Latest news with #Bulgarian
Sunday World
40 minutes ago
- Sunday World
Ballymena schoolgirl ‘raped' after being dragged into garage by three males, court hears
While two of the suspects were arrested within hours of the incident on June 7, a third has fled back to Romania A Ballymena schoolgirl was walking along a street in the town when she was allegedly dragged into a garage, then raped and sexually assaulted by three males, a court heard today. Ballymena Youth Court was also told that while two of the suspects were arrested within hours of the incident on June 7, a third has fled back to Romania. Details emerged in court for the first time as a 14-year-old Romanian boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, applied for bail. The teenager, and another 14-year-old, are on remand in custody charged with attempted rape. It was hours after their first appearance in court on June 9 that rioting erupted in Ballymena. Racist rioting erupted in Ballymena in June Giving evidence during the contested application on Wednesday, a PSNI detective constable said the girl's grandmother contacted police that evening to report that her granddaughter 'had been raped by three Bulgarian males in a garage in Harryville'. When police attended and spoke to the girl, she told them she was walking along the street when 'three males grabbed her and took her to a garage down an alleyway'. Inside, the girl saw two mattresses 'and she was put on one'. The detective constable said two of the males had their genitals exposed and 'started touching themselves'. She added that while they allegedly tried to force the girl to perform sex acts on them, the third male, who has since absconded, 'raped her'. 'She said this went on for about 10 minutes, but when they heard a male voice outside, the three ran off,' the cop said. At that stage, the complainant 'was able to leave the garage and get help', and based on the information provided by the teenager, police went to an address on Clonavon Terrace where the two 14-year-olds were arrested. The court heard they 'matched the description' given by the alleged victim. The detective constable said the bail applicant 'denied any criminal activity' and then refused to answer police questions during his interviews. Turning to bail objections, the detective constable told District Judge Trevor Browne 'police have strong concerns that there's a risk he may leave the jurisdiction'. 'Within hours of the defendant being arrested, a co-accused who had been identified left the country and we believe he is residing in Romania. 'We believe that, given the significant public disorder that descended after the incident, there's a risk that, if released, this defendant will leave the jurisdiction and we are not content that any conditions can be put in place to prevent that,' said the officer. She added that while a proposed bail address outside of Ballymena had been put forward by the defence, there were concerns about that as well. The detective constable explained that while the occupant had been put forward as a relative, she told officers who spoke to her that 'she was a friend of the family', rather than a relative. The officer said police had also ascertained there were three children living in the property, including a 14-year-old girl. The detective constable said it was also a concern that another family with a young child appeared to be living in the house, a property she described as being 'in a poor state of repair'. 'Police do not believe that any conditions will satisfy [their concerns] and we are aware that there's an opportunity to surrender passports and ID cards, however, we believe there are other ways of leaving the country,' she concluded. Defence counsel Conn O'Neill said that none of those concerns had been raised with the defence before the hearing, adding that if they had been 'we could have dealt with them'. Highlighting that the defendant had voluntarily undergone DNA testing and an identity parade, he suggested that given the multitude of objections from the police, that the court adjourn the bail application. That would allow the defence to verify whether the woman who has put her address forward is related or a friend. It would also allow the defence the opportunity to make efforts to obtain an alternative address, said Mr O'Neill. Judge Browne told the barrister: 'I completely agree, with the best will in the world, the application just disintegrated before our very eyes 'We are all mindful that he is a 14-year-old boy with no previous convictions and there is a working presumption in favour of bail…but it would not be fair to force you on without giving you the opportunity to address this important obstacle.' Adjourning the bail application, the judge adjourned both cases to August 6. By way of an update, the prosecutor told the judge the case had been expedited, that the complainant has completed her achieving best evidence video interview with the police and that the 'target date for completion of the full file is the end of September'. Ballymena courthouse. Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 16th
Reuters
an hour ago
- Business
- Reuters
Bulgaria secures Citi to help finance nuclear expansion at Kozloduy site
July 16 (Reuters) - Bulgaria has secured a partnership with U.S. bank Citi (C.N), opens new tab to finance the construction of nuclear power units at Kozloduy NPP, marking the country's largest energy project in decades, its energy ministry said on Wednesday. Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov held final talks in New York with Citi's leadership, agreeing on financing for units 7 and 8 at the Bulgarian nuclear site that will use Westinghouse's AP1000 technology. "The agreement with Citi is an essential step for the successful implementation of the government's priority energy project, ensuring energy independence and long-term stability," Stankov said during the meeting with Stephanie von Friedeburg, Citi's Global Director of Public Sector Banking. For Citi, serving as exclusive coordinator and arranger of export credit, the deal represents its largest nuclear financing project in Central and Eastern Europe, according to the ministry statement. It did not specify the exact amount of financing agreed and Citi was not immediately available for comment to Reuters. Kozloduy is Bulgaria's only nuclear power plant and dates back to the 1970s. It has two 1,000 megawatts Soviet-made reactors in operation. Four others were closed by 2007. Under the expansion plans, unit 7 would be ready by 2033 and unit 8 would follow at a later stage. South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction ( opens new tab received parliamentary approval in Bulgaria in February to advance discussions on building two nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 2,300 MW.
Business Wire
2 hours ago
- Business
- Business Wire
2025 "Chinese Quality Products Shared with the World" Zunyi Dialogue Event Held
ZUNYI, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On July 15 th, 2025, the "Chinese Quality Products Shared with the World" Zunyi Dialogue was held in Zunyi, Guizhou, China. This event was part of the 2025 "China's Development, An Opportunity for a Colorful World" International Exchange Week, with more than 150 participants, including diplomatic envoys from over 30 countries, experts and scholars, university faculty and students, enterprises with distinctive features, and media representatives, attended the event. Zunyi is famous for its tea, chili peppers, liquor, and guitars. Share Zunyi is famous for its tea, chili peppers, liquor, and guitars. Among them, guitars from Zheng'an have gained worldwide reputation, with one out of every seven guitars globally being produced in Zheng'an; Zunyi is also famous for Moutai, China's renowned sauce-aroma liquor. Its tea industry is represented by brands such as "Zunyi Red" and "Meitan Cuiya", with two-thirds of Meitan County's population engaged in tea production. Known as "China's Chili City", Zunyi is home to the country's largest chili trading market, nicknamed the "Wall Street of Chili Peppers". Hu Guangfen, Chairwoman of Guizhou Guisanhong Food Co., Ltd., shared her entrepreneurial journey with chili peppers. At the age of 19, she left her hometown to work in a shoe factory in Dongguan, Guangzhou Province. In 1996, she quit her well-paying job in Dongguan to return home and start a business. In 2017, she invested RMB 200 million to build a new industrial park, which now achieves an annual output value exceeding RMB 100 million. Her story exemplifies how the lives of ordinary Chinese farmers have been transformed through the Reform and Opening-up. During the dialogue session, Bakhtiyor Mirzaev, Trade-Economic Counselor of the Uzbekistan Consulate General in Guangzhou, noted that the ancient Silk Road historically began in Xi'an and passed through Tashkent and Samarkand, connecting China, Central Asia, and Europe. He mentioned that a railway linking China and Uzbekistan is currently under construction, which will facilitate bilateral trade. Ivet Nikolova, Commercial Counsellor of the Bulgarian General Consulate in Shanghai, highlighted Bulgaria's strategic position within Europe and its long-standing tradition of fruit wine consumption. She expressed hope for deeper integration between Chinese industries and Bulgarian culture to strengthen China-EU connectivity. Over the next three days, guests from various countries will visit local sites to experience firsthand the essence of "Chinese Quality Products Shared with the World".
Korea Herald
2 hours ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
2025 "Chinese Quality Products Shared with the World" Zunyi Dialogue Event Held
ZUNYI, China, July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 15th, the "Chinese Quality Products Shared with the World" Zunyi Dialogue event was held in Zunyi, Guizhou. This event was part of the 2025 "China's Development, An Opportunity for a Colorful World" International Exchange Week, with more than 150 participants, including diplomatic envoys from over 30 countries, experts and scholars, university faculty and students, enterprises with distinctive features, and media representatives attending the event. Tea, chili peppers, liquor, and guitars from Zunyi are all characteristic products. Among them, the Zheng'an guitar enjoys a worldwide reputation, with one out of every seven guitars globally being produced in Zheng'an; China's renowned sauce-aroma white liquor, Moutai, is also produced in Zunyi; The tea from Zunyi is represented by "Zunyi Red" and "Meitan Cuiya", with two-thirds of Meitan County's population engaged in the tea industry. The "China Chili City" located in Zunyi is the largest chili trading market nationwide, nicknamed the "Wall Street of Chili Peppers". Its annual dry chili trade volume exceeds 500,000 tons, with a transaction value nearing 10 billion RMB. Hu Guangfen, Chairwoman of Guizhou Guisanhong Food Co., Ltd., shared her story with chili peppers on-site. At the age of 19, she left home to work in a Dongguan shoe factory; In 1996, she quit her high-paying job in Dongguan to start a business back home; In 2017, she invested 200 million RMB to build a new industrial park with an annual output value exceeding 100 million RMB. Her story exemplifies the transformation of ordinary Chinese farmers' personal destinies alongside the reform and opening up. During the dialogue session, Bakhtiyor Mirzaev, Trade-Economic Counselor of the Uzbekistan Consulate General in Guangzhou, mentioned that historically, the ancient Silk Road started from Xi'an, passed through Tashkent and Samarkand, connecting China, Central Asia, and Europe. Currently, a railway linking China and Uzbekistan is under construction, which will facilitate bilateral trade. Ivet Nikolova, Commercial Counsellor of the Bulgarian General Consulate in Shanghai, expressed that Bulgaria has a strategic advantage within Europe and a deep tradition of fruit wine consumption. She hopes to integrate Chinese industries with Bulgarian culture, thereby closely linking with the EU market. In the coming three days, guests from various countries will visit local sites to experience firsthand the essence of "Chinese Quality Products Shared with the World".
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
Currency changeover in Bulgaria: the euro replaces the lev in January
The days of the Bulgarian lev are numbered! Bulgaria wants to introduce the European single currency, the euro, in January. The reform efforts are paying off: The European Commission, central bank and EU finance ministers have given the green light. Bulgaria meets all the conditions for the euro: Nevertheless, many Bulgarians are afraid of inflation – even though the euro is one of the most stable currencies in the world. 66 percent believe that Bulgaria is not yet ready. Bulgarian ultra-nationalists and supporters of Russia organise demonstrations against the euro. Society is divided. All EU institutions confirm the opposite: Bulgaria has done its homework and is ready. Are there more advantages or disadvantages associated with switching to euros? First stop for Bulgarian winegrowers. Wine has been cultivated in the region for thousands of years. Ivailo Antonov is managing director of the Bessa Valley winery. Despite summer temperatures of 40 degrees, his vines are thriving: "We plant Syrah. We expect a really good harvest this year.' The company produces 720,000 bottles of wine annually, 80 percent of which is for export. Juggling currencies costs money: "We sell abroad and are paid in euros," says Antonov. 'But when we buy material in Bulgaria, we pay with levs. So we give a lot of money to the bank to transfer money from euro to lev and vice versa." The introduction of the euro eliminates transaction costs, and Bulgaria's entrepreneurs save money. Change of location: In the village of Doganovo I meet Vasil Petrov. At the age of 14, he learned to catch and prepare carp. He also knows his way around accounting. He has been working in the restaurant at the fish pond for seven years. He believes that the euro will become expensive: 'Prices will go up, salaries won't. That scares me.' Bulgarian society is divided into supporters and opponents of the euro. Right-wing populists stoke fears of inflation and organise large-scale demonstrations. With people like Vasil, scaremongering works: 'I don't have a good feeling about giving up the lev, because the banknotes show Bulgarian celebrities. I am afraid to give up a piece of national identity, because we Bulgarians are very nationalistic. We have over 3000 years of history. People are afraid, because we feel that Europe is devouring us." Back to Bessa Valley. Winemaker Antonov disagrees with the point of view of fish chef Vasil. Money has nothing to do with national identity, he says. And: "The euro is the second most important currency in the world. I think we should be proud of that!' In the Bulgarian capital Sofia, I meet Plamen Ralchev. At the University of World Economy, he heads the Department of International Relations. He supports Bulgaria's decision to adopt the euro: 'Bulgaria has committed itself to adopting the euro under the conditions set out in the EU Accession Treaty. So the question is not whether to do that, but when." Euronews: 'When is the best time? 66 percent of Bulgarians say: Our country is not yet ready!" Ralchev: 'A few years ago, the Bulgarian economy was in better shape. We have lost momentum due to political instability and the inability to form a stable government.' Euronews: "Should Bulgaria wait a few more years?" Ralchev: "I do not recommend waiting. We don't know what the economic environment will look like in 2 or 3 years. It could get worse! - The problem is that the pro-European sentiment in Bulgaria is not solid enough.' Euronews: "Every second Bulgarian says: No! We don't want that! – Why?' Ralchev: "Some (Bulgarians) see themselves as Europeans, others think they are a very unique Balkan people. We have deep-seated psychological complexes: Where are we? Where should the journey go, as a nation? And then there's Russia: This rift running through Bulgarian society between pro-Russian and anti-Russian layers is deeply disturbing." Euronews: "Does the euro lead to inflation?" Ralchev: "This is psychological manipulation: Things are getting worse! Prices are exploding! - I expect prices to fall after the introduction of the euro. The market logic will make it clear to traders that they must lower their euro prices if they want to remain competitive in the market." Euronews: 'Why would Bulgaria adopt the euro? What is the advantage - for Bulgaria?" Ralchev: 'The euro is a stability anchor, a lifeboat that we should board.'
