Polish officials recently announced plans to offer a series of training programs for Ukrainian health workers to aid their country’s bid to join the European Union.
Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski told reporters on Monday that Polish officials would “be helping Ukraine join the European Union by providing training courses that must be completed” on the path to EU accession.
Niedzielski made the declaration at a news conference to mark the launch of a course in helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) to help Ukrainian medics evacuate wounded soldiers and civilians from combat zones.
According to Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister Iryna Mykychak, who accompanied Niedzielski during the news conference, the HEMS courses for Ukrainian medics were being offered “thanks to an initiative by Poland’s First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda and Ukraine’s Olena Zelenska.”
Mykychak said the first ladies had also initiated many other bilateral projects, including “the evacuation of more than 2,000 ill people so far…to medical facilities in Poland and elsewhere around Europe…”
Today marks Day 293 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
Emergency services in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa are rushing to restore the supply of electricity to the region after the latest Russian strikes left 1.5 million people without power.
In a video address to the nation on Sunday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian officials were “doing everything to restore the light supply to Odesa” and had already “managed to partially restore the supply in Odesa and other cities and districts of the region.”
According to Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for Odesa’s regional administration, power for the residents would be restored “in the coming days,” while “complete restoration of the networks may take two to three months.”
Source: Radio Poland, Reuters
The cities of Gdańsk and Gdynia will host special masses and performances today to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the imposition of martial law in Poland.
On the night of the 12th of December 1981, the Polish Army under General Wojciech Jaruzelski seized power in Poland in an effort to combat the growing popularity of the Solidarity movement. The attempted coup d’etat cost the lives of several dozen Poles and resulted in the imposition of martial law, including curfews and travel restrictions, which lasted until 22 July 1983.
At midnight last night, the Gdańsk branch of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) laid flowers and lit candles in front of the Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers at Plac Solidarności in Gdańsk. They will hold an additional memorial for the victims of martial law again today at noon.
Commemorations will continue this evening at the Basilica of St. Bridget in Gdańsk with the opening of a thematic art exhibition by local painter Andrzej Jan Piwarski at 17:30, followed by a solemn mass at 18:30 and a concert featuring the band Pro Bono and special guest Andrzej Kołakowski.
Official celebrations in Gdynia will start at 16:30 with a word and music show performed by students of II LO in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Saint Peter the Fisherman. The performance will be followed by a special mass at 17:00 and a commemorative laying of flowers at 18:15 at the Monument to the Victims of Communist Terror from the years 1939-89.
More information and a full schedule of today’s events is available at: https://radiogdansk.pl/wiadomosci/region/trojmiasto/2022/12/12/41-rocznica-wprowadzenia-stanu-wojennego-trojmiasto-odda-hold-ofiarom-tragedii/
Source: Radio Gdańsk
The semifinals of the World Cup kick off tonight with surprise contender Croatia facing off against football powerhouse Argentina and star forward Lionel Messi.
At a news conference on Sunday, Croatian striker Bruno Petković claimed his team doesn’t “have a specific plan yet for stopping Messi, and usually we don’t concentrate on stopping one player but the entire team.”
While Argentina is heavily favored to win the match, the 12th-ranked Croatian team has “exceeded all expectations,” according to several commentators, after knocking both Japan and top-ranked Brazil out of the competition on penalties.
The semi-finals match will start at 20:00 this evening, with the winner headed to the finals against France or Morocco, who will face off in their semi-final match on Wednesday.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, eurosport.com
Weather
Today will be cloudy and quite cold with only a slight chance of snow showers and a strong breeze coming in from the northwest. Temperatures will stay at or below freezing, with a high of 0°C, or 32°F, dropping to a low of -6°C or 21°F overnight. Even colder weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for more snow heading into the weekend.
Elizabeth Peck
