Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has been named as “Man of the Year” at the Economic Forum in Karpacz.

In his laudation, the deputy speaker of the lower house of the Polish parliament, Ryszard Terlecki, said that Zelensky “aroused admiration and became the most famous politician in the world”, pointing to how he had remained in Kiev after the Russian invasion.

Terlecki added that Zelensky “deserved an incomparably greater award”.

The award was accepted by the Ukrainian ambassador to Poland on the president’s behalf.

The 31st Economic Forum, a meeting of business and political leaders from across central and eastern Europe, is in its last day today.

Source: polskieradio24.pl

Polish president Andrzej Duda met with the president of Côte d’Ivoire yesterday, on the second stop in his African tour.

Duda and his counterpart Alassane Ouattra told a joint press conference that their talks “create a great prospect for cooperation between our countries for the future”.

Duda also told reporters that food and energy crises are being premeditated by Russia as a way to force the world to accept the occupation of Ukraine.

The Polish president has already visited Nigeria on his tour, and his next and final stop will be in Senegal.

Source: PAP

Work has begun to expand the beach in Gdańsk’s Brzeźno district, with other efforts to start soon in Orłowo and Westerplatte.

Magdalena Kierzkowska, spokesperson for the Maritime Office in Gdynia, said the Orłowo filling operation will be the biggest in its history, involving a quarter of a million cubic metres of sand.

Heavy storms last winter completely washed away Orłowo beach in places.

Sand for the expansion work is being dredged from the Baltic Sea during construction work at Gdańsk’s Northern Port.

Source: PAP

In sport, Iga Świątek has made it to the semi-finals of the US Open tennis tournament, after defeating American Jessica Pegula overnight.

The Pole took the first set by six games to three, and eventually won by a tie-break after the second set came to six games all.

It’s the third time this season that Świątek has beaten Pegula.

She’ll face Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals tonight.

Source: PAP

In football, Robert Lewandowski kicked off his Champions League debut for Barcelona with a hat-trick in their 5–1 win against Czech side Viktoria Plzen last night.

The goals take his Champions League tally to 89 so far.

After the match Lewandowski dedicated the goals to his wife, who was celebrating her birthday yesterday.

Source: PAP

Weather

After a chilly and cloudy start today in Gdańsk there should be some sun this afternoon, with the temperature reaching a pleasant 19°C (66°F). It will stay dry until tomorrow morning, when things will turn wet and several degrees cooler, ahead of a damp weekend.

Andrew Carter