Ansa news

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 24 - The German transport union, the Greens, has called for a nationwide transport strike on Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28. Many municipalities will discontinue passenger rail and road transport. The protest is expected to begin in the early hours of Friday and last until Saturday night or early Sunday. The sector had previously gone on strike on February 2. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 24 - On the fourth anniversary of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the meeting of EU foreign ministers to approve the twentieth round of sanctions against Moscow came to a halt. Viktor Orbán's Hungary and Robert Fico's Slovakia vetoed the package, preventing new sanctions against Russia and a €90 billion loan to Ukraine in the Foreign Affairs Council. European Council President António Costa's attempts to persuade Budapest and Bratislava were unsuccessful. He tried…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 24 - "Europeans have a clear plan for a just peace in Ukraine." As a result, they are prepared to "increase pressure on Russia," while their commitment to supporting Kiev remains unwavering. E3 foreign ministers Johann Wadephul of Germany, Jean-Noël Barrot of France, and Radoslaw Sikorski of Poland issued a joint statement in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion. In their message, titled "Europe is running out of steam," they…

(ANSA-AFP) - KYIV, FEB 24 - EU chief Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, the fourth anniversary of Moscow's invasion, vowing Europe would stand "unwaveringly" with Ukraine financially and militarily and support the country through the harsh winter. Von der Leyen, visiting the Ukrainian capital for the 10th time since Russia's invasion, said on X she was there to "underscore our enduring commitment to Ukraine's just fight". "And to send a clear message to the Ukrainian people and to…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 23 - Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced that emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine will be halted from Slovakia. Fico stated on Facebook, as reported by the Guardian, that the initiative will be cancelled once Ukraine resumes oil transit to Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline. Despite reports of war-related damage, Fico insisted that the pipeline remained operational and deemed Ukraine's refusal to transport oil unacceptable. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 23 - After months of propaganda, Hungary's election campaign for the April 12 vote has officially begun. The run-up to the vote began within the legal deadline of signature collection: in the country, each candidate must collect 500 signatures to be placed on the ballot. 106 MPs are elected in single-member constituencies, while 93 are elected using party lists. With collection points spread across the country, the two major parties, Viktor Orban's Fidesz and Peter Magyar's…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 23 - Serbian farmers, particularly cattle breeders, will resume tractor protests tomorrow morning, Tuesday, February 24, at 10:00 a.m., in what they describe as a "radicalised" demonstration against the government in support of domestic milk production. Protests, including roadblocks and at border crossings, are planned. The decision was made by 32 agricultural associations who met over the weekend in Mrčajevci, central Serbia, following a failed meeting at the Ministry of…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 23 - Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reiterated Budapest's veto of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia until Russian oil supplies from the Druzhba pipeline are restored. "Today will be a great battle; everyone will want our blood, but that is how it is. We will fight because no one can take Hungary lightly and no one can jeopardise our energy security," the Hungarian foreign minister stated in a video released on his social media channels before the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 23 - "There will be a discussion on the twentieth package of sanctions" against Moscow, "but I think there will be no progress on this today," said EU High Representative Kaja Kallas upon her arrival at the meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, emphasising Brussels' desire to "push" on the new restrictive measures, which have been blocked by Viktor Orban's veto in Hungary. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BRUXELLES, FEB 22 - "Tomorrow, at the Foreign Affairs Council, the EU intends to adopt the 20th sanctions package. Hungary will block it. Until Ukraine resumes oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline, we will not allow important decisions for Kiev to go forward." This was announced on X by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó. This week the Ukrainians decided not to resume crude oil supplies to Hungary, Szijjártó explained according to what was summarized…

(ANSA) - SKOPJE, FEB 21 - In an anti-terrorism operation that stemmed from an FBI tip, police in northern Macedonia arrested a 20-year-old young man who had an arsenal of firearms, explosives, and other military equipment in his home and who online threatened a massacre, a mass shooting in imitation of some carried out in the United States, and claimed to be mentally ill. The alert, police say, was raised by the FBI, which detected threats on the network coming from a profile called 'Discord,' and…

(ANSA) - ROMA, FEB 21 - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has warned Ukraine that it could cut off power supply if Kiev does not resume the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline. This was written by the Russian news agency Tass. "A significant part of the electricity comes to Ukraine from Hungary, and if we stop supplying it, there could be big problems. The Slovaks raised the issue yesterday and, if necessary, we will take action," Orbán said, broadcast on Hungarian TV channels.…

(ANSA) - SARAJEVO, FEB 21 - The Municipal Court in Živinice, a city in northern Bosnia-Herzegovina, on Friday, Feb. 20, confirmed the indictment of 14 fans of the Croatian soccer team Hajduk Split, who were charged with serious offenses when they attacked Red Star fans from Belgrade who had landed after an away game, and for whom they expect prison sentences ranging from three months to five years. The ultras, 11 of whom live in Croatia and three in Bosnia, have been in detention since Jan. 27.…

(ANSA) - BRUXELLES, FEB 21 - "If the Ukrainian president does not resume oil supplies to Slovakia on Monday, on the same day I will ask the Slovak companies concerned to cut off emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine." Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico writes this on X, accusing Volodymyr Zelensky "in a hostile manner towards Slovakia. First, he cut off gas flows to Slovakia, causing us 500 million euros of damage per year. Now he has disrupted oil flows, causing us further losses and logistical…

(ANSA) - BERLINO, FEB 21 - Friedrich Merz was re-elected to the leadership of the CHD with 91.17 percent of the vote of the 1001 delegates. Immediately after the result was announced, Merz took the stage and accepted the election and then was celebrated by those present. In 2022, Merz had been elected in an online party conference with 94.6 percent of the vote and later confirmed with 95.3 percent via postal vote. In 2024, he got 89.8%, so today's result is a clear improvement. (ANSA).

(ANSA-AFP) - VIENNA, FEB 20 - A massive snowstorm in Austria on Friday caused power outages, transport chaos and two deaths, including one man who was crushed by a snow plough, officials said. The man, aged 53, was killed when the plough fell down some steps in a "residential complex" in the northern city of Linz, police said. A Germany skier was killed in an avalanche in the western Tyrol region, according to police, quoted by the APA news agency. Up to 40 centimetres (16 inches) of white stuff…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 20 - The Kosovo Assembly approved the 2026 budget just a few days after taking office and forming the Kurti III government. The measure passed in second reading, with 62 MPs voting in favour and 36 voting against. The budget for 2026 is expected to be €4 billion, with revenues of €3.64 billion and loans and deficits covering the remaining amount. Finance Minister Hekuran Murati stated that the 2026 budget law is temporary and emergency, and that it will be reviewed and…

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 20 - Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Friday met his German counterpart Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the Christian Democratic UNION (CDU) Congress in Stuttgart and updated him on the inaugural meeting of United States President Donald Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza which the Italian minister attended as an observer Thursday. "At the CDU congress in Stuttgart, I met with my friend, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul," Tajani, who is also deputy premier, said on X. "We updated…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 20 - Poland has withdrawn from the "Ottawa Convention" prohibiting anti-personnel mines. "We made this decision today, along with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland, that have also withdrawn from the convention. It is solely to strengthen our deterrence and security. This was the rationale for the decision," Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told a press conference in Krakow following the E5 defence meeting. "We did not want to do it, but because Russia…

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, FEB 20 - A year after his election win, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a congress of his conservative party Friday, bruised by low popularity ratings, unmet campaign promises and pressure from the far right. Among the high-profile guests at the CDU party congress for the first time in years will be his predecessor and long-time party rival Angela Merkel. Merz, 70, has made it his mission to steer their Christian Democratic Union back to its conservative roots and undo…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 20 - The E5 Defence Ministers' Meeting started in Krakow today. The E5 includes EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska, and Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. "We are here to confirm the strength of our allied relations and adopt declarations on the development of our capabilities," said Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, who is in charge of defence. "Today," he continued, "I'd like to focus on long-range…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 20 - Economic activity in the German private sector increased in February, reaching a four-month high, owing to improvements in both manufacturing and services. The HCOB composite PMI increased to 53.1, with manufacturing at 50.7, a 44-month high. Services increased to 53.4. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - ROMA, FEB 19 - "The invasion of Ukraine has completely subverted the European balance: if for Europe the stability of the Balkans is important, for Italy it is a vital chapter of the foreign and European political agenda." This was said by European Policy Committee Secretary Tatjana Rojc in her speech at the discussion on "The European Future of the Balkans," sponsored by the Alumni Association of the College of Europe. "The war in Ukraine," Rojc explained, "inevitably leads to a new division…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 19 - The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) project, coordinated by Italy through the Ministry of Education, University, and Research, held its second biennial Symposium in Bucharest, which was attended by 150 stakeholders. The event in Romania marked a watershed moment in the partnership's seven-year journey, establishing the priorities for the next phase. The partnership, which is co-funded by the European Commission through Horizon Europe and focuses on research…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 19 - "The German economy closed 2025 with significant growth," "the increase at the end of 2025 was driven primarily by private and public consumption," and "the economy is expected to continue its recovery in the first quarter, albeit with weak momentum," according to the Bundesbank's monthly report released today. In terms of government finances, the Frankfurt-based institution clarifies: "Temporary higher deficits are understandable in order to quickly address the challenges…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 19 - Eurozone households pay roughly twice as much for electricity as energy-intensive industries, owing to higher costs across the board. In France and the Netherlands, households pay approximately 64% and 20% more than energy-intensive industries. The phenomenon is even more pronounced in Germany, Spain, and Italy, where household electricity prices are about 100% higher, according to the ECB's economic bulletin. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 19 - A more agile, technologically advanced Frontex with a strong emphasis on third-country participation is the European Border and Coast Guard Agency's vision for the future, with a focus on improving returns and advanced use of drones and artificial intelligence. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, Greece, Spain, and Malta presented a non-paper ahead of the Frontex reform, which is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026. The plan…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 19 - The European Commission has scheduled an ad hoc coordination group on oil for Wednesday, February 25, "to discuss the impact of the disruption of supplies" of Russian crude oil from the Druzhba pipeline, as well as possible alternative supply sources. Regarding Hungary and Slovakia's retaliation by suspending energy supplies to Kiev, an EU spokesperson stated that the EU Commission is "evaluating this information because this is a constantly changing situation." In theory,…

(ANSA) - SOFIA, 19 FEB - Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova signed the decree approving the composition of the interim government presented yesterday by interim Prime Minister Andrey Ghyurov. In another decree, Yotova set the date for early parliamentary elections for April 19, as she had already announced yesterday. The government was subsequently sworn in by parliament and took office, as it is an interim government, appointed by the head of State with a provisional mandate and therefore, according…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 18 - Corridor VIII is "a political and economic priority for Italy and Europe: it will strengthen regional dialogue and European cooperation, and will serve as an additional platform, also in synergy with the IMEC corridor," Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated on X. Tajani was in Tirana today with his counterparts from Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Romania to relaunch Corridor VIII, a strategic infrastructure linking the Black Sea to the Adriatic Sea,…