European Union leaders unanimously backed a new Brexit deal with Britain yesterday, leaving Prime Minister Boris Johnson facing a battle to secure the UK parliament’s backing for the agreement if he is to take Britain out of Europe on October 31st. Speaking after the EU’s 27 other leaders had endorsed the deal without Johnson in the room, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker declared himself pleased that an agreement had been reached but unhappy to see Britain go.
Those sentiments were echoed by the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and by Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, who has been a vocal opponent of Brexit. British and EU negotiators reached the agreement after successive days of late-night talks and nearly three years of heated discussions that have strained EU-UK ties.
Amber Gold Court Case
The couple behind Poland’s major pyramid scheme have been given prison sentences this week. Marcin P. and his wife Katarzyna K. (their full names must be withheld under Polish law), who ran the high-profile Amber Gold pyramid scheme, were handed prison sentences of 15 and 12 and a half years, respectively, by a Polish regional court. Launched in 2009, the Amber Gold shadow bank promised to invest clients’ money in gold and other precious metals, but proved to be a Ponzi scheme which scammed more than 18,000 of its clients out of a total of PLN 851 mln (EUR 198 mln).
The Amber Gold case is one of Poland’s biggest financial scandals. The trial of the couple started in March 2016 and this week the court said the couple were guilty of the main charge of fraud, but Marcin P. still faces three other charges and his wife, nine. These include running a shadow bank and money laundering.
In August 2012, Amber Gold announced its liquidation, leaving its clients with nothing.
Polish Asian Sport Success
Poland have defeated the Netherlands by a score of 48-27 to win the 2019 European Kabaddi Championships which were held in Glasgow, Scotland. During the tournament, the Poles also defeated Italy, England, Norway and Scotland.
Kabaddi is a contact team sport, played between two teams of twelve players. Seven players take the ground at a time and the remaining five players are substitutes. It is currently one of the most popular sports in Asia and the most popular sport in India where professional tournament finals are followed by as many as 100 million fans.
Poland’s Gunter Grass
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Brunon Zwarra a pre-war Gdansk resident and acclaimed journalist, activist and author of a number of books on the history of Gdańsk and who was also prisoner of war in a number of German concentration camps. He died last year at the age of 99. A series of events will take place today to remember this iconic resident of the city. There will be an unveiling of a plaque, exhibitions, and an evening of music and song. The Gdańsk Academy of Sciences who own the rich archive collected by Zwarra, which he gave to the institution will be putting on an exhibition from now until mid-December. The plaque unveiling will take place at Ulica Biskupiej and then in the evening Biskupia Górka Association invites you to Gdańsk College (24 Biskupia Street) for an evening dedicated to Bruno.
Weather
Friday is going to be sunny with a few scattered clouds and a gentle breeze throughout the day. Temperatures will reach 16 degrees centigrade (61 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, and 10 degrees centigrade (50 degrees fahrenheit) overnight.
What’s On – Friday
Here’s some highlights of what’s going on today and tomorrow in the Tricity
· As we mentioned in the bulletin today, there are a number of events happening today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bruno Zwarra. The Gdańsk Academy of Sciences who own the rich archive collected by Zwarra, is putting on an exhibition of the archive from now until mid-December. In addition there will be a plaque unveiled later in the day on Ulica Biskupa and then in the evening Biskupia Górka Association invites you to Gdańsk College (24 Biskupia Street) for an evening dedicated to Bruno. Entrance is free to all events.
· The All About Freedom Festival concludes this weekend at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk. The festival explores and challenges the concept of freedom through a creative prism and includes film screenings, a spatial and sound installation as well as dance workshops where professional dancers will be teaching the steps. Tickets start at 9 PLN and the event is open from 10AM till 4PM.
· And finally for today, this weekend marks the eighth edition of the organ music festival in Wrzeszcz. For the second time in the church of Jesuits at ul. Mickiewicza. The neo-Baroque interior of the temple, great acoustic conditions, and the historic organ instrument of Paul Voelkner from the beginning of the 20th century will lead you into a world of musical sensations. Tonight’s concert starts at 7.30pm and there are concerts tomorrow and Sunday as well starting at 7.45 pm.
RGEN NEWS/AG
