US President Joe Biden on Friday commented publicly for the first time on the migrant crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border, calling the situation “a great concern.”
He went on to add that the US has “communicated our concern to Russia,” he added, „and we’ve communicated our concern to Belarus.”
Earlier in the week, US officials called out Belarus for “orchestrating migrant flows to Europe” while voicing concern over “disturbing images and reports” regarding the humanitarian situation at the Polish-Belarusian border.
The United States later joined European members of the UN Security Council in condemning Belarus for the “orchestrated instrumentalization” of migrants amidst rising tensions along the Polish-Belarusian border.
On Friday, America’s top diplomat Antony Blinken said the US was considering “various measures” concerning Belarus, which will likely include additional sanctions.
Source: Radio Poland
Poland’s football team secured a play-off place for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a comfortable 4:1 away win against Andorra on Friday.
The Polish path to the World Cup was made easier after Andorra had a player sent off for a foul inside the first minute, reportedly the “fastest red card in history.” The auspicious beginning was followed by two goals by team captain Robert Lewandowski, along with goals by fellow striker Arkadiusz Milik and winger Kamil Jóźwiak.
The victory means Poland is guaranteed at least second place in their qualifying group, behind likely winners England, who beat Albania 5:0 on Friday. As runners-up, Poland is set to play in the two-round, single-match play-offs next March for a spot in the World Cup finals.
Poland is set to host Hungary tomorrow in Warsaw for the final group qualifier match. The World Cup finals will be played in Qatar between November and December of 2022.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland
The city of Gdynia has officially joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Film, joining 295 other “creative cities” in 90 countries.
Gdynia Mayor Wojciech Szczurek welcomed UNESCO’s decision, describing it as a “highly prestigious recognition of the city’s achievements in the film sector and culture in general.”
Since 1987 Gdynia has hosted the prestigious Polish Film Festival, an annual celebration of Polish cinema, and is also home to the Gdynia Film Center and the Gdynia Film School, whose graduates have won numerous prizes at festivals both in Poland and abroad.
The city plans to capitalize on the new designation by creating a “cyber film center,” an internet space, and a digital film repository that would be accessible to all, including the hard-of-hearing and visually impaired.
UNESCO awards the title of a creative city in seven areas: literature, music, film, visual arts, design, crafts and folk art, and gastronomy. Gdynia is the second Polish city to be named a UNESCO City of Film, after Łódź. Kraków and Wrocław are UNESCO Cities of Literature, while Katowice is a UNESCO City of Music.
Source: gdynia.pl, Radio Poland
Polish films took home two of the three top prizes at the 3Kino Festival of Central European cinema in the Czech capital of Prague on Friday.
Jan P. Matuszyński’s acclaimed film “Leave No Traces” won the festival’s main prize, while Jan Holoubek received the best first-feature award for his docudrama “25 Years of Innocence.”
“Leave No Traces” is based on real-life events surrounding Grzegorz Przemyk, a Warsaw high school student beaten to death by communist police in May 1983, during martial law imposed by the authorities to crush the Solidarity freedom movement.
“25 Years of Innocence,” tells the true story of a man who spent 18 years in jail after being falsely convicted of murder.
The two films were chosen from among 22 entries from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Source: Radio Poland
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and cold, with a chance for some rain showers in the late afternoon and winds coming in from the northeast. Temperatures will peak around a high of 7°C, or 45°F, dropping to a chilly overnight low of 3°C or 38°F. Similar cool, cloudy weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for clearer skies and additional sunshine midweek.
Elizabeth Peck/raf
