduce visibility and make orientation in the area difficult. Trails in the park are reportedly covered with a thick layer of fresh snow, with large drifts and snow overhangs on ridges creating additional safety hazards.
Snow depths of up to 155 cm, or over 61 inches, were reported Saturday atop Kasprowy Wierch peak, one the main winter ski areas in Poland.
Source: Radio Poland
Just in time for World Cancer Day on February 4, the Polish government announced plans to allocate PLN 2.5 billion (EUR 530 million) to expand cancer hospitals across the country.
Speaking to reporters at the National Institute of Oncology in the southern city of Gliwice, Prime Minister Morawiecki said the government had prepared „a package of policies that will bring about a revolution in the treatment of cancer.”
Under the National Cancer Strategy alone, Poland is set to spend PLN 5.1 billion (EUR 1.1 billion) on cancer treatment by 2030, the Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Europe, with specialists using the occasion of World Cancer Day to urge patients to report for preventive examinations, even if they do not have any symptoms.
As Doctor Andrzej Kupilas, an oncological specialist at Municipal Hospital No.4 in Gliwice, points out, it is important to fight the myth that “if nothing hurts, there is no need to see a doctor.”
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland
The city of Gdańsk has issued an open call to submit projects for the next edition of the Civic Budget, or Budżet Obywatelski.
Over PLN 20 million is available for allocation to local initiatives, with one-sixth of the funds earmarked for so-called “green” projects.
According to city officials, project applications can be submitted via an online form “in five minutes.” After creating an account in the system, applicants should provide the title, location, approximate cost, and an enticing description of their project.
It is no longer necessary to submit an official paper version of the application and attachments this year, officials emphasize.
Applications can be submitted until March 3. After formal verification of the proposed projects, a final list will be prepared over the summer, with voting set to take place next September.
In the last ten editions of the participatory budget, PLN 157 million has been spent on a total of 822 projects. Last year, residents submitted 509 projects, with 117 making the official voting list.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and cold, with only a slight chance of snow showers and winds coming in from the northeast. Temperatures will remain at or below freezing, with a high of 1°C or 33°F dropping to a low of -4°C, or 24°F overnight. Similar temperatures are expected tomorrow, with a chance for clearer skies and some sunshine later in the day.
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