The mass in Kurdistan was the only large event held during the Pope’s Iraq visit, with extensive security measures put in place to ensure the Pope’s safety. During his homily, Pope Francis called on Iraqis of all faiths “to work together for a peaceful and prosperous future that would not leave anyone behind and discriminate against anyone.” After the mass, the Pope met privately with Abdullah Kurdi, the Syrian father of 3-year-old Alan Kurdi, who drowned in 2015 with his mother and brother while fleeing to Europe. The photo of the boy’s corpse washed up on a Turkish beach became a symbol of the world’s seeming indifference to the ongoing migrant crisis.
During their conversation, Mr. Kurdi expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for his words of comfort and for his demonstrated compassion for “all those migrants who seek understanding, peace, and security when they leave their countries at the risk of their lives.”
Source: PAP, VaticanNews
The Polish government has adopted a new inoculation strategy to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible with at least one anti-coronavirus shot.
The change will increase the wait time between administering the first and second doses, with the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine administered 12 weeks after the first injection. The second dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be administered six weeks later.
According to Michał Dworczyk, the official spearheading the country’s inoculation drive, the change in delivery schedules will not make the inoculations less effective and will instead ensure that more residents can obtain some protection against the virus.
Those who have already received their first dose will be given the second shot according to the original timeline.
Source: Radio Poland
Poland’s Jan Błachowicz is celebrating after retaining his world light-heavyweight MMA title at the Ultimate Fighting Championship 259 in Las Vegas on Sunday.
In what was described as the most anticipated clash of the year, the 38-year-old Polish underdog scored a unanimous points decision (49-46, 49-45, and 49-45) to defeat Israel Adesanya, the previously undefeated “middleweight king of New Zealand.”
And back at home, Polish track and field athletes won seven medals, including a gold, two silvers, and four bronze, on the last day of competition at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
With a total of 10 medals won over the course of the competition in Toruń, the Polish track-and-field team finished ninth in the overall medals table at the championships.
Source: Radio Poland
The city of Gdańsk will be hosting additional lectures and concerts today in celebration of International Women’s Day.
At 18:00, at the European Solidarity Center, Monika Chabior, Deputy Mayor for Education and Social Services will host a panel of women from various municipal councils to debate the situation of women Gdańsk in 2021 and what, if anything, we should be celebrating. The debate will be streamed on the City of Gdańsk website and the facebook page of Mayor Alexandra Dulkiewicz.
Also at 18:00, Projectornia of the Gdańsk Archipelago of Culture (GAK) will host an online “Jazz Cantata” concert featuring music from popular films and plays, all performed by pianist Ignacy Wiśniewski and vocalist Kamil Dominiak. The concert will be streamed live on the Projektornia GAK facebook page.
For links to today’s events and more information on other events this week, visit https://www.gdansk.pl/urzad-miejski/wiadomosci/dzien-kobiet-w-gdansku-dwie-debaty-i-liczne-koncerty,a,191015.
Weather
Today will be partly sunny and cold, with a strong breeze coming in from the north and a chance for more rain or snow later in the evening. Temperatures will warm up slightly during the day, with a high of 3°C, or 37°F, dropping to a chilly -3°C or 26°F overnight. Similar weather is expected for tomorrow, with a chance for rain or snow later in the week.
EP/pb
