British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face another challenge today as the UK’s Supreme Court is set to decide whether his decision to suspend Parliament last week was lawful.

Suspension, or prorogation, is a normal part of the UK’s parliamentary calendar, separating the end of one session from the beginning of the next. Critics, however, have pointed to the length and timing of this suspension as politically motivated and have argued that this suspension is being used as a way to prevent lawmakers from blocking the Prime Minister’s plans for Brexit.

Last week, a court in Scotland declared the suspension to be “unlawful” and ruled that Johnson had been dishonest about his reasons for ordering it. A court in England, however, declared that the progrogation was not an issue for the courts. The UK’S highest court is expected to make a final decision on the matter later today.

Mayor of Gdańsk commemorates Poles exiled to Siberia

Today marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland and the subsequent deportation of over a million Poles to Siberia.

In the aftermath of the Soviet invasion, Poland was divided between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union along the lines of a secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Beginning in February 1940, the Soviets began deporting Poles from the eastern borderlands or kresy to various parts of the Soviet Union, including Siberia, Khabarovsk Krai, and Kazakhstan. Roughly 20 percent of Gdańsk residents have roots in the kresy, including the family of the late Gdańsk mayor Paweł Adamowicz, whose family originates from the region of Vilnius.

Tens of thousands of Siberian exiles, or Sybiracy, died during the mass deportations and as prisoners of the gulag, a tragedy which the current mayor of Gdańsk, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, is commemorating this morning at the „Golgotha ​​of the East” monument in Cmentarz Łostowicki. The ceremony is being attended by various local officials and organizations along with the President of the local Związek Sybiraków or Union of Siberian Exiles, Kordiana Borejko.

Gdynia Film Festival opens with new film by Agnieszka Holland

The 44th annual Polish Film Festival opened last night in Gdynia with a red carpet gala featuring a reconstructed version of a Polish feature film from 1902 as well as Agnieska Holland’s newest film, Citizen Jones.

Holland’s film was praised by critics as “bold and heartfelt” and “a picture with sinew and strength” after its world premiere last February. It centers around the real-life story of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones, one of the few westerners who witnessed the Holodomor, the genocidal man-made famine which killed millions of Ukrainians in the early 1930s.

The film was previously nominated for the prestigious Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival and has been nominated for a Golden Lion at this year’s festival in Gdynia. It is set to open in theatres across Poland October 25th, but can be viewed now through Saturday as part of the festival lineup.

For more information on this or other films, check out the festival website at www.festiwalgdynia.pl

Impromptu beach appears in Dolne Miasto as part of European Mobility Week

In an effort to create awareness of streets as spaces for people as well as cars, city officials have created a temporary urban beach at in the intersection of Jaskółcza, Śluza and Jałmużnicza Streets in Dolne Miasto.

With the addition of sand, deckchairs, and palm trees “The Beach” aims to transform a barren intersection into a friendly meeting place with space for active artistic, creative and sporting activities.

Not all residents are pleased, however, as some have complained that it is blocking traffic, with others comparing it to a giant litter box.

The art installation marks the start of European Mobility Week, a campaign which aims to encourage travellers to walk or cycle rather than use a car. This is the 14th year Gdańsk has participated, with additional events planned throughout the week in the runup to World Car-Free Day on September 22nd.

For more information, visit the City of Gdańsk website: www.gdansk.pl/wiadomosci/ulica-pelna-zycia-na-dolnym-miescie-i-europejski-tydzien-zrownowazonego-transportu-mozna-przebierac-w-atrakcjach,a,154428

RGEN NEWS/EP