Moscow has voiced concern this week over Norway’s defence spending and said that the country’s military development plans were „obviously spearheaded against Russia”. Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement posted on its website that, „Norway is increasing its military budget and its defence spending per capita is now the largest in Europe and the second largest among NATO countries”.
The foreign ministry in Moscow also said in its statement that “more and more military exercises and drills are being held ever closer to Russia’s land and sea borders.”
Russia’s foreign ministry said its top diplomat Sergei Lavrov would raise these concerns during “an in-depth discussion” with his Norwegian counterpart today.
Source – Reuters
116,000 $US millionaires in Poland
Poland is home to 116,000 dollar millionaires, according to the latest Global Wealth Report by Swiss bank Credit Suisse. Meanwhile, more than 3.2 million Poles have assets worth more than USD 100,000, the report found.
Dollar millionaires account for only 0.2 percent of the total population in Poland, compared with 4.7 percent in Germany and 5.3 percent in Britain.
In Poland, 10 percent of the richest people own 56 percent of all wealth.
To compare, in Russia, the wealthiest 10 percent of society owns 83 percent of all private property in the country, while the figure for the United States is 76 percent, Polish website money.pl has reported, citing the Credit Suisse report.
Foreign Doctors in Poland
A draft bill by the Health Ministry aims to encourage doctors from outside the EU to find a job in Poland and stay in the country by streamlining the process of accepting candidates according to an article in the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna this week.
The new regulations aim at encouraging doctors from outside the EU, especially from Ukraine, to find a job in Poland and stay in the country.
Foreign doctors and dentists from non-EU countries will need to pass exams that confirm their professional qualifications.
“The ministry does not hide that it is the way to fill vacancies in such facilities where there is a threat of closure due to the lack of doctor-specialists,” the daily wrote. On the other hand, it is a chance for Poles who graduate from medical schools outside the EU and want to return to their homeland. “This is not a numerous group. They are mainly dentists,” the newspaper pointed out.
Canada in Sopot
During the 23rd International Book Fair this week in Kraków, it was announced that Canadian literature will be the focus of the 2020 Sopot Literary Festival.2020 marks the 9th edition of the event which will take place from August 20th to August 23rd next year.
Each year, the organizers choose one country whose literature is the leading theme of the festival. After the Polish, Scandinavian, Czech, Russian, Israeli, Spanish, French and British editions, the time has come for Canada to take centre stage.
The festival is non-profit and participation in all events is free.
Friday is going to be sunny with a few scattered clouds and a gentle breeze throughout the day. Temperatures will reach a very pleasant 17 degrees centigrade (63 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, and a rather chilly 8 degrees centigrade (46 degrees fahrenheit) overnight.
Saturday will also be sunny and bright with scattered clouds and temperatures again reaching 17 degrees centigrade.
There’s loads going in the Three Cities this weekend. Here’s a small sample of things you can do over the weekend.
For 22 years Club Żak in Gdańsk Strzyża has been organizing the Jazz Jantar Festival and – as in previous years – will serve up a huge dose of jazz this autumn. Starting from this evening, through the weekend and continuing into November, performers from Poland, the USA, Great Britain, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Japan and Arabic countries will perform in front of the Festival audience, including five large warehouses.
Ticket prices range between 50 to 80 zł
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the Baltic Opera in Gdansk will hold a performance of French opera, “Thaïs” by Jules Massenet. Thaïs takes place in Egypt under the rule of the Roman Empire, where a Cenobite monk, Athanaël, attempts to convert Thaïs, an Alexandrian courtesan and devotee of Venus, to Christianity, but discovers too late that his obsession with her is rooted in lust; while the courtesan’s true purity of heart is revealed. https://operabaltycka.pl/en/repertoire
And finally for today, starting tonight for the next three days there will be a very cool improv festival. The Kulmiasto Culture Incubator and the Baltic Sea Culture Center invite you for three days with a truly Tri-City impro at the old town hall near the Old Town in Gdańsk. The program includes improvised performances of the most interesting local groups and projects, as well as unique mixed-line performances. Everything is adorned with special activities such as: RPG and workshops for those who want to start their adventure with the impro theatre.
Tickets cost between 30 and 70 zl
