Poland has joined a growing list of EU countries refusing to allow Belarusian airlines access to their airspace, further isolating the country from the rest of Europe. As a result, Belarus’ state-owned Belavia airlines canceled flights to at least eight European countries yesterday after most EU member states and their neighbors applied for airspace restrictions.
According to Reuters, Belavia flights were still crossing Italian and Hungarian airspace on Thursday and serving some EU destinations, including Larnaca in Cyprus and Tallin in Estonia. The Estonian government has since banned Belarus from accessing its airspace.
In apparent retaliation, Austrian Airlines and Air France were both forced to cancel flights to Moscow earlier this week after failing to get permission from Russian authorities for revised flight plans, a response Austria’s Foreign Ministry called “absolutely incomprehensible.”
The fallout from last Sunday’s forced diversion of Ryanair flight 4978 and subsequent detention of Belarusian dissident Roman Protasevich has pushed European and Russian relations to their lowest levels since the Cold War, with more sanctions against Belarus expected in the coming days.
Source: PAP, Reuters
Fitness aficionados and foodies are celebrating as restaurants, gyms, and swimming pools reopen across Poland today.
Sanitary measures — including social distancing, reduced occupancy, and the requirement to wear masks indoors — are still in force, but restaurants are now allowed to serve patrons inside their premises, and fitness centers can once again welcome guests.
In addition, special events, such as communions and weddings, can be held indoors starting today, with a maximum limit of 50 people. Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will not count toward this total.
Source: PAP, Radio Gdańsk
Star striker Robert Lewandowski is among 19 Polish football players who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the run-up to the Euro 2020 tournament.
According to team spokesman Jakub Kwiatkowski, nineteen of the 26 Polish team members have received the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Several other players had reportedly “acquired immunity” after battling the coronavirus.
Ahead of the European tournament, Poland will play two friendlies on home turf at the start of next month, taking on Russia on June 1 and then Iceland on June 8. The Polish team will officially kick off their Euro 2020 group-stage campaign with a fixture against Slovakia on June 14.
Source: Radio Poland
The Polish national football team has retained their No.21 spot in the latest world football rankings, released on Thursday.
Belgium, who finished third in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, remains at the top of the FIFA rankings, ahead of world champions France.
Brazil fills out the podium at No. 3, just ahead of England in fourth place. The small Middle Eastern Kingdom of Bahrain was the only country to climb in rankings, moving up from 97th to 98th position.
Source: Radio Poland, FIFA.com
The Gdańsk Zoo in Oliwa is hosting a series of activities for small children as part of their “Weekend of the Toddler” event May 29 and 30.
The outdoor game will focus on finding out the names of all the new residents of the Gdańsk Zoo and will incorporate technology such as tablets and smartphones, along with traditional maps and signage.
The online version of the game will be available starting at 18:00 on Friday, May 28, on the ZOO website and Facebook page.
Weather
This afternoon will be mostly cloudy and cool, with a slight breeze coming in from the north and a good chance of rain in the early afternoon. Temperatures will peak around a high of 13°C, or 54°F, dropping to a low of 7°C or 44°F overnight. Clouds and a chance for rain will stick around into tomorrow, with a chance for some sun and warmer temps on Sunday.
EPeck/pb
