The president of Belarus said on Thursday that Belarus needs to close its borders with Poland and Lithuania, and strengthen border controls with Ukraine. Belarus is in a political crisis following the presidential election marred by vote-rigging allegations that led to mass demonstrations against the incumbent Lukashenko. Lukashenko says he won re-election fairly and is the victim of a smear campaign by the West. A Polish government spokesman said in a text message that Poland did not have any confirmation that the border had really been closed and the Polish foreign ministry confirms that the border was operating as normal. The Lithuanian border guard chief said the border there was also operating as usual.
Source – Polskie Radio
Poland marks 81 years since WWII Soviet invasion
Poland yesterday commemorated the 81st anniversary of the country’s invasion by the Soviet Union. During the day, several observances by top officials were planned. The Red Army’s attack on Poland came in line with a secret protocol referred to as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. The consequence of the alliance of the two totalitarian systems was the division of Poland. As a result, the Soviet Union seized lands of over 190,000 square kilometres with a population of around 13 million. After the invasion, over 200,000 people were arrested, including high-ranking officers, policemen, landowners and lawyers and the citizens of the Second Polish Republic were forced to have Soviet citizenship. Over 1 million Poles were deported to Siberia, and around 22,500 officers and policemen were killed in Katyn, Kharkiv and Miednoje.
Source – pap.pl
Polish conservatives slam European Parliament resolution on rule of law
Polish conservative politicians have slammed a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday which says the situation surrounding the rule of law in their country has “seriously deteriorated” as the parliament raised concerns about the legislative and electoral system in Poland, the independence of the country’s judiciary and about fundamental rights. Poland’s Justice Minister described the resolution as “an attack on the essence of democracy.”. One Polish MEP added allegations that the justice system in his country has been politicized were surprising, adding that similar measures could be found in other countries, including Spain. The resolution is not legally binding.
Source – Polskie Radio
Man wanted for three years for fraud apprehended in Wrzeszcz
And finally, a convicted fraudster has been arrested in Wrzeszcz after three years on the run this week. The 26 year old man has a number of convictions including fraud, credit card fraud, counterfeiting, theft and drug crimes. Police intelligence indicated that the man was living in Wrzeszcz and knowing that the man had two dogs in his possession, the police took precautions to ensure he did not resist or flee. 15 officers entered the apartment and apprehended the felon without complications. He is now behind bars where he is expected to serve at least 3 years in relation to his current convictions.
Sources – trojmiasto.pl
Today will be a sunny day in a moderate breeze with temperatures reaching 18 degrees centigrade (64 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, dropping to 8 degrees centigrade overnight. Tomorrow will be a sunny day with scattered clouds in a gentle breeze with temperatures reaching 19 degrees centigrade during the day and 10 degrees overnight.
That was the Radio Gdańsk English news and weather.
Martin Caren
