Following intense pressure by Poland and other NATO allies, reports emerged yesterday that Germany has agreed to send its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine and allow Poland and other countries to do the same.

The German government reportedly plans to provide at least one company (typically 14) Leopard 2 A6 tanks, the Reuters news agency reported yesterday, citing Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to announce the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine during his address to the German parliament today, according to reports by Politico. The move marks a significant U-turn and potentially a decisive moment in the war, writes Politico, with a broader coalition of countries likely to send battle tanks to help Ukraine fight off the Russian invasion.

Today marks Day 336 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Source: Radio Poland

The Polish government has announced plans to provide every 10-year-old in the country with a free laptop computer to help them with their education.

Prime Minister Morawiecki made the announcement during a news conference on Tuesday, telling reporters some 370,000 grade four students would receive free-of-charge laptops when the new school year starts next September. – It’s time to fully bring Poland’s schools into the 21st century and to raise the system of educating our children to the highest possible level, – he told reporters.

Janusz Cieszyński, the government plenipotentiary for cybersecurity, provided additional details on the program, explaining that the “computers will become the property of the family, the property of the student,” similar to a previous program for students from rural areas. Cieszyński announced that the government also plans to launch a tender for computer equipment for teachers this year, with a tender for equipment for the next year of students set to follow. – We want this program to stay in Polish schools forever, – he finished.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland

The film “EO” by Jerzy Skolimowski has been nominated for an Oscar in the “best international film category” at the 95th Academy Awards.

A modern adaption of the 1960s cult classic “Au Hasard Balthazar” or “Balthazar, at Random” by Robert Bresson, the film follows the life of a donkey as he changes owners, most of whom mistreat him. “EO” (in Poland: “IO”) has already amassed an impressive number of awards, including the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Best Original Score at the European Film Awards, and Best International Film from the New York Film Critics Circle.

The film will compete against Argentina’s “Argentina, 1985,” Belgium’s “Close,” Germany’s “All Quiet on the Western Front,” and Ireland’s “The Quiet Girl” in the Best International Film category at the Oscars.

The mind-bending sci-fi comedy adventure “Everything Everywhere All At Once” leads this year’s pack of Oscar contenders with 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, most of the acting awards, and Best Screenplay. “The Banshees of Inshireen” and “All Quiet on the Western Front,” both set against the backdrop of war, are close behind with 9 nominations each, including Best Picture.

The 95th annual Academy Awards ceremony is set to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 12.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland, variety.com

It’s official: Portuguese manager Fernando Santos will be the new coach of Poland’s national football team.

The announcement came during an official news conference held on Tuesday at the National Stadium in Warsaw. Santos told reporters it was “an honor” to continue his coaching career in Poland, calling Poland’s national team “one of the best in the world.” He has reportedly set his sights on qualifying for the Euro 2024 championships in Germany, saying that this would be the first objective for his team.

The Polish team has been drawn to play the Czech Republic, Albania, the Faroe Islands, and Moldova in qualifiers for Euro 2024. The Poles will start their qualifying campaign with an away game against the Czech Republic on March 24.

Source: Radio Poland

Magda Linette continues her surprising run at the Australian Opendefeating Karolina Plíšková of the Czech Republic (6-3, 7-5) this morning to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal.

The victory marked a new career milestone for the 30-year-old Polish player, who will face Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at 10:45 on Thursday for a place in the finals.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland

Weather

Today will be partly cloudy and cold, with a chance for some sunshine midday and a light breeze coming from the southwest. Temperatures will remain close to freezing, with highs of 1°C or 33°F during the day, dropping to a low of -2°C, or 28°F overnight. Similar weather is expected for tomorrow, with a chance for some snow starting in the late afternoon.

Listen to the broadcast:

Elizabeth Peck/ol