Austria

After 13 years of waiting, Bulgaria and Romania are to partially join the Europe's vast Schengen area of free movement on Sunday, opening up travel by air and sea without border checks.

But land border controls will remain in place due to Austria's opposition to the eastern European countries becoming full members of the Schengen zone for fear of an influx of asylum seekers.

The latest data released by Eurostat, the official statistical office of the European Union, reveals that Bulgaria continues to grapple with the lowest purchasing power within the EU, while Luxembourg maintains its position at the top with the highest purchasing power.

Bulgaria's Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) has achieved a historic milestone, with an unprecedented 16 articles accepted for the prestigious Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), the world's foremost forum for AI and computer vision.

Hoteliers along Bulgaria's Southern Black Sea coast are anticipating a notable increase in tourist numbers, with early bookings already showing promising growth. Both domestic travelers and visitors from key international markets such as Germany, England, Austria, and Poland are contributing to this surge in reservations.

At the Old Bailey court, five out of the six Bulgarians accused of espionage in the United Kingdom pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in a spy network allegedly operating on behalf of Russia. The group is accused of acting under the instructions of Austrian national Jan Marsalek, who is wanted for his involvement in a major financial fraud scheme.

In a recent parliamentary scrutiny session, resigned Minister of Internal Affairs, Kalin Stoyanov, unveiled startling statistics regarding the return of foreigners to Bulgaria under the Dublin Regulation. Within just over two months, a total of 168 individuals have been repatriated to Bulgaria, shedding light on the complexities of international migration policies and their enforcement.

Türkiye's national football team is gearing up for a friendly match against Hungary set to take place at the Puskas Arena in Budapest today.

Mitsotakis calls for new ways to finance defense spending – “Yes” from France, Italy & southern countries – “No” from the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Denmark & Austria

European Union leaders are convening in Brussels to address the escalating crisis in Ukraine and explore significant military and financial measures to bolster support for the country.

Austria has returned 76 migrants to Bulgaria by the end of February 2024, in adherence to the Dublin Agreement. The repatriated individuals comprise primarily Syrian and Afghan citizens, as reported by BTA. Meanwhile, Austria observes a decline in asylum applications, with the number steadily decreasing, according to APA.