Slovakia to block Ukraine's NATO bid, says PM Fico

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has said his country will block Ukraine's bid to join NATO, warning that it could trigger World War III.

Blizzard blitz: Europe grapples with record cold & snow

A cold snap has gripped northern France, bringing record-breaking temperatures for this time of year. In Spain, the army was called in to help rescue hundreds of drivers who were stranded on an icy highway.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant mines back in place, IAEA says

The Russian military has reinstalled mines around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, according to Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

EU to tackle Ukrainian grain dumping

The European Commission is working on a set of measures to address the problems caused by the export of cheap Ukrainian grains into the five border states of Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria.

Diplomatic discord over Gaza crisis

In a tumultuous turn of events, Israel has intensified its operations in the strife-ridden southern Gaza Strip, amid a backdrop of a deepening humanitarian crisis and diplomatic discord with its American ally over the potential establishment of a Palestinian state, as per reports from AFP.

Pfizer sues Romania for refusal to purchase agreed quantity of Anti-Covid-19 vaccines

Pfizer and BioNTech have taken the difficult decision to initiate official proceedings against Romania to make it respect its commitments for the orders of vaccines for COVID-19 placed by the Government as part of the supply contract of the European Union, signed in May 2021, states Andrew Widger, Pfizer’s senior director of Global Media Relations, in an answer sent to Romanian news platform News.ro.

Romania announces financial support for farmers affected by the war in Ukraine

The Romanian government announced a support of 100 euros per hectare to farmers to compensate for the losses suffered due to the war in Ukraine. The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, claims that more than 162 thousand farmers will benefit from budgetary aid in the total amount of about 250 million euros.

MEPs threaten legal action if Commission unfreezes more funds for Hungary

In a scathing resolution, Members of the European Parliament threatened to launch legal action against the European Commission if the executive releases further frozen funds to Hungary, Euronews reports.

Romania recorded the lowest visa refusal rate for the USA last year

In 2023, Romania recorded the lowest visa refusal rate for the US in the history of the bilateral relationship with the United States, of 8.8%, according to the Embassy of Romania in the US. Ambassador Andrei Muraru estimates that under such conditions Romania will be part of the American visa exemption program next year, writes Digi24.

Ukraine's defence minister cancels trip to France for 'security reasons'

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov cancelled his scheduled visit to France on Thursday "for security reasons", the French Ministry of Armed Forces said in a statement on Wednesday, AFP reports.

Italy pushes for quick decision on EU maritime Red Sea force

Italy would like a political decision made to create an EU maritime security mission for the Red Sea by next week so that it can become operational as soon as possible, its foreign minister said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

Russian military says Ukrainian drones downed over Moscow, Leningrad regions

Russia's Defence Ministry said early on Thursday that its air defence units had intercepted and destroyed one Ukrainian drone over the Moscow region and a second over the Leningrad region surrounding the country's second largest city, St Petersburg, Reuters reports.