Senior lawmakers from Poland, the United States, and seven other countries have issued a joint statement to slam Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany after a recent deal between Washington and Berlin.
According to the joint statement, the completion of Nord Stream 2 „will give Russia yet another tool to pressure and blackmail Ukraine” and would undermine the growth of a single, liberalized, open European market.
The statement was signed by high-ranking lawmakers from Poland, the United States, Britain, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine, according to US broadcaster CNN.
Under the deal announced by US President Joe Biden’s administration in late July, the United States and Germany plan to invest in Ukrainian energy projects, while Berlin is expected to impose sanctions in the event of hostile action by Moscow.
In addition, both sides will work to secure an extension of the gas-transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine, which guarantees transit fees to the latter and runs until 2024.
Source: Radio Poland
Polish athletes in Tokyo had a banner day yesterday after taking home a record four medals in the hammer throw, kayaking, and wrestling events.
Anita Włodarczyk became an Olympic gold medalist for the third time yesterday, with fellow Pole Malwina Kopron also securing the bronze in the women’s hammer throw.
Włodarczyk achieved a hat-trick of Olympic titles thanks to a 78.48-meter throw, while China’s Zheng Wang won the silver medal after her best effort of 77.03m. Poland’s Kopron landed the bronze with her throw of 75.49m, while another Pole, Joanna Fiodorow, finished seventh with 73.83m.
The 36-year-old Włodarczyk is a world record holder (82.98m) and highly decorated competitor. In addition to winning gold medals at the 2012 Olympics in London (after the original winner was disqualified for doping), the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and now in Tokyo, she has four world championships and four European titles to her name.
Earlier in the day, Karolina Naja and Anna Puławska added to Poland’s medal count after taking silver in the women’s kayak double 500 meters competition.
The New Zealand duo of Lisa Carrington and Caitlin Regal claimed the gold, while Hungary’s Danuta Kozak and Dora Bodonyi took the bronze.
Polish wrestler Tadeusz Michalik later rounded out the medal count after taking the bronze in the men’s 97 kg Greco-Roman wrestling event.
Michalik easily overpowered Hungary’s Alex Gergo Szőke after earlier losing to Musa Evloev of the Russian Olympic Committee.
As of yesterday evening, Poland’s total medal count was at 6, with 2 golds, 2 silver, and 2 bronze.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland
The 25th edition of the Shakespeare Festival kicked off last week with a version of The Tempest and will continue tonight at 7 pm with a performance of Othello.
This edition is particularly noteworthy because it is the quarter-centenary anniversary of the famous festival and the first time it will proceed without its founder and artistic director, Professor Jerzy Limon, who passed away last March. The program of this year’s edition, which features theatre troupes from Portugal, Italy, Lithuania, Belgium, and Poland performing adaptations of some of The Bard’s most famous works, was Professor Limon’s creation.
The festival will continue through Sunday, August 8th, wrapping up with a closing gala and award ceremony at the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre.
For more information and a complete program, visit the festival website at https://festiwalszekspirowski.pl/.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and relatively cool, with winds coming in from the north and a slight chance of rain in the early afternoon. Temperatures will peak around a high of 21°C, or 69°F, cooling off overnight to a low of 12°C or 54°F. Clouds and a chance for rain will return tomorrow, with an increasing chance for rain as the week progresses.
