Ansa news

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 6 - Investigators are also looking into expatriation records from the time, recovering passport and travel document records, as well as airline tickets, in the case of the "weekend snipers," who paid to go and kill "for fun," including women, the elderly, and children, in Sarajevo, which was besieged by Bosnian Serbs between 1992 and 1995. According to what has been learned, the investigation, led by the Carabinieri's ROS special operations unit and coordinated by prosecutor…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 6 - Based on an in-depth investigation that began on February 19, 2024, the European Commission has preliminarily challenged TikTok's violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to its addictive design. This includes features like infinite scrolling, auto-playing content, push notifications, and a highly personalised recommendation system. If confirmed, the violations may result in fines of up to 6% of annual turnover. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 6 - The Orban government has issued a decree ordering the dismissal of all lawsuits filed by Hungarian municipalities against the treasury for "unfair" taxes, which critics have condemned as executive interference in justice. After the government implemented a new tax known as the "solidarity contribution," many municipalities, particularly in Budapest, complained that it would bankrupt them. As a result, municipalities have filed lawsuits challenging the measure, and the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 5 - "We emphasise once again that we have only one dispute with Turkey, the determination of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf, and that we will never bring sovereignty issues to the table or cross our'red lines,'" said Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis. In a press conference with political editors, Marinakis confirmed that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on February 11 for the sixth…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 5 - According to government sources, Germany's majority parliamentary groups have reached an agreement on an investment obligation and financial support for film totalling €250 million annually. This is the so-called "Netflix measure," which the CDU-CSU and SPD groups debated. The legislation would require platforms that make significant profits in Europe to invest in European productions proportionate to their market power. This will be accomplished with a statutory base…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 5 - "The US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee's report condemns foreign actors attempting to influence the Hungarian vote through money, services, and political support from abroad. Hungarians are solely responsible for making decisions about their own future. Foreign interference will not be tolerated," wrote Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Twitter. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 5 - Serbia will continue to import large amounts of gas from Russia, but remains "firmly" on the path to the European Union, with plans to secure 500 million cubic metres of gas per year, or one-fifth of its total needs, through the EU's Joint Gas Supply Mechanism, which Belgrade joined last year, according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in an interview with Reuters, as reported by Serbian newspaper Politika. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, FEB 5 - Strengthening Italy-Germany cooperation on issues such as economy and security, development of the Port of Trieste, strengthening of infrastructure and logistics links, and investments by German companies in Friuli Venezia Giulia were the focus of a meeting Governor Massimiliano Fedriga had in the region with Germany's deputy ambassador to Italy Benjamin Hanna. "It is absolutely strategic for our country and for Friuli Venezia Giulia to intensify relations with Germany…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, FEB 4 - "One of the highest voices of the Second Postwar period" by the "ethical dimension of the work" perceived "through commitment and dedication: translations of Spanish poets, persecuted by Franco's regime, commitment in the almost twenty-five-year directorship of the Slovensko stalno gledališče, the Slovenian Stable Theater, clear and never ambiguous exposition of his own idea." This is the remembrance expressed here today by Senator Tatjana Rojc of Slovenian-speaking Italian…

(ANSA) - UDINE, 04 FEB - The Adriatic Sensitive Areas Protection mechanism (ASAP) project, presented today in Trieste and funded by the Interreg IPA ADRION programme, aims to strengthen protection of the Adriatic Sea to respond swiftly to potential marine pollution incidents, particularly hydrocarbon spills. The initiative is led by the Executive Secretariat of the Central European Initiative (CEI) and, for Italy, involves participation by OGS. Today, the results of the project's first phase were…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 4 - Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed Czech Prime Minister Andrea Babis to Palazzo Chigi. Babis presented the prime minister with a bouquet of flowers after being greeted with honours and singing the national anthem. Among other things, as the Czech presidency announced on the eve of the meeting, the bilateral meeting focused on European competitiveness ahead of the EU summit on February 12. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 04 FEB - Mira a creare un ponte ideale che colleghi le capitali della cultura Nova Gorica-Gorizia 2025 e Pordenone 2027 il progetto multidisciplinare Anima Aeterna, ideato e fondato dal produttore musicale e compositore Andrea Buttignon, con il sostegno della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia e il supporto organizzativo del Gruppo europeo di cooperazione territoriale Gect Go. Attraverso l'unione di musica sinfonica, cinema e interazione tecnologica, Anima Aeterna intende unire l'eredità…

(ANSA) - UDINE, 04 FEB - A multidisciplinary project, Anima Aeterna, aims to create an ideal bridge between the 2025 European Capitals of Culture, Nova Gorica-Gorizia, and Pordenone, Italy's Capital of Culture 2027. The initiative was conceived and founded by music producer and composer Andrea Buttignon, with support from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and organizational backing from the EGTC GO (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation). By integrating symphonic music, cinema, and interactive…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 4 - A person is being investigated for aggravated and repeated voluntary manslaughter in the case of the so-called "weekend snipers," who paid to kill women, the elderly, and children in Sarajevo, which was besieged by Bosnian Serbs between 1992 and 1995. According to reports, an 80-year-old former truck driver from the province of Pordenone was summoned today to appear for questioning by the Carabinieri Special Operations Squad (ROS), which is being coordinated by prosecutor…

(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADE, FEB 4 - A Budapest court on Wednesday sentenced a German non-binary anti-fascist campaigner to eight years in prison for assaulting far-right activists. Maja T., 25 was found guilty of participating in violence before a 2023 far-right commemoration honouring Nazi soldiers in Budapest. (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 4 - After truck drivers from Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and North Macedonia blocked freight crossings between the Schengen area and the non-EU Western Balkans for five days last week in protest over visa requirements, "a meeting was held yesterday with the ministers of the Western Balkan countries" to discuss the issue of professional truck drivers staying in the Schengen area. A spokesperson for the EU executive, Markus Lammert, stated that the meeting's objectives were to…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 4 - "Serbia has made progress in risk assessment and prosecution of money laundering, but further progress is needed in supervision and the effective use of financial information," stated Moneyval, a Council of Europe body that evaluated the nation using data gathered on-site in May 2025. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 04 FEB - In recognition of its long-standing commitment to raising historical and civic awareness about the tragedy faced by Italians from Istria, Rijeka, and Dalmatia—well before the establishment of the Day of Remembrance—the Mursia publishing house is releasing three notable titles: L'Iris by Francesco Felicetti, Women and the Julian-Dalmatian Exodus: Memories of a Forgotten History by Giuseppina Mellace, and Farewell, Rijeka! The Rijeka Epic from World War II to the Great…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 4 - A boat carrying migrants collided with a Hellenic Coast Guard patrol boat off the island of Chios in the eastern Aegean last night, killing 15 people and injuring 24 others, according to a statement from the Hellenic Coast Guard. The speedboat carrying the migrants allegedly "did not obey the patrol boat's light and sound signals, but instead reversed course and struck the patrol boat's starboard side" after being spotted by a Coast Guard vessel. All of the passengers…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 3 - The Kosovo Electoral Complaints and Appeals Commission (ECAP) has upheld the appeal of Srpska Lista (SL), the largest Serb minority party, whose nine candidates elected in the general election on December 28 were rejected by the Central Election Commission (CEC) after the final results were published. The nine candidates were thus elected. This was revealed by Commission itself, which condemned the CEC's decision as "unjustified" and "contrary to all legal provisions"…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 3 - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced that he will travel to Kyiv "this week" with Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski to discuss organising an international conference on Ukraine's reconstruction, which is scheduled for June in Gdansk. "This week," he said, "I'll travel to Kyiv. It is no coincidence that I will be accompanied by Minister Domanski, who, along with his team, is organising an international conference on Ukraine's reconstruction. It will be…

(ANSA-AFP) - ZAGREB, FEB 3 - A controversial ultra-nationalist Croatian singer on Monday welcomed the country's medal-winning handball team back to Zagreb with a gig attended by thousands after the mayor's attempts to block the event failed. Folk-rock icon Marko Perkovic, whose stage name is Thompson, is famous for a song that starts with the salute of Croatia's World War II pro-Nazi Ustasha regime, and his fans often display fascist symbols. However, at Monday evening's event in Zagreb's main square,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 3 - "Before the end of 2026, we will launch a comprehensive pension reform, redefining the three pillars of our pension system, including their interrelationships," Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced yesterday evening at the opening event for the 2026 German Stock Exchange, promising a "paradigm shift in German politics." "Mandatory pension insurance will continue, but it will be just one component of a new overall pension system in which private and company pensions…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 3 - "The EPP wants to abolish the veto and transform the EU into a belligerent military alliance. This endangers all of Europe. Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic must continue to collaborate to ensure sovereignty and prevent Europe from being drawn into conflict," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a social media video. "We cannot let the EPP's twisted plans become the future of Europe," he continued. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 2 - The cold wave that is sweeping Eastern Europe has caused significant disruption in the Baltics, where temperatures dropped below -30°C last night in many parts of Latvia and Lithuania. In Vilnius, the cold caused power outages, which halted trolleybus traffic for several hours. Similar problems have been reported in eastern Latvia. The Estonian Meteorological Service reported that average January temperatures in Estonia were more than 5°C lower than the long-term average,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 2 - In a video message posted on social media, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced his intention to support a draft constitutional reform that would update the Charter in light of the country's current challenges and strengthen citizens' trust in institutions. Mitsotakis explained that he sent a letter to parliamentarians from his party, Nea Dimokratia, outlining the reform's objectives, which are expected to be presented in March and debated in the Greek Parliament…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 2 - "Today, we filed a legal action before the European Court of Justice to challenge the REPowerEU regulation that prohibits Russian energy imports and request its annulment," Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told X. "Our case is based on three key arguments. First, energy imports can only be prohibited through sanctions, which require unanimous agreement. This regulation was adopted as a trade policy measure. Second, the EU treaties make it clear that each Member…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 2 - Miroslav Košuta, a Slovenian minority Italian poet and writer, passed away last night. Senator Tatjana Rojc (Democratic Party) announced that he would have turned 90 next March. Košuta was born in Santa Croce on the Karst Plateau, where he lived. He also worked as an Italian translator. On February 7, 2011, he received Slovenia's highest cultural award, the Prešeren Prize, for his literary work and contribution to the preservation of Slovenian language in Italy. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 2 - Serbia and Kosovo are at odds again: the final results of Kosovo's December 28 general election have been certified, following a recount ordered due to electoral fraud. As in the past, Kosovo's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) disqualified the nine Serb minority candidates who supported the Srpska Lista party, infuriating Belgrade. The deadline for disqualified candidates to file appeals expired at 11:00 a.m. today, before the results are certified. If they are disqualified…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JAN 31 - Serbia's president signed controversial justice laws Friday, despite experts warning they would undermine judicial independence and Brussels saying they were "a step back" on the path to EU membership. Critics say the changes to laws give court presidents more power over judges and remove mechanisms meant to guarantee the independence of prosecutors. They also point out the changes come as prosecutors investigate several senior government and ruling party officials for…