Belarus has officially adopted a new military doctrine on the deployment of nuclear weapons within the country’s borders.
According to a report published by Reuters last Friday, Belarus claims the newly unveiled military doctrine is being enacted as a “necessary measure for strategic deterrence.” The strategy also outlines specific actions to be taken in response to any armed aggression against members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), such as Russia.
Reuters also noted that Minsk has simultaneously expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with NATO countries if the West stops what the Belarusian government has called “aggressive rhetoric” directed against the country.
Last week in Warsaw, Polish President Andrzej Duda met with exiled leaders of the Belarusian democratic opposition, including president-elect Sviatlana Tsihanouskaya.
During the meeting, Duda reaffirmed Poland’s support for a “free and independent Belarus” as well as the “release of all political prisoners,” such as Polish-Belarusian journalist and activist Andrzej Poczobut.
Source: Polskie Radio
Theatre director Katarzyna Szyngiera of Gdańsk recently took home one of the prestigious annual Passport Awards from “Polityka” magazine.
The award is given annually to Poland’s “best artists and cultural innovators,” according to Polskie Radio. Szyngiera received her “Polityka” Passport in recognition of her innovative directorial work, namely the innovative historical hip-hop musical “1989.”
The play, which was reportedly modeled after the successful historical hip-hop narrative “Hamilton,” was a co-production of the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theater and the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Krakow.
With the collaboration of cultural expert Marcin Napiórkowski, reporter Mirosław Wlekły, and music producer Andrzej “Webber Mikosz, Szyngiera created a modern interpretation of the events surrounding Poland’s “bloodless revolution” and road to freedom.
While Szyngiera has been living in Warsaw for many years, she originates from Gdańsk and has expressed plans to return to the city, recently telling Radio Gdańsk that she plans to take part in the competition for director of the Wybrzeże Theater.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Cutting of sheet metal for a new minehunter for the Polish Navy began on Friday at the Remontowa Shipbuilding shipyard in Gdańsk.
The ORP Rybitwa, as the ship will be named, is the second of three Kormoran-type units being built in Gdańsk, following the successful construction and launch of three other vessels, including the ORP Mewa in February 2023 and the ORP Albatros in November 2022.
Kormoran II-type ships are designed to offer anti-mine reconnaissance and protection for other vessels in Polish waters and serve as part of tactical groups in the Baltic and North Seas.
Last year, Poland ordered the construction of three new minehunters, which are slated for delivery in 2026-2027. According to Remontowa officials, the Rybitwa “will be ready to enter service in 2027.”
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Iga Świątek was knocked out of Round 3 of the 2024 Australian Open tennis tournament after losing to Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 on Saturday.
Fellow Pole Hubert Hurkacz is the only remaining Polish player competing in the individual competition of the Grand Slam event after Magdalena Fręch lost to American Coco Gauff in straight sets (6-1, 6-2) early this morning.
Hurkacz is set to take on Arthur Cazaux of France at 5:00 CET tomorrow for a chance to advance past the quarterfinals.
The 2024 Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, runs on the hard courts of Melbourne Park until January 28.
Source: Polskie Radio
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy, with very little chance of rain or snow and strong winds from the south. Temperatures will remain at or below freezing, with a high of 2°C, or 36°F, and a low of -1°C or 31°F overnight. Slightly warmer weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for some rain midday.
Elizabeth Peck/aKa
