Russia took over the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council over the weekend, despite Ukraine urging members to block the “absurd and destructive” move.

Russia, whose president has been indicted for war crimes in connection with the forced deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children, officially assumed charge of the UN Security Council on April 1. The move provoked fury across Ukraine, according to reports by Reuters and other international news organizations.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that Russia’s presidency of the UN Security Council is “a bad joke” and that “the world can’t be a safe place” with Russia at the helm.

Each of the Security Council’s 15 members holds the presidency for a month on a rotating basis. The last time Russia held the post was in February of last year when it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Today is day 404 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Source: Polskie Radio

Several thousand demonstrators filed through the streets of central Gdańsk and Gdynia yesterday in a „March of Gratitude” for St. John Paul II on the anniversary of his death 18 years ago.

Similar events were held throughout Poland to commemorate the legacy of the Polish-born pope, who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005, the third longest-serving pontiff on record.

Pope John Paull II was a strong supporter of Poland’s anti-communist Solidarity movement and is widely recognized as a key factor in ending communist rule in Poland in 1989.

Events marking the anniversary of his death included religious services in churches and prayer vigils attended by crowds, in addition to remembrance marches combined with reflections on John Paul II’s teachings.

The gatherings were largely seen as a response to a controversial documentary that aired in March alleging that senior church officials, including then Archbishop of Kraków Karol Wojtyła, were aware of instances of child sex abuse by priests in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Polish Catholic Church has urged people to respect the late pope’s memory, saying that a review of its archives did not confirm the accusations against high-ranking church officials, the Reuters news agency reported.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Polskie Radio

Polish women won the country’s first-ever World Cup gold medal in rhythmic gymnastics at a competition in Bulgaria over the weekend.

The group of athletes triumphed in the three ribbons and two balls event at the 2023 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday, the first World Cup victory for Poland since the competition began 40 years ago.

Coach Inga Buczyńska said the team’s “excellent performance” at the competition “is a reward for years of hard work.” She told reporters that the team aims for similar success at the European championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, in May and the world championships in Valencia, Spain, in August.

Source: Polskie Radio

New ticket prices take effect today on local transit across Trójmiasto, effectively standardizing prices in each city while raising the price of transfer, daily, and monthly tickets.

While the standard price of a single-ride ticket in Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot will remain at PLN 4.80, a 75-minute transfer ticket, previously also PLN 4.80, will now cost PLN 6, or PLN 3 with a discount.

Prices for 24-hour tickets will also increase from PLN 18 to PLN 22, or PLN 11 with a discount. The 24-hour and 72-hour types of “metropolitan” tickets, which combine traveling by different means of transport, will also increase by PLN 4-8 per ticket.

The new fares and division of categories will be the same in each city, with varying prices for monthly and semester tickets set to reflect similar increases. The changes will not affect free travel for students in school and young children.

Transit officials emphasize that the new changes are not a result of the new Fala system, which is set to be introduced in the summer. The new ticket prices will be in effect until July 1.

Source: gdansk.pl

Weather

Today will be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain or snow accompanied by a strong breeze from the north. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday, with highs of 4°C or 39°F dropping to a low of -1°C or 31°F overnight. Slightly colder weather is expected tomorrow, with an increasing chance of rain or snow showers later in the day.

Listen to the broadcast:

Elizabeth Peck/ol