Ansa news

(ANSA) - BUDAPEST, JUN 28 - With police authorization, a far-right demonstration has begun in Budapest on the same square in front of City Hall where Pride participants will begin gathering at 2 p.m. Another demonstration by the extremist Our Fatherland (Mi Hazank) party is scheduled to take place on the same announced route as Pride, and a party deputy Elod Novak has threatened to close the Szabadsag (Freedom) Bridge over which the procession intends to pass. "If the police do nothing to prevent…

(ANSA) - ANCONA, JUN 27 - "The European Council these days will take stock of progress in the process of Europe's enlargement to the Western Balkans, in what Meloni called a reunification process, because the Balkans are not simply neighbors, nor periphery of the continent, but the geographic and geopolitical heart of Europe." This was said by the Minister of European Affairs, Tommaso Foti, in a video message that was shown in Ancona where the 25th anniversary of the Ancona Declaration by which…

(ANSA) - ANCONA, JUN 27 - A conference to celebrate cooperation among the countries that make up the Adriatic Ionian Macroregion. Twenty-five years after the Ancona Declaration-which established the Adriatic Ionian Initiative (Iaa)-a conference is being held in the Marche capital, at the Mole Vanvitelliana, to commemorate the path of institutional and commercial cooperation launched in 2000 and implemented by the states that established it (Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Greece, Italy and Slovenia) and…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 27 - Following the political agreement at the 27th Summit, the ambassadors of the EU gave their formal approval to the rollover of sectoral sanctions against Russia, which are set to expire on July 31. This information was obtained from diplomatic sources. The extension will end on January 31, 2026. During the meeting, a discussion was held about the 18th package of sanctions, and one country, Slovakia, confirmed its position that it cannot yet give its assent because it needs…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 27 - The United States has postponed the implementation of sanctions against Serbian oil company Nis (Naftna Industrija Srbije) announced by the outgoing Joe Biden administration in January for another month, to July 29. Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic announced the news today, describing it as good for the country. This is the fourth postponement announced by the American administration. Three days ago, the Belgrade government requested a new postponement…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 27 - In the usual interview with Kossuth Rádió, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that there will be "legal consequences" for those who organise or participate in the Budapest Pride, which will take place tomorrow in the Hungarian capital, despite the authorities' ban. "We are adults," Orbán said. "I recommend that everyone respect the laws; I do, and I would advise them to do the same. If they do not, they must consider the clear legal consequences," he said.…

(ANSA-AFP) - BUDAPEST, JUN 26 - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Thursday that a state-organised consultation gave him a "strong mandate" to oppose neighbouring Ukraine's EU accession at the European Union summit in Brussels. The nationalist leader -- Russia's closest partner in the European Union -- has raised a series of objections and obstacles to Kyiv's integration into the 27-nation bloc. Since such decisions require unanimity, that has brought the process to a standstill. While the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 26 - On the sidelines of the European Council, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, along with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, hosted a new informal meeting of some EU Member States most interested in the topic of innovative solutions to be applied to the management of the migratory phenomenon, particularly the strengthening of the legal framework on repatriations. Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Poland, the Czech…

(ANSA-AFP) - ZAGREB, JUN 26 - Firefighters across the Balkans were facing warnings of more wildfires and millions were told to stay at home during the hottest parts of the day, as a heatwave intensified on Wednesday. Fires already ripped through dozens of homes in Croatia's tourism-focused south on the weekend and firefighters in Albania battled to get more than a dozen blazes under control on Wednesday. Government agencies in several parts of the Balkans were expecting temperatures to approach…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 26 - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed hope that the new large anti-government demonstration planned for June 28 in Belgrade by the movement of students would proceed peacefully and in an orderly manner, with authorities and police intervening only if necessary. "If necessary, we will intervene, but I hope they will not force us to do so," Vucic said on the sidelines of an International Student Forum being held in Belgrade. The authorities have repeatedly condemned…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 26 - "Unless the EU takes concrete action today or within two weeks, each member state, including Slovenia and some countries that share our views, will be forced to take the next steps on their own. We are prepared to do so not only to demonstrate solidarity, but also to put real pressure on the Israeli government," said Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob upon arriving at the EU summit. "We could have done more in the past, but it is never too late." (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 25 - The shareholders of the Società Italiana per l'oleodotto transalpino (SIOT) approved the 2024 financial statements, which showed a profit of 2.9 million. At the same time, Alessandro Gorla was appointed president and CEO of Siot; starting July 1, he will also serve as general manager of the Tal consortium. He is Alessio Lilli's successor. Gorla, a chemical engineer, has worked for global companies including Air Liquide, General Electric, Linde, and Omv. "Beginning today,…

(ANSA-AFP) - SKOPJE, JUN 25 - A court in North Macedonia sentenced four people, including a far-right politician, to life in prison Wednesday for an extortion plot that ended in the murder of a teenage girl and a 74-year-old man. The Basic Court in the capital, Skopje, convicted Ljupco Palevski, along with three others, over the abduction and double murder in November 2023. "Each of the defendants is individually sentenced to a single sentence of life imprisonment," Judge Ivica Stefanovski told…

(ANSA-AFP) - THE HAGUE, JUN 25 - NATO leaders committed Wednesday to spend five percent of annual output on defence by 2035, seen as vital to counter the threat from Russia and keep US President Donald Trump engaged with the alliance. "Allies commit to invest five percent of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending by 2035," the 32 countries said in a joint summit statement. (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 25 - "That there is a process of easing of tension is very positive news," said Christian Wagner, spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, in response to developments in the war between Israel and Iran, which was declared "over" by the president of the United States. "We see that the skies in the area are gradually being reopened," he added, referring to the evacuation procedures for German citizens from Israel. "And the requests for repatriation to Germany are decreasing."…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 25 - In Kosovo, the 37th attempt to elect the president of the newly formed parliament following the February 9th vote failed today as well. The opposition has once again rejected the majority party Vetevendosje's (Self-determination) proposal to vote by secret ballot. A proposal put forward after that party's candidate for the presidency of the Assembly, Albulena Haxhiu, was repeatedly rejected for failing to obtain the required 61 votes for the election. All attempts to…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 24 - "Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have spent more than $1 billion on an Albanian island," Sazan, that will be a luxury resort once the unexploded ordnance is removed, according to an article by journalist Marzio Mian in The Guardian today. Sazan, already dubbed the "island of Trump" by Albanians, is on the verge of becoming a mecca for ultra-luxury tourism, adding to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's real-estate portfolio, according to the daily, despite opposition…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 24 - Slovenian police handled 7,655 illegal border crossings in the first five months of this year, a 56% decrease from the same period in 2024. Afghans accounted for the majority of all processed migrants, followed by Egyptians and Moroccans. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - GORIZIA, 24 GIU - Training of health personnel, drafting and signing of a cross-border health protocol, purchase and testing of equipment: these are some of the main results expected from the Interreg Italy-Slovenia project "Sanitas," which has just started. Project partners and other key stakeholders from the cross-border area in the fields of health, civil protection and related areas gathered in the premises of the Ajdovščina People's University. The project aims to strengthen capacity…

(ANSA-AFP) - THE HAGUE, JUN 24 - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday hailed what she called an historic spending pledge by NATO, saying Europe's defence industry had "finally awakened". "The Europe of defence has finally awakened. Tomorrow the summit will set indeed historic new spending targets for NATO allies," she said, as the alliance was set to pledge to bring spending to five percent of gross domestic product. (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 24 - German business confidence rises above estimates to 88.4 points in June, against the previous 87.5 and 88.1 points expected by the Ifo institute. Economic expectations also rise from 88.9 to 90.7 points against the 90 expected while the judgment on the current picture is rather stable at 86.2 points, above the previous 86.1 points and below the 86.5 expected. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - ATHENS, JUN 24 - For the third day in a row, firefighters are attempting to contain a large forest fire that has broken out on the Greek island of Chios in the northern Aegean. At least 444 firefighters, including those from Athens, Thessaloniki, and other Greek cities, are operating on the island, which declared a state of emergency yesterday. They are supported by 85 vehicles and 30 volunteers. The mayor of Chios, Ioannis Malafis, told Kathimerini that the fire front has reached "a length…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 23 - In terms of "what I call the reunification of Europe," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that the EU has "left a void in the Balkans for far too long." "Those nations aren't just neighbours. The Balkans lie in the heart of our continent. As a result, Italy is committed to a strategic approach to the Western Balkans in order to have a clear path to EU integration." (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 23 - On June 16, the State Police launched a trilateral patrol service between Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia in the Croatian-Bosnian border area of Cetingrad (Croatia), as part of Italy's initiatives to contain irregular immigration from the Balkan route, combat human trafficking, and strengthen internal security. The initiative arose from the trilateral format in which the Interior Ministers of Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia have met on a regular basis for the past year and…

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, JUN 23 - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that there was "no reason to criticise" the United States over its strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran. "There is no reason to criticise what America did at the weekend. Yes, it is not without risk. But leaving things as they were was not an option either," Merz said in a speech to the Federation of German Industries (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 23 - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has announced a programme to strengthen the national army with new sophisticated weapons, special units, and cutting-edge technology capable of repelling any potential external threat or attack. Speaking at the conclusion of an extended meeting of the National General Staff, Vucic cited the increasingly uncertain global situation as the primary motivation for this military policy, in which law and justice, in his opinion, are now very…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 23 - "I have asked the Minister of Defence and the heads of the armed forces to ensure that Greek Navy ships are sent outside Libyan territorial waters, in order to send a clear message, as a preventive measure and always in collaboration with the Libyan authorities and other European forces, that traffickers will not decide who can enter our territory," said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Mitsotakis spoke during his meeting with Hellenic Republic President Kostas…

(ANSA) - BRUXELLES, JUN 23 - "We do not yet know the content" of the conclusions of the EU leaders' summit regarding Ukraine, but "we do not agree at all" on Kiev's accelerated accession to the European Union: "we have a very clear position on Ukraine's obligations to respect the rights of the Hungarian minority" in the country, "which is not happening: the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine are unfortunately seriously violated." Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó explained this…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 22 GIU - A wildfire has broken out in a forested area near Kofinas on the island of Chios, prompting the evacuation of six settlements. Residents in the area of Agios Makarios Vrontados received an emergency alert at 1 p.m. via the 112 system, instructing them to evacuate and head toward Vrontados beach, as Ekathimerini site reports. Authorities have also ordered the evacuation of others areas as Paryfes, Gialourika, Panagia Voitheia, Agios Panteleimonas, Kastrominas. There are…

(ANSA-AFP) - WARSAW, 21 GIU - Belarusian opposition leader Serghei Tikhanovsky has been pardoned and released along with 13 other political prisoners. This was announced by the NGO Viasna. Tikhanovsky, 46, had been in prison for more than five years. He had planned to run against Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential election, but was arrested a few weeks before the vote. His wife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a novice in politics at the time of her husband's arrest, took…