Austria is dropping its veto on Romania and Bulgaria becoming full members of Europe's Schengen free-travel area, its interior ministry said on Monday, paving the way for European Union interior ministers to approve the move at a meeting on Thursday.

Austria has withdrawn its opposition to Romania and Bulgaria becoming full members of Europe's Schengen free-travel area, the country's interior minister Gerhard Karner announced. This decision clears the way for European Union interior ministers to approve the move at their meeting on Thursday,

Austria's OMV said on Wednesday it had terminated its long-term gas supply contract with Gazprom after the Russian firm stopped deliveries last month amid a row that has been highly politicized due to the war in Ukraine.

The Austrian energy company OMV said on Wednesday that it has terminated its long-term gas supply contract with Russia's Gazprom, effective immediately, due to "several fundamental breaches of contract.