Euobserver.com

European Parliament president David Sassoli announced the EP's medical service states that the health risks are considered to be significantly higher if parliament's plenary session next week takes place in Strasbourg. "On the basis of this evaluation, due to force majeure, I decided that the necessary security conditions are not in place for the usual transfer of the European Parliament to Strasbourg for the plenary session next week", he said.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian president Vladimir Putin agreed to restart a ceasefire in Idlib, the last rebel-held province in Syria, at their meeting in Moscow on Thursday.

Poland, backed by seven other EU states, proposed ending carbon breaks for airlines at an EU environment ministers' meeting on Thursday, Reuters reports. Airlines benefit from €800m a year of special credits under the European Emissions Trading (ETS) scheme in which polluters pay to offset harm done. But the airline credits undermined the purpose of the ETS, Poland, which is not usually known for its climate-friendliness, said.

The British multinational security company G4S lost its contract with the European Parliament in 2011 in a backlash from MEPs over alleged abuses in Israel. Today, they guard the parliament's main entrance and have become the EU's top security provider.

International Women's Day falls on Sunday (8 March). Too few of Europe's 47 nations have a legal definition of rape based on lack of consent. It is time for that to change.

ExxonMobil lobbyists pushed the EU commission to weaken climate regulation for the transport sector with a two-pronged strategy: supporting the Paris Agreement, while dwelling on long-term technical solutions and promoting oil and gas usage in the green transition.

The role of the EU's top court, fisheries, the framework of the agreement, and level playing field are the key hurdles after the opening salvo of Brexit trade negotiations.

The EU exectuive plans binding measures on pay transparency, and also wants lagging countries to ratify the Istanbul convention preventing violence agaisnt women.

The European Commission is preparing a new post-2020 EU policy on Roma inclusion as part of "A Strong Social Europe for Transition". This new EU Roma inclusion policy is scheduled to take effect in the final quarter of 2020.

China, the world's biggest polluter, reduced its emissions by 25 percent since the coronavirus outbreak in January, according to an analysis of Lauri Myllyvirta at the University of Helsinki's centre for research on energy and clean air. "For something like this to happen virtually overnight is very much unprecedented," Myllyvirta told the DW on Thursday. So far, over 80,400 cases of coronavirus, and 3,013 deaths, were registered in China.

Following Iran and Italy's lead, Greece announced on Thursday a 48-hour shutdown of educational institutions, including "a suspension of all mass gatherings" at theatres, cinemas, museums, and sports events in three regions to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the Guardian reported. The Peloponnese regions affected are Achaia and Elis and the island of Zakynthos. The country recorded 31 infections, but no fatalities.

The European Parliament's committee on environment and public health stressed on Thursday the need to fund the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (CPM) through the EU's next 2021-2027 long-term budget with at least €1.4bn - as initially proposed by the European Commission. CPM has supported member states when a natural disaster occurred - and also evacuated EU nationals from China during the coronavirus outbreak.

Julian King, the final UK European commissioner before Brexit, has joined Oxford University as a visiting fellow. King was responsible for security policy at the European Commission, focussing on counter-terrorism, cyber threats, political disinformation, and counter-radicalisation. He now joins the Oxford Internet Institute, part of the university. King said "I look forward to ... help deepen our collective understanding of EU and national internet security policy, and develop appropriate standards."

Scottish judges on Thursday halted the procedure to suspend the European arrest warrant issued against Catalan MEP Clara Ponsatí (who was residing in Scotland), until the European Parliament votes on the extent of her immunity as a member of the chamber, according to the daily Catalan News. Ponsatí's lawyer, Aamer Anwar, said that this decision was "another victory against Spain's abuse of the rule of law".

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Belgium has increased by 27, to 50, with most patients having returned from holidays in Italy. All patients have been isolated. Belgium's leading virologist Marc Van Ranst said there is no need for excessive measures, but voiced concerns about shortage of mouth masks for doctors and nurses as well as testing materials. The government expects the number to grow.

Flybe, a British regional airline, has gone into bankruptcy citing coronavirus as one of the reasons for its demise. "All Flybe flights are cancelled. Please do not go to the airport as your Flybe flight will not be operating," the British civil aviation authority said Thursday. The firm's demise comes after British tour operator Thomas Cook went bust in September, with trade unions saying the government should have recused Flybe.

Two EU officials have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus - amid different efforts by EU institutions to halt the spread of the virus.

The EU's border agency Frontex says Greece may have to wait until next week before receiving any extra border guards.

Turkey has accused Greece of using live ammunition against migrants, killing one man, amid growing violence on the EU border.

"Nature doesn't bargain, and you cannot make deals with physics", activist Greta Thunberg, and a group of 30 youth environmentalists warned, after dubbing the unprecedented EU climate law 'a surrender' for ignoring a carbon budget.