An envoy of Pope Frances, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, visited the now infamous town of Bucha in Ukraine yesterday as part of his official two-day visit to the region.
Accompanied by local authorities, including Kyiv regional governor Ruslan Kravchenko, the cardinal reportedly “saw with his own eyes” the heavy toll paid by Ukrainians in their pursuit of freedom and peace. While in Bucha, the delegation also visited a local Orthodox church where the bodies of 119 civilians were buried during the occupation.
In a press communiqué, The Holy See described the “main purpose of this initiative” as a chance “to listen in depth to the Ukrainian authorities about possible ways to achieve a just peace and to support gestures of humanity that will help ease tensions”. Today is day 468 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, press.vatican.va
The European Commission has approved a Polish plan to offer roughly EUR 346 million (PLN 1.5 billion) worth of state aid to farmers affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
In a statement issued on Monday, the EU executive said support would consist of “limited amounts of aid in the form of subsidized interest rates on loans.” Farmers would be eligible for subsidies of up to EUR 250,000 (PLN 1.2 million) per beneficiary, with aid scheduled to be dispersed no later than December 31, 2023.
The measure is reportedly designed “to support the liquidity needs of agricultural producers who are affected by the current geopolitical crisis” per the conditions established in the EU’s Temporary Crisis Framework.
The EU suspended trade barriers on Ukrainian agricultural products following the Russian invasion, drawing the ire of Polish farmers, who blamed the policy for a reported slump in local grain prices.
According to Reuters, five of Ukraine’s neighbors – Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia – have banned domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds.
Under an EU-approved arrangement recently extended to September 15, Ukrainian grain can transit through these countries for export elsewhere, including to other EU countries.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Polskie Radio, Reuters
Six people were injured, and four hospitalized following a tram accident on Monday evening in the Chełm district of Gdańsk.
The accident occurred around 17:00 yesterday at the Cieszyńskiego tram stop, when one train collided into the back of another.
Firefighters called to the scene reported that victims had bruises from the accident, and two of the six people injured declined to be transported to the hospital.
The cause of the collision is as yet unknown, and police are currently investigating the circumstances of the accident.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Polish tennis star Iga Świątek advanced to the French Open quarterfinals yesterday after her opponent, Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, was forced to retire.
The Polish world No. 1, who is the defending champion in Paris, was up 5-1 in the first set when the Ukrainian player retired due to medical reasons during their fourth-round match on Monday.
„Obviously, it’s not the way you want to win a match”, Swiątek later told reporters, but expressed confidence that her prior experience would help her in the later stages of the French Open.
Świątek, who celebrated her 22nd birthday last week, will face American Coco Gauff in the quarterfinal tomorrow at 12:00 noon.
Source: Polskie Radio, wtatennis.com, Reuters
Polish football star Robert Lewandowski has ended his first season as a Barcelona player by winning the Spanish premier league’s Pichichi top scorer award.
The Polish goal machine on Sunday ended his first La Liga season with 23 goals, four more than runner-up Karim Benzema of Real Madrid.
Barcelona were crowned champions of the Spanish La Liga for the 2022/2023 season, clinching their 27th league title overall and their first since 2019.
Source: Polskie Radio
Weather
Today will be mostly sunny, with very little chance of rain and a light breeze coming from the south and east. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday, with a daytime high of 24°C or 76°F, dropping to a low of 12°C or 54°F overnight. Similar hot, sunny weather is expected tomorrow and will continue throughout the week.
RGEN
