In a contentious debate that raged into the early morning hours, current UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a significant defeat after 21 members of his own party voted with the opposition to allow debate on a bill blocking a no-deal Brexit.

With the retaliatory ouster of the rebel MPs, Conservatives lost their majority in the Commons as well as control of the Brexit timetable. In response, Johnson vowed to call early general elections for the 15th of October. Such a move, which requires a two-thirds majority to proceed, opens the door for the opposition Labour party to block snap elections by demanding a guarantee that a no-deal Brexit is off the table.

Johnson has previously stated he “would never” request an extension from the EU beyond the 31st of October, making a Parliamentary standoff increasingly likely. The current Parliamentary session is set to end next Monday, September 9,, resuming again on October 14th.

Ukrainian and Polish Presidents meet in Warsaw to discuss bilateral relations

In his first visit to Warsaw since being sworn-in, Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelensky met with President Andrzej Duda in an effort to reopen dialogue and improve bilateral relations.

There has been an ongoing dispute between Warsaw and Kiev since the spring of 2017, after Ukraine banned all Polish exhumations of Wołyń massacre victims following the removal of a memorial to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in southeastern Poland.

After the meeting with Duda on Saturday, Zelensky announced he was “prepared to lift the moratorium on exhumation works while the Polish side sorts out the Ukrainian remembrance sites in Poland.” He also raised the prospect of a „joint memorial site of reconciliation” at the Polish-Ukrainian border.

Zelensky went on to highlight other areas for collaboration between the two countries, most notably around issues including Russia, trade, energy security, and involvement in the Polish-led Three Seas Initiative.

For his part, Duda assured Zelensky that he could count on Poland’s support when it comes to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Polish film receives warm reception at Venice Days film festival

Polish director Jan Komasa’s Boże Ciało (Corpus Christi) received positive reviews after its world premiere at the 14th annual Venice Days film festival yesterday.

Inspired by actual events, Boże Ciało is the story of a 20-year-old boy who undergoes a religious transformation while serving time at a youth correctional center and subsequently decides to impersonate a priest. Due to his drive and charisma, he ends up unintentionally taking over a local parish and becomes instrumental in helping the local community respond to tragedy.

In an interview afterward, Director Jan Komasa told the Polish Press Agency that he was pleased with the audience’s “extremely lively” and “genuinely positive” reaction to his film. “We are glad that the show attracted so many people and that the viewers reacted with laughter and emotion,” he commented.

Boże Ciało is set to premiere in Poland on October 11th.

Jewish cultural festival officially kicks off today in Gdańsk

The 7th edition of the annual Jewish Culture Festival ZBLIŻENIA kicks off this evening at Strefa Inspiracji in the City Meble Galeria Wnętrz in Gdańsk Zaspa.

The free festival runs Wednesday through Sunday and features exhibitions and workshops alongside music, film, and theatre productions. This year will also feature a collaboration between Akademia Muzyczna in Gdansk and the Hochschule für Musik in Nuremberg in the form of several new musical compositions around the theme of modern Jewish music.

Tonight will open with a screening of A Tale of Love and Darkness directed by Natalie Portman and adapted from the best-selling novel by Israeli writer Amos Oz. The film will be followed by a concert with vocalist Izabella Goldstein entitled “Songs of the Jewish Underworld” starting at 7:30pm.

Festival events are free but some events require prior registration. For more information, visit the festival website at: www.zblizeniafestiwal.org

RGEN NEWS