Ansa news

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 10 SET - The municipality of the Greek island of Nisyros, in the Dodecanese, has decided to pay €3,000 to families for each baby born on the small southeastern Aegean island, according to Kathimerini. The measure, proposed by Mayor Christofis Koronaios, is one of a number of initiatives aimed at combating population decline. The municipal council gave its unanimous approval. To be eligible for the bonus, families must be registered with the municipality and permanent residents…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 10 SET - Climate change and the pressure of tourist flows are the two challenges at the heart of the panel organised by the Venice Sustainability Foundation (VSF) at the 35th Karpacz Economic Forum in Poland. The discussion centred on the need for cities to anticipate risks and shift from emergency management to prevention. Venice was cited as an emblematic case - not as a model to be replicated, but as a 'stress test' for cities grappling with environmental and tourism pressures.…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 10 SET - Bosnia and Herzegovina has asked the European Union and the US to sanction Serbia for honouring war criminal Ratko Mladić through a state funeral. Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković sent letters to high-ranking officials in Brussels and Washington, urging a "clear response" to the actions of Serbian authorities and pointing the finger at Bosnia's Republika Srpska. He also called on the EU to consider specific sanctions against officials and institutions that glorify…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 10 SET - Both Ukrainian presidential sources and the Moldovan government spokesperson have downplayed claims by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr St›re that a Russian drone approached Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's plane while en route to Oslo. According to the Moldovan spokesperson, "Moldova closed its airspace on the afternoon of September 8, shortly after 4:30 PM, following the violation of its airspace by a Russian drone coming from Ukraine." "After 5:20 PM,…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 09 SET - 'I envisage a centre-right coalition government in the near future.' Przemysław Czarnek, the PiS candidate for Prime Minister in the Polish general election in autumn 2027, is already looking ahead to the possibility of returning to government and sees the formation of a centre-right coalition as the way to achieve this. Interviewed by ANSA on the sidelines of an event on the future of the EU, during a debate with Francesco Tufarelli, Director-General of the Presidency…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 09 SET - 'Development or collapse' - this is the essence of 'The Grand Strategy for Poland', the forthcoming book by former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, presented at the 35th Karpacz Economic Forum. Fresh from his ousting at the end of July from the right-wing PiS (Law and Justice) party, along with 40 other MPs, he is now the leader of the new Rozwòj Plus (Development Plus), Morawiecki was greeted by a throng of supporters, winning the remote battle for attention against…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, SEP 9 - "The Balkans are a vitally important region from an industrial standpoint, especially in this era of post-globalization, when we need to shorten our supply chains." This point was made today by Luigino Pozzo, President of Confindustria Udine, on the sidelines of the "The Balkans Meet in Trieste" conference. The event was organized by the ANSA news agency to coincide with the 34th General Assembly of the Association of Balkan News Agencies - Southeast Europe (ABNA-SE), held…

(ANSA) - ROME, 09 SET - Cooperation between news agencies is crucial in the fight against fake news, Kiril Valchev, Secretary General of ABNA, said on the sidelines of the "The Balkans Meet inTrieste" conference, organized by the ANSA news agency on the occasion of the 34th General Assembly of the Association of Balkan News Agencies Southeast Europe (ABNA), under the patronage of the Central European Initiative (CEI). "The last three or four years have provided an excellent example of how to respond…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 09 SET - The future of the European Union hinges on its ability to return to its founding principles: ensuring peace and building a common market capable of making member states competitive. This is the central theme of the discussion between Francesco Tufarelli, Director-General of the Presidency of the Council, and Przemyslaw Czarnek, in a dialogue dedicated to the reform and future of Europe at the 35th Karpacz Economic Forum in Poland. According to Tufarelli, the EU is facing…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 09 SET - A group of MEPs led by Czech Ondřej Kolář (EPP) and comprising members from various political groups (including EPP, S&D, Greens, and Renew) have sent a letter to European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos calling for a "re-evaluation of the approach" towards Belgrade. "A country aspiring to join the European Union cannot glorify such a person, either in life or after death," reads the letter, which ANSA obtained. The MEPs thus call for these developments to be…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 09 SET - "We plan is to close all the negotiating chapters for EU membership by next year," Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha said in Trieste on Wednesday. "It is a very ambitious goal, and the process is highly bureaucratic, but we are doing our homework. We know there is still work to be done and that there is a gap between candidate countries and member states. We are building a bridge. We have a plan, and our goal is the European Union." Hoxha was…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 09 SET - On Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will pay an official visit to Slovenia, where he will meet with his host and counterpart Tone Kajzer and open the first Israeli embassy in Ljubljana. Protests against Israel's actions in Gaza will take place in front of the embassy, the Slovenian news agency STA reported today. According to the Slovenian Foreign Ministry, the visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation while also exchanging perspectives…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 09 SET - Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has dissolved the National Assembly and called for early parliamentary elections on October 25—in 46 days. As previously indicated, the head of state made the official announcement live on television at noon, stating that he had signed the necessary decrees. Last Monday, in accordance with the Constitution, the government led by Prime Minister Djuro Macut submitted a reasoned request for parliament's dissolution and early termination…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 09 SET - The security of the European Union's eastern borders in the face of hybrid threats, the costs of common defence and concerns over the slowdown in growth in the region were the central themes of the first day of the 35th edition of the Karpacz Economic Forum, the 'Davos of Eastern Europe', which opened yesterday in the presence of over 6,000 delegates from 60 countries. At the heart of the more than 500 events scheduled until 10 September is the search for strategic solutions…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 09 SET - "The citizens of Saxony-Anhalt have made it clear—expressing themselves through the sovereign vote of democracy—that the black-red government is ending." This was stated by AfD leader Alice Weidel in the Bundestag in Berlin following last Sunday's Magdeburg elections, in which the far right won. "Friedrich Merz is destroying the political space for negotiation," she explained. "Your'remigration' is nothing short of ethnic cleansing," said German Chancellor Friedrich…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 09 SET - The ongoing debate over the future governance of EU Cohesion Policy for 2028-2034 and the perceived clash between centralization and multilevel governance is "a false trade-off", according to Andrea Gallo, publisher of Fasi.eu, speaking today at the Economic Forum's 'Regions Forum' panel. Addressing the panel on the post-2027 European budget, Gallo argued that the key to modernizing the policy lies in "separating procedural centralization from decision-making centralization".…

(ANSA-AFP) - KYIV, 09 SET - Two civilians were killed in a Russian drone strike at a checkpoint on Ukraine's border with Moldova, the regional governor said Wednesday. "Tonight, enemy drones attacked the Starokozache international road checkpoint on the border with Moldova," Odesa regional governor Oleg Kiper wrote on social media. "Sadly, there are casualties among the civilians who were near the checkpoint: according to preliminary information, two people were killed and three wounded." An image…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 09 SET - Women's football is no longer merely a cause to be supported for its values of inclusion, equal opportunities and empowerment, but a market capable of generating tangible commercial value. This is the picture painted by Marta Carissimi, head of the women's section at Genoa CFC, who spoke at the 35th Karpacz Economic Forum. "The real leap forward comes when women's football is no longer seen simply as something to support, but as a market worth investing in," explained…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 08 SET - Demographic decline is 'inflating' economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe, masking a structural weakness that risks stalling convergence with the West. This is the warning issued by the SGH Report, presented at the opening of the 35th Karpacz Economic Forum in Poland. The study, compiled by over 50 academics from the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), examines the entire regional bloc, highlighting how Poland accurately reflects - and amplifies - the critical issues…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 08 SET - Il declino demografico 'gonfia' la crescita economica dell'Europa centro-orientale, mascherando una debolezza strutturale che rischia di bloccare la convergenza con l'Occidente. È l'allarme lanciato dal Rapporto SGH presentato all'apertura del 35/o Forum Economico di Karpacz in Polonia. Lo studio, redatto da oltre 50 scienziati della Scuola di Economia di Varsavia (SGH), prende in esame l'intero blocco regionale, evidenziando come la Polonia rifletta fedelmente, amplificandole,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 08 SET - On September 8, Bosnia and Herzegovina's Foreign Minister, Elmedin Konaković, held an extraordinary press conference to announce the decision to declare two diplomats from the Serbian Embassy in Sarajevo persona non grata. BiH and Serbia have experienced tensions since the funeral of Serbian General Ratko Mladić in Belgrade. Konaković previously announced the departure of nearly all staff from the BiH Embassy in Belgrade. These include the military attaché and the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 08 SET - "If we do not move quickly to accelerate the enlargement process, these countries will look elsewhere; we are well aware of China's and the Russian Federation's potential influence," Franco Dal Mas, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative, said today in Trieste during the presentation of the SEE Observatory's annual Balkan integration forum. "EU enlargement to the Western Balkans," he added, "is as fundamental as Ukraine and Moldova's current position in…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 08 SET - Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković announced the withdrawal of most embassy staff in Belgrade, aiming to minimise diplomatic relations between Bosnia and Serbia following Ratko Mladić's death and subsequent statements. At a press conference, Konaković stated that he will withdraw all employees under his jurisdiction, while the ambassador and consul will continue to serve as appointed by the BiH Presidency. Some of the current work in Belgrade…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 08 SET - The South East Europe Observatory's annual forum, scheduled for September 14 and 15 in Trieste, will focus on accelerating Western Balkan integration as a strategic choice for Europe's future. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is also expected to attend a meeting on September 15 with his Albanian and Montenegrin counterparts, Ferit Hoxha and Ervin Ibrahimovic, moderated by Ambassador Luigi Mattiolo. The initiative, which was announced today at the CEI headquarters, is aimed…

(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADE, 08 SET - The presence of Serbian officials at the funeral of war criminal Ratko Mladic was "deeply regrettable", EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa said Tuesday. Serbia's commemoration of the so-called "Butcher of Bosnia" -- who was buried Monday in a service attended by thousands -- has put Brussels on a collision course with Belgrade, which is a candidate country to join the EU. "The images from Ratko Mladic's funeral yesterday in Belgrade were shocking," European…

(ANSA-AFP) - BUDAPEST, 08 SET - Hungary is expelling 10 members of the Russian diplomatic mission after they "engaged in activities in Hungary that are unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention," Foreign Minister Anita Orban said Tuesday. The new government under pro-EU conservative Prime Minister Peter Magyar made the move to protect Hungary's "security and sovereignty", Orban said in a Facebook post, adding that it "does not imply breaking off diplomatic relations with Russia". (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 08 SET - The 35th Karpacz Economic Forum, known as the 'Davos of Eastern Europe', begins today and runs until 10 September in Poland, with over 6,000 participants and more than 500 events focusing on the main political, economic and social challenges. 'The Architecture of the New Order - Stability in Times of Change' is the theme of the 2026 edition, organised by the Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies in collaboration with the Office of the Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.…

(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADE, 07 SET - Serbia's government on Monday proposed dissolving parliament, the prime minister said, paving the way for an October snap election long demanded by the student-led protest movement. Parliamentary elections were not due until December 2027, but President Aleksandar Vucic has said a vote would be called late October after nearly two years of anti-government unrest. "I propose that the government of the Republic of Serbia, in accordance with the constitution, ask the…

(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADE, 07 SET - Thousands gathered in Belgrade on Monday for the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic, sparking condemnation from Brussels for the glorification of a man convicted of genocide during the 1990s war in Bosnia. Mladic died in late August, aged 84, while serving a life sentence in The Hague for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war -- a reputation that led international press to dub him the "Butcher of Bosnia". Serbian Justice…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 07 SET - Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will return to the Western Balkans this year, but the countries on her itinerary have yet to be confirmed. This was stated by Paula Pinho, the European Commission's spokesperson, in response to a question about a possible visit to Serbia. "I can confirm that the President will travel to the Western Balkans, as he does every year. The programme is still being finalised as we speak, so I can't confirm the details…