Polish President Andrzej Duda signed into law the ratification of Sweden and Finland’s NATO accession at a historic ceremony in Gdynia yesterday. The ratification ceremony aboard the historic ORP frigate Gen. T. Kościuszko was held two days after Polish senators voted unanimously to approve the enlargement, following approval by the Sejm.

“This is a symbolic moment,” declared Duda, “a new time of security and cooperation in our region of Europe and the world… thanks to this, the free world will win and, as a result, Ukraine will also win, defend itself against Russia, we will be able to continue to develop and live in peace.”

For NATO to officially accept Finland and Sweden, all 30 member states must ratify the accession protocols. Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland are among the countries that have already signed, with the US Senate set to approve the measure in the coming weeks.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland, Reuters

Ukraine and Russia on Friday signed a vital agreement to reopen Ukraine’s Black Sea ports for the export of grain in a bid to alleviate an international food crisis triggered by the Russian invasion.

The deal comes after two months of talks brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, paving the way for a significant volume of commercial food exports to be launched from the Ukrainian seaports of Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny.

According to Reuters, the agreement sought to avert famine among tens of millions of people in poorer nations by injecting more wheat, sunflower oil, fertilizer, and other agricultural products into world markets, including humanitarian needs.

Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski, an agriculture adviser to Polish President Andrzej Duda, said that Friday’s agreement represented “a breakthrough” for global food security.

Russia’s naval blockade of Ukrainian ports trapped tens of millions of tons of grain in silos and stranded many ships, aggravating global supply chain problems and, together with Western sanctions, fuelling inflation in food and energy prices worldwide.

Moscow has denied responsibility for the deepening food crisis. Instead, it has blamed Western sanctions for slowing Russian food and fertilizer exports and Ukraine for mining the approaches to its Black Sea ports.

Source: Radio Poland, Reuters

Poland’s Monika Witkowska has successfully conquered the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest mountain.

According to her Facebook profile, Witkowska reached the 8,611-meter summit at 5:59 CEST on Friday.

Witkowska is now the second Polish woman in history to successfully climb K2, after Wanda Rutkiewicz, who summited the peak in 1986. The 56-year-old has numerous mountaineering successes to her name, including Mount Everest (8,848 meters) in 2013, Manaslu (8,156 meters) in 2018, and Lhotse (8,516 meters) in 2019.

In 2016, with the ascent of Mt. Vinson in Antarctica, Witkowska completed the Seven Summits challenge of scaling the highest mountain on each continent.

Source: Radio Poland

Passengers at the Hucisko tram stop will be the first in Gdańsk to test out a new dynamic timetable using e-paper technology.

According to Dagmara Szajda of the Public Transport Authority in Gdańsk, the new technology has numerous advantages, including a simple, intuitive interface and the ability to operate for several days without an external power supply.

More importantly, e-paper technology allows for critical information, including delays and detours, to be immediately updated at the transit stop, along with updated departure times.

The experimental system will be in the testing phase for the next nine months so that officials can determine how the technology works in various weather conditions.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Gdańsk beaches are cleared for swimming.

As of this morning, water in all bathing areas in Pomerania – including beaches by the sea and local lakes – is currently free of cyanobacteria and suitable for swimming, according to reports by the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS).

Up-to-date water quality information is available at radiogdansk.pl or on the Sanepid (GIS) website.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be partly cloudy and warm, with a chance of rain in the afternoon and a strong breeze coming in from the west and north. Temperatures will peak around a high of 23°C, or 75°F, dropping to an overnight low of 14°C or 58°F. Slightly cooler weather is expected for tomorrow, with a chance for rain again in the morning.

EPeck