Radio Gdansk English News: Polish PM calls for ambitious EU budget ahead of crunch summit

Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has called for an ambitious budget for the European Union, saying Europe needs a „good budget” in order to be a world player.
Writing in this morning’s edition of the German newspaper Die Welt, Mr Morawiecki said the wealthy northern states also benefited from the development of the south and east.

The Prime Minister went on to acknowledge the growth of Poland since joining the EU, adding that the prosperity of Poland, as well as Czechia and Hungary, directly benefits the German economy.

Mr Morawiecki also pointed to Brexit and the multi-billion euro hole in it leaves in EU plans.

His words come as European leaders prepare for an important summit on Thursday, where they will discuss the next seven-year EU budget.



CORONAVIRUS APPEARS TO SLOW IN CHINA

Meanwhile in China, authorities have revealed findings of a massive study, giving new insights into the severity of the COVID-19 virus.

The study of more than 70,000 patients with the disease reveals that 80% of cases are considered mild and 5% are severe.

The study also found that the average fatality rate of the virus is about 2.3% but older people are significantly more at risk than young people.

For those up to age 39, the death rate is low at 0.2% but increases with age to 14.8% for those over 80.

Over the past few days the spread of the disease has appeared to be slowing.

This morning Chinese officials reported 1,886 new cases and 98 deaths, significantly less than previous days.

Researchers said the extreme measures taken in China were helping to curb the epidemic.

However, experts add that millions of people returning from lunar new year holidays could cause problems and that authorities should be prepared for a possible rebound of the epidemic.


„FACTS NEED TO BE VERIFIED” SAYS DEPUTY JUSTICE MINISTER AMID CONFUSION ABOUT ALLEGED KIDNAPPING IN GDYNIA

Here in Tricity, there’s ongoing confusion in the case of a 10 year old boy who was allegedly kidnapped by his father over the weekend.

Reports initially said the boy had been violently taken from a residence in Gdynia on Sunday by his separated father, understood to be a Moroccan citizen living in Belgium.

The mother called the police who issued a 'child alert’ and a manhunt was launched.

Polsat News broke the story yesterday, using the headline „Child abducted by a Moroccan: the man may be dangerous”.

However, late yesterday evening it emerged that it was possibly the mother who had been breaking the law by bringing the child to Poland.

Prosecutors in Belgium told Polsat that in 2018 a Belgian court had ordered that the child stay with his father in Belgium and that reports the Moroccan man had been stripped of parental authority were inaccurate and untrue.

Now, Poland’s Deputy Justice Minister has said he will contact his Belgian counterpart today to clarify the situation, adding that „information must be verified”.


40 YEARS SINCE FIRST WINTER ASCENT OF EVEREST

Yesterday (Monday) marked 40 years since two Polish climbers became the first people to climb Mt. Everest in winter.

On February 17, 1980, Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki, reached the top of the world’s tallest mountain, the first mountaineers to do so in the perilous winter season.

Posting on Instagram to mark the anniversary, modern-day climber Andrzej Bargiel said „Using basic equipment and limited funds, Poles under the guidance of Andrzej Zawada achieved the impossible”.

 
RG News/Thomas Holdstock
Zwiększ tekstZmniejsz tekstCiemne tłoOdwrócenie kolorówResetuj