Ansa news

(ANSA) - ATHENS, MAR 5 - The Panhellenic Federation of Maritime Workers (PNO) has called for a 24-hour nationwide strike to demand the safety and repatriation of Greek sailors who are currently stranded in the Middle East. As a result, ships are still docked in ports throughout Greece. The strike affects all types of ships in the country, according to the Ana-mpa news agency. The Federation described the situation caused by the Middle East war as "particularly serious and dangerous," emphasising…

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 5 - Premier Giorgia Meloni said Thursday that Italy was going to send air-defence systems to Gulf States that have come under fire in Iran's response to the attacks by the United States and Israel. "Like the UK, France and Germany, Italy intends to send aid to the Gulf countries," Meloni told RTL 102.5 radio. "We are clearly talking about defence, air defence, not just because they are friend nations, but also because there are tens of thousands of Italians in that area and around…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 4 - Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow's intelligence agencies have information indicating that Kiev is planning to blow up Black Sea gas pipelines. "I have already spoken about this: according to the information our intelligence services have, just as the Nord Stream was blown up, Kiev is now planning an operation to blow up the Blue Stream and the Turkish Stream, with the help of some Western intelligence agents," Putin said in an interview with Vesti television.…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 4 - "A person who can listen and reach the heart: these are the qualities that struck me about Leo XIV during our first meeting and stayed with me during our second meeting. Today, with great emotion, I had the honour of attending an audience with the Holy Father in St. Peter's Square alongside Nova Gorica Mayor Samo Turel," said the mayor of Gorizia, Rodolfo Ziberna. This meeting comes just over two months after a meeting between Gorizia's mayor and other ANCI administrators,…

(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, MAR 4 - A Greek appeals court on Wednesday upheld convictions for leaders of the neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn in a landmark trial over crimes committed at the height of the country's economic crisis. The court found the officials guilty of "running a criminal organisation", with the presiding judge set to announce later on Wednesday the punishments meted out to the more than 40 defendants, who risk sentences of up to 15 years in prison. Crimes attributed to the outfit include…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 4 - Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó is in Moscow today to negotiate Hungary's energy security, with the goal of ensuring that the country continues to receive the oil and natural gas it requires despite the global crisis and at unchanged prices', Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs wrote in X. Given the disruption in oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, Croatia's opposition to Hungary's "right to purchase Russian oil by sea," and the closure of…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 4 - Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares expressed "surprise" to Germany at Chancellor Friedrich Merz's lack of solidarity, as US President Donald Trump harshly criticised Spain over the Iran dossier and its military bases. "I conveyed to him our surprise at those words," Albares said, referring to Merz's claim that Spain is "the only country" among NATO allies that refuses to increase military spending to 5% of GDP. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 3 - NATO is committed to ensuring the security of Northern Europe and the Western Balkans, and will not tolerate the formation of a "security vacuum in the region" during a period of rising international tensions over the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made this statement during his first official visit to North Macedonia, during a joint press conference with North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. The former Dutch…

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 3 - Italy is looking at ways to respond to requests for help from the countries of the Persian Gulf affected by the Iran war, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told ANSA on Tuesday during a visit to Belgrade. "All the Gulf countries have asked us for help right now," Crosetto said. "Italy is looking at how we can help them, both in terms of the arrangements that can be made and also by evaluating the legal framework to implement them, (possibly with) a legislative decree, and how…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 3 - The European Commission is monitoring the situation in the Middle East for potential migration implications; the issue was discussed at yesterday's security meeting, and the European Commission has made contact with Turkey, which has been identified as a key hub (it borders Iran). Interior ministers will revisit this issue at Thursday's Council meeting. "If there is a regime change, there are strong risks of civil war, which could have massive consequences for Europe given…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 3 - "This is clearly a campaign led by the United States and Israel, but many allies are providing critical support even though they are not involved in the operations. I sense broad support in Europe," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated during his visit to North Macedonia. "I spoke on the phone with many leaders over the weekend and earlier this week, and I clearly sensed that the elimination of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, as well as Khamenei's…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 3 - According to ERT, Greece has decided to relocate a battery of Patriot missile systems to the island of Karpathos (also known as Scarpanto) in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Patriots are a surface-to-air guided missile system that can target both aircraft and ballistic missiles. They are regarded as one of the most important air defence assets. The move comes after Athens decided to beef up its defences in the region following a drone attack on a British military base in…

(ANSA) - ATENE, 03 MAR - La Grecia ha deciso di trasferire una batteria dei propri sistemi missilistici Patriot sull'isola di Karpathos (o Scarpanto), nel sud-est del Mar Egeo: lo riporta l'emittente statale Ert. I Patriot sono un sistema missilistico guidato terra-aria in grado di colpire sia velivoli che missili balistici e sono considerati uno dei più importanti dispositivi di difesa aerea. La mossa avviene dopo che Atene ha deciso di rafforzare la difesa nell'area, a seguito dell'attacco di…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 3 - In 2025, approximately 822,000 applications for international protection were submitted in the EU+—the 27 member states plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland—a 19% decrease from 2024, which saw an 11% reduction. The decline is primarily due to a 72% drop in applications from Syrians, from 151,000 in 2024 to 42,000 in 2025, reflecting political developments. Germany received the most applications, followed by France, Spain, and Italy, with Greece and…

(ANSA) - UDINE, 03 MAR - TRIESTE, March 2 - Ensuring an uninterrupted water supply to the population in the event of extraordinary circumstances such as drought, natural disasters, technical failures, or other unforeseen situations. This is the objective behind the cross-border mutual drinking water supply agreement for emergencies signed today by AcegasApsAmga and Rižanski vodovod Koper d.o.o., confirming their cooperation in the water supply sector in the border area between Italy and Slovenia,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 2 - "Emmanuel Macron and I established a nuclear steering group to coordinate deterrence issues. We intend to take concrete steps by the end of the year, including Germany's traditional participation in French nuclear exercises," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated in X. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 2 - "Several so-called Balkan countries are now under the negative influence of Russia and China," and "by spreading liberal thought and the pro-European ideal, we are creating a counterbalance, which I believe is necessary for the future of Europe," said Andrea Cangini, secretary general of the Einaudi Foundation and director of the South East Europe Observatory (SEE), speaking at the presentation of the SEE Observatory at the Prefecture in Trieste. "We must absolutely push…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 2 - Greece will send two frigates and two F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus in response to growing security concerns on the Mediterranean island, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias announced, according to Greek media. "Following the unprovoked attacks on Cyprus' territory, Greece will contribute in every way possible to the defence of the Republic of Cyprus, in order to address the threats and illegal actions taking place on its territory," Dendias stated. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 2 - The meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the "Friends of the Western Balkans" Group and the Foreign Ministers of the Western Balkans and the European Union, scheduled for tomorrow at 1:30 PM, has been cancelled, according to an Italian Foreign Ministry statement. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was scheduled to chair the meeting, which would also include EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 2 - Satellite images confirm that "there are no technical obstacles" to restarting the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Europe, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated in a video posted on his social media channels following a national security meeting. "Based on satellite imagery and operational information available to us, it is clear that the Druzhba pipeline is operational," the prime minister stated, referring to a "detailed report on the attack…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 2 - Germany will not participate in military action against Iran, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk. "The German government has no intention of participating," he explained. "We don't even have the necessary military means," he said, noting that Germany, unlike the United Kingdom and the United States, lacks the necessary bases. "The Federal Republic has no intention of participating in any way," he explained. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 2 - After a €205 million investment, Škoda's new battery assembly plant in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic, will set the industry standard for the Volkswagen Group. With this plant, the Czech brand will become "the largest manufacturer of battery systems for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) within the VW Group," according to a press release. The opening ceremony included Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček, Volkswagen brand…

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, 28 FEB - Britain, Germany and France slammed Iran for retaliating to US-Israel strikes Saturday with attacks on countries in the Middle East hosting US military bases. "We condemn Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a joint statement after discussing the conflict. The United States and Israel on Saturday conducted air strikes across Iran,…

(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, 28 FEB - Tens of thousands of people across Greece demonstrated Saturday in solidarity with victims of the country's worst train tragedy, which claimed 57 lives in 2023 and rattled the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. More than a hundred gatherings are being held in Greece and abroad to demand justice for the victims, most of whom were young students returning from a three-day carnival weekend. "We are here because, three years after the Tempe disaster, we still…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 28 - "The recent developments in the Middle East are dangerous. The Iranian regime is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. Its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, as well as its support for terrorist groups, pose a serious threat to global security," EU High Representative Kaja Kallas wrote in X. "I spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Saar and other regional ministers. The EU is also collaborating closely with Arab partners to explore diplomatic opportunities."…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 28 - "Zelensky rejected yesterday the Hungarian and Slovak governments' proposal for a joint agreement. Ukraine's oil blockade demonstrates President Zelensky's willingness to go to any length. The refinery and other key energy facilities will be jointly protected by soldiers and police beginning today," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a video posted on X by his spokesman, Zoltán Kovács. "In a critical situation, the Hungarian people can rely on the Hungarian…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 27 - "This is Europe's time. With the EU Commission's provisional application of Mercosur, companies and businesses on both continents will be able to benefit from increased growth and prosperity," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote in X. "Germany will work tirelessly to help exploit the full potential of this historic agreement," he added. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 27 - "We are monitoring the implementation of the Italy-Albania protocol and are in contact with Italian authorities; there have been several discussions, including one about transferring migrants from Italy to Albania. Overall, I can say that the protocol's implementation is consistent with EU rules," said a Commission spokesperson in response to a question about migrants being transferred from Italy to Albanian centres. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 27 - Farmers' protests in Serbia, particularly dairy farmers, enter their third week today, with tractors still blocking at least 80 roads and highways across the country for several hours each day, some for 24 hours. According to opposition broadcaster N1, one farmer was injured after allegedly being hit by a van driver attempting to force the roadblock on a country road near Kragujevac in the country's centre. The injured person is being treated at a hospital in Kragujevac…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 27 - The unemployment rate in Germany remained at 6.3% in February. This figure is consistent with economists' expectations. (ANSA).