Czech president Miloš Zeman is being stripped of his powers due to bad health, creating post-election limbo in Prague.

The surge of Covid-19 infections in eastern EU member countries, particularly the Baltic states, is putting health systems under increasing pressure, prompting governments to reimpose restrictive measures.

Ursula von der Leyen said the commission might use either an infringement procedure, an EU probe into the ruling, the new tool of conditionality which could lead to the suspension of EU funds, or the Article 7 sanctions procedure.

Poland doubled the number of troops to 6,000 on its Belarus border, amid an on-going standoff with stranded migrants - at least seven of whom have died as temperatures start to plummet.

Why the European Parliament's vote against the discharge of Frontex is the only plausible position for anyone who values human life.

With Poland throwing the legal order of Europe in disarray, Russia rationing Europe's gas supply and the UK reneging on its Brexit commitments, perhaps the moment has come again to read a few essays by French philosopher Michel de Montaigne.