Bulgaria and Romania 'one step closer' to full membership in Schengen zone, Hungary says

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Bulgaria and Romania could become full members of Europe's Schengen travel zone starting at the beginning of 2025, Hungarian officials said on Friday. The two Balkan countries joined the European Union in 2007 but were not integrated into the borderless...

Lighting of Vienna town hall Christmas tree marks start of Yuletide season in Austrian capital

VIENNA (AP) — A flip of the switch, some oohs and ahhs from a crowd of onlookers, and a giant decorated Christmas tree went up in lights on Vienna’s town hall square as the Yuletide season got rolling in Austria's capital on Saturday evening. Mulled wine was poured, frosted...

Russia's Gazprom stops the flow of natural gas to Austria, OMV utility says

VIENNA (AP) — Russia’s state-owned natural gas company Gazprom stopped supplies to Austria early Saturday, according to the Vienna-based utility OMV, after OMV said it would stop payments for the gas following an arbitration award. The official cutoff of supplies before dawn...

Elina Svitolina brings Ukraine's tennis team to Texas for 'home' matches in the Billie Jean King Cup

Elina Svitolina is a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist who's been ranked as high as No. 3 in the world, so she would love to be able to represent Ukraine this weekend in its Billie Jean King Cup playoff matches against Austria in McKinney, Texas, about 35 miles north of Dallas. ...

Austria says Russia's Gazprom will cut off natural gas supply this weekend

VIENNA (AP) — Russia’s state-owned natural gas company Gazprom will cut off supplies to Austria’s OMV utility early Saturday, Austria’s chancellor said, adding that his country’s underground gas storage was full and that it had alternative, non-Russia supplies. The cutoff...

With or without the far right in power, Austria's links with Russia cause concern among allies

VIENNA (AP) — Tens of thousands of devastated Swifties trading friendship bracelets, wearing sparkly dresses and singing songs in the streets of Vienna. Workers taking down the Taylor Swift stage inside an empty stadium. This was the scene at the beginning of August in the...

Man suspected of fatally shooting 2 people in Austria is found dead

VIENNA (AP) — The man who allegedly fatally shot two people in a rural area of northern Austria earlier this week was found dead Saturday, police said. The body of Roland Drexler was discovered in Upper Austria province near the Czech border following an intense search for the...

Spain's horrific flooding another nasty hit in a fall where climate extremes just keep coming

Even for an era of more extreme weather, this autumn has seemingly shifted into yet another gear, especially in a rain-weary Europe where massive and deadly flooding in Spain's Valencia region is the latest incarnation. At least 95 people have been killed in flooding that sent cars...

Austria’s Defense Ministry says 8 of its soldiers in the UNIFIL force were lightly injured by a missile hit in Lebanon

Bavarian tradition honors St. Leonhard, patron saint of farmers, horses and livestock

WARNGAU, Germany (AP) — Farmers and their horses walked in a festive parade through the small Bavarian town of Warngau on Sunday to honor their patron saint, St. Leonhard. Their manes neatly combed, the massive horses were decorated with ribbons and greenery as they pulled the...