European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv yesterday to discuss Ukraine’s accession to the EU with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The EU chief executive told reporters on Saturday that the “most important message is reassuring that we stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes,” the Reuters news agency reported. She added that they would also discuss the EU’s “financial support to rebuild Ukraine as a modern, prosperous democracy.”
Kyiv applied for EU membership just days after Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, and received candidacy status several months later in a strong signal of support from Brussels.
The EU Commission must submit a report by November 8 on the state of progress made by Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia and decide whether or not to open accession negotiations before the 27-member bloc meets for an EU summit in December.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba recently told reporters that Kyiv was on track to fulfill its obligations to open negotiations on EU membership, following comments by von der Leyen in September that Kyiv had made “great strides” in its bid for EU membership.
Saturday’s visit marks the sixth by von der Leyen to Ukraine since the war began.
Today is day 620 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Source: Polskie Radio
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced over the weekend that it was still actively working to evacuate some 30 remaining Polish citizens from the Gaza Strip.
Following the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and Israel’s retaliatory actions, the Polish Army evacuated over 1.5 thousand Polish citizens and others as part of Operation NEON.
In the information provided to the Polish Press Agency (PAP) on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the ministry “has remained in close and regular official and working contact with the Israeli authorities, making every effort to enable Polish citizens in the Gaza Strip to have a safe and secure ‘quick evacuation.’”
On Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that, according to the knowledge of the Polish diplomatic and consular service, approximately 30 Polish citizens remain in the Gaza Strip, with Polish officials issuing repeated appeals to Israeli authorities to allow them to safely evacuate from the area.
The Associated Press reported on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed growing US pressure for a “humanitarian pause” to protect civilians and allow more aid to the Gaza Strip, with Netanyahu saying there would be no temporary ceasefire pending the release of approximately 240 hostages held by Hamas.
Source: PAP
Despite weeks of searching, wanted murder suspect Grzegorz Borys is still at large, with police narrowing the search area and “not ruling out” that the suspect may no longer be alive.
According to Commissioner Karina Kamińska of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Gdańsk, local and military police officials have narrowed the search area to two hectares. The area designated by them covers the area of the Lepusz water reservoir, which is located in the buffer zone of the Tricity Landscape Park (TPK).
Some 1,000 police officers, military police, forest guards, and fire brigades have been involved with the ongoing search operation, repeatedly combing an area of some 8,000 hectares (30 sq miles). The area has been described by officials as extremely difficult and dangerous, full of wetlands, bogs, and hard-to-reach places, resulting in a need for specialized equipment and personnel.
In a press conference on Friday, Commissioner Kamińska told reporters that collected monitoring records, including reports from local residents, “did not show” that Borys had left the forested area.
Police have appealed to local residents to stay out of the search area and to follow the instructions of police officers and other officials.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Polish tennis star Iga Świątek has been dominating the WTA Finals, easily defeating Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the last match of the group stage yesterday in Cancun, Mexico.
The 22-year-old Pole breezed past the Tunisian 6-1, 6-2 in Saturday’s match, finishing 3-0 in the round-robin stage.
Świątek faced off against Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka early this morning and was leading 2-1 in the first set before the semifinal match was suspended due to “hellish wind” and rain.
Sabalenka and Świątek are in contention for the top spot in the singles rankings for 2023, with Sabalenka currently in the top spot after the US Open last July.
Their match is due to resume today, weather permitting.
Source: Polskie Radio, Reuters
Today is the last day to take advantage of free entry to some Gdańsk attractions, including the zoo and the Amber Museum, in celebration of the record-breaking turnout in the recent election.
Visitors using the passcode “FREKWENCJA” can obtain free tickets to various local attractions, including the observation deck of Oliwa Star Tower, which was reportedly visited by 4,500 people on Saturday.
Other popular attractions include the Oliwa Zoo, the Amber Museum, Hevelianum, the European Solidarity Center, and the Polsat Plus Arena stadium.
The free weekend of attractions is being offered by the city of Gdańsk in celebration of a record-breaking turnout of 81.5 percent in the recent Parliamentary elections.
A full list of participating institutions is available on the city of Gdańsk website at gdansk.pl
Source: gdansk.pl
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy, with rain showers expected in the late afternoon and a strong prevailing breeze from the southeast. Temperatures will remain on the cool side, with an afternoon high of 10°C or 50°F, dropping to a low of 7°C or 44°F overnight. Similar weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for some sunshine returning on Tuesday.
Elizabeth Peck/aKa
