Una nuova immagine della nebulosa Fried Egg
La
stella è in una fase estremamente attiva della sua evoluzione, in cui
si susseguono diversi eventi esplosivi che proiettano enormi quantità di
materiale
nello spazio
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Riservatezza assicurata, se il messaggio lo porta il batterio
I
sistemi geneticamente ingegnerizzati offrono un controllo molto
puntuale sia del genotipo che del fenotipo, che può essere sfruttato per
codificare messaggi
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Allarme ozono per l'Europa del futuro
Nei
prossimi 50 anni il maggiore incremento di mortalità legata ai livelli
di ozono dovrebbe interessare Belgio, Francia, Spagna e Portogallo
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Acqua: una risorsa abbondante ma sfruttata male
Il problema complessivo è l'incapacità di un uso proficuo ed efficiente dell'acqua disponibile nei grandi bacini fluviali
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Il caldo estremo? Si fa presto a dire anomalo
La
distribuzione statistica delle temperature giornaliere ha subito uno
spostamento che spiega anche il più marcato aumento delle condizioni di
caldo estremo
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La supersimmetria è un po' più lontana
I
risultati prodotti negli ultimi mesi da LHC insieme a quelli annunciati
da MEG riducono notevolmente lo spazio per le teorie supersimmetriche,
pur non escludendole
del tutto
Leggi l'articolo |
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29 Sep 2011, Issue 3222
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A notorious self-proclaimed Roma tsar, whose clan's impunity triggered unprecedented protests across the country over the last few days, has been arrested, authorities announced. | read | |
The European Commission is conducting probes in a number of Bulgarian energy companies as part of a larger campaign to root out anticompetitive practices in Central and Eastern Europe. | read | |
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| · Forum · Business · Energy · Properties · Diplomacy · Bulgaria in EU · Domestic · Presidental & Local Elections 2011 · Society · Education · Sports · Crime · Views on BG · World · Sofia Speaking | ||||||
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170 ARRESTED IN BULGARIA AFTER SECOND 'ROMA PROTESTS' NIGHT
A total of 168 people have been arrested by the police in several Bulgarian cities after a wave of small-scale but vigorous rallies Tuesday night. More than two thousand protesters rallied for the second night in a row against the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov in the village of Katunitsa by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro – but also because of the "Roma issue", i.e. what they see as a "privileged situation" of the Roma minority in Bulgaria. Some 600 came together in Plovdiv, another 600 were in Sofia and 400 in Varna, with smaller rallies in several other cities. The protesters – who included football fan clubs and far-right groups, according to the police – clashed with riot police, gendarmerie and Civic Protection officers in Plovdiv, Sofia, Varna. They were armed with hand-made bombs, knives, clubs, pipes from vacuum-cleaners and hammers. Meanwhile, Roma population across the country awaited attacks, armed with shovels, axes, sticks, and guns at some spots, if protester accounts are to be trusted. Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev has assured that there is increase police presence all over the country. "The institutions of the Interior Ministry will be uncompromising against any instance of intolerance and any case of violation of the public order," Georgiev declared. Tensions across major Bulgarian cities grew Monday night as a result of protest rallies across the country when more than 100 people were arrested by the police for violence. The protests came a day after Plovdiv nearly became the center of ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Roma over the weekend, following the murder in the nearby village of Katunitsa of 19-year-old Angel Petrov by associates of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, committed Friday night. The murder of Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa against Rashkov's Roma clan on Saturday, culminating Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. Tensions escalated all over Plovdiv Monday night in spite of the relative calm that appeared to have set earlier on Monday after President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov visited the city, and community leaders of the local ethnic Roma and ethnic Turks voiced messages for tolerance and ethnic peace. 
LUKOIL LICENSE COURT SAGA IN BULGARIA DRAGS INTO NOVEMBER The two trials for Lukoil's suspended tax warehouse operator permits at the Administrative Court Sofia City (ACSC) will continue on November 09. The postponement was decided at a brief ACSC session Wednesday. The technical expert statement assigned on 31 August is not ready yet and the expert witnesses have called for at least another 45 days to respond to the questions. The document is to provide answers to the following questions: where must measuring devices be placed in the Burgas-based refinery and at the Rosenetz oil terminal; where have such devices already been mounted and where not; what is the normal deadline for the installation process and how much do they cost. Lukoil had to pay a deposit of BGN 6000 for the preparation of the statement. On July 22, Bulgaria's Customs Agency suspended Lukoil's licenses for two tax warehouses because of the company's failure to equip the facilities with the mandatory measuring devices providing a direct link to the tax authorities. After lodging an appeal against the preliminary execution of the acts of the Customs Agency, the Neftochim refinery was allowed to stay in operation until the case was resolved with a verdict. Lukoil's temporary production halt caused Bulgaria to tap state reserves for jet fuel for the airports in Varna, Burgas and Sofia. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov recently expressed optimism that the company would manage to install the devices by the end of the year, while Customs Agency head Vanyo Tanov remained skeptical that the process could be wrapped up before mid-2012. During a one-day visit to Sofia, Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov said Tuesday that the company was not in conflict with the Bulgarian government. He described the current situation as "misunderstandings with some institutions on deadlines and on the technical difficulties surrounding the fulfillment of requirements set out in Ordinance #3" and said that Lukoil would invest USD 40 M to ensure compliance with the law. EC LAUNCHES UNEXPECTED ANTI-TRUST PROBES AT BULGARIAN ENERGY COMPANIES The European Commission is conducting probes in a number of Bulgarian energy companies as part of a larger campaign to root out anticompetitive practices in Central and Eastern Europe. Bulgarian gas supplier Overgas Inc, which had agreed to cooperate in the investigation, welcomed the teams of inspectors on its premises, providing all the data required, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Overgas, 50% owned by Russian Gazprom, also took care to remind that the probes into the alleged abuse of dominant position on the Bulgarian gas market were of particular concern for state-owned gas supplier Bulgargaz EAD, currently the sole company with access to the Bulgarian gas transmission grid. EC's actions in Bulgaria are part of a series of "dawn raids" initiated Tuesday to uncover possible anti-competitive practices at 10 natural gas companies in Central and Eastern Europe. "The European Commission can confirm that, today, commission officials undertook unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in the supply, transmission and storage of natural gas in several member states," the EC said in a statement. "The commission has concerns that the companies concerned may have engaged in anti-competitive practices in breach of EU antitrust rules or that they are in possession of information relating to such practices," it said. The EC explained its investigation predominantly targeted upstream supply level, where competition may be restricted unilaterally or through agreements. The gas companies being investigated were suspected of exclusionary behavior, such as "market partitioning, obstacles to network access, barriers to supply diversification, as well as possible exploitative behavior, such as excessive pricing." EU antitrust rules prohibit abuse of dominant positions and restrictive business practices. Unannounced inspections are normal procedure and a preliminary step into suspected anti-competitive practices, the EC went on to say. There is no legal deadline to complete the antitrust investigations. PREMIER POWER TO BUILD 4 SOLAR PLANTS IN BULGARIA Premier Power has officially announced it will build four photovoltaic (PV) power plants totaling 16.2 MW in the Southeastern Bulgarian town of Dimitrovgrad. The projects represent a more than 75% increase in the country's solar capabilities since the beginning of 2011, when installed capacity was reported at approximately 21 MW. The agreement is the result of a joint venture with European EPC firm Plaan Czech, s.r.o. Ranging in size from 3 MW to 5 MW, the installations are funded through a private investment company based in the Czech Republic. Construction on the Bulgaria projects will begin this month. All four systems are scheduled for completion by the end of 2011. Premier Power Renewable Energy is a solar power company providing solar panel systems for commercial, agricultural, industrial, government, utility and residential customers. BULGARIAN SOCIALISTS REGAIN OWNERSHIP OF BUZLUDZHA MONUMENT The Bulgarian cabinet transferred Tuesday free of charge the Buzludzha monument to the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP. Until now the monument and surrounding land were State property. The left-wing is receiving property of about 3 000 square meters. The goal is to relieve the Governor of the southern Region of Stara Zagora from the responsibility of managing the complex which is crumbling over the lack of funds and is in deplorable state. On September 19, during the official inauguration Bulgaria's Museum of Socialist Art, Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, informed that the historic Buzludzha monument would be returned to BSP on September 28. "We shall let them take care of it because here it also holds true that a party which does not respect its past and its symbols has no future", Borisov stated then. At the beginning of August, BSP submitted a petition, calling for the free-of-charge transfer of ownership of the monument. Buzludzha is a landmark site for Bulgaria's left-wing because the foundations of the Socialist Movement in Bulgaria were laid there in 1891. The concrete, UFO-like structure, resides on top of Mount Buzludzha. It was unveiled in 1981 on the occasion of the 1300th anniversary of the founding of the Bulgarian state. Next to the pie-shaped structure stands a 70-meter concrete pillar. On the inside of the monument one can see gilded mosaics depicting Bulgarian and Soviet communist leaders like Dimitar Blagoev, Georgi Dimitrov, Todor Zhivkov, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin and Leonid Brezhnev. Buried in the ground beneath the monument is a capsule containing a message for the future. However, the once awe-inspiring monument has now degenerated into a decrepit building providing shelter for Satanists gathering, drunkards and hobos. Graffiti artists have sprayed a giant red-colored "Forget Your Past" moto right above the padlocked entrance. The socialists' claim, filed with the local administration in Stara Zagora, cited Bulgaria's State Property Act and was addressed to then Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev, now presidential candidate and to Borisov. The Buzludzha monument sparked wrangling between BSP and the center-right, ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party after in end-July Stara Zagora District Governor Yordan Nikolov issued an ordinance banning access to the monument on the basis of its dangerously dilapidated condition one day ahead of the traditional BSP gathering . Despite the ban, BSP lit the five-pointed star on the monument using electricity from a nearby private lift. PLOVDIV GOVERNOR 'FORCED' TO BUY SNEAKERS FOR S. KOREAN PM The Governor of Bulgaria's Plovdiv Region, Ivan Totev, had been forced to buy a pair of new sneakers for South Korea's Prime Minister,Kim Hwang-sik, during the latter's visit in the country's second largest city. The embarrassing incident was reported Wednesday by the local site Plovdiv24.bg. The South Korean PM is on an official three-day visit to Bulgaria. According to the report, during his Tuesday meeting with Bulgarian counterpart, Boyko Borisov, Hwang-sik had been invited to visit Plovdiv to learn about the country's cultural and historical heritage. "We prepared an agenda of how to present our beautiful, picturesque city. The problem arose when we headed to the Old Town and found out the cobblestone on the streets was in such deplorable state that Mr. Hwang-sik's security guards banned him from stepping on them with the shoes he was wearing. We decided then to run to the nearest store and buy a pair of sneakers so that our dignified guest could tour Old Town," Totev is quoted saying. The Governor has further pointed out he felt very embarrassed by the incident and by being forced to offer explanations as to why the City Hall is maintaining the architectural open air museum in such condition that visitors must buy special shoes in order to take a walk. BULGARIAN PM EAGER TO DEEPEN RELATIONS WITH SAUDI ARABIA Bulgaria recognizes Saudi Arabia as an important partner and wants to engage in an active exchange of goods and different types of information with the Middle Eastern country, Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov has declared. "We believe there is a considerable potential for useful bilateral cooperation and collaboration on an international level," Borisov stated after he met with Minister of Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia H.E. Dr. Dr. Fahd bin Abdulrahman Balgunaim in Sofia on Wednesday. The Bulgarian Prime Minister pointed out that Bulgaria's geographical location may help it play a key role in the relations between Saudi Arabia and Europe. Balgunaim's Bulgarian counterpart, Miroslav Naydenov, who invited his colleague, was also present at the meeting. The two Ministers discussed the cooperation between the two countries in field of agriculture. During his official stay, Minister Balgunaim is scheduled to visit a dairy producing enterprise and a state hunting ground. A Bulgarian-Saudi Business Forum will be held on Thursday in the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Food 
EU CONDEMNS ANTI-ROMA RALLIES IN BULGARIA A spokesperson for the European Commission has condemned what has been presented as anti-Roma rallies in Bulgaria over the last couple of days. The European Commission has expressed its concern over the anti-Roma demonstrations in Bulgaria and says it is monitoring the situation, EU Commission press secretary Matthew Newman said on Wednesday, as cited by the Russian RIA Novosti news agency. The EC has not commented on the actions of the Bulgaria's law enforcement authorities, which it says are within the competence of the authorities, according to the agency. The bloc has demanded all its member states to present Brussels with a plan by the end of this year for integration of Roma communities in socio-economic life. The recent death of Bulgarian youngster Angel Petrov, who was allegedly deliberately run over by a mini-bus driven by a relative of notorious Roma crime boss Kiril Rashkov aka Tsar Kiro, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the southern village of Katunitsa. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. On Wednesday, it was announced that Rashkov has been detained by the police. KATUNITSA CLASHES SPARK BICKERING IN BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT The September 23 clashes in the southern Bulgarian village of Katunitsa and the ensuing wave of protest stirred altercations in Parliament Wednesday. Center-right ruling party GERB faced a spate of requests for hearings aimed at shedding light on the failure to keep the situation under control. Only one of the hearings proposed by the opposition was accepted, meaning that Deputy Interior Minister Veselin Vuchkov would be required to give an account of the incident and the follow-up Roma protests at the request of nationalist party Ataka. GERB voted down the questioning of Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, currently on leave due to the election campaign, and of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, as well as a proposal of the right-wing Blue Coalition for the establishment of a parliamentary committee to study the actions of the police during the unrest. Tsvetanov's hearing was requested by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), which insisted that the leave of absence was no excuse for the Interior Minister. The proposal was rejected with 65 votes in favor, 23 votes against and 70 abstainees mostly from GERB's ranks. Co-chair of the Blue Coalition Ivan Kostov stated that the right-wing formation had withdrawn its confidence in the Interior Minister and therefore demanded the formation of an ad-hoc committee that would analyze the adequacy of the actions of the Interior Ministry and the law-enforcement organs. "He will come to tell us how well they handled the situation. We have withdrawn our confidence from this minister and we would not like to listen to him. It would be better to leave the evaluation of the police actions to a parliamentary committee", Kostov snapped. Before that, Parliamentary Chair Tsetska Tsacheva cut short Ataka leader Volen Siderov's request that the Praliament observe a one-minute silence in memory of the 19-year-old boy killed in Katunitsa. The call was rejected on the grounds of promoting disunity in the country. Ataka also tried to win support for the idea that the Wednesday session be broadcast live due to "the extraordinary situation". What it got in response were accusations voiced by BSP MP Georgi Pirinski of "anti-constitutional, anti-state, anti-Bulgarian and divisive behavior". Yane Yanev, leader of the conservative Bulgarian Law, Order and Justice party (RZS), insisted that Prime Minister Borisov should come to Parliament with Tsvetanov's resignation. He claimed that the incident was socially, not ethnically motivated, stressing that the social integrity of a number of groups had been damaged, with malice and helplessness showing through in response. Ataka also failed to push forward a vote in Parliament on a declaration stating MPs' committment to adopting a package of measures and legal amendments aimed at combating "gypsy crime". Throughout the parliamentary session, young visitors watching with keen interest could not refrain from voicing loud support for Ataka's pronouncements, which got them a warning from Tsacheva that they would be expelled unless the noise stopped. The series of protests was triggered after 19-year-old Angel Petrov got run over by a mini-bus driven by an associate of notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro on September 23. On the following day, Rashkov's properties were set ablaze by a mob of football hooligans. The tensions grew in Plovdiv on Sunday, the day of Petrov's funeral, when the police barely prevented clashes between a protest rally and local Roma in Roma-populated quarters Stolipinovo, Sheker Mahala, and Adzhisan Mahala. The unrest in Southern Bulgaria quickly spread to other parts of the country, with the hit-and-run murder of Angel Petrov setting off waves of anti-Roma protests and riots. BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER FIGHTS AGITATORS WITH ROAD CONSTRUCTION Seeking to shift focus away from the unrest sparked by the clashes in Katunitsa, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said Wednesday that road construction was his way of responding to tension-instigators. "Every day I leave 30-40 km of new roads, kindergartens and water purification stations behind me", Borisov proudly declared in the southern Bulgarian city of Dimitrovgrad. Prime Minister Borisov and Deputy Regional Development Minister Lilyana Pavlova opened Wednesday 22-plus kilometers of rehabilitated roads in the Haskovo and Kardzhali districts. The rehabilitation project came in at around BGN 15 225 000 and was wrapped up in a year with financial support granted under the Regional Development Operational Program. "To those seeking to stir tension I respond with roads", Borisov said, commenting on the murder of the 19-year-old Angel Petrov in the southern village of Katunitsa. The boy was struck and killed by a mini-bus driver linked to the local Roma leader Kiril Rashkov. The murder triggered waves of protests, rioting and acts of hooliganism across the country. "We shall build up Bulgaria, if what they want is to tear it down. Anybody who has broken the law has been arrested and charges have been pressed against them. These events started 15 days ago", Borisov said, commenting on the arrest of the notorious "Tsar Kiro". Borisov and Pavlova will open Thursday two rehabilitated road junctions spanning 9.2 km and 17.6 km. The cost of the project totaled BGN 12 909 479 and was covered thanks to funding under the Regional Development Operational Program. BULGARIAN GERB MP REJECTS ACCUSATIONS OF PROVIDING TAX COVER FOR ROMA 'TSAR' The Chair of the Parliamentary Budget Committee, Menda Stoyanova, firmly rejects accusations she had provided a cover-up for notorious Roma boss, Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro. Stoyanova, who is a Member of the Parliament from the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party, commented in response to indirect questions to her, coming from Ivaylo Dichev, a Professor of Cultural Anthropology, who spoke Wednesday in an interview for the morning broadcast of the TV channel bTV. Dichev informed the MP was Director of the National Revenue Agency, NRA, Office in the second largest city of Plovdiv between 2001 and 2006 and asked her if she fell at all responsible about the issue of large-scale tax evasion committed by the Roma boss. "Six years ago, when I was leading NRA Plovdiv, the law was enforced as it was at the time, and equally for all citizens, including the Rashkov family," Stoyanova said several hours later. The September 23 murder of Bulgarian youngster, Angel Petrov, 19, who was deliberately run over by a mini van, driven by one of Rashkov's relatives, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa, where Tsar Kiro's mansions are located. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa, and by football club fans from the capital Sofia and the southern city of Stara Zagora. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. Bulgarian authorities have frozen Rashkov's assets and property while he is investigated on tax evasion charges, the revenue agency has confirmed. Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev told the morning broadcast of Nova TV channel Wednesday that Rashkov, AKA Tsar Kiro, has been arrested. The only other comment from the GERB MP was that no one should expect from her to remember particular probes or audits from the 90s, adding she did not personally know Tsar Kiro. After the incident in Katunitsa, various Bulgarian media reported that the Rashkov clan never paid taxes and there are staggering discrepancies between their income and their wealth. In the bTV interview, Prof. Dichev also pointed out that Chief Commissar, Kalin Georgiev, who was and is the key figure in current police efforts to tame the unrest, was at the time the Head of the Plovdiv Regional Directorate for Combating Organized Crime. VESELIN ZLATEV HEADS BULGARIA'S CONSUMER RIGHTS WATCHDOG Bulgaria's cabinet appointed Wednesday Veselin Zlatev as Head of the State Commission for Consumer Protection, KZP. Until now Zlatev was an advisor on regional policy of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov. KZP was without a permanent leader for about a month, after the previous, long-time Chair, Damyan Lazarov, resigned under Borisov's pressure. Alexander Maslarski, who was a member of the Commission, was appointed its temporary head. The reshuffle was motivated with the need for "improving harmonization and more visible effort to carry out practices in consumer protection." During the Wednesday meeting of the Council of Ministers, the cabinet also released from duties, on his own request, Ognyan Varadinov, who was a KZP member until now. TOP BULGARIAN NATIONALIST DEMANDS PM OUSTING OVER ROMA ISSUE The leader of the Bulgarian, nationalist, far-right Ataka party, Volen Siderov, demanded Wednesday the resignation of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, over his failure to deal successfully with Roma crime in the country. "The Prime Minister should not take offense, but rather look around and clean this mess, and if he cannot do it, he should resign," Siderov said in the Parliament, stressing the arrest of notorious Roma boss, Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro, came too late, since there had been many complaints against him over the years. The September 23 murder of Bulgarian youngster, Angel Petrov, 19, who was deliberately run over by a mini van, driven by one of Rashkov's relatives, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa, where Tsar Kiro's mansions are located. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa, and by football club fans from the capital Sofia and the southern city of Stara Zagora. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. Bulgarian authorities have frozen Rashkov's assets and property while he is investigated on tax evasion charges, the revenue agency has confirmed. Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev told the morning broadcast of Nova TV channel Wednesday that Rashkov, AKA Tsar Kiro, has been arrested. The nationalist leader congratulated "all young people who took on the streets to protest against the inactivity of those in power and the draconian Roma crime." "Their rallies were spontaneous, not organized by any political party or trade union. And it is normal when you have such events, to also have some provocations; it had always been like that," Siderov concluded. MARGINAL BULGARIAN CONSERVATIVE PARTY OFFERS LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO PROTEST DETAINEES Bulgaria's Law Order and Justice (RZS) party has vowed to provide legal assistance to persons who have been detained by police forces during the wave of protests gripping the country. The announcement was made Wednesday by RZS presidential candidate Atanas Semov. Speaking at the opening of RZS' election campaign in the Black Sea city of Varna, he emphasized that the marches over the past few days were not ethnically motivated but were expressions of discontent with those in power and their protégées. Semov argued that the only way to alleviate tensions created by the September 23 hit-and-run murder in the village of Katunitsa involved Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov's resignation. Earlier Wednesday, RZS leader Yane Yanev insisted that Prime Minister Boyko Borisov should come to Parliament with Tsvetanov's resignation. Semov used the opportunity to reiterate that it was imperative for Bulgaria to have a new Constitution giving citizens the right to recall representatives elected through through a direct vote, regardless of the posts they occupy. RZS candidate for Varna Mayor Dimo Stoev said that the first thing he would do if elected would be to order an audit of the Varna Municipality for the past 12 years. Stoev also vowed to clear illegal construction on municipality-owned terrains in the Roma-populated quarter Maxuda. 5 EU FOREIGNERS RUN FOR MUNICIPAL COUNCIL MEMBERS IN BULGARIA Five citizens of EU countries other than Bulgaria have enter decided to enter the country's upcoming local elections as runners, it has been revealed. Even though they do not possess Bulgarian citizenship, they are eligible for municipal council positions, a spokesperson for the Bulgarian Central Electoral Commission has reminded. Two Brits are among the candidates, while the other three are from Poland, Italy and the Netherlands. A total of 248 citizens of EU countries other than Bulgaria have handed in applications declaring that they are willing to vote on October 23, when the local elections are scheduled, it also has been announced. On Thursday, the Central Electoral Commission will announce the number of Bulgarians who have declared their preferred voting location outside Bulgaria for the upcoming presidential elections, also scheduled for October 23. The written requests were automatically sent through the internet site to the respective Bulgarian diplomatic mission abroad. Embassies and Consular Offices are mandated to open a poll section if they receive 100 applications for the same location. OSCE TO MONITOR BULGARIA'S ELECTIONS The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, will monitor the October 23 local and presidential elections in Bulgaria. ODHIR has opened in Sofia on Tuesday a Limited Mission for Election Assessment, Vadim Zhdanovich, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Assessment Mission announced. The invitation to OSCE has been extended by the Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Ministry. The Mission includes 21 monitors from 15 OSCE countries. The main team, which will be based in Sofia, includes 11 experts. Another 10 long-term monitors are scheduled to arrive in Bulgaria by the end of the week and will be sent to different parts of the country. The experts will visit a number of voting polls in Bulgaria on Election Day. The Mission will issue an interim report before the elections, while on October 24, it will hold a special press conference to deliver their official statement, preliminary conclusions and assessment. The final report is to be published 8 weeks after the end of the election process. "We fully realize that the upcoming presidential and local elections will be an important test for Bulgaria's commitment to hold democratic elections. Our role is to monitor and report, not to interfere. We are not interested in the results, but in having a transparent election process, aligned with OSCE standards – to have equal access to all; to be fair and unbiased," Zhdanovich says. The news comes on the heals of information from Bulgarian expats about hurdles and refusals to open election polls abroad and an avalanche of reports from all over Bulgaria about mass violations of the Elections Code. BULGARIAN ROMA ON HIGH ALERT OVER ETHNIC TENSIONS Bulgarian Roma are on high alert across the country in the aftermath of the protests that recently loomed against them. Over 300 people have gathered in Plovdiv's Stolipinovo, the largest Roma-inhabited quarter in Bulgaria, after a local Roma man died in the early hours of Wednesday. Police authorities say the man perished in a car accident, but the Roma suspect foul play. The situation in Stolipinovo is considered normal, but tensions may escalate, Darik radio has reported. Some 100 Roma citizens gathered in the Northern city of Ruse, the BGNES news agency informs. After several of their houses were reportedly attacked late on Tuesday, they have decided to create "emergency crews", BGNES says. A rumor that Roma children have been beaten in the Southeastern town of Sliven gathered armed Roma in a local schoolyard on Wednesday. Late on Tuesday, another Roma gathering occurred in the Southeastern town of Dimitrovgrad, where people were apparently frightened by a rumor that rockers linked with right-wing groups may attack them. The recent death of Bulgarian youngster Angel Petrov, who was allegedly deliberately run over by a mini-bus driven by a relative of notorious Roma crime boss Kiril Rashkov aka Tsar Kiro, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the southern village of Katunitsa. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. On Wednesday, it was announced that Rashkov has been detained by the police. Since the protests started, it has been reported that Roma population across the country awaited attacks, armed with shovels, axes, sticks, and guns at some spots. BULGARIAN NGO SCALES-DOWN ROMA PRIDE EVENT, FEATURES CHILDREN The Bulgarian Roma NGO, Center for Inter-ethnic Dialogue and Tolerance "Amalipe" vows to answer to clashes sparked by discontent of residents of the southern village of Katunitsa with scores of children essays, drawings, and flowers. The NGO is also one of the main organizers of the first Roma Pride parade, which was planned for October 1. Teodora Krumova, Deputy Chair of the Center, informs that in the light of the latest developments, the agenda of the event had been changed and scaled-down – there would not be a large Roma march similar to the Gay Pride parades over the threat of possible attacks on participants. She, however, pointed out a large parade had not been planned at all. Instead, Roma children will distribute at key junctions in the capital Sofia their drawings and essays they have written, titled "I Am Proud to Be Bulgarian and Roma." Similar events will be held in a number of communities across Bulgaria where Roma will present their culture and traditions. "We want to show that we have many things to be proud of and that violence is not the solution," Krumova says. When asked if she was not alarmed that the participants could still become a target, the NGO representative countered she could not imagine anyone in Bulgaria reacting negatively to such initiatives, especially when they feature children. Krumova, however, informed that the Center has been inundated by calls from Roma from all over the country, reporting they were afraid to go to work and send their children to school. She thanked the authorities for acting timely on signals about possible threats. Tensions in Bulgaria were sparked by the September 23 murder of Bulgarian youngster, Angel Petrov, 19, who was deliberately run over by a mini van, driven, according to witnesses by one of the relatives of notorious Roam boss from Katunitsa, Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro. The murder led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village, where Tsar Kiro's mansions are located. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa, and by football club fans from the capital Sofia and the southern city of Stara Zagora. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. Bulgarian authorities have frozen Rashkov's assets and property while he is investigated on tax evasion charges, the revenue agency has confirmed. Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev told the morning broadcast of Nova TV channel Wednesday that Rashkov, AKA Tsar Kiro, has been arrested. SITUATION STILL CALM AS SOFIA AWAITS NEW ANTI-ROMA RALLY The situation is still calm in Bulgaria's capital Sofia where an anti-Roma protest is about to take place for a third day in a row. Dozens of police officers have gathered near the National Palace of Culture in downtown Sofia where the protest is to start, the BGNES news agency has reported. A couple of bikers are also seen there. The recent death of Bulgarian youngster Angel Petrov, who was allegedly deliberately run over by a mini-bus driven by a relative of notorious Roma crime boss Kiril Rashkov aka Tsar Kiro, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the southern village of Katunitsa. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. On Wednesday, it was announced that Rashkov has been detained by the police. Since the protests started, it has been reported that Roma population across the country awaited attacks, armed with shovels, axes, sticks, and guns at some spots. BULGARIA WON'T INTRODUCE EDUCATION STANDARDS FOR ROMA KIDS Bulgaria's Education Minister Sergey Ignatov has stated he is against the idea of introducing "education standards" for children from the Roma minority in the country, as a labor confederation has suggested. According to the Podkrepa Labor Confederation's education syndicate, Roma children are massively allowed to pass grades in school even when they do not cover the necessary criteria and they receive no sanctions whatsoever for their absence. The syndicate has implied that educational criteria are too low when it comes to Roma students. However, Ignatov has described the syndicate's idea as "segregation", claiming that Roma children are not "privileged" in Bulgaria's schools. "We have problems not only with Roma children, we are putting efforts into making all children in Bulgaria more knowledgeable," the Minister added. Ethnic tensions grew in Bulgaria over the last few days after the murder of Bulgarian youngster, Angel Petrov, 19, who was deliberately run over by a mini van, driven by a member of notorious mafia boss Kiril Rashkov in the southern village of Katunitsa. The protests culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa, and by football club fans from the capital Sofia and the southern city of Stara Zagora. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. REVEALED: SCANDAL OF BULGARIA'S GOLDEN GIRLS PLIGHT IN FRANCE Bulgaria's women's rhythmic gymnastics team, which won gold in the 3 ribbons/2 hoops discipline final at the World Championship in Montpellier, France, have been forced to endure miserable conditions during their two weeks' stay there. "These were the worst days of my life. It was complete madness. We arrived at Montpellier and were accommodated at a hostel for socially disadvantaged, which does not even have a telephone connection. It makes me sick just to remember what the toilets looked like," Iliyana Raeva, the coach, fumed at a press conference on Wednesday. When she approached the French hosts, they explained that the Bulgarian federation was ready to pay for only this type of so-called hotel. After failing to find a hotel for such a big group, Bulgaria's future world champions were forced to check into a motel, which turned out to be frequently visited by prostitutes. "I was in despair, but the girls told me they won't be crushed that easily. They showed real strength and I thank them for that," Raeva, one of the Bulgarian legends in rhythmic gymnastics, said. According to her the nightmare stay in France is the result of a deliberate plot by the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation and its head Maria Gigova. "I am disgusted by the federation. They did not want us to win the world cup. They did not even want to give us the money needed for the trip. Why? Because over the last few years I asked some very serious questions and they would have been better off if I were out of the game. This was a pure sabotage," Raeva said. Bulgaria's women's rhythmic gymnastics teams has won gold in the 3 ribbons/2 hoops discipline final at the World Championship in Montpelier, France. Italy came in second after Bulgaria, and Israel's team came in third. Before nailing the gold, Bulgaria's team featuring Reneta Kamberova, Mihaela Maevska, Tsvetelina Naydenova, Elena Todorova, Hristina Todorova, and Katrin Velkova earlier won the bronze in the 5 balls discipline final, and two bronze medals earlier. In addition to the medals, the Bulgarian gymnasts won Saturday a quota for the Olympics in London in 2012. BULGARIA ARRESTS NOTORIOUS ROMA BOSS OVER MURDER THREATS A notorious self-proclaimed Roma tsar, whose clan's impunity triggered unprecedented protests across the country over the last few days, has been arrested, authorities announced. "Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, was detained and is currently in the town of Plovdiv," Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev told the morning broadcast of Nova TV channel on Wednesday. Rashkov has been charged over murder threats and faces six years in prison if found guilty. "Rashkov has been threatening the people from Katunitsa village even before the violent events over the last few days. The arrest has been made following a complaint for intimidation. If the boy was not killed, you might have not even heard that Rashkov is arrested and it would not be news, but he would have been arrested anyway," Georgiev commented. The murder of Bulgarian youngster Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus driven by one of Rashkov's relatives, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. Bulgarian authorities have frozen Rashkov's assets and property while he is investigated on tax evasion charges, the revenues agency has confirmed. BULGARIA FREEZES ASSETS OF SELF-PROCLAIMED ROMA TSAR Bulgarian authorities have frozen assets and property of a notorious self-proclaimed Roma tsar and an alleged mastermind of a murder while he is investigated on tax evasion charges, the revenues agency has said. Kiril Rashkov is believed to have been transported late on Monday to Bulgaria's capital Sofia after his Roma clan sparked unprecedented ethnic tensions in the country. The so-called "Tsar Kiro" is currently in a "safe place", the Bulgarian National Television has informed. Journalists working with the state-owned TV channel are trying to track down members of the Roma clan. Earlier on Tuesday, it was announced that taxation agents from Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv have been accused of not properly inspecting Rashkov's properties. Krasimir Stefanov, head of the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency, has ordered an investigation into the taxation agents who have apparently "skipped" checking how Rashkov was able to acquire his luxurious properties. The murder of Bulgarian youngster Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus driven by one of Rashkov's relatives, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. BULGARIA'S KATUNITSA EYEWITNESS: BUSTED DRIVER IS NOT REAL KILLER Notorious Bulgarian Roma boss from the southern village of Katunitsa, Kiril Rashkov, had been once again able to trick everyone by replacing the driver who killed a young man from the same village. The claim was made Tuesday by Petar Georgiev from Katunista, who is listed in the hospital of the second largest city of Plovdiv. Georgiev is one of the five people who sustained injuries in the night of the murder of 19-year-old Angel Petrov, and his condition is the most serious. He has a broken pelvis and will spend at least 20 days under doctors' care. The September 23 murder of Bulgarian youngster, Angel Petrov, 19, who was deliberately run over by a mini van, driven by one of Rashkov's relatives, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa, and by football club fans from the capital Sofia and the southern city of Stara Zagora. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. Bulgarian authorities have frozen Rashkov's assets and property while he is investigated on tax evasion charges, the revenues agency has confirmed. Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev told the morning broadcast of Nova TV channel Wednesday that Rashkov, AKA Tsar Kiro, has been arrested. A reporter from the Bulgarian 24 Chassa (24 Hours) daily writes that a team from the newspaper visited Georgiev in the hospital and found him in the company of 5 friends – all have been adamant that the man arrested for the murder, Simeon Yosifov, 55, from the Plovdiv Roma district of Stolipinovo, is not the same person who had driven the van during the fatal night. According to official police reports, after committing the crime, Yosifov briefly escaped to neighboring Turkey, but relatives convinced him to come back. He was arrested upon his return. Georgiev and his friends, however, say that the real murderer was sent to Turkey and was replaced by an individual who new nothing about the incident in order to not reveal anything about Tsar Kiro during police interrogations. Georgiev and his friends believe the murder was well planned, pointing out that three days before September 23, Rashkov had signed new insurance policies on his properties, and emptied his houses from everything valuable. The latter had been confirmed by a report of the TV channel bTV. KILLED ANGEL'S FATHER: DON'T PIT BULGARIANS AGAINST ROMA The father of the 19-year old teenager, who was struck and killed by a mini-bus driver linked to a controversial local Roma leader, triggering a wave of protests, has called against using his tragedy for political benefits. "I want to thank all of Bulgaria for the support that I feel. I regret that my son had to die to make us aware of how bad things are. And yet I believe in the rule of law in Bulgaria," Atanas Petrov, father of the murdered Angel, told bTV channel in an emotional interview on Wednesday. Ten years of smoldering tensions between Kiril Rashkov, an affluent self-proclaimed Roma "tsar", and the residents of the village of Katunitsa, escalated at the end of last week into riots, cutting short the lives of two young Bulgarians. Their murder stirred sheer outrage in social networks and a wave of rallies across the country. "I'm sorry that you [the journalists] did not come earlier to see the nephews of Kiril Rashkov [the alleged mastermind of the murder] coming to the cemetery to light a candle at Angel's grave. The worst thing would be if the memory of the two dead boys is tainted. The worst thing would be if all this is politicized, Angel's memory abused and used for political gains." "My hope is that no father ever again is forced to run after a bus, which is running over and dragging his child, while he is banging on the van and begging the driver to stop. That no parent lives to take his dying child in his hands and beg him to take a breath so they it may survive. That's all," the boy's father concluded. The 19-year old teenager was struck and killed by a mini-bus driver linked to the local Roma leader Kiril Rashkov, who piled up his huge wealth thanks to unscrupulous trade in bootleg alcohol and votes. During the protests that followed the murder a 16-year-old boy collapsed and later died in hospital due to heart failure. The unprecedented for Bulgaria events have widely been described as ethnic clashes, an allegation initially denied by the protesters. NOTORIOUS BULGARIAN ROMA MAFIA BOSS TURNS OUT VERY ILL Notorious Bulgarian alleged mafia boss Kiril Rashkov, whose Roma clan triggered unprecedented ethnic tensions in the country, has been reported out very ill. Rashkov, a self-proclaimed regional "Tsar", was admitted for a short period to the Sveti Georgi (Saint George) hospital in Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv late on Tuesday, the Blitz news agency informs. The Roma baron has a chronic heart disease and might suffer a heart attack in the aftermath of the dramatic ethnic clashes that included some of his properties being set on fire, physicians have explained. On Monday, Kalin Georgiev, Chief Secretary of the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, announced that Rashkov has been apprehended after his stay at the hospital. It is not uncommon for alleged crime bosses in Bulgaria to rely on illnesses to protract their trials. The murder of Bulgarian youngster Angel Petrov, who was deliberately run over by a mini-bus driven by one of Rashkov's relatives, according to witnesses, led to massive protests of the ethnic Bulgarians in the village of Katunitsa. They culminated Saturday night into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football hooligans from Plovdiv, which is near to Katunitsa. On Monday and Tuesday night, protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital Sofia. Nearly 300 people in total were arrested by the police after the two nights of rallies that unfortunately involved what has been perceived as ethnic hatred. Bulgarian authorities have frozen Rashkov's assets and property while he is investigated on tax evasion charges, the revenues agency has confirmed. PRISONER SET TO UNRAVEL KNOTTY BULGARIAN LAWYER MURDER A prisoner claims to hold the key to one of the most mysterious murders of a lawyer in Bulgaria, committed back in 2000. The man, identified as Iliya Nikolov, serves a sentence at the prison in the town of Lovech and argues he knows who killed lawyer Nadezhda Georgieva. Before he speaks out however he wants to strike a deal with the prosecutors and get his sentence reduced in exchange. Georgieva was killed in her home in Sofia, suffering nine blows from a kitchen cleaver on February 28, 2000. The new and crucial witness will appear in the court room on November 17, when the court saga over the murder, which has stretched over more than a decade already, will resume. The lack of progress so far has been due to the authorities' failure to bring back to Bulgaria one of the defendants - Dimitrinka Kalajdzhieva, a former prosecutor's secretary, who has run into hiding in Great Britain shortly after the murder. One of the versions floated so far has been that Nikola Filchev, Bulgaria's controversial and erratic former senior prosecutor, has masterminded the mysterious murder of the lawyer in 2000. Witnesses claim the lawyer was handed USD 150 000 to give to Filchev as a bribe to make him stop an investigation against the state-owned deep-sea fishing company. Georgieva, however, did not give Filchev the cash and in a moment of a cyclophrenic crisis he killed her, plunging a kitchen cleaver in her head. ANTI-ROMA DEMONSTRATIONS SPREAD ACROSS BULGARIA Click here to read the story: www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=132482 IT'S A BIRD! IT'S A PLANE! IT'S... A HERO OF THE BULGARIAN REVOLUTION? Click here to read the story: www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=132479 ETHNIC TENSIONS MAR BULGARIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS Click here to read the story: www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=132476 PAPANDREOU: GREECE TO FIGHT BACK TO GROWTH, PROSPERITY Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has vowed to "guarantee that Greece will live up to all its commitments," as he seeks to keep his debt-ridden country afloat. "I promise you we Greeks will soon fight our way back to growth and prosperity," he told an audience of German business leaders in Berlin before a critical meeting with the country's Chancellor Angela Merkel. Papandreou was speaking as Greece braced for strikes in the face of government efforts to raise taxes and slash spending to try to close its huge budget deficit. Meanwhile, a property tax measure passed the Greek parliament in Athens late in the day, as more than 2,000 demonstrators gathered outside in Syntagma Square and police manned barricades in case of trouble. The tax is the latest in a series of austerity measures imposed by the Greek government in an effort to limit the country's huge debt. Speaking alongside Papandreou, Merkel said she was opposed to more stimulus packages because creating more debt was not the way to create growth -- but that Germany would support Greece on its way out of its debt crisis. She also pointed out that Germany profited from the euro, with some 60% of its exports going to European Union countries and that the nation's future depends on that of Europe. However, solidarity and reform have to go together, the German leader said, and Germany would help Greece only if it did its part. Merkel is hoping to win support from the public and members of her own governing coalition before a key vote in Germany's parliament Thursday on boosting the European Union rescue fund used to bail out Greece. If the measure passes thanks to the opposition rather than her own government, Merkel stands to lose face in Germany and will be a weaker figure on the European stage. In a joint media conference held later Tuesday in Berlin, Merkel recognized the pain being felt by many people in Greece. "I'm conscious of the fact that a lot of change is being imposed upon the people in Greece at the moment. That to a degree people who have absolutely nothing to do with the current debt crisis that has arisen, have to save and do without a lot at the moment," she said. Papandreou said Europe was in uncharted waters but that Greece was resolved to do whatever was necessary to restore financial security. SLOVENIA TO HOLD SNAP ELECTIONS ON DECEMBER 04 Slovenia will hold early parliamentary elections on December 04 after its government collapsed earlier this month. Slovenian President Danilo Turk called the vote after the center-left government of Prime Minister Borut Pahor was ousted in a no-confidence vote held on September 20. This will be Slovenia's first snap elections since the country declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. The government was toppled after months of disagreements between ruling coalition partners and several Cabinet resignations. GADDAFI HIDING NEAR ALGERIA BORDER - REPORT Libya's toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi is reportedly hiding in Libya's southern desert, possibly in a vast area near the Algerian border. The fugitive leader is under the protection of the ethnic Tuareg group, a revolutionary command spokesman has claimed, as cited by Daily Mail. "We do believe that he is somewhere in that region and we do know that Tuaregs are supporting him, probably because he's paying them," he is cited as saying. Sirte, one of the last bastions of support for Gaddafi, is encircled by forces of Libya's ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) and under bombardment from NATO warplanes. MICHAEL JACKSON MURDER TRIAL KICKS OFF IN LA Tuesday marked the start of the Los Angeles trial of the doctor accused of killing Michael Jackson. The opening scene on what is being billed as the trial of the century was a disturbing image of Michael Jackson's corpse lying on a bed with tubing over his face. During the trial's opening statements, an audio file was played for the first time revealing what the King of Pop said while allegedly drugged. "We have to be phenomenal. When people leave this show, when people leave my show, I want them to say, 'I've never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go. I've never seen nothing like this. Go. It's amazing. He's the greatest entertainer in the world," Jackson said in the audio, according to Huffington Post. Prosecutors portrayed Dr Conrad Murray, 58, as an incompetent physician who used a dangerous anesthetic without adequate safeguards and whose neglect left the 50-year-old superstar abandoned as he lay dying. Defense attorneys countered that Jackson caused his own death by taking the drug propofol in a desperate attempt to overcome his chronic inability to sleep after his doctor left the room KATUNITSA BURNING Tensions are raging in Bulgaria, triggered by the September 23 murder of a 19-year-old boy, who was deliberately run over by a van, driven by an associate of notorious Roma boss from the village of Katunitsa, Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro. The murder led to mass protests of ethnic Bulgarians in the Plovdiv village where Tsar Kiro's mansions are located. They culminated into the burning of Rashkov's properties by football club fans from Plovdiv, Sofia and Stara Zagora. Protests followed in many major Bulgarian cities, including the capital. Over 300 people were arrested by the police after two nights of rallies that are largely perceived as outbursts of ethnic hatred. Bulgarian authorities froze Rashkov's assets and property while he is investigated on tax evasion charges. Tsar Kiro is currently under arrest. Along with the clashes, came the bickering among politicians and institutions, passing the ball, and arguing if the issue is criminal, ethnic or political. The truth is that it is all three, piled together in the last 20 years, over incompetence, inactivity, greed, and corruption, making Katunitsa the spark that can fuel the fire and threaten ethnic peace. It is criminal because the majority of Bulgarian communities are under "the yoke" of untouchable, gangland feudal lords similar to Tsar Kiro. It is an ethnic one because of the years-long impunity of Roma crime – petty theft, robberies, arson, beatings, and rapes, and because of the way of retaliation in Katunitsa – vehicles running over people and people setting property on fire. It is political because of the use, election after election, of paid Roma vote to secure coveted posts, and because of the turning of Katunitsa's residents discontent into a new ethnic card game where a handful of nationalist ballots in the upcoming elections are at stake, and where city children, the majority of whom never witnessed the small-community Roma crime, and are much younger than the problem with Roma integration, were urged to the streets to shout racist slogans. And to top it all, there is an ironic, bitter-sweet twist in this latest Bulgarian saga – the second young victim of the tragedy, 16-year-old Pavel, who passed out during the turmoil in Katunitsa and died in the hospital because his heart could not handle the negative emotions, had a heart transplant done some years ago by world-renown Bulgarian surgeon, Roma-born Prof. Alexander Chirkov. |
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