European Union leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine during a summit in Brussels last week, saying that the growing crisis in the Middle East must not weaken efforts to help Kyiv defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

While the first day of the meeting was dominated by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, most leaders stressed the need to maintain attention on the other war on Europe’s doorstep, warning that distraction from Ukraine would play into the hands of the Kremlin, the euronews.com website reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky echoed the words of EU officials when he addressed the EU summit via video link, speaking on “how security in Europe and the Middle East is connected.”

EU leaders condemned Hamas’ attacks on Israel earlier this month and backed Israel’s right to defend itself in line with humanitarian and international law. Last week, Poland condemned civilian deaths in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and called on all sides to de-escalate the conflict in the Middle East.

Source: Polskie Radio

A graphic novel from Poland has won a “Hugo” award, one of the world’s top science fiction and fantasy literary prizes, for the first time in history.

The Dark Horse comic book series “Cyberpunk 2077: Big City Dreams” won in the “Best Graphic Story or Comic” category last week at WorldCon, the world’s largest sci-fi and fantasy industry event, held this year in Chengdu, China. The story, part of the extended universe of CD Projekt Red’s „Cyberpunk 2077” video game, follows a pair of young looters stealing cyberware in the futuristic Night City.

Lead author Bartosz Sztybor (CD Projekt Red writer and narrative manager, known, e.g., for “Witcher: Fading Memories”) told reporters that winning the Hugo felt “surreal” as “I have been reading about 'Hugo’ winners since my early youth, and I never thought that I would join this extraordinary group.” Sztybor praised his fellow nominees as “some of the biggest names in American comics,” along with the “wonderful co-creators” of his book.

The award-winning graphic novel also includes art by Filipe Andrade (“Old Man Logan,” “Rocket Raccoon & Groot”), Alessio Fioriniello (“Paris Fashion Slam”), and another Pole, Krzysztof Ostrowski.

Source: Polskie Radio

Wanted murder suspect Grzegorz Borys is still at large, with authorities issuing yet another RCB alert this morning for residents to avoid obstructing search operations and not enter the forests of the Tricity Landscape Park.

Police remain convinced that Borys is still hiding in the forests surrounding Trójmiasto, telling reporters over the weekend that Borys “took with him things that he believed would guarantee his survival. He left electronics, cash, and documents in the apartment.”

The man is accused of murdering his six-year-old son over a week ago in an apartment in the Fikakowo district of Gdynia.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, PAP

Caritas Polska is urging cemetery visitors to find more ecological ways to commemorate their loved ones on All Saints’ Day as part of the annual “Less garbage – more memories” campaign.

According to Caritas, some three million tons of waste will be generated during the holiday, with each of Poland’s 15,000 cemeteries generating “up to 200 tons of garbage, mainly plastic.”

Caritas officials like Brother Cordian OFM, national coordinator of Caritas Laudato Si, are encouraging visitors “not to abandon tradition” but to make more ecologically sound choices when honoring the memory of the dead. “All we need to do is bring fewer candles to graves this year, not 30, but, for example, three,” says the priest.

In their publication, Caritas also suggested using reusable clay bowls filled with wax for candles as an alternative to single-use plastic lights. Natural bouquets were also proposed as an alternative to chrysanthemums in plastic pots.

The “Less garbage – more memory” campaign was launched in 2020 by the Caritas Laudato si’ team, inspired by the ecological encyclical of Pope Francis.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Polish tennis stars Hubert Hurkacz and Jan Zieliński both took home second place in their respective events after the finals of the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament in Basel yesterday.

Zieliński and his partner Hugo Nys of Monaco reached the doubles final at the Swiss Indoors tournament but ended up losing in three sets 7:6 (10-8), 6:7 (3-7), 1:10 to Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez and the French Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

In the singles competition, fourth-seeded Hurkacz lost after tie-breaks 6:7 (3-7) and 6:7 (5-7) to the tournament’s sixth seed – Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. The match lasted nearly two hours, with Hurkacz visibly struggling with a leg injury throughout it.

Hurkacz is still in the running for a ticket to the ATP Finals, in which the top 8 players of 2023 will compete in mid-November in Turin.

Source: Polskie Radio, atptour.com

Weather

Today will be partly cloudy, with very little chance of rain and a strong prevailing breeze from the southwest. Temperatures will be slightly warmer than yesterday, with an afternoon high of 13°C or 56°F, dropping to a low of 8°C or 47°F overnight. Similar weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for rain in the early morning.

Elizabeth Peck/aKa