Ansa news

(ANSA) - UDINE, 17 SET - Eight countries and as many urban areas, divided by national borders but united by common needs and shared prospects for cultural welfare, health, and cross-border cooperation, were at the center of the fourth Meeting of European Cross-Border Cities, held today in Gorizia and organized by the Mitteleuropa Association and Gect Go. Alongside Gorizia (Italy) and Nova Gorica (Slovenia), participants included Cieszyn (Poland) and Českì Těšín (Czech Republic), Valga (Estonia)…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 17 SET - Romanian President Nicușor Dan has appointed Liberal MEP Siegfried Mureșan to try to form a new government and end a political crisis that has lasted more than four months. However, the appointment is not yet official: Mureșan has requested a few hours to consider the situation before informing the head of state whether he will accept the position. Dan made his decision after consulting with all political parties represented in Parliament today at the Cotroceni presidential…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 17 SET - The international marine pollution response exercise "POLex 2026" will be held on September 23 and 24 in Koper, Slovenia. The event is being organised and hosted by the Slovenian Maritime Administration as part of the European project "Adriatic Sensitive Areas Protection Mechanism" (ASAP), which is being coordinated by the Executive Secretariat of the Central European Initiative. ASAP, which is co-financed by the EU, brings together partners from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 17 SET - Poland has temporarily closed its airports in Lublin and Rzeszów for "military aviation operations," according to the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency. The Armed Forces Operational Command stated that the operations were "related to Russian attacks using unmanned jet aircraft on western Ukrainian territory." "Ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems are operationally ready. These actions are preventive in nature, with the goal of ensuring the safety…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 17 SET - The interior ministers of Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia will meet in Pordenone on September 22. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, Minister for Parliamentary Relations Luca Ciriani, and Deputy Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Vannia Gava will represent the Italian government at the proceedings, which will take place at Villa Cattaneo. There will be a press briefing afterward. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 17 SET - Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Czech counterpart Andrej Babiš, who are on an official visit to Sofia, have formed a "united front" within the EU against the "continued flow of money and arms" for the Ukrainian war. "We must prioritise our citizens' well-being and security over the ongoing influx of money and weapons into this conflict. "Andrej and I believe that the word 'peace' should be used more frequently at our European and NATO summits, because it is unacceptable…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 16 SET - Registration is now open for the sailing event "Go to Barcolana from Slovenia," which will take crews from Portorož to the Gulf of Trieste on October 10—the day before Generali's major Barcolana58 regatta. The initiative, presented today in Koper (Capodistria), involves a flotilla crossing from Slovenia's coast to Trieste, combining competition with the pleasure of sailing together. According to Mitja Gialuz, president of the Barcola and Grignano Sailing Club (SVBG),…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 16 SET - A crowd of protesters gathered in Pristina outside the headquarters of the EU mission in Kosovo (EULEX), which facilitated the extradition of Hashim Thaci and other KLA leaders convicted today in The Hague, and attempted to storm the building, which was defended by a large number of riot police. Several protesters attempted to enter the courtyard by climbing over the EULEX building's barbed-wire-topped fence, but were repelled. According to on-scene sources, the building…

(ANSA-AFP) - STRASBOURG, 16 SET - The European Union will ban social media for children under 13 and allow only limited, supervised access until the age of 15 under plans unveiled Wednesday by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. A global backlash against social media has piled pressure on policymakers, with a rising body of evidence showing negative impacts on children's physical and mental health. Australia last year became the first country to ban social media for under-16s, triggering a wave of similar…

(ANSA-AFP) - THE HAGUE, 16 SET - Kosovo's former president Hashim Thaci was found guilty of war crimes and jailed for 25 years by a tribunal in the Hague on Wednesday, the court said in a long-awaited verdict likely to spark outrage in the Balkan country. The judges said Thaci, who was tried along with three other former guerrilla leaders, was guilty of illegal arrests, torture, murder and cruel treatment. Thaci is considered a hero by many in Kosovo, who have been eagerly awaiting the verdict after…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 16 SET - "The deep suffering in Gaza, as well as unchecked settler violence in the West Bank, have had a profound impact on Europeans. The Israeli government's decision to proceed with the illegal E1 settlement project is unacceptable. Last year, I urged Europe to act by proposing a number of measures. Many Europeans are disappointed that Member States were unable to reach the necessary majority for a unified response. Some Member States have already moved in this direction. Others…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 16 SET - A large crowd gathered in a square in central Pristina to watch the verdict from the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague regarding Hashim Thaci and other former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders on a giant screen; the ruling was scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and is being streamed with a 10-minute delay. A large number of citizens spent the nite in the square. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 16 SET - Wizz Air and Trieste Airport - Friuli-Venezia Giulia have announced a new Wizz Air route connecting Trieste and Pristina, Kosovo. The new route, which is already available for purchase on the Wizz Air website and the WIZZ app, will go live on December 19. According to Trieste Airport, the service will run twice weekly during the peak winter season (Tuesdays and Saturdays) and three times weekly during the summer season (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays). This new link…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 15 SET - The Serbian student protest movement has announced the "Student List - 'Students Win'" to challenge Aleksandar Vučić's United Serbia party in the upcoming snap elections on October 25th. Yesterday evening, the movement released a list of its 250 candidates on its website, Studenti.org.rs. Following that, in a festive procession—participants wearing white T-shirts bearing the red slogan "Students Win" and accompanied by a small band—they carried a replica of the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 15 SET - "Italy is positively considering the possibility of replacing the Schengen suspension"—currently in place at the border between Italy and Slovenia—"with agreed-upon alternative measures that ensure security and combat irregular immigration" once the current extension expires, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said during a joint press conference with his Slovenian counterpart, Tone Kajzer. "I've already discussed this with Piantedosi," he stated. The plan calls for…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 15 SET - "Integrating the Western Balkans is more than just an enlargement process; it is about uniting Europe and reaffirming its founding values—individual, political, and religious freedoms. This is central to the Central European Initiative's mission. Young people are central to this journey because they are not the future, but the present. We are building Europe now." CEI Secretary General Franco Dal Mas made this statement today at the South East Europe Observatory Forum.…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 15 SET - "The Western Balkan countries are European," and "we must ensure their entry into the European Union—as is their right—as soon as possible," said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani today, speaking at a discussion in Trieste titled "Accelerating Western Balkans Integration: A Strategic Choice for Europe's Future." However, Europe must not take a hostile stance in this regard: "We must be strict about accession procedures but not obstructive. If we delay due to bureaucracy,…

(ANSA-AFP) - VILNIUS, 15 SET - NATO fighter jets shot down a drone over Lithuania, the Baltic state's president said Tuesday, in the latest security incident on the alliance's eastern flank during Russia's war with Ukraine. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia -- NATO members sharing a long border with Russia -- regularly report drone incursions since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets," Gitanas Nauseda…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 14 SET - Slovenia's regulated fuel prices will rise on Tuesday, with diesel rising by 5.2 cents to a new record of EUR 1.991 per litre, according to Slovenian news agency STA. Petrol will be 5.4 cents more expensive at EUR 1.718 per litre. The new prices will apply until September 21. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 14 SET - "Senza l'Ucraina, così come i Balcani occidentali, in Europa perdiamo tempo e non riusciamo a fare di questa Europa quella vera e propria potenza che è l'Ue". Lo ha detto, oggi a Trieste, il segretario generale dell'Ince, Franco Dal Mas, al termine di un incontro con l'ambasciatore dell'Ucraina in Italia, Ihor Brusylo. "L'allargamento dell'Ue è prima di tutto riunificazione dell'Europa - ha sottolineato Dal Mas - ricordiamocelo bene. L'ha detto mille volte Tajani, lo…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 14 SET - "Without Ukraine and the Western Balkans, we are wasting time in Europe and failing to transform this Europe into the true powerhouse that the EU represents," said Franco Dal Mas, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative (CEI), following a meeting with Ukraine's Ambassador to Italy, Ihor Brusylo, today in Trieste. "EU enlargement is, first and foremost, the reunification of Europe," Dal Mas stated. "Let us keep that in mind. Tajani has repeatedly stated that…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 14 SET - "Russia also views the EU as a weak link," and "attacking Ukraine was not Russia's only goal; another goal was to cause Europe to explode—to tear it apart from within," said Ukraine's Ambassador to Italy, Ihor Brusylo, in Trieste today following a meeting at the CEI (Central European Initiative) General Secretariat headquarters. "We must work together to provide a more concrete response to what is happening. As elections in Italy, Poland, Spain, and France approach,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 14 SET - "Here, in Europe's far north, one can see how much Europe's peace is threatened. I can only urge us all to take this threat seriously," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Rovaniemi, Finland, near the Arctic Circle, where he met with other EU leaders. (ANSA).

(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, 14 SET - One person died and 25 remained missing after a boat filled with migrants sank off the Greek island of Gavdos, near Crete, the coast guard told AFP on Monday. "Fifty-one were picked up by two boats that were in the area," a coastguard spokesman said, adding that according to those plucked from the sea, 77 people were on board the boat when it went down. Crete and Gavdos, about 320 kilometres (200 miles) from the Libyan coast, have become the main point of entry for…

(ANSA-AFP) - PRISTINA, 14 SET - Kosovo's parliament on Sunday approved a new government led by acting prime minister Albin Kurti, ending three months of post-election deadlock, but with political instability expected to continue in Europe's youngest democracy. The cabinet, dominated by members of Kurti's Vetevendosje (Self-determination) party, was backed by 62 lawmakers in the 120-seat assembly, parliamentary speaker Albulena Haxhiu said. Kosovo has been roiled by political instability because…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 11 SET - Hybrid threats require Europe to overcome the fragmentation between infrastructure, technology, information, the economy and society, and to identify in advance the connections that can transform isolated vulnerabilities into a systemic crisis. This was the message put forward by Albertina Nania, Professor of History and Theories of International Economic Relations at Roma Tre University, who spoke on the panel 'Beyond the Front Lines: Strengthening European Preparedness…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 11 SET - The air link between Turin and Poland has the potential to be much more than just a tourist route: it can serve as a genuine infrastructure supporting economic relations between two regions that share industrial challenges and opportunities. This was the message that emerged from the discussion on the theme "Connecting regions. Creating opportunities. How air connectivity can build long-term European partnerships', organised at the 35th Karpacz Economic Forum by Confindustria…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 11 SET - Security, competitiveness, infrastructure and new technologies were the key themes of the 35th Karpacz Economic Forum, which concluded yesterday after three days of meetings attended by over 6,000 participants and featuring more than 500 panel discussions. Under the title 'Architecture of the New Order - Stability in Times of Change', the Polish summit brought together representatives from politics, business, institutions and academia. Many government ministers were in…

(ANSA) - KARPACZ, 11 SET - Central and Eastern Europe must prepare for a protracted standoff with Russia, which is set to take on different forms regardless of the outcome of the war in Ukraine. This is the scenario outlined for 2027 during the panel discussion 'A year of war? A year of peace? Security prospects for Central and Eastern Europe in 2027', organised as part of the 35th edition of the Karpacz Economic Forum in Poland. The debate, which focused on the prospects for peace and security…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 11 SET - While asylum applications in Europe are declining significantly—down 17% to their lowest levels since 2019—Greece remains at the top of the list in terms of pressure exerted relative to population size. This is according to a new report by the European Union Agency for Asylum, as cited by Greek media. Specifically, in the first half of the year, the Mediterranean nation received approximately 23,000 applications for international protection, accounting for 7% of the…