Poland’s two presidential candidates fielded questions on their policies last night in separate events after failing to agree to take part in a joint debate ahead of elections this weekend.
Incumbent Andrzej Duda took part in a debate on Monday organized by state broadcaster TVP in the central town of Końskie. Duda, who is seeking a second term backed by Poland’s ruling conservative Law and Justice party, fielded several questions regarding the economy, claiming it was in „pretty good” shape, despite the coronavirus crisis.
Challenger Rafał Trzaskowski, the current mayor of Warsaw and the candidate of the opposition Civic Platform party, took questions at a separate event dubbed a „presidential arena” in Leszno, in west-central Poland.
Trzaskowski vowed to be an independent head of state, adding that he would keep close tabs on the Law and Justice government, particularly surrounding the recently-enacted changes to the Polish judiciary.
Duda and Trzaskowski will square off in a runoff election on Sunday after no candidate won an outright majority in the first round of voting on June 28.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland
The latest film by Polish director Agnieszka Holland is currently one of the top 3 films at the box office in France and the leading film in Paris.
“Obywatel Jones” or “Mr. Jones,” is an adaptation of the true story of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones, who broke the news of the 1930s famine in Ukraine to western audiences. Despite efforts by the Soviet regime to repress the story and public denials by prominent journalists like Walter Duranty of the New York Times, Jones persisted in publicizing the story, ultimately at great cost to himself.
“Mr. Jones” was previously selected as one of the best films of 2020 by British daily The Guardian, who called it “a picture of sinew and strength” and a “story that isn’t told enough.” Holland took home the top prize of the Golden Lion at the 44th annual Polish Film Festival in Gdynia last year.
Source: Radio Poland
Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer whose haunting scores to Spaghetti Westerns like “A Fistful of Dollars” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” has passed away at the age of 91.
Over the course of his 65-year career, Morricone composed soundtracks for some 500 films, wrote 100 symphonic songs, and sold over 70 million albums worldwide. In 2007, he was awarded an Oscar for lifetime achievement and in 2016 he won an additional Oscar for his soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino’s western “The Hateful Eight.”
Morricone worked in almost all film genres — from horror to comedy — and some of his melodies are perhaps more famous than the films for which he wrote them, such as his theme from Roman Polanski’s film “Frantic.”
He was also no stranger to Poland, appearing on tour in Kraków in 2015 and 2017, and receiving a standing ovation during his last visit to Wrocław in 2016 as part of events to celebrate the city’s designation as a European Capital of Culture.
At the news of Morricone’s death, Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini declared it “a sad day for culture” as a man “who could move the world with his melodies” is now gone.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland
Football fans in Trójmiasto wanting to see Robert Lewandowski in action may just get their chance, as Energa Stadium in Gdańsk has been slated to host the Polish national team for two matches this October.
On October 7, the White and Red will face off against Finland in a friendly match followed by a League of Nations match against Italy on October 11. It is unknown at this time if fans will be allowed to attend the matches, as this decision will depend on the epidemiological situation and government regulations at the time.
In addition to matches in Gdańsk, the White and Red will also play on October 14 in Wroclaw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, on November 11 in Chorzów against Ukraine, and again in Chorzów November 18 against the Netherlands.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Tuesday will be partly cloudy with a light breeze coming in from the northwest and very little chance of rain. Temperatures will peak around a high of 19°C, or 66°F, dropping overnight to a cool 12°C or 54°F. Tomorrow is forecast to have similar weather, with a slight chance of rain in the early morning hours.
EP/ako
