Events are being held in many countries to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today is also the 77th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. During World War Two, Nazi German occupiers in Poland murdered six million Jews, half of whom were Polish. Two to three million non-Jewish Poles were also killed in the war.

Yesterday saw the launch of the Auschwitz Pledge Foundation, which will give grants to groups that come up with novel ways to fight indifference to hatred and discrimination. The foundation’s general director, Jacek Kastelaniec, said that Auschwitz survivors have often said that one of the worst experiences they had was the indifference of bystanders.

He added that the foundation’s goal is to influence attitudes.

Source: AP, ushmm.org

A Warsaw district court has ruled against the extradition of an opposition blogger wanted in Belarus. Stepan Putilo is accused by the Belarusian authorities of instigating a government coup, and has been granted asylum in Poland.

The court said that his extradition to Belarus is not possible because according to the EU the country has no legal government, and is instead run by a “criminal regime”.

It went on to say that Putilo is an innocent citizen wanted only because his views differ from that of Belarus’s “psychotic dictator”.

Putilo is the founder of online opposition channel Nexta, which the Belarusian authorities have labelled as extremist.

Source: PAP 

From today free COVID-19 tests are available in some pharmacies. The antigen tests are paid for by the National Health Fund, NFZ, and will be carried out by trained staff. Results can be entered directly onto the national monitoring system.

Despite the initiative being launched today, however, the list of participating pharmacies has not yet been finalised.

The scheme is designed to ease the pressure on diagnostic labs and swab points, which have seen long queues of people waiting for tests in recent days.

In addition, pharmacies sold over a million home tests last month.

A thief has stolen a rare plant specimen from a greenhouse at the University of Warsaw botanical garden.

The anthurium plant was of special scientific value and was the only example of its kind in the garden’s collection. It was torn from the ground, leaving only a label and part of a leaf behind.

Botanists believe that the culprit knew the value of the plant, which is part of a family known for its long, drooping leaves, and its ability to purify air. The incident has been reported to police.

Source: PAP

Gdańsk’s football stadium is among the highest rated by fans in Europe, according to a study of online reviews.

The Polsat Plus Arena came up in 11th place out of 140 stadiums, higher than the homes of Juventus, Arsenal and Manchester United. Borussia Dortmund’s ground was top of the list, and the National Stadium in Warsaw was tied with five other venues in second place.

The ranking was based on star ratings taken from user reviews on sites such as Tripadvsior and Google.

Source: trojmiasto.pl, money.co.uk 

Weather

There will be some light rain around in Gdańsk today, with cloudy skies and a high temperature of 4°C, 39°F. Breezy winds from the west will pick up overnight, and tomorrow could be wetter still with a high of 3°C, 37°F.

RGEN/AGC