The head of the Polish National Security Bureau has said that the declaration signed by President Duda and President Donald Trump in New York this week deepens the military cooperation between the two countries.
Currently there are nearly 4,500 US soldiers in Poland and this number „is expected to grow by approximately 1,000 according to the declaration with the additional troops likely to be transferred from other European bases.
According to the declaration, the two countries have also determined locations for the planned enhanced military presence. Poznan, in western Poland, will host the Division Headquarters and the US Army area support group. Drawsko Pomorskie, about 200KM west of Gdańsk will host the primary Combat Training Center. Other areas of Poland will also see an increase in troops and facilities.
Poland’s governing Law and Justice party continues to command the highest support of any political party ahead of parliamentary elections in October, according to a poll published this week.
A poll by Kantar for broadcaster TVN between September 25th and 26th showed the Land and Justice party coalition commands 40% support, while its main rival, the Civic Coalition, which includes Civic Platform (PO), was at 28%. The Leftist bloc Lewica had 10% and Konfederacja had just 7%.
Poland, the biggest post-communist European Union member country, will hold elections to the lower and upper houses of parliament on Oct. 13 after four years of Law and Justice party governance.)
Poland’s pipeline operator, PERN, said this week that it has restored flows via the Druzhba pipeline, which pumps oil from Russia to eastern and western Europe, after an oil leak near Warsaw caused by an illegal attempt to access the pipe.
A spokesperson said that flows were restored at night, while the leak took place on Sunday afternoon. The operator said that during the incident it continued oil supplies to its clients – two refineries in Poland and two in Germany.
PERN said its technicians and firemen were working on the site to guarantee its safety.
Archeologists in Gdańsk have discovered the remains of two Polish soldiers at Westerplatte. This is the historic location where World War 2 actually broke out.Dating back to that first battle of World War 2, they are the first discovery of this kind since 1963.
The Westerplatte peninsula was the site of the first clash between Polish and German forces as part of the German invasion of Poland in 1939. The soldier whose remains were discovered this week may well have died on 2 September, on the second day of the attack, during shelling by German aviation, the Polish authorities have suggested.
The Westerplatte position was supposed to defend itself for 8 hours. In fact it defended itself from a German battleship firing at point blank range and attempts to storm it by the German army for over a week. Westerplatte is one of the mains symbols of Poles resistance during WW2. The excavations were made as a part of a government initiative to build a museum dedicated to this heroic and famous chapter of Poland’s history.
The Weather
Today there will be light rain showers interspersed with sunny spells in a light breeze and temperatures will reach 17 degrees centigrade (63 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, dropping to 10 degrees centigrade (50 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight.
Sunday will be a couple of degrees cooler at 15 degrees centigrade (59 degrees Fahrenheit) and there will be light rain showers and a moderate breeze. It will turn more rainy in the evening.
What’s On this weekend – September 27th-29th
The annual runmageddon competition which takes place this weekend at the Ronald Reagan Park in Przymorze. With events and races for all ages, this promises to be once again a fun-filled, action packed, exhausting and exhilarating day out which combines collaboration and competition as competitors make their way through mud, water, fire, swamp, rope obstacles, slopes, vertical walls, barbed wire, trenches and other obstacles.
Details: https://www.runmageddon.pl/imprezy/runmageddon-gdansk-28-09-2019
Also, if you’re a keen mountain biker then check out the Garmin MTB event being held tomorrow in Stężyca in Kashubia (about an hour from the Trojmiasto). It is one of the biggest series of mountain biking in Pomerania whose motto is “The Minimum of Asphalt, the Maximum of Fun”. At the start line there are both the best mountain bikers in Poland and the amateurs of mountain biking wishing to face one of the most interesting forest routes. Riders can choose between two distances: MINI (about 25 km) and MAXI (about 50 km).
Details: https://mtbseries.pl/english-information/
An activity based event for all the family from the youngest to the oldest which happens every weekend around the city is the “Family Park Orienteering Games” event which is a weekly, fun orienteering event which this weekend is being held in the forests around Kiełpino just outside Gdańsk. Teams are given a map and must locate partially hidden flags around the course – a kind of treasure hunt. It’s a great and fun way to get to know a new place and for families to play together while getting a little light exercise.
After all that excitement you might be tempted to enjoy something less taxing. So head along to the annual “Defiant, Unvanquished, Enduring” Film Festival, now in its 11th year, and which is inspired by the history of the Poland’s struggle for freedom from 1939 to 1989. It’s taking place this week until Sunday in Gdynia. Four days filled with documentary and feature films shows, radio reports but also dialogue of several generations of Poles. It brings exhibitions, artistic installations and music shows. It is the oldest and the only one film festival that widely treating historical and film topics. Entrance is free.
RGEN NEWS/AG
