Amendments to the Polish laws on courts "may be seen as further undermining the independence of the judiciary" - the Venice Commission issued its opinion on Thursday regarding the bill currently proceeded by the Senate. The Commission recommended rejecting the draft laws, yet its opinion is not binding for Polish authorities.

Belarus has started planned maintenance on the Druzhba oil pipeline, the main transit route for Russian oil exports to Europe, resulting in reduced oil supplies to Poland, a source familiar with the plan told Reuters.

The European Commission said on Wednesday it would not tolerate distortion of historic facts after Russia suggested Poland was partly responsible for starting World War Two and said it would challenge disinformation wherever it occurred.

Aleksandra Dulkiewicz has received an e-mail with offensive fake photos of herself. One picture shows her wearing a Nazi helmet, and the flag of a Third Reich serving as background. The prosecutor's office has discontinued inquiry into this case. In the justification it was argued that it had not been the intention of the person who had sent the message to promote fascism, but to "express protest against the mayor's policy". Furthermore, the prosecutor claims that there was no offense against a public officer, because even though the message had been sent at mayor Dulkiewicz's official e-mail, it happened in "the evening hours".

Bartosz Bielenia, Weronika Szczawińska, Dominika Słowik, Weronika Gęsicka, Jakub Józef Orliński, Błażej Król and Dawid Ciślak have become laureates of Polityka weekly "Passports" award for 2019. A special award, Creator of culture, went to Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk.

Senate Committees Legislation, and on Human Rights, the Rule of Law and Petitions Committee on Tuesday evening recommended the upper house should reject the bill amending the laws on common courts and the Supreme Court. The Senate will be examining the bill at a plenary session on Wednesday.

The European Union has no grounds to question Poland's judiciary reforms, its government spokesman Piotr Müller said on Tuesday.

The European Commission decided on Tuesday in Strasbourg that it would ask the European Court of Justice for interim measures regarding disciplinary regime for Polish judges. If the EU top court approves this request, the works of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court will have to be suspended.

The EU budget chief said the bloc needs to invest dedicated funds to avert a "climate crash" as Brussels detailed how it planned to pay for a trillion euro push to cut net CO2 emissions to zero by 2050 and protect member countries dependent on coal.

The Polish trucking community has come to the rescue of an Iranian driver, whose vehicle broke down in Poland, and who wants to return home.

Monday (January 13) marked the first anniversary of tragic death of Gdańsk Mayor Paweł Adamowicz, who had been stabbed during the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity in Gdańsk. The long-serving mayor died of wounds in hospital the following day. In memory of the charismatic leader, a street bearing his name was opened for traffic, and in the evening resident of Gdańsk gathered to pay their respects and watch the unveiling of a memorial plaque.

As bush fires rage in Australia, in a touch of solidarity, a giant Australian flag was unveiled by a crowd at one of Poland's largest charity events on Sunday (January 12).

By midnight on Sunday the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity collected over 115 million zlotys (over 27 million euro). "115 362 894 zlotys. Thank You! The credit goes to You!" - the GOCC Foundation wrote on Twitter.

"Corpus Christi" by Jan Komasa has been nominated for Oscar in the International Feature Film category. Other movies tapped in this category include South Korean "Parasite" by Bong Joon-ho, and Pedro Almodovar's "Pain and Glory".

Veterinary authorities have confirmed an outbreak of bird flu at turkey farm in Rościn (Western Pomeranian Voivodeship). Decision to exterminate all turkeys from that farm has been made. Local authorities reassure that there's is no threat to humans. This is yet another bird flu outbreak in Poland in recent weeks.

Streets of Polish cities were illuminated by the "Light Up the Sky" ceremony. The climax of the 28th Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. It was a special evening in the city of Gdańsk. All in honour of Gdańsk Mayor Paweł Adamowicz, who a year ago, had been stabbed by a knife-attacker during GOCC evening, and died the following day.

I believe goodness will prevail. We must not let ourselves be intimidated, we must not lose - said Magdalena Adamowicz, the widow after former Gdańsk Mayor Paweł Adamowicz, who had been stabbed during last year's Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (GOCC) and died the following day. Civic Platform MEP was collecting money for the charity on Sunday in the streets of Gdańsk. "My children are really gripped with me being here, and it's very frightening for me as well," she said.

Thousands of people, including judges and lawyers from many EU member states, marched through Warsaw on Saturday to protest against what they say are government attempts to curb the powers of the judiciary in Poland.

On Sunday, 12th January 2020, Poland's biggest charity - the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity - will hold its annual Grand Finale Fundraiser for the 28th time. Since its launching in 1993, the charity has raised over 250 million euro (over 1.1 billion zloty), and donated over 61.900 pieces of medical equipment to hospital, clinics and hospices.

Associations of Polish judges on Friday called upon jugdes, lawyers and citizens to take part in Saturday's "Thousand Robes March". The event has been organised, among other things, in protest against planned court reforms by the nationalist Law and Justice government. The bill in question has been already approved by lower house and now is being processed by the Senate.

Investigators on Friday were waiting for autopsy results of a 93-year-old murdered in the hospital in Gdańsk's Zaspa district. Traces and evidence from the scene were secured and witnesses questioned. The man suspected of murder was taken to a police remand centre and was waiting to be questioned.

Germany’s government said on Friday it is concerned about the spread of the pig disease African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars in Poland close to the German border.

A leading European human rights official has said new Polish plans to reform the judiciary are aimed at muzzling judges and has urged the country's Senate to reject them.

Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that a resolution adopted by Polish parliament regarding WWII comments by Russian officials gives the impression much like when science was called heresy in the times of the Inquisition. The Sejm (Polish lower house) on Thursday adopted a resolution condemning "provocative and untrue comments made by high Russian representatives trying to shift the responsibility for WWII outbreak onto Poland".

Poland recorded 55 outbreaks of African swine fever in wild boar near the German border last month, the world animal health body said on Thursday, in a sign the deadly virus is spreading near one of the European Union's biggest pork exporters.

We've been promised that the Venice Commission would issue an opinion on planned court reforms in an urgent mode, it should reach Poland on Wednesday or Thursday next week - Senate Speaker Tomasz Grodzki said after a meeting with the representatives of the Commission.

Poland's state prosecutor has indicted the former head of the country's financial regulator on corruption charges, in one of the most prominent cases of alleged corruption in the European Union member state in recent years.

Next week in Strasbourg, the European Parliament will hold a debate followed by a vote over a resolution regarding the rule of law in Poland and Hungary, in the context of Article 7 procedure launched against these countries - an EU source told Polish Press Agency (PAP) on Thursday.

Aquafilling was supposed to be a cutting-edge and fully safe method of breast augmentation. It's been available on the Polish market for a few years now. Thousands of women have decided to use this method. Some of them ended up in hospitals with severe health problems. "Superwizjer" TVN journalist Michał Fuja spoke with them, doctors, as well as managed to find people responsible for production and marketing of this dangerous product.

Europe's top judge issued a veiled warning to Poland on Thursday over its overhaul of the judiciary, saying there is no place in the European Union for countries that do not have independent courts.