Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelnskiy has claimed that “nobody pushed me” in reference to a call between him and President Donald Trump in which the US leader asked him to “look into” what happened between a Ukrainian prosecutor and Senator Joseph Biden, a Democratic frontrunner in the upcoming US Presidential election.
Zelenskiy is reportedly fearful of Ukraine being labeled a foreign spoiler in the 2020 US elections, downplaying his conversation with Trump in order to ensure US support in the ongoing fight against Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. At the same time, however, he also needs to curry favor with members of the US Congress and Ukraine’s European allies, many of whom are less than happy about the openly critical nature of commentary revealed in an unclassified transcript of the July 25th phone call. Reuters even went so far as to describe the situation as “a far-reaching diplomatic disaster” for Zelenskiy.
On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives formally opened an investigation into Trump based on a whistleblower report of the call. The whistleblower complaint was delivered to Congress yesterday evening, with even some Republicans expressing concern over some “really troubling things” in the memo. Joseph Maguire, the acting Director of National Intelligence, is scheduled to testify before Congress today on behalf of the intelligence official who first filed the report.
The White House’s unclassified memo with their version of the phone call between Trump and Zelenskiy can be read online at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Unclassified09.2019.pdf
Source: PAP, guardian.com
Thousands of Polish tourists stranded as Neckermann Polska files for insolvency
As a result of the collapse of UK travel agency Thomas Cooke on Monday, its subsidiary Neckermann Polska has also filed for insolvency, stranding some 3,600 Polish tourists in 29 countries around the world.
According to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, only a small minority of those stranded – mainly tourists in Spain, the Dominican Republic, Tunisia, and Turkey – are experiencing difficulties and most of those are due “mainly to a lack of information.”
The Ministry has launched a special telephone hotline to assist stranded tourists, and Polish consuls are ramping up to provide tourists with additional support. “If Polish citizens need such support, then both at this helpline and directly at consuls they can count on [it]” emphasized Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk.
Updated Information and assistance for stranded travelers can be obtained by calling the hotline at +48 22 523 88 80.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Officials meet in Nowy Dwór Gdański to discuss impacts of climate change
In the wake of protests held around the world last Friday in support of climate change initiatives, experts, parliamentarians and local government officials met yesterday in Nowy Dwór Gdański as part of the Żuławy Climate Summit.
Participants emphasized that “climate change must also be discussed at the local level” pointing to the need for local adaptation plans and an accurate assessment of the water supply infrastructure in terms of investment and modernization.
Like the Netherlands, the Żulawy district is located in a depression and is reliant on a series of dykes, pumps, and canals to maintain its viability. “When tangible signs of an ecological crisis appear, we will feel them very quickly,” explained the mayor of Nowy Dwór Gdański, Jacek Michalski. “This is the last chance for us to start voicing our concerns – loudly and stridently.”
Calls by local governments to address climate change are not unique to Żulawy; last month members of the Gdańsk City Council adopted a city climate adaptation plan and appealed to national authorities to do likewise.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Polish woman sets pierogi World Record
At the annual Dried Plum Festival at a village in southern Poland, 46-year-old Beata Jasek set a Guinness world record by making 1,066 pierogi by hand in just an hour.
Jasek, who originally hails from Iwkowa, has been perfecting the art of speed-making pierogi in various dining establishments throughout Kraków. Using the plum festival’s signature fruit as filling, Jasek beat her own record of 756 pierogi set in 2017.
The event took place at the stadium in Kąty and the public was invited to watch. Most importantly, the dumplings were later cooked and festival participants got to sample them for free.
As a result of her pierogi prowess, Jasek has been declared “Person of the Year” in Iwkowa. For more information on the festival, visit https://www.visitmalopolska.pl/web/visitmalopolska/-/swieto-suszonej-sliwki-w-katach-gmina-iwkowa-
Source: PAP
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