It's one emergency the EU didn’t need. Already dealing with a war on its doorstep, an energy crisis and rising inflation, the handling of the Ocean Viking – a ship carrying migrants rescued in the Mediterranean – starkly showed the limits of European solidarity.

A Swiss company has built what is being called a giant water battery deep under the Alps that provides energy storage capacity equivalent to 400,000 electric car batteries. It could be a game-changer.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin says the war in Ukraine has exposed basic weaknesses in Europe's defense and strategy. UK says Russia's withdrawal allowed Ukraine to target transport nodes. Follow DW for more.

The leader of Poland's ruling party has been increasingly using anti-German rhetoric in recent months, straining the already prickly bilateral relations over the past few years.

Education is key to combat "right-wing extremism, and left-wing antisemitism," Ron Prosor has told DW. Israel's envoy to Germany also spoke about the prospect of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The EU is picking up speed with climate protection regulations. For imports from abroad, a carbon tax will soon be introduced. But poorer countries could be unfairly disadvantaged by this.

"Increasing Europe’s strategic autonomy" was one of the key themes at a recent conference in Paris, bringing together the European Space Agency’s 22 member countries. But for all the talk of being a leader in space, is Europe ready to walk the walk?

While ASEAN and the EU want to deepen their ties, a raft of disagreements — from the Ukraine conflict to trade protectionism — could make next year a challenging one for both sides.

Gas prices in Europe have fallen to pre-Ukraine invasion levels and it seems we might avoid a full-blown energy crisis this winter. But experts expect a tough winter 2023/24.

The top envoys said they wanted African countries to be part of a more unified front against Russia. Many African nations have shown a reluctance to condemn Russia's invasion.

The EU's Economic Commissioner said the bloc had encouraging economic news and may avoid a much-feared deep recession in 2023.

Wednesday at the World Economic Forum brought speeches from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, among others. France 24 Business Editor Kate Moody spoke with French Minister for European Affairs Laurence Boone about Europe's green energy future and how European businesses can stay competitive.