Ansa news

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 9 - The Slovenian Parliament will hold its constituent session tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., two weeks after the narrow victory of the Freedom Movement, the centre-left party of outgoing Prime Minister Robert Golob, over the conservative Democratic Party of three-time former PM Janez Janša. Golob has conducted lengthy and so far fruitless informal consultations with all the leaders of the parliamentary parties. Despite losing the election, Janša has the potential to regain prominence.…

(ANSA-AFP) - BUDAPEST, APR 9 - EU member Hungary will hold a closely watched general election on Sunday, the first since nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's return to power in 2010 where he is not considered the clear favourite. Surveys from independent pollsters suggest that opposition leader Peter Magyar's conservative TISZA party could be heading for a landslide victory. Pro-government institutions however forecast a win for Orban's Fidesz-KDNP coalition. Analysts expect a record turnout…

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 9 - President Sergio Mattarella is in Prague for a two-day official visit to the Czech Republic. After a visit to the Italian Cultural Institute, the Italian head of State will meet with President Petr Pavel. Mattarella will greet representatives of the Italian community at the Italian Cultural Institute in the Czech capital. In the afternoon, he will travel to Prague Castle, where he will be welcomed by Czech President Petr Pavel. The two heads of state will discuss major international…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 9 - According to the statistics institute Destatis, German industrial production fell 0.3% in February compared to January and remained unchanged from February 2025. In the same month, exports increased by 3.6% and imports by 4.7% over January. On an annual basis, exports increased by 2.9% and imports by 1.5%. The trade balance was positive by 19.8 billion euros. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 9 - The majority of Hungarians continue to support the European Union, albeit with decreasing enthusiasm. Doubts are growing—not only about membership, but also about possible entry into the eurozone—and the number of people who don't know where they stand is growing. This is according to research conducted by Centre 21 for the news outlet 24.hu. In a hypothetical referendum, 62% of Hungarians would vote to remain in the EU, with 16% voting to leave. The most notable figure…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 8 - Conflicts have increased significantly over the last 15 years, according to the IMF's World Economic Outlook chapters on defence spending, conflicts, and recovery, forcing countries to rethink their priorities and fuelling the arms race. In the 2020-24 period, 50% of countries increased their budgets, and by 2024, nearly 40% had allocated more than 2% of GDP to defence, up from 27% in 2018. NATO countries agreed in June 2025 to increase annual spending to 5% of GDP by…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 8 - Serbia intends to manufacture drones on its territory for and with Israeli arms giant Elbit Systems, despite the company's high-profile involvement in Israeli military operations in Gaza. Balkan Insight, an independent English-language news site, and the Balkan investigative journalism group BIRN, of which it is a member, reported on this in a joint investigation with Haaretz. According to Balkan Insight, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced the opening of a…

(ANSA) - ROMA, APR 8 - In Romania he was, and will remain, a legend, but Mircea Lucescu, an excellent player but above all a great coach who died at the age of 80 in Bucharest from a heart attack days ago, had also left his mark in Italy, where he coached Pisa, Brescia and Inter. And it is precisely the Milanese club among the first to remember "one of the most influential and respected coaches on the international scene, capable of leaving a deep mark wherever he coached thanks to his vision, charisma…

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, APR 8 - Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire in the Middle East war and urged a definitive end to the conflict. The goal now is "to negotiate a durable end to the war in the next days," he said in a statement. "This can only be achieved by diplomacy." He said that Germany would contribute "to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz." (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 7 - Evidence suggests that the perpetrator of the alleged attempt to detonate the TurkStream pipeline in Serbia, near the Hungarian border, is a foreigner of unknown nationality with military training and a military rank in his home country's army. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated this at a press conference, but did not provide further details. Although no arrests have been reported, Vučić stated that "the competent authorities have some clues as to who is behind…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 7 - "Donald Trump has ended the power of the global progressive elite, declaring that patriotism is not a crime but a virtue," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said during a rally at Budapest's MTK Sportpark with US Vice President Vance. Orban then praised Vance, noting that "he wrote about how harmful progressive liberalism was when it was not allowed to be discussed, unleashing previously silenced forces." (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 7 - Fuel prices at service stations outside motorways and motorways in Slovenia will rise at midnight. The price of regular petrol will rise by 3.7 cents per litre to EUR 1.653, diesel by 8.7 cents to EUR 1.894, and heating oil by 9.9 cents to EUR 1.555, according to Slovenian news agency STA. Fuel prices at service stations along motorways were fully liberalised on March 20 and are higher than on regular roads. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 7 - Viktor Orban is "Europe's most authoritative leader" in terms of energy security and independence, according to US Vice President J.D. Vance. Vance spoke at a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest to commemorate Hungarian-American Friendship Day. "It's amusing to see prime ministers and leaders of some Western European capitals talking about the energy crisis, when they should have followed Viktor Orban's policies in Hungary," he said,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 7 - The visit of US Vice President J.D. Vance marks a new "golden age" in Budapest's relations with Washington, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said after welcoming Vance and his wife Usha to the capital. According to Szijjarto, the bilateral meeting between Viktor Orban and the US vice president will focus on key international issues such as migration, global security, and economic and energy cooperation. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 7 - The National Electoral Commission (DVK) officially certified the final results of Slovenia's general election today after dismissing a formal complaint filed by the Democratic Party (SDS). Slovenian news agency STA reports that President Nataša Pirc Musar will convene the newly elected National Assembly's inaugural session on Friday. The centre-left Freedom Movement, which was the ruling party in the 2022-2026 term, won the most mandates in the 90-member National Assembly…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 7 - The operation, which many in Budapest expected to be the final blow to the election campaign, arrived at Easter. Two backpacks containing four kilogrammes of explosives were discovered in Serbia, a few hundred metres from TurkStream, the infrastructure that brings Russian gas to Hungary, which Viktor Orban describes as "vital" for the country's security. That was enough to raise the alert "to the highest level" and reopen the accusations against rival Peter Magyar and…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 7 - "The deep state has already started to crack. Regime change has already begun. More and more people are coming forward and sharing information that, for this system, is like a bombshell: it calls into question its foundations, from national security to the operation of the secret services, to the police's independence from politics." This was stated by Viktor Orban's opponent in the April 12 elections, Peter Magyar, to 24.hu. "If we look at the trend," he stated, "the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 6 - The Israeli and Greek defence ministries signed an agreement today in Athens for Israel to supply the Hellenic Armed Forces with Puls (Precise & Universal Launching System) missile artillery systems for approximately €650 million, according to an Israeli Defence Ministry statement. The signing was also attended by the general manager of Elbit Systems, the Israeli company that manufactures the Puls launchers. Elbit Systems will supply the system and related ammunition…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 6 - Albin Kurti, Kosovo's Prime Minister, and Lumir Abdixhiku, the leader of the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), met to discuss the country's presidency in an effort to avoid holding new elections. This meeting occurred after President Vjosa Osmani's term officially ended over the weekend. As required by the Constitution, she was replaced by Albulena Haxhiu, the Speaker of Parliament. Parliament is now expected to select a new head of state by April 28. Kurti…

(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADO, APR 6 - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said yesterday that army and police found two backpacks containing explosives near a gas pipeline bound for Hungary on Sunday, prompting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to call an emergency meeting of the defense council as early as today. The backpacks, containing "two large packs of explosives with detonators," according to Vucic, were found in Kanjiza, northern Serbia, "a few hundred meters from the pipeline." The Balkan…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 4 - Five EU economy ministers, including Giancarlo Giorgetti, have proposed a tax on energy companies' excess profits in response to rising fuel prices caused by the Middle East war. In addition to Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Austria have all signed the request. "A European solution," they write in a letter to EU Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, "would send a signal to citizens" and the economy, demonstrating that "we are united and capable of acting," as well as a "clear…

(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, APR 3 - Greece on Friday reshuffled its government after three cabinet members resigned as a burgeoning EU farm subsidy scandal piled pressure on the country's conservative government. The government resignations came after European Union prosecutors this week said they were probing 20 members of the ruling New Democracy party, including active and former lawmakers. Prosecutors are reportedly probing whether beneficiaries of agriculture subsidies had made false claims. According…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 3 - Real construction sites will be transformed into demonstration hubs to showcase the future and potential of Pilosio's temporary structures. These are the details of the first 'Pilosio Experience Week,' organised by the historic Tavagnacco (Udine) company, which specialises in structures, suspended systems, scaffolding, and formwork for the construction and large-scale infrastructure sectors. The initiative, which will take place in mid-April, will bring together approximately…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 3 - "We will be present at the next elections, whenever they are held," former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras declared in an interview with ANT1 television, referring to his new political movement, which he stated will be ready in September, or sooner if early elections are called. Tsipras, who led Greece from 2015 to 2019 during the tumultuous years of the debt crisis, resigned as president of Syriza, the radical left party, in 2023 after the latest electoral defeat.…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 3 - During talks with Western counterparts yesterday, China reiterated its call for a Middle East ceasefire and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Chinese state media. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul separately about the Middle East situation, urging them to work together to bring the war to an end as soon as possible. A ceasefire…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 3 - Security has been tightened in Budapest ahead of US Vice President JD Vance's arrival on April 7 and 8, just days before the election. Following the White House announcement last night, the Hungarian Police General Command issued a map of closures in the capital, announcing the tightened security measures. "I can't wait to welcome him to Budapest," wrote Prime Minister Viktor Orban on X, sharing a photo with Vance. (ANSA).

(ANSA-AFP) - BUDAPEST, APR 2 - If long-time Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban emerges victorious from this month's general election it will have consequences far beyond the central European country, analysts say. Since his return to power in 2010, Orban has repeatedly tussled with the European Union, with Polish and Irish leaders condemning his government's close links with Moscow as "sinister" and "repulsive" Tuesday after the latest revelations of leaked phone calls between foreign minister…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 2 - A new Ukrainian drone attack on a facility on the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, which supplies Turkey and Europe, was thwarted last night in southern Russia, according to state-owned gas company Gazprom. "Last night, three aerial drones attacked the 'Russkaya' compressor station, which ensures the reliability of gas supplies abroad via the Turkish Stream pipeline," the holding company said, as reported by Tass. "There was no damage to the infrastructure," Gazprom said,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 2 - Easter holidays are mixed, with Italy remaining a popular destination, but the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is having an impact. The estimated number of overnight stays is 14.1 million, a 1.3% decrease from the previous year, or 200,000 fewer. Foreign tourists make up 58.9% of the market, accounting for 8.3 million overnight stays (-1.4%), while Italians account for 5.8 million overnight stays (-1.2%). These are the key findings of a survey of 1,087 Italian hospitality…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 2 - Firefighters said they recovered the body of a man who was struck by a car swept away by the current overnight in the municipality of Nea Makri, on Attica's eastern coast, during the 'Erminio' storm that hit much of Greece yesterday. Torrential rain, combined with strong winds, caused flooding and significant disruption. In total, firefighters responded to nearly 500 calls in the Athens metropolitan area, mostly to remove fallen trees, but also to pump water out of flooded…