The two sides seem worlds apart after the first day of discussions, which were intended to be about rising energy prices, but ended up being overshadowed by an increasingly bitter feud over the rule of law.

Poland and the European Union have been at loggerheads this week over the country’s rejection of parts of EU law. But tensions have not emerged overnight. Despite the country’s overwhelming grassroots support of EU membership, bitter disputes over judicial matters and social policy have emerged since the Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power in 2015. While Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki insists that Poland's place is in the EU, some believe that the latest clash could signal the start of a ‘Polexit’.

Luxembourg joins only two other countries and a handful of US states in decriminalizing the cultivation of cannabis for recreational use. However, Germany may not be far behind.

Several EU member states are seeking a bloc-wide rapid reaction force. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says the defense efforts should not duplicate existing structures.

At her last European Union leader's summit, outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is leaving power "at a time when there is cause for concern" for the European Union, citing disputes on migration, the bloc's economy, and the rule of law in EU countries. of Angela Merkel

A Bavarian court has handed a 10-year prison sentence to a German woman who allowed a five-year-old Yazidi "slave" girl to die of thirst.

Twitter buys out group chat app Sphere

The Russian-based hacking group behind the so-called SolarWinds cyberattacks has targeted more US-based computer systems. US tech giant Microsoft said it had documented a flurry of activity over the summer.

A boy who was the only survivor of a cable car crash in the Alps must go back to relatives in Italy, an Israeli court has ruled. He has been the focus of a bitter custody battle since his grandfather took him to Israel.

Russia and Germany are keen for full regulatory approval of the natural gas pipeline as European faces an energy crunch. Critics say the pipeline increases the EU's dependency on Russian gas.

European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager told DW in an interview that legal action against the tech giant could be endless, but regulation now could limit its damage.

The European Court of Justice has fined Poland €1 million per day for ignoring an EU ruling that called for the country's Supreme Court disciplinary chamber to be suspended.