Euobserver.com

The EU Commission says that approximately 80,000 EU citizens are outside the bloc and want to return to Europe, but the number could increase. "The number we are working with now, an aggregated number from member states, is approximately, 80,000 people outside the EU," a commission spokesman said. EU citizens wishing to return to Europe need to contact their national embassies or if there is none, another EU embassy.

The total confirmed cases of coronavirus surged through 200,000 on Wednesday - with many countries yet to report their figures for Wednesday. The death toll keeps increasing worldwide, while governments adopt stricter measures. Italy is the most affected country in the European Union with over 31,500 cases, followed by Spain with over 13,700 cases across the country, Germany with about 10,000 cases and France with over 7,700 cases.

The college of commissioners held their regular weekly meeting online for the first time this Wednesday, a commission spokesman said. The 27-member college meets each Wednesday in the commission's Berlaymont building. "Its a way to allow the college to operate, while minimising social contact between commissioners," Eric Mamer added. This week vice-president Frans Timmermans went into isolation after having come into contact with an infected French minister.

Medical authorities in China have said a drug used in Japan to treat new strains of influenza appeared to be effective in coronavirus patients, the Guardian writes. Zhang Xinmin, an official at China's science and technology ministry, said favipiravir had produced encouraging outcomes in clinical trials in Wuhan and Shenzhen involving 340 patients. "It has a high degree of safety and is clearly effective in treatment," Zhang told reporters.

Malta announced on Wednesday that the country will stop all incoming passengers flights on Saturday, Reuters reported. Only cargo, humanitarian and repatriation flights will be allowed. As of 18 March, there are 38 cases of coronavirus and no fatalities registered in the Mediterranean island whose economy deeply depends on tourism. "Saturday will be a dark day for the local aviation industry," said Malta international airport CEO Alan Borg.

With more than 16,000 coronavirus infections registered as of Tuesday and 988 deaths, Iran has been hardest hit by the virus after China and Italy, DW reports. According to the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, the country would reach the peak of the epidemic in roughly one week, and the death toll would exceed 12,000. In order to be able to burry these victims, mass graves haven been dug.

Germany has begun the process of bringing home tens of thousands of its nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic, foreign minister Heiko Maas has told Deutsche Welle. "Today alone, 30 to 40 planes will take off for destinations around the world to bring back tourists," Maas said, adding that the operation would "take a few days." In Egypt alone, some 35,000 tourists are stuck. In Morocco, some 5,000.

Russian forces, not the Syrian regime as previously claimed, were responsible for killing 34 Turkish soldiers in Syria earlier this month, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has said. "We believe Russia has killed dozens of Turkish military personnel in the course of their military operation," he said Tuesday. "We stand with our Nato ally Turkey and will consider additional measures that support Turkey," Pompeo said.

The British, French, German, and Turkish leaders spent 75 minutes discussing coronavirus, the war in Syria, the Libya conflict, refugees, and Turkish-EU relations, Turkish foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Tuesday. The EU and Turkey both wanted "a number of clarifications ... in order to achieve clearer and peaceful relations" on refugees going to Europe, the Elysée also said. But all sides agreed on more humanitarian aid for Syria, it added.

Non-essential travel to Europe will be banned for 30 days in an effort to contain the virus and encourage EU leaders to reopen internal borders.

Belgium will enter into a new lockdown Wednesday noon until 5 April, prime minister Sophie Wilmès said Tuesday. The stricter measures will mean people will be requested to stay at home except for work, when not possible to work from home, essential shopping, such as medicine and groceries, and walking or doing sport with just one family member or one friend. All shops but food stores and pharmacies will close.

The World Health Organization in Europe urged countries to lift export bans on masks and other medical supplies. "Solidarity within the country and with other countries is essential," the director of WHO Europe, Hans Henri Kluge, said on Tuesday.

The Aether theory made a lot of sense, it was beautiful, even poetic. Its only problem was that it was wrong. There is no such thing as aether out there in the cosmos.

Cases of European tourists bringing the virus to African states has roused fears of contagion, as some seek to avoid self-isolation irregardless of the pandemic caused by Covid-19.

The regular March summit of EU leaders in Brussels will be held by videoconference, EU Council president Charles Michel said Tuesday. The European Council was scheduled for next Thursday and Friday (26-27 March). EU summits usually draw over a thousand journalists and hundreds of diplomats to the EU Council building. Michel did not reveal which day the online summit will be held.

Falling demand and prices for oil and raw materials will revive the risk of deflation. The collapse in international trade and long-term rethinking of China's role as the major hub for the production of consumer goods and electronics is inevitable.

EU transport ministers will hold an extraordinary online meeting on Wednesday, the commission said. They will discuss so-called "Green Lanes", a proposal by the commission to put in place fast-track lanes across borders for delivering supplies. As EU member states close their borders amid the outbreak, fears of cutting off supply chains have been on the rise. Air carriers also demanded swift action to help them survive.

Covid-19 showed how little it means to be European in times of crisis. But it makes one thing clear: the eurosceptic mantra of the 'European Superstate' becoming more ridiculous by the day.

The Euro 2020 football championship has been postponed to 2021 as a result of the coronavirus crisis, the Norwegian Football Association has announced, according to The Guardian. The tournament was due to have been held this year from 12 June to 12 July across 12 countries.

The Italian government has said it plans to re-nationalise the bankrupt former national carrier Alitalia as part of its emergency economic rescue plan to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, AFP reported. Italian media reported that it could cost taxpayers up to €600m. The sum could come from the €25bn rescue package in Italy designed to help families and businesses.