South Korean film director Bong Joon-ho and “Parasite” made history last night by becoming the first foreign-language film to win best picture at the Oscars. In addition to the award for best picture, the South Korean thriller took home awards for best international feature film, best original screenplay, and best director for Bong himself. The win came as something of a surprise, as Sam Mendes’ WWI epic “1917” was widely considered the favorite for best picture after taking home the best director and best film awards at the BAFTA Film Awards in London last week.
Unfortunately for Poland, Parasite’s success in the best international feature film category knocked Jan Komasa’s “Corpus Christi” out of contention for an Oscar. As Polish Minister of Culture Piotr Gliński pointed out, however, just being in the company of “outstanding” international directors such as Pedro Almodovar and Bong Joon-ho “is a great distinction for Polish film.” This marks the third year in a row that Poland has had a nominee at the Academy Awards.
US astronaut breaks space records
Astronaut Christina Koch has returned to Earth after a record-breaking 328 days in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Koch returned last Thursday accompanied by Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov. While on board the ISS, Koch carried out a range of experiments on microgravity and cancer treatment, plant breeding, and fire suppression. Her main task, however, was to be a research subject rather than a researcher herself, as scientists will now study her to learn more about the impacts of long-term space travel on the human body.
This is not the first record Koch has broken during her time on the ISS. On October 18, 2019, she and fellow American astronaut Jessica Meir conducted the first all-female spacewalk. A month later, on November 17, 2019, Koch set a record for editing the first Wikipedia post from space.
Koch’s more than yearlong stay on the ISS was the longest amount of time any woman has spent in space; the overall record is held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who spent 437 continuous days on a single mission.
Storm Sabine pummels Poland
The storm system “Sabine” (“Ciara” in the UK) is wreaking havoc across many parts of Europe today as severe weather warnings remain in effect across Poland.
Over 5,000 residences across Pomerania were affected by power outages last night as winds downed tree limbs, ripped off roof and siding panels, and damaged electrical grids. Strong winds are also affecting air travel across Poland, with airports in Gdańsk, Warsaw, Katowice, Poznań, Kraków, Wrocław, Rzeszów, and Bydgoszcz all reporting cancellations and delays.
The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management or (IMGW) has issued wind alerts across Poland, with the strongest warnings for the Dolny Śląsk and Podkarpackie provinces in southern Poland, where wind speeds of 45-55 km/h (25-35 mph) and gusts of up to 95 km/h (60 mph) were expected. A milder, second-degree warning for strong winds across Pomerania is still in effect until later today.
Polish Heritage Days in the UK to celebrate Battle of Britain
The Polish Embassy in the UK has issued a call for applications for the fourth edition of Polish Heritage Days (PHD) with a focus this year on the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
Held each May, PHD features events promoting Polish culture and the positive contribution made by the Polish diaspora to the cultural, economic, and social life of the United Kingdom. Last year’s PHD boasted over 150 initiatives across the UK and involved some 40,000 participants.
The Polish Embassy in the UK is currently looking for British and Polish organizations with an idea for an event, activity, initiative or project celebrating Polish culture or the Battle of Britain to participate in this year’s celebrations.
The deadline for funding applications is March 1st, with results being announced on March 15th.
For more information on how to apply, visit the Polish Heritage Days website https://www.gov.pl/web/unitedkingdom/polish-heritage-days-2020
or email the Polish Embassy in the UK: polishday.london@msz.gov.pl.
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy with periodic rain showers and strong winds coming from the southwest. Temperatures will peak around 8°C (46°F), with temperatures dropping to 2°C, or 35°F overnight. expect similar cold, windy, and wet weather tomorrow morning as the low-pressure system continues to move across Europe.
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