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Bulgarians Go to The Polls — Yet Again
Deutsche Welle
27 Oct 2024, 13:49
Photo: Stoyan NenovREUTERS
Bulgarians headed to the polls for general elections on Sunday, with pro-Russian and far-right groups expected to make gains amid the country's political instability.
The elections were called after the seven groups elected to the legislature in a June vote did not succeed in forming a workable coalition.
Turnout is expected to be extremely low, with polls showing that only 10% of Bulgarians have confidence in the election system, well below the EU average of 62%.
Pro-Russian party looms large
Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's center-right GERB party is tipped to finish first with around 25% of the vote. However, GERB is likely to struggle to form a viable coalition amid a splintered Parliament.
Analysts believe that the main pro-Russia party, Vazrazhdane, has a good chance of becoming the second-largest group in the legislature.
Vazrazhdane wants Bulgaria to lift sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and for the country to cease its aid to Kyiv, while also calling the country's NATO membership into question.
It has gained popularity since proposing a Russian-inspired law banning LGBTQ "propaganda" that was passed by a large majority in Parliament in August.
Pollsters see the We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria bloc, which seeks to bolster the country's position in the EU, as coming in third place.
Bulgaria has been an EU member since 2007 but is at risk of losing billions of euros in EU recovery funds because of its lack of reforms.
It has yet to join the eurozone and be fully integrated into the open-border Schengen zone.
Widespread corruption
The country is one of the poorest and most corrupt EU states, and efforts to combat graft have been largely stymied by a judiciary that is seen as often acting in the interest of certain politicians.
The country has been in a period of political instability since 2020 when Bulgarians took to the streets across the country in protest at the takeover of state institutions by oligarchs enabled by corrupt politicians.
That instability, along with disinformation coming from Moscow, has fostered the popularity of pro-Russian and far-right groups in the former Soviet satellite state.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT). Exit poll results will be announced at the end of voting at 8 p.m., while preliminary results are expected on Monday.
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Severe Floods, Landslides in Nepal Kill 112 Amid Continuous Rain
At least 112 people have died in severe floods and landslides caused by continuous rain in Nepal. The ongoing downpour across the South Asian country has led to this disaster, claiming many lives. In addition, many people remain missing.
The death toll is feared to rise. A report from the Nepali media outlet Kathmandu Post on Sunday (September 29) provided this information.
The report stated that for the past three days, the country has been hit by severe floods and landslides due to incessant rain, and as of Saturday night, at least 112 people have died. In addition, 68 people are still missing.
As of 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that 99 people had died, 68 were missing, and more than 100 had been injured.
However, based on information gathered by local reporters from Kathmandu Post and confirmed by the headquarters of the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, 112 people have died nationwide. Among them, at least 20 were from Lalitpur, 15 from Dhading, 34 from Kavre, 12 from Kathmandu, 7 from Makwanpur, 5 each from Bhaktapur and Panchthar, 4 from Sindhupalchok, 3 from Dolakha, and 2 from Dhankuta.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 68 people are missing from districts including Panchthar, Jhapa, Mahottari, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Kavre, Sindhuli, Dhading, Sindhupalchok, Dolakha, and Rupandehi.
The Kathmandu Post reports that the floods and landslides have disrupted life in many parts of this mountainous country, with many highways and roads blocked, hundreds of homes and bridges destroyed or swept away, and hundreds of families displaced. Thousands of travelers have been stranded in various locations due to road closures.
Nepal's central and eastern districts have been the hardest hit by the floods and landslides. At least 37 people have died in the Kathmandu Valley, where significant damage has occurred. All highways and roads connecting the national capital Kathmandu to other regions of the country have been cut off.
On Saturday, Kathmandu Valley recorded its highest rainfall since 1970, when Nepal first started measuring and recording rainfall in the country.
In addition, at least 14 people died in a landslide near Dhaple Khola by the Tribhuvan Highway in Dhading, where their bodies were recovered from two buses buried in the debris. Their bodies were later taken to Maharajgunj’s TU Teaching Hospital for postmortem.
Senior Police Superintendent Basanta Rajouria said police from Kathmandu and Dhading recovered the bodies on Saturday evening.
Fans Bid Farewell to Tokyo Pandas Before Return to China
Thousands of fans on Saturday bid farewell to two pandas at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo before they are to return to China.
Over 2,000 people lined up outside of the zoo hours before the pair's final appearance.
What do we know about the two pandas?
Pandas Ri Ri and Shin Shin are the parents of Xiang Xiang, who was born in Tokyo in 2017 and returned to China last year. They also gave birth to twins in 2021.
After the two-hour-long wait, visitors were only given a few minutes to see the animals inside their enclosures.
The two pandas arrived at the zoo in 2011. They are both 19 years old.
The zoo had leased the pair until 2026, but has agreed to return them to China so that they may be treated for high blood pressure.
Pandas tend to live to 15-20 years of age in the wild and can have lifespans of up to 25-35 in captivity.
Pandas vulnerable to extinction
China sends pandas to zoos abroad but maintains ownership over the animals and any cubs they produce, a practice often referred to as "panda diplomacy."
Pandas are native to parts of central China, but their range has been severely reduced in recent centuries. Only around 1,800 pandas live in the wild and another 500 are in zoos or reserves.
The animals reproduce rarely in the wild and must eat bamboo nearly constantly to maintain their body weight.
The giant panda is listed as "vulnerable" to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Pope Francis Promises 'Help' to Belgian Sex Abuse Victims
Pope Francis vowed on Saturday to help the victims of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy.
He made the comments during a visit to Belgium, which has been rocked by two decades of revelations of abuse and systemic cover-ups in the Catholic Church.
Pope meets with abuse survivors
"Abuse generates atrocious suffering and wounds, undermining even the path of faith," Pope Francis told a congregation gathered at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the Brussels suburb of Koekelberg following the meeting.
The 87-year-old pontiff promised to "offer all the help we can" for sexual abuse victims.
The comments come after Pope Francis held a two-hour meeting with victims of abuse who were seeking compensation from the church for the trauma they suffered.
They said that they gave the pope a month to consider their requests. The Vatican said that the pope was looking over the petition.
A participant told the Belgian news agency Belga that the two-hour meeting was an "open, difficult and also emotional conversation."
Survivor Koen Van Sumere told AP news agency that he was encouraged by the "positive" meeting with Pope Francis, but was waiting to see what comes of it.
King, PM criticizes church over sex abuse scandals
Pope Francis spoke to abuse survivors after he received a bruising welcome from King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who criticized the church for its sexual abuse scandals.
King Philipe told the pope on Friday that "it has taken far too long to begin looking for ways to repair the irreparable."
Meanwhile, De Croo told the pontiff that words are not enough and that "concrete steps must also be taken."
"The victims must be heard. They should be at the center. They have a right to the truth," De Croo said in his speech to welcome the pope.
The Catholic Church has for several years now been rattled by revelations of thousands of cases of child abuse at the hands of clergy members, many of which were protected by the church.
China Holds Drills Near Disputed South China Sea Reef
Chinese ships and planes on Saturday conducted patrols around the flashpoint Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea as Beijing continues to assert its claims to almost the entire waterway against the will of several other countries in the region.
The maneuvers come after several tense maritime confrontations, particularly with the Philippines, in recent months. It also coincided with joint exercises carried out by the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Philippines in Manila's exclusive economic zone. They also follow talks between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on ways to reduce tensions in the region.
What has China said?
Beijing said the training activities around the shoal included "reconnaissance, early warning, and air-sea patrols."
"Certain countries outside the region are stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, creating instability in the region," the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army said. "The theater troops maintain a high degree of vigilance, resolutely defending national sovereignty, security and maritime rights and interests, (and) are firm in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea," it said.
"China holds indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and its adjacent waters," it added, using the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal. That claimed sovereignty has, however, been called into question by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, which in 2016 ruled that Beijing's claims were unfounded in international law.
The tribunal did not, however, say who had sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, which China seized from Manila in 2012, despite the reef's location nearly 900 km (311 miles) from the nearest Chinese land mass and within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
The atoll is home to abundant fish life and a picturesque lagoon, making it a coveted asset.
Wang and Blinken discuss South China Sea
On Friday, Wang and Blinken discussed the problems raised by China's growing territorial assertion in the region, with the Chinese foreign minister reportedly saying that "China insists on resolving differences with countries directly concerned through dialogue and consultation."
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang also told Blinken that "the US should not always stir up trouble in the South China Sea and should not undermine the efforts of regional countries to maintain peace and stability." Blinken said he spoke of Beijing's "dangerous and destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea and discussed improving communication between the two nations' militaries.
Growing tensions
In the past months, China's claims have led to a number of confrontations with the Philippines, including in waters around the disputed Second Thomas Shoal and Sabina Shoal. In July, the two sides said they had reached a provisional deal on resupply missions to a Philippine ship, the Sierra Madre, which is grounded on the Second Thomas Shoal.
The vessel hosts a garrison on board that aims to assert Manila's claims to the reef. Beijing said on Friday that it had "supervised" a Philippine ship under the deal as it delivered supplies to the vessel.
The Philippine armed forces confirmed that Chinese vessels had been nearby during the mission, but said they posed no threat. In August, the Philippines filed a diplomatic complaint against China after Chinese aircraft dropped flares in the path of a Philippine air force patrol plane over the Scarborough Shoal.
Hurricane Helene: / 100 Bodies Recovered in the U.S., Death Toll May Exceed 600
Hurricane Helene, originating from the Atlantic Ocean, has claimed at least 100 lives across six southwestern U.S. states. However, Washington fears the death toll could surpass 600.
During a briefing at the White House on Monday, Liz Sherwood-Randall, the domestic advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden, expressed this concern. She reported that rescue workers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have recovered 39 bodies in North Carolina, 25 in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 14 in Florida, 4 in Tennessee, and 1 in Virginia.
“We fear that the actual death toll from this storm could exceed 600,” Sherwood-Randall said at the press conference.
In a separate event the same day, President Joe Biden referred to Hurricane Helene as "horribly devastating" and remarked, "In my lifetime, I’ve seen few hurricanes as destructive as this. Search and rescue operations for the missing continue, and relief efforts are ongoing. We have also begun the process of restoring communication systems. We are fully committed to standing by those affected."
Biden announced that he will visit the six affected states by the end of this week, starting with North Carolina, which suffered the most damage from the storm.
Hurricane Helene made landfall near Big Bend, Florida, at around 11 PM local time on Thursday. Winds at the time were traveling at 140 mph. The storm’s destructive force uprooted countless trees, downed power lines, damaged homes, and flooded roads in and around Big Bend. Due to its extensive damage, the U.S. weather office classified Helene as a Category 4 hurricane.
After hitting Big Bend, Helene moved towards Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, gradually losing strength. By Friday afternoon, Helen had weakened into a regular seasonal storm, with wind speeds dropping to 35–55 kilometers per hour.
According to FEMA, Helene retained its strength for six hours after landfall in Big Bend before gradually diminishing into a seasonal storm.
Officials from the U.S. Weather Service have stated that Hurricane Helene ranks 14th in terms of destructive power among all hurricanes to hit the U.S. and third in terms of width. When it struck Florida, the storm’s diameter was 675 kilometers.
Due to its vast size, Helene caused heavy rainfall, strong winds, and flash floods across large parts of Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
In the past few days, the weather in most areas has improved, and floodwaters have receded. However, road and communication systems have yet to return to normal. U.S. authorities have confirmed that rescue operations continue in all affected areas.
(Source: Al Jazeera)
Crew on Vietnamese Fishing Boat Injured in Attack in South China Sea
A Vietnamese fishing boat was attacked in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands, claimed by both China and Vietnam, and 10 crew members were injured, Vietnamese state media said Monday. ABC news.
The Vietnamese boat radioed Sunday to report the attack, saying three fishermen suffered broken limbs and seven others received other injuries, the Tien Phong newspaper quoted a local official at Binh Chau commune in Quang Ngai province as saying.
It was not clear what country's boat attacked the Vietnamese vessel, and commune officials told The Associated Press they had nothing to add to the newspaper report.
Vietnam's border guard is investigating the case but has not yet made any information available.
The Paracel Islands are about 400 kilometers (250 miles) off Vietnam's eastern coast and about the same distance southeast of the Chinese province of Hainan.
Both countries claim them, as does the self-governing island of Taiwan.
The newspaper report said the attack on the boat occurred in Vietnamese waters but did not specify exactly where it was.
China claims almost all of the strategically vital South China Sea as its territory, which has caused disputes with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
Beijing has been increasingly assertive in pursuing its claims, which has brought China into confrontations with the Philippines and Vietnam.
The United States has no claims in the South China Sea itself but has deployed Navy and Air Force assets to patrol the waterway, through which around $5 trillion in global trade transits each year.
China threatened “serious consequences” last year after the U.S. Navy sailed a destroyer around the Paracel Islands in a “freedom of navigation operation" challenging what it called “excessive maritime claims."
The Paracel Islands have been under de facto Chinese control since 1974 when Beijing seized them from Vietnam in a brief naval conflict.
Last year, satellite photos showed China appeared to be building an airstrip on Triton Island in the Paracel group. As it was laid out at the time, it appeared it would be big enough to accommodate turboprop aircraft and drones but not fighter jets or bombers.
China has also had a small harbor and buildings on the island for years, along with a helipad and radar arrays.
China has refused to provide details of its island construction work other than to say it is aimed at promoting global navigation safety.
It has rejected accusations that it is militarizing the waterway, a key global and security route that is also believed to be sitting atop vast undersea deposits of gas and oil.
81-Year-Old Model Misses Bid for Oldest Miss Universe Contestant
An 81-year-old model fell short in her bid to become the oldest Miss Universe contestant after competing in the South Korean pageant against much younger rivals. ABC news.
Dressed in a beaded white gown, the silver-haired Choi Soon-hwa strutted across the stage and performed in a singing contest at the Miss Universe Korea pageant held Monday at a hotel in South Korea's capital, Seoul.
She missed out on the crown but did take home the "best dressed" award.
Han Ariel, a 22-year-old fashion school student, won the contest and will head to Mexico City for the Miss Universe pageant in November.
Choi, a former hospital care worker who began her modeling career in her 70s, was announced as a Miss Universe Korea finalist earlier this month along with 31 other contestants.
"Even at this age, I dared to grab onto an opportunity and take on a challenge," Choi told The Associated Press hours before Monday's pageant.
"I want people to look at me and realize that you can live healthier and find joy in life when you find things you want to do and challenge yourself to achieve that dream."
It would have been impossible for Choi to compete in the pageant a year ago as Miss Universe had limited the participation to women between 18 and 28. The age limit, which had long drawn criticism, was lifted this year to make the competition more modern and diverse.
Organizers of the Korean pageant also removed the swimsuit competition and eligibility requirements related to education, height, and foreign language abilities to open the contest to more women.
