Poland’s government on Tuesday approved an extensive package of measures to help Polish families combat rising prices in Poland due to inflation.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who unveiled the package last week, told reporters on Tuesday that the Cabinet had begun to implement the policies, dubbed „the anti-inflationary shield” or „tarcza anty-inflacyjna.”

Compared to initial plans, the package has been extended to include a decrease in the value-added tax (VAT) on natural gas used for heating from 23 percent to 8 percent. The program also comprises temporary reductions in the excise and retail tax on fuels and a three-month reduction of VAT rates on electricity, from 23 percent to 8 percent.

Additionally, the government plans to provide a one-time cost-of-living allowance for 7 million poorer households. The allowance will reportedly be paid in two installments and will range from PLN 400 to PLN 1150, depending on the income and size of the household.

The move comes as a flash estimate from the Polish statistics office showed on Tuesday that year-on-year inflation totaled 7.7 percent in November, above analysts’ estimates and at a level not seen since 2000.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, PAP, Radio Poland

Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau joined his NATO counterparts for a meeting in Latvia yesterday to discuss security risks from Russia and Belarus.

The two-day NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will focus primarily on the crisis on the Alliance’s border with Belarus and the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, among other things.

Polish President Andrzej Duda last week proposed increasing NATO’s military presence in eastern Europe during a meeting in Brussels with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Duda said at the time that, amid a growing threat posed by the build-up of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border, such a move would „show all potential aggressors” that „the alliance is ready… to defend NATO countries” and assist allies such as Ukraine.

The foreign ministers of Ukraine and Georgia are expected to join the meetings in Riga, which are scheduled to wrap up later today.

Source: Radio Poland, NATO.int

A local Pomeranian artist, Tomasz Ołdziejewski, joins the Guinness Book of World Records for a second time after creating a replica of the lighthouse on Hel peninsula entirely out of Baltic amber.

The lighthouse – which stands at 211 centimeters (7 ft), took the artist nearly a month and some 40 kg (88 lbs) of high-quality Baltic amber to build. Ołdziejewski’s previous record was for a 153-centimeter-long amber replica of the RMS Titanic.

In cooperation with the government in Hel, the lighthouse was officially unveiled at the city festival on June 29. Last week, Ołdziejewski and city officials received a diploma confirming the lighthouse replica had joined the Guinness Book of World Records as the „largest amber sculpture” in the world.

Ołdziejewski already has plans for a third world record – a replica of the world’s tallest building, the 828-meter (2,722 ft) Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, guinnessworldrecords.com

Residents of Kraków will soon have the chance to breathe fresh sea air from Gdynia thanks to an outreach initiative by Gdynia authorities.

Starting this Friday, a special pavilion will be open on the main market square in Kraków next to the Cloth Hall, where the inhabitants of Kraków can breathe the fresh sea air of Gdynia via a special breathing apparatus. The pavilion will also feature immersive video projections of Gdynia so Kraków residents can watch waves rolling in and hear the sounds of waves, wind, and seagulls.

According to Magdalena Oczachowska of the Gdynia magistrate, the city, along with the Gdynia Tourist Council, hopes the immersive experience „will be a sufficient incentive to come to our city.”

More information on the „Take a breath in Gdynia” campaign can be found on the city’s website and social media channels.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will start out snowy and cold, with a good chance for rain and snow throughout the day and winds coming in from the south. Temperatures will peak around a high of 1°C, or 34°F, dropping overnight to a chilly low of -1°C or 30°F. Similar cold, wet weather is expected to continue into next week, with a chance for a break in the clouds next Wednesday.

Elizabeth Peck/MarWer