Ansa news

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 27 - Customers of the Lufthansa Group have been reassured that paraffin shortages won't cause flight cancellations this summer. "At all six of the Lufthansa Group's European hubs—Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, and Rome—as well as at other airports abroad, there are no signs from our suppliers that fuel supplies are at risk this summer," stated Dieter Vranckx, a member of the board of directors. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 27 - Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who led Greece during the turbulent years of the debt crisis, has decided to return to politics by forming a new party called ELAS, which stands for "Coalition of the Greek Left." This party seeks to unite "the historical currents of social democracy, the radical left, and environmental movements." At a large event last night in the historic district of Thiseio, with the Acropolis in the background, Tsipras declared that the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 27 - In an exclusive interview with China Media Group's 'Leaders Talk' programme, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that the country's position on Taiwan has always been consistent. "I don't understand why people are always trying to cause trouble and controversy over issues that, under international law, aren't a problem at all. The Taiwan issue is a Chinese internal matter. According to the UN Charter, Taiwan is part of China. "It's that simple," Vučić told CGTN.…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 26 - Andris Kulbergs, Latvia's Prime Minister-designate, announced today the composition of his cabinet, which is supported by the United List (LU), New Unity (NU), and National Alliance (AN), and will be put to a vote of confidence in the Riga Parliament on Thursday, May 28. Maris Kucinskis (appointed Finance Minister), Edvards Smiltens (Justice), and Egdars Tavars (Telecommunications and Regional Development) will represent the prime minister's party, Lu, in the new cabinet.…

(ANSA-AFP) - SARAJEVO, MAY 26 - Bosnia's Serb entity asked the UN Tuesday to scrap or curtail the powers held by the international envoy tasked with overseeing the peace agreement that has held the country together since its 1990s war. The previous envoy, Christian Schmidt, resigned earlier this month after five years in the posting, with reports that he'd left under pressure from the White House following years of tensions with Serb leaders. Schmidt's replacement is expected to be appointed by…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 26 - On Sunday, May 31st, approximately 2,500 cyclists will take part in the tenth edition of Eroica Montalcino, which begins on the Val d'Orcia's dirt roads. "Many are coming for the first time, then returning: it's the clearest sign that this area leaves something behind," says Franco Rossi, president of Eroica Italia, the event's organiser. In addition to the Italian presence, foreign participation makes up nearly 30%. The most represented countries are Germany (13.4%),…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 26 - "I'm in Vilnius to send a clear message: Europe is in complete solidarity and unity with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. And we are stepping up our assistance. Because when the Baltic states are tested, Europe as a whole is tested," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X while visiting Lithuania and meeting with Baltic leaders. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 26 - Has Hungary's government announced plans to reinstate the ban on agricultural imports from Ukraine? "We do not believe that such measures risk fragmenting the single market," said European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier during the daily press briefing. These measures are "justified following the recent comprehensive update of the EU-Ukraine free trade agreement, given the robustness and protection clearly offered by last year's updated agreement, including a safeguard…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 26 - Poland is opposing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's proposal to grant Ukraine associate membership in the European Union. "For a long time, Poland's position has been that of the so-called merit-based process," Ignacy Niemczycki, Polish State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated upon his arrival at the General Affairs Council. "We already have a process in place that has proven effective in the past, and we want to ensure that this is the path forward.…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 26 - A growing number of EU countries support strengthening and expanding the mandatory origin labelling system to include "as many food products as possible." This is the request made to the European Commission by a group of EU countries led by Italy, Austria, and France during the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, which is currently taking place in Brussels. The three capitals, with the support of Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia,…

(ANSA-AFP) - BEIJING, MAY 25 - Chinese President Xi Jinping called for greater cooperation with Serbia on artificial intelligence, energy, and infrastructure during talks with Aleksandar Vucic on Monday. The Serbian president is the latest in a string of foreign leaders to make the pilgrimage to Beijing in recent months as the world grapples with the economic fallout from the war in the Middle East. Serbia has maintained close ties to Beijing and benefited from a boom in Chinese investment over…

(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, MAY 25 - Twenty people were arrested on Monday on the Greek island of Crete as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged embezzlement of millions of euros in European Union agricultural subsidies, Greek police said. Among those detained in the operation are two accountants and three heads of administrative centres managing applications for agricultural subsidies on the island, the police said. The authorities said suspects had embezzled an estimated three million euros…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 25 - Nino Benvenuti, who died in Rome on May 20, 2025, had his ashes scattered at sea off Izola/Isola d'Istria (now Slovenia), where he was born on April 26, 1938, according to Nem Group newspapers, with the choice being dictated by "his last wishes." He wanted to return to his family's birthplace, where he spent his childhood, with his brothers Dario and Alfio," according to his daughter Nathalie Bertorello, who is the legal representative of the ashes. A wreath of laurel…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 25 - "The multilateral trading system is currently under threat from a number of actors, including the rise of unfair trading practices. In this context, it is up to the EU to restore a level playing field, both within its own market and with its partners, so that trade can thrive and competition can play its full role within a secure legal framework. While we acknowledge the significant progress made in recent years in trade defence, we believe there is still room for improvement."…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 25 - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visited the Great Wall for the first time yesterday, on the first day of his state visit to China, according to the Global Times. When asked how he felt standing on the Great Wall, Vucic said it clearly demonstrated the Chinese people's tenacity, diligence, and dedication to defending their country's borders and sovereignty. (ANSA).

(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADE, 24 MAG - More than 180,000 people rallied in Belgrade on Saturday evening to demand elections in a bid to breathe fresh life into the protest movement sparked by a 2024 train station accident, according to an independent monitor. The opposition has long demanded a probe into corruption over the November 2024 train station canopy collapse in the northern city of Novi Sad, which caused 16 deaths that protesters blame on endemic graft. Between 180,000 and 190,000 people turned…

(ANSA-AFP) - WARSAW, 24 MAG - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a key Russian ally, held a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Minsk said Sunday, in the first reported phone contact between the leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. "The heads of state discussed regional issues and Belarus' relations with the EU and with France in particular," a brief readout on the Belarusian presidency's website said, adding that the conversation took place "at the initiative…

(ANSA) - TIRANA, MAY 24 - Last night's Russian missile attack accross Kyiv also hit a residential complex where Albania's ambassador to Ukraine, Ernal Filo, lives, Albanian Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha announced today in a post on X, in which he strongly condemned "the brutal, large-scale attack. The life of our ambassador has been seriously put at risk, and this is unacceptable." "I saw death with my own eyes," Filo told Albanian broadcaster Report TV, describing the "extensive and serious damage"…

(ANSA-AFP) - KYIV, 24 MAG - Russia launched a nuclear-capable Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic missile as part of massive overnight strikes on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday. "Three Russian missiles against a water supply facility, a market burnt down, dozens of residential buildings damaged, several ordinary schools, and he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) launched his 'Oreshnik' against Bila Tserkva (in central Ukraine). They are genuinely deranged," Zelensky said on Telegram.…

(ANSA-AFP) - FRANKFURT, 23 MAG - Two trams collided head-on in the German city of Duesseldorf on Saturday, injuring over 50 people, including many who needed hospital treatment, the fire service said. The accident happened at around 11:30 am (0930 GMT) at a busy intersection of the western city, and emergency services were quickly deployed to the scene. Twenty-eight of the injured were taken to hospital, while another 28 were more lightly injured and received treatment at the scene, said a fire…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAY 23 - Protesters gathered in central Belgrade today for a large student-led anti-government rally, with organisers calling for early parliamentary elections and accusing authorities of protecting corruption. The demonstration is part of a student movement challenging President Aleksandar Vučić's rule, which has gained widespread support. The movement was sparked by the November 1, 2024, collapse of a concrete canopy at Novi Sad's railway station, which killed 16 people. Students…

(ANSA-AFP) - WARSAW, 23 MAG - A new drone incident in Latvia -- in which the errant flying device exploded when it crashed into a lake Saturday -- added to anxiety and political ructions in the Baltic country that borders Russia. The drone came down in Lake Dridza, 15 kilometres (eight miles) from Latvia's border with Belarus, according to police, who recovered its remains after being alerted by locals. Belarus is Russia's ally in Moscow's war against Ukraine. Several Russian and Ukrainian drones…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAY 23 - "The pilot program for Italian-German bilingual classes will begin in September in Paluzza, Sappada, and Sauris/Zahre," Friuli Venezia Giulia's Education Councilor, Alessia Rosolen, announced. "The pilot program will last eight years and will begin in preschool and primary schools, gradually extending to middle schools.", she added. With the favorable opinion of the Higher Council of Public Education, the preparatory process for launching Italian-German bilingual schools…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 22 - The secretariats of CGIL, CISL, and UIL Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Italian members of the Friuli Venezia Giulia-Slovenia Interregional Trade Union Council, have expressed "full solidarity" with Slovenian unions and "full support" for their initiatives to counter the new Jansa government's "unacceptable attack" on workers' and pensioners' conditions in a letter addressed to the leaders of the Slovenian unions ZSSS and KS90. The initiative by CGIL, CISL, and UIL follows…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 22 - EU leaders congratulate Janez Jansa on his appointment as Slovenia's Prime Minister. "Congratulations, Janez. I am looking forward to working with you to address our common challenges, such as strengthening our security, economic resilience, and global competitiveness. For Slovenia and for Europe," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on social media. "Congratulations on your reelection as Prime Minister of Slovenia. I look forward to working with you…

(ANSA-AFP) - LJUBLJANA, MAY 22 - Slovenia's parliament elected nationalist leader Janez Jansa as prime minister on Friday, after a minority coalition deal and with the fragile support of a protest party. Fifty-one members of parliament voted to return the right-wing Jansa, an admirer of US President Donald Trump, to power while 36 voted against, according to an AFP count of the televised vote. (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 22 - In a joint statement on the West Bank, the leaders of the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Germany call on "the Israeli government to end the expansion of settlements and administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence and investigate allegations against Israeli forces, respect the Hashemite custodianship of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem and the historic agreements on the status quo, and lift financial restrictions on the Palestinian Authority and the…

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, MAY 22 - A US doctor who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo is "severely weakened" but not in critical condition, the German hospital treating him said Friday. His wife and four children, in quarantine at the same medical facility, have no symptoms and have not tested positive for the haemorrhagic fever, Berlin's Charite hospital said. Medical missionary Dr Peter Stafford was flown to Germany for treatment earlier this week from DRC after being infected during…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 22 - "Germany's vision is legitimate; it is the most industrialised nation. However, Italy wants to play an important role in both the European Union and NATO, as there is a significant commitment, including the number of troops deployed there. As a result, Italy will play a role and contribute to NATO's European leadership. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani made this statement upon his arrival at the ministerial meeting. (ANSA).

(ANSA-AFP) - HELSINGBORG, MAY 22 - NATO chief Mark Rutte Friday welcomed President Donald Trump's announcement that 5,000 US troops would head to Poland, after an earlier planned deployment was called off amid pressure for Europe to fend for itself. "Of course, I welcome the announcement," the secretary general told reporters ahead of a meeting of alliance foreign ministers in Sweden, adding that NATO "military commanders are working through all the details". (ANSA-AFP).