Ansa news

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 21 - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has categorically denied allegations made by a Croatian journalist that he was involved in the so-called 'Sarajevo safari' incident, which involved snipers from Italy and other countries who allegedly travelled to the Bosnian capital for fun to shoot unarmed civilians, including women and children, for a large sum of money during the 1990s siege. "I have never killed or injured anyone, nor have I ever done anything similar," Vucic was…

(ANSA-AFP) - WASHINGTON, NOV 21 - Ukraine would give up a swathe of eastern territory to Russia and slash the size of its army under a sweeping 28-point peace plan backed by US President Donald Trump, according to a draft obtained by AFP. Kyiv would also pledge never to join NATO, and would not get the Western peacekeepers they have called for, although European warplanes would be stationed in Poland to protect Ukraine. A US official told AFP the draft plan includes a powerful security guarantee…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 21 - Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob voted early in favour of a referendum on voluntary end-of-life care, which would either confirm or repeal the law passed last summer. The consultation is set for next Sunday. According to Golob, the law aims to give every adult who is capable of understanding and wanting the right to choose how to end their life in the event of intolerable suffering caused by an incurable disease or permanent health damage. Opponents of the law, who…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, NOV 20 - Slovenia announced on Thursday that border controls with Croatia and Hungary, which were initially implemented in October 2023, will be extended for another six months, until June 21 of next year, according to the Slovenian news agency STA. The current controls were set to expire on December 21. The government justified the extension by citing a "high level of terrorist threat" and the fact that the EU is "surrounded by instability and conflicts." (ANSA).

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, NOV 20 - Volkswagen's truck and bus making subsidiary MAN announced job cuts Thursday as part of plans to shift production to lower-cost Poland in the latest blow to Germany's embattled automotive sector. About 2,300 jobs -- or roughly 20 percent of its German workforce -- would go in the country by 2030, the company said. There would be no compulsory redundancies as part of the cuts, it added, opting instead for voluntary measures such as early retirement. Sluggish economic…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 20 - The FIFA draw in Zurich determined Bosnia as Italy's other possible opponent in the World Cup play-off final. The other semifinal in Italy's half of the draw pits Wales against Bosnia. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 20 - Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani issued a decree today dissolving parliament and calling for new elections. The decision comes after two failed attempts to form a new government following the February 9 election. Before signing the decree to dissolve parliament, Osmani met with political party leaders. According to local media, the outgoing prime minister and leader of the ruling Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party has proposed December 28 as the date for new elections.…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 19 - "Our presence in Kyiv confirmed the CEI's long-term political and concrete support for Ukraine," said Franco Dal Mas, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative (CEI), who was in Kyiv on an institutional mission. He met the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Italian Ambassador Carlo Formosa. The mission took place in conjunction with the International Conference on Food Security, to which Dal Mas was invited by Ukrainian authorities. "I enthusiastically…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 19 - Kosovo is likely to hold new legislative elections soon, after parliament rejected a new cabinet led by the ruling Vetevendosje (Self-Determination, VV, nationalist left) party for the second time today. Only 56 out of the required 61 votes were cast in favour of the government team presented by Prime Minister-designate Glauk Konjufca, a VV member. There were 53 votes against, and four abstentions. Kosovo has been without a new government since the last elections on February…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 19 - According to Greek Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos, a new "major maritime hub" will be built in the industrial area of Eleusis (or Elefsina), west of Athens, with US support. The announcement comes after the minister met with Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US Ambassador to Greece, last Tuesday. Greek media sees the project as part of Washington's strategy to limit Beijing's regional influence. In 2016, the Chinese state-owned company COSCO acquired a significant stake…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 19 - To facilitate the "rapid and seamless movement of troops, equipment, and military resources across Europe," the European Commission and the High Representative are "strengthening defence readiness" with a military mobility package that aims to establish a "military Schengen" as soon as possible (as anticipated by ANSA). The Commission also intends to promote "disruptive innovation" in the military sector and strengthen the European defence industry by developing a roadmap…

(ANSA-AFP) - BUCHAREST, NOV 19 - NATO members Romania and Poland scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday after Russian attacks in neighbouring Ukraine, with Bucharest saying a drone breached the country's airspace. Moldova, which lies between Romania and Ukraine, also reported a drone breach, summoning the Russian ambassador. Romania and Moldova have repeatedly seen violations of their airspaces, including drone fragments falling onto their soil, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. On Wednesday…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 19 - "This time it was not only an act of sabotage, as in the past, but also an act of state terrorism, with the clear intent to cause human casualties." He added, "Our response will be more than diplomatic." This was stated by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in an address to the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish Parliament, in response to the sabotage incidents on the Warsaw-Lublin railway. He explained that "a foreign state sent well-trained saboteurs. They miraculously…

(ANSA) - CHISINAU, NOV 19 - "EU accession negotiations began in June 2024. Recently the European Union's Enlargement Package recognized freedom of expression, media freedom and pluralism in Moldova, pillars for a democratic society in the accession process." This was said by Alexandru Codreanu, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the Czech Republic and to the Holy See, and Ince's coordinator for relations with Moldova, speaking at the two-day 19th South East Europe Media Forum organized by…

(ANSA) - ROME, 18 NOV - Thirty years after the Srebrenica genocide, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a land divided by political, identity and cultural rifts. This unresolved legacy is brought into focus in "Zemlja - Divided Memory. The Land That Remembers, The Land That Forgets", an independent documentary by journalists Tatjana Đorđević and Joshua Evangelista, with photography by Nicolino Sapio. The 40-minute film will be screened for the first time in Italy on 19 November at 10 a.m. in the "Vittorio…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 18 - The European Union intends to establish a "military Schengen" so that vehicles and soldiers can move quickly across its borders, bypassing the current bureaucracy. Ansa has seen a draft of the proposal, which will take shape tomorrow with a regulation and a joint communication. The EU is thus requesting that the 27 countries extend the maximum time for issuing transit permits to "three days," with a single set of rules at the EU level. Among the new features is the "Solidarity…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 18 - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that authorities investigating the weekend's rail sabotage incidents have identified two suspects, both Ukrainians, who arrived in Poland from Belarus this autumn and are suspected of working with Russian intelligence services, according to international media. One of the suspects had previously been convicted of sabotage by a court in Lviv. After the incidents, they fled to Belarus. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 18 - A massive fire engulfed several floors of the Vjesnik high-rise in Zagreb, Croatia, destroying several floors while operations to extinguish it continue. The building, a 1970s modernist tower, used to house major Croatian newspapers. A fire broke out late Tuesday, around 23, prompting the deployment of 93 firefighters and 30 vehicles. There were no injuries reported, and the cause of the fire is unknown. The fire destroyed a now-abandoned well-known office tower in the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 18 - Last night, tens of thousands of people participated in civil and opposition protests against Prime Minister Robert Fico's government in numerous cities across Slovakia. This year, the 36th anniversary of the fall of communism was mostly ignored and spent at work, as the government abolished the holiday to "consolidate public finances." Despite this, and despite the bad weather, last night's squares in many cities across the country were packed with outraged citizens.…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 18 - "Let us emphasise the historical ties, not only of the Romance language" spoken in Romania, where "the Emperor Trajan is mentioned in the national anthem," said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on the sidelines of the first conference on Italian-speaking countries, alongside his Romanian counterpart Oana Toiu. "There is a historical bond between our countries, which has been strengthened by positive collaboration," as well as "because of our shared interest in defending…

(ANSA) - CHISINAU, NOV 18 - The 2025 edition of the Award for High Merit in Investigative Journalism, sponsored by the Central European Initiative (CEI) and South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO), confirms the essential value of investigative journalism in bringing to light human rights violations, social discrimination, corruption, gender inequality and environmental issues. In the "Professional Journalists" section, the prize was awarded ex aequo to Bulgarian journalist Bogdana Lazarova…

(ANSA) - CHISINAU, NOV 18 - "Our goal is 2028: by the end of 2028 to be ready and able to declare that we can close all 6 chapters. We have not worked on the chapters yet but we are ready for Chapter 1 and two others." This was announced by Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu on the sidelines of the 19th South East Europe Media Forum organized by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Central European Initiative (Cei/Ince) and South East Europe Media Organization (Seemo). "We are waiting for political decisions,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 17 - Alice and Ellen Kessler, twins, have died, according to dpa. They were both 89 years old and died in Gruenwald, near Munich. Police are said to have intervened, but no further details have been provided. According to the German newspaper Bild, twins Ellen and Alice Kessler chose assisted suicide, which is legal in Germany under certain conditions. The police were reportedly informed today, after both women had died. When they arrived, they could only confirm the death…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 17 - "Ukraine has a significant financial deficit. According to preliminary IMF estimates, Ukraine will still have a sizable deficit that cannot be closed without more funding, even if the war ends by the end of 2026 and all of the promised aid is taken into account." In her letter to the 27 about the Reparation Loans to Kiev and the three options the Commission had, including using Russian assets, Ursula von der Leyen stated as much. Von der Leyen states in the letter, which…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 17 - On X, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that intelligence services believe the Sunday accident on the Polish railway between Warsaw and Lublin was deliberate sabotage. "Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario was confirmed. Sabotage occurred on the Warsaw-Lublin line (in the village of Mika). An explosive device exploded, destroying the railway tracks. On-site operations include intelligence services and the prosecutor's office. Damage was also discovered along…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, NOV 17 - The Central European Initiative's (CEI) Secretary General, Franco Dal Mas, will visit Ukraine in the coming days, the organisation announced today. During the mission, Dal Mas will meet with Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, and the Italian Ambassador to Kyiv, Carlo Formosa, as well as attend an international food security conference on November 19. According to CEI, the visit is part of the organization's commitment to supporting Ukraine on its path to resilience,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 17 - The Czech Republic is marking the 37th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, which overthrew the communist regime in 1989, with a series of events, commemorations, concerts, and rallies in the capital and other parts of the country. This time, the celebrations will be centred on Narodni Street in Prague, where the first demonstrations that led to the fall of the communist regime in the former Czechoslovakia occurred on November 17, 1989. Today's visit to the square will…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOV 17 - Tirana has met Prime Minister Edi Rama's goal of opening all accession negotiations by 2025. During the seventh EU-Albania intergovernmental conference in Brussels, the fifth of six negotiating clusters, covering agriculture and fisheries, food security, and cohesion policies, was launched. "Today is a special day, not only for Albania, which has opened all of the clusters, but also for the European Union," EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said during a press conference.…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, NOV 16 - "The enemies of the media and how to deal with them." That is the theme of the 19th South East Europe Media Forum organized by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Central European Initiative (Cei/Ince) and South East Europe Media Organization (Seemo) and taking place this year in Chisinau, Moldova, from tomorrow to Nov. 18. Divided into several panels, the Forum is attended by journalism and communication experts from various Eastern and Central European countries, the Balkans and…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, NOV 16 - Long lines at the entrance right from the opening with the 150 tattoo and piercing artists who came from all over the world forced to get right to work for the large audience and clients who came from all over the Northeast but also from Slovenia, Croatia and Austria. This is the context in which the XV International Tattoo Expo was inaugurated today at the Generali Convention Center. The kermesse, which takes place every two years, will close tonight and is divided between…