The United States is reportedly planning to deploy nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time since 2008 as tensions with Russia continue to escalate.
The planned deployment reportedly includes nuclear warheads “three times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima,” according to reports by British news outlet The Telegraph. The shift in policy comes amidst growing concerns about Russian aggression, particularly following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago.
Russia has reacted strongly to the news, viewing the deployment of US weapons in the UK as an escalation. Moscow has warned that it will respond with “compensatory countermeasures.”
The deployment is part of a broader NATO initiative to develop and modernize nuclear facilities, aimed at countering not only Russian threats but also challenges posed by Iran and North Korea, which both have increasingly aligned with Moscow in recent years.
Source: Polskie Radio
Commemorations for International Holocaust Remembrance Day were held in Poland and around the world yesterday to mark the 79th anniversary of the Red Army’s liberation of Auschwitz.
The liberation of the camp on January 27, 1945, was a crucial step in revealing the extent of the genocide committed there, which claimed some 1.1 million victims out of a total of 1.3 million inmates during its nearly five-year existence.
About 90% of the inhabitants of Auschwitz-Birkenau were Jews, coming from all over Europe. At least 70,000 Poles, 20,000 Roma, 15,000 Soviet POWs, and 10,000-15,000 prisoners of other nationalities also died in the camp.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum hosted twenty survivors of Auschwitz and the Holocaust for its annual commemoration ceremonies, with many local and national Polish government officials, along with international ambassadors and diplomats, in attendance.
The commemoration ceremony and testimonies of the survivors can be viewed on the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum website at auschwitz.org.
Source: Radio Poland, auschwitz.org
The much-anticipated historical epic “Kos” about Polish and American national hero Tadeusz Kościuszko made its theatrical debut in Poland over the weekend.
In an interview with the PAP, director Paweł Maślona hailed Quentin Tarantino as the film’s “godfather,” drawing inspiration from his storytelling style while crafting this unique portrayal of Polish history and the life of Kościuszko himself.
The film, styled after popular Tarantino works like “Django Unchained,” unfolds against the backdrop of 1794 Poland, with General Tadeusz ‘Kos’ Kościuszko returning to unite Polish peasants and nobility in an uprising against Russian and Prussian dominance.
The film took home the top prize of the Golden Lion at the 48th annual Polish Film Festival in Gdynia last September.
Source: Radio Poland, trojmiasto.pl
Cities and towns across Poland are joining communities worldwide to celebrate the annual Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP) finale tonight.
The 32nd annual WOŚP fundraiser is focused on the theme of “Lungs after the pandemic.” Local auctions include a chance to name a giraffe at the zoo, a tennis match with the mayor of Gdańsk, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, and two tickets to a stadium box at a Dawid Podsiadło concert.
Some 1,000 volunteers will be out on the streets of Gdańsk today collecting donations, with shows, workshops, and a lottery set to begin around 16:00 at Ulica Elektryków. The festivities will be followed by concerts at Club B90, with headliner Natalia Przybysz set to go on stage around 20:00.
More information on today’s events, including special historic trams and free transport options, can be found on the City of Gdańsk website at gdansk.pl.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, gdansk.pl
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy, with very little chance of rain or snow and a strong breeze from the southwest. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday, with a high of 5°C, or 41°F, and a low of -1°C or 31°F overnight. Similar weather is expected to continue throughout the week.
Additional Note
And finally, we regret to inform you that the English-language news service is being suspended for the foreseeable future. An archive of daily broadcasts is available on the Radio Gdansk website, together with written versions for those wanting to practice their English or just relive various moments from the past five years.
We have enjoyed giving our Polish listeners the chance to listen to a variety of native speakers in English and bringing our foreign listeners closer to Polish news, traditions, and history.
Thank you for being with us, and we hope to return in the near future.
Elizabeth Peck/aKa
