The Turkish parliament has ratified Finland’s application to join NATO, removing the last obstacle to the country’s long-delayed accession to the Western military alliance.
Thursday’s approval vote by 276 Turkish MPs followed an earlier ratification vote by the Hungarian Parliament, the other NATO member blocking the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO.
According to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finland, unlike Sweden, has fulfilled its obligations under the memorandum signed last year, under which both countries applying for NATO pledged to address Turkey’s security issues.
Although Finland and Sweden had planned to join the NATO alliance together, ongoing objections by NATO members Turkey and Hungary have stalled the latter’s accession process.
Sweden, which has already amended its constitution to enact stricter anti-terror laws in response to concerns by Turkey, has expressed hope that it will also be able to join NATO before the Pact’s summit in Vilnius in July.
Source: PAP
Local governments in Trójmiasto have pledged to collectively provide 150,000 PLN to aid the earthquake-ravaged Turkish city of Gaziantep.
The municipal governments of Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot have each pledged to provide PL 50,000 to provide support local communities affected by the disaster, with the Marshal’s Office of the Pomeranian Voivodeship set to donate a matching amount.
According to a communique from Patryk Rosiński of the City of Gdańsk, the money will be used to purchase food, medical supplies, hygiene products, and children’s items for victims of the devastating earthquake.
In the statement, Gdańsk Mayor Alexandra Dulkiewicz said the money would be transferred to a non-governmental organization operating on the ground in Turkey, saying, “We believe that such a gesture of solidarity, coming from Gdańsk, the city where Solidarity was born, is very important.”
With the support of the Gdańsk Foundation and the Gdańsk Real Estate Board, a collection point was set up in February to help victims of the earthquake. The collection center has already sent three truckloads of essential aid such as food, hygiene products, medicines, sleeping bags, and blankets to Turkey, according to coordinator Hakan Haner.
Donations can still be dropped off at the collection point at ul. Grunwaldzka 126.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Polish tennis star Magda Linette and her Croatian-American partner Bernarda Pera will have a chance to advance to the finals today in the women’s doubles competition of the Miami Open tennis tournament.
The Polish-American duo are scheduled to face Canadian Leylah Annie Fernandez and American Taylor Townsend at 20:20 tonight in Florida or 2:20 Saturday morning in Poland.
According to tennisexplorer.com, this is the first time the duo has taken part in the Miami Open tournament and the first time since 2021 they have advanced to the semifinals of a Grand Slam competition.
Source: wtatennis.com
A new documentary about Polish star footballer Robert Lewandowski is set to be released today on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service.
The film “Lewandowski Nieznany” or “Lewandowski Unknown” charts the life and career of the prolific Polish striker and national team captain and his path to his current position as a striker for Spanish powerhouse Barcelona.
The documentary features footage from Lewandowski’s private and professional life, as well as exclusive interviews with current and past managers in Liverpool and Dortmund.
In Lewandowski’s own words, the film “tells the story of many people, such as my coaches and teammates, but above all those close to me, family and friends, who constitute an important part of my career, and not only accompany me in times of joy, but also support me through difficult moments.”
One of those difficult moments was his wife Anna’s miscarriage during the 2016 European championships. Despite being “devastated, disappointed and sad” at the tragic loss, Lewandowski helped the Polish national team make it to the quarterfinals of the Euro 2016 championships in France, where they later lost to Portugal on penalties.
Lewandowski says he hopes his life story will provide inspiration for young people, showing them how “every goal can be achieved.”
Source: Polskie Radio
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers throughout the day accompanied by winds from the west and later north. Temperatures will be warmer than yesterday, with highs of 12°C or 53°F dropping to a low of 3°C or 37°F overnight. Much colder weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for more showers throughout the day.
Elizabeth Peck
