The prime ministers of four Central European countries are set to meet in Katowice today for a regular summit of the Visegrad Group (V4). The four heads of government — Poland’s Mateusz Morawiecki, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, the Czech Republic’s Andrej Babiš, and Slovakia’s Igor Matovič — are expected to review Poland’s rotating 12-month presidency of the V4 and discuss plans for the next year, including initiatives to boost business, creativity, and innovation in the region.

At the previous summit held last February, the leaders of the V4 countries marked the 30th anniversary of the Visegrad Group while discussing regional approaches for post-pandemic recovery.

Source: Radio Poland

The Czech government has demanded that Russia pay compensation for a 2014 arms depot explosion that Prague has blamed on Russian intelligence agents.

The Czech foreign ministry on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador to request full damages for the huge blast, which Prague says was caused by Russian spies, according to reports by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Russia has denied any responsibility.

Last April, the Czech Republic expelled 18 Russian diplomats over evidence pointing to the involvement of two Russian military intelligence agents in the explosion, which killed two people in the southeastern Moravia region.

Earlier this year, foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group issued a joint statement voicing solidarity with the Czech Republic condemning “all activities aimed at threatening the security of sovereign states” and their citizens.

Source: Radio Poland

Officials and historians paid tribute yesterday to the celebrated Polish pianist, composer, and statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski, who died in the United States 80 years ago.

Paderewski was one of the architects of Polish independence, regained in 1918 after more than 120 years of foreign rule. In 1919, in his role as both Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs minister, he co-chaired the Polish delegation to the Peace Conference in Paris and signed the Treaty of Versailles.

He died in New York on June 29, 1941, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., at the behest of then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1992, his remains were brought to Poland and buried at St John’s Cathedral in Warsaw.

In a statement on Twitter, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland paid tribute to Paderewski as a man who “conquered the world as a pianist, enchanted as a composer, and enacted change as an independence activist, statesman, and politician.”

Source: Radio Poland

Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Świątek have both advanced to the second round of the men’s and women’s single’s competitions at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London.

Świątek advanced easily with a 6-4, 6-4 win on Monday over Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei, while Hurkacz saw off Italian competitor Lorenzo Musetti in three sets (6-4, 7-6, 6-1) yesterday.

Hurkacz, who is currently ranked world No. 18 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), will next face the winner of a match between Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori and American Marcos Giron.

Swiątek, who moved up in ATP rankings this year to her current spot at No 9, is set to face Russia’s Vera Zvonareva today at 16:40.

Source: Radio Poland

Health officials in Pomerania are reminding beachgoers to check water quality before heading out for a swim.

Cyanobacteria, which often bloom in the summer and can cause health issues for swimmers, have been confirmed in Gdynia Śródmieście, Gdynia Redłowo, and Stegna bathing areas (descent from Morska Street) in the Nowodworski Poviat. As a result, all three of these areas are now closed to swimmers as of 15:00 on 29.06.2021.

Updated info on water quality and beach closures can be found on the “Serwis Kąpieliskowy” portion of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) website: https://sk.gis.gov.pl/.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be mostly cloudy in the afternoon, with a strong breeze coming in from the east and rainstorms later in the afternoon. Temperatures will peak around a high of 27°C, or 80°F, staying warm overnight with a low of only 17°C or 63°F. Cloudy, rainy weather will continue tomorrow and into the weekend, with a chance for clearer skies early next week.

EPeck/pb