Ansa news

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 20 - According to the Financial Times, the EU is considering appointing Angela Merkel or Mario Draghi as intermediaries with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The economic daily also reports growing support for Europe to appoint its own representative, as US-led talks on Ukraine stall. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 20 - Italy and India are "two peninsulas, two logistics platforms projected into critical global spaces, the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific. We believe that strengthening the connections between these two great spaces is critical, and we are also committed to advancing the Imec, the Infrastructure and Economic Corridor connecting Europe, the Middle East, and India. This initiative arose within the G20, and we both strongly support it because we believe it has extraordinary…

(ANSA-AFP) - WARSAW, MAY 20 - Budapest and Warsaw will work to defend their common interests in Brussels, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk told his Hungarian counterpart Peter Magyar. Magyar chose Poland for his first foreign visit after his election win over Hungary's longtime leader Viktor Orban, a Kremlin-friendly nationalist who oversaw years of tensions with Tusk's government. "Through our daily work, we shall show that Hungary and Poland are one," Tusk told a joint news conference with…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 20 - The European Commission has allocated €158.9 million to Albania (€49 million), Montenegro (€44.2 million), and North Macedonia (€65.7 million) as part of the €6 billion Western Balkans Growth Plan, which aims to integrate partners into the EU's single market while also promoting regional economic cooperation and reforms. This allocation follows the third payment request and the Commission's positive assessment of Albania and Montenegro's business competitiveness…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 20 - The American patient who tested positive for Ebola over the weekend in Congo, where he works, has been isolated at Charité University Hospital in Berlin, according to the German Ministry of Health. "We are not currently releasing information about the patient's health," the ministry stated. The man, who is being treated in Germany at the request of the United States, arrived at 3:00 a.m. in an ambulance accompanied by police officers. The isolation station is located…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 20 - According to a statement, the Pentagon plans to reduce the number of US troop brigades in Europe from four to three. The Pentagon "reduced the total number of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) assigned to Europe from four to three." This restores their levels in Europe to 2021 levels. The statement reads further, "The decision is the result of a comprehensive, multi-layered process aimed at positioning US forces in Europe. This causes a temporary delay in the deployment of…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 20 - After a drone was spotted near the Belarusian border, the country's top officials were taken to air raid shelters in the capital as a precaution. Residents were encouraged to seek refuge in the region's emergency shelters. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAY 19 - Slovenia's Democratic Party (SDS) leader, Janez Janša, has been nominated by a group of MPs to be the next Prime Minister. According to Slovenian news agency STA, he is expected to form his fourth government with like-minded centre-right parties, the Democrats and the New Slovenia (NSi) alliance, as well as external support from the populist Truth party. On Tuesday, Janša's nomination was signed by 48 MPs and submitted to the National Assembly. To be elected, he needs…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 19 - Following its launch in Trieste and stops in Ljubljana, Belgrade, and Podgorica, the first series of Liberal Dialogues, organised by the Southeast Europe Observatory (SEE), concluded today in Tirana with a meeting on the theme "Liberalism, Education, and Entrepreneurship." Eva Ciuk, coordinator of the Southeast Europe Observatory's scientific committee, attended the event in the Albanian capital, as did Andrea Cangini, secretary general of the Einaudi Foundation and director…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 19 - "Italy is firmly in favour of the Western Balkans' effective membership in the European Union. This accession has been long-awaited, and it must produce a concrete result while acknowledging that several steps remain. At the same time, all participants express a strong desire to feel a part of the European project." Minister for European Affairs Tommaso Foti made this statement while speaking at the Eleventh Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR),…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 19 - "This Parliament has served as a home for many of our country's friends, and we value and appreciate that friendship. Thank you for your political support and resolutions that have aided our path to EU membership," said Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who will receive the European Order of Merit today during a press briefing in Strasbourg alongside European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. "I am deeply honoured to receive the European Order of Merit: it is a recognition…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 19 - "648 people have been arrested since controls were reintroduced at the Italy-Slovenia border, including 277 for aiding and abetting illegal immigration. In addition, nearly 1.5 million people have been identified, 700,000 vehicles have been inspected, and 11,000 illegal immigrants have been located." Matteo Piantedosi, the Interior Minister, stated this in X. "These numbers demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement to ensuring security at our borders and demonstrate…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 19 - In Germany, the number of employed people decreased in the first quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of employed people decreased by 486,000, or 1.1%, from the previous quarter to 45.6 million. The manufacturing (-2.1%) and construction (-1.1%) sectors were disproportionately affected by job losses. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 19 - Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi attended the MED9 Interior Ministers' Meeting in Rovinj, Croatia. The political discussion, according to a statement, focused on migration issues, as well as common priorities in the Mediterranean region, EU external partnerships, repatriation implementation, specific tools to be expanded for managing flows from Africa, and the fight against traffickers. Minister Piantedosi met with his Greek counterpart Athanasios Plevris on the sidelines…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 18 MAG - A new large submerged tunnel of the Timavo River has been discovered and explored during an exploratory dive, the result of a collaboration between the speleological section of the Trieste Alpine Club and the Slovenian speleological group Dimnice Koper. According to the CAT, the protagonist of the exploration was Slovenian cave diver Simon Burja, who succeeded in surpassing a limit that had remained uncrossed for almost ten years: the terminal point reached in 2016 by…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 18 - Andris Kulbergs, Latvia's Prime Minister-designate, began his round of consultations today to prepare for the formation of the country's new government. Kulbergs stated that he intends to form a new government that will include his party, the United List, the opposition National Alliance, outgoing Prime Minister Evika Silina's New Unity party, and the Farmers and Greens Alliance, which is already in power. At the conclusion of the initial discussions, the Prime Minister-designate…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAY 18 - Chuck my life (Czech Republic) for theater/circus, Nove stare zgodbe (Slovenia) for music, and Adam's Apple (Switzerland) for dance are the three winning shows from the sixth edition of Mittelyoung which will be performed at Mittelfest from July 16th to 26th in Cividale del Friuli. The winning shows explore fear, the theme chosen by Mittelfest artistic director Giacomo Pedini for the 35th edition of the festival. Czech artist Arman Kupelyan brought loneliness and the most…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 18 - Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Europe to play an active role in resolving Russia's aggression against Ukraine. She "personally believes it is absolutely right" to militarily support Ukraine while also acting as a deterrent, the former CDU leader said today at the WDR-Europaforum in Berlin. "What I regret is that, in my opinion, Europe is not fully realising its diplomatic potential." "Diplomacy has always been the flip side of the coin, even during the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 18 - Slovenia's regulated petroleum product prices will rise at midnight, with regular petrol rising 2.6 cents to EUR 1.709 per litre and diesel rising 1.9 cents to EUR 1.753 per litre. Regulated prices, which apply only outside the motorway network, will continue to be set weekly using a methodology that takes into account price trends tracked by PLATT's European Marketscan as well as the dollar-euro exchange rate. Since March 20, fuel prices at service stations along motorways…

(ANSA) - VENICE, MAY 18 - Naitec, a subsidiary of Save Group specializing in the digitization of airport operational processes, has been selected by Tirana International Airport, as part of an international tender, to develop an integrated IT system. Managed by the Kastrati Group since late 2020, the airport has increased its role as a regional aviation hub, reaching reaching a passenger volume of 11.6 million in 2025, a 249% increase compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic - confirming its…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 18 - The European Commission confirmed that "a phone call occurred between President von der Leyen and President Vucic." The discussion focused on the upcoming Western Balkans Summit in June, as well as the current status of EU accession reforms and the Western Balkans' growth plan." Paula Pinho, the EU executive spokesperson, stated this during the press briefing. "In this context," she continued, "President von der Leyen reaffirmed our commitment to assisting Serbia on its…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 18 - German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt plans to significantly increase civil defence capabilities in Germany through a €10 billion special programme. Bild announced this in an article published in today's issue. These measures will help to strengthen civil defence and respond to emergencies in the event of war or an attack. The funds are expected to be used for additional equipment, buildings, personnel, and technology, including the Federal Technical Relief Agency…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 18 - Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has announced that he will officially launch his new political party on May 26. The announcement was made via a video posted on social media, featuring two children from behind in a stadium wearing football jerseys with the numbers 26 and 5 (the party's launch date). The video's caption reads, "The time is now." On May 1, Tsipras unveiled the new party's manifesto for "a governing left," which reaffirmed the goal of uniting "the…

(di Claudia Fascia) (ANSA) - ROMA, MAY 17 - Bulgaria with Dara and her catchphrase Bangaranga wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Dara - surprisingly and against eve's predictions - succeeded in the not easy feat of getting both the quality juries and the televote to agree. It is the country's first victory, whose best result so far was a second place in 2017. Italy has to settle for fifth place, despite the fact that Sal Da Vinci, winner of the last Sanremo Festival with Per Sempre Sì, is achieving…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAY 16 - This week, Croatian representatives received the remains of 500 victims of postwar killings who have been unequivocally identified as Croatian, according to the Slovenian news agency STA. Part of the ceremony was held in Maribor, where Minister of Croatian Veterans Tomo Medved laid a wreath in the memorial park at the Dobrava Cemetery. The Ministry of Croatian Veterans organised the handover ceremony in accordance with an agreement reached last summer during a session…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 16 - "The Chisinau Declaration, adopted today by the Council of Europe's 46 member states, recognises the legitimacy of nations to implement innovative solutions for managing migration flows, such as repatriation hubs in third countries, based on the model pioneered by Italy in Albania." Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on social media that "this is an important achievement, the fruit of a process that Italy helped pioneer with courage and determination, together with…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAY 15 - Slovenian energy company Petrol reported a 73% drop in first-quarter net profit, blaming Slovenia's fuel price regulation regime for losses in its core petroleum products business despite significantly higher sales volumes, according to Slovenian news agency STA. According to Friday's earnings release, the group's net profit was EUR 8 million, a 73% decrease from the previous year, as revenue remained flat at EUR 1.53 billion despite a 10% increase in volume sales of petroleum…

(ANSA) - UDINE, 15 MAG - Making mountain settlements safer, more sustainable, and more attractive in areas affected by depopulation, deterioration of the building stock, and the growing impact of climate change. This is the goal of Rehome - Resilient Housing for Mountain Environments, a cross-border Italy-Austria project dedicated to housing resilience in Alpine areas, led by the Carnia Mountain Community. The project, co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A Italy-Austria 2021-2027…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 15 - FS Engineering, along with Project Biro Utiber d.o.o. and Utiber Közúti Beruházó Kft., was awarded a contract to prepare a land use plan, feasibility study, and preliminary design for the reconstruction and modernisation of the Ruma-Šabac-Donja Borina Junction-State Border railway line in Serbia. According to FS news, the project consists of approximately 110 kilometres of non-electrified single-track line dedicated to both passenger and freight traffic. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 15 - The first of two days of meetings and discussions on "The Risiera di San Sabba trial of 1976, half a century later" begins this morning. A series of in-depth discussions will be held at the University of Trieste. Today's scheduled talks were opened by Professor Mauro Barberis. "This is an almost unique event," he said, "to discuss a trial that has been forgotten for years and, especially in today's world, has symbolic meaning. We are celebrating not only memory, as we…