NEWS,18.07.2012

Bulgaria Bus Blast: 7 Dead, 25 Wounded As Explosion Hits Bus Carrying Young Israeli Tourists

 

Israel's Foreign Minister says the deadly bus explosion in Bulgaria that has killed at least six people was caused by a bomb placed on the vehicle.Avigdor Lieberman says he was briefed by his Bulgarian counterpart Wednesday evening. He said seven people died, but Bulgarian authorities have placed the death toll at six.At least 32 people were wounded in the blast, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called "an Iranian terror attack."A bus carrying Israeli youth exploded Wednesday in a Bulgarian resort, killing at least six people and wounding 32, officials said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "an Iranian terror attack" and promised a tough response.The explosion took place in the Black Sea city of Burgas, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of the capital, Sofia. TV images showed smoke billowing from the scene – a parking lot at the local airport where the Israeli tourists had apparently just landed. Several buses and cars were on fire near the shell of the exploded vehicle.It was not yet certain what caused the blast in the eastern European nation – whether it was the result of a suicide bomber or a device remotely detonated – and no group immediately claimed responsibility.But Israelis often have been targeted in attacks outside their country, and Wednesday's bombing coincided with the 18th anniversary of the bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina that killed 85 people.Israel suspects Iran of being behind several of those assaults. The two nations have long been in dispute over the nature of Iran's nuclear program. Israel has warned it will use military force to curb Iran's program if it must because it believes Tehran wants atomic weapons – a charge Iranian officials deny.The Israeli premier noted that Wednesday's attack followed similar attacks or attempted attacks in India, Georgia, Thailand and Kenya and Cyprus in recent months. He said that once again, "all signs point to Iran," though he did not offer any evidence to back up the claim."This is an Iranian terror attack that is spreading across the world," Netanyahu said. "Israel will react strongly to Iran's terror."The White House, which has preferred to pursue sanctions and diplomatic pressure against Iran in the nuclear dispute, also strongly condemned the attack. Press Secretary Jay Carney said President Barack Obama's "thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and injured."Tehran did not immediately issue any comment.Bulgaria, a country of 7.3 million bordering Greece and Turkey, is a popular tourist destination for Israelis. In recent years, Burgas has become popular as an inexpensive haven for groups of Israeli teenagers taking trips after finishing high school and before their military service.Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Rosenzweig said a flight from Tel Aviv had landed at 4:45 p.m. and that the blast took place about 40 minutes later. The tourists were apparently boarding the buses to go to their hotels.Witness Gal Malka told Israel's Channel 2 TV that she saw someone board the bus just before it exploded. Malka, who was lightly wounded, said the bus was full of Israeli teenagers. "We were at the entrance of the bus and in a few seconds we heard a huge boom," she said. Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov told Bulgarian national TV from Burgas that a person died in the hospital, bringing the death toll to four. Prior to that announcement, a doctor at the Burgas city hospital told Bulgarian radio that there were 27 people hurt – and at least three had severe injuries. He was not identified.The Burgas airport was closed and traffic redirected. In Sofia, meanwhile, Mayor Yordanka Fandakova ordered a stronger police presence at all public places linked to the Jewish community. There are some 5,000 Jews in Bulgaria and most live in the capital.Iran, which insists its nuclear program is peaceful, has in the past accused Israel of being behind deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists.Israel has not admitted a role in those strikes, but it and others have accused Iran of alleged reprisal missions, including a February bombing in New Delhi that wounded an Israeli diplomat's wife and the discovery of a cache of explosives in Bangkok that Thai officials claim was linked to a plot to target Israeli diplomats. Iran has denied involvement.In Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, security officials in March announced the arrest of 22 suspects allegedly hired by Iran for terrorist attacks against the U.S. and Israeli embassies and other Western-linked sites.Wednesday's attack also coincided with the 18th anniversary of the bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people. An Argentinian magistrate has concluded Iran was behind that attack.Israeli officials also have long feared that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrilla group would try to attack Israelis abroad. Hezbollah has accused Israel of assassinating a top leader in Damascus in 2008 and vowed to avenge the killing. Israel has never admitted involvement in the mysterious explosion.Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Israel's Channel 2 TV said there was no advance intelligence on an attack in Bulgaria.But counterterrorism expert Boaz Ganor said Iran and Hezbollah were the most likely culprits. He told  that all the indications pointed toward them. He also cited the arrest of a Hezbollah operative in Cyprus in recent days who was suspected of preparing a similar attack."This is probably a parallel operation and likely not the last in a series," he said. "All this looks like Hezbollah, Iran or a combination of the two."

 

Cuba's new stiff taxes on imported goods

Cuba has announced the imposition of stiff new import taxes that could substantially affect private entrepreneurs trying to get new businesses off the ground and many others who rely on informal shipments of merchandise from overseas.Starting in September, Cubans who come in and out of the country more than once a year will have to pay the equivalent of $4.50 a pound or more for imports, a fortune in a country where salaries average the equivalent of about $20 a month. Non-Cuban residents of the island, as well as Cuban Americans visiting relatives, would have to pay the new rates even if they only make one trip to the island.About a quarter of a million Cubans have started new businesses under free-market reforms instituted by President Raul Castroat the end of 2010. Many have opened cafes, repair shops, clothing stalls and outdoor stands that rely on products brought in from abroad.Cubans with permission to travel often fund their trips by acting as mules, coming back with bags stuffed with clothes, electronic goods, diapers and other things that are hard to find on the island. Until now, they would pay only about 25 cents per pound in import duties, with set fees for big-ticket items like televisions and microwave ovens. Food imports were free until earlier this year, when the government began charging duties.The new fees were posted quietly on the website of the government's Official Gazette and are dated July 2.Some details of the new law were confusing, given that the decree was published in dense legalese and appeared to contradict itself, and that no government officials were available to make sense of it. At times the decree refers to taxes being imposed based on weight, and at times on the value of merchandise.Either way, it was clear to private business owners that they would be paying much more, and they were not happy about it."It's a disaster," said Luis Carlos Espinosa, a 42-year-old who has set up a small stand in central Havana selling jeans, colorful blouses and children's clothing, and who had heard rumors of the new taxes but had not yet seen the published law. "It hurts us in every way. Where are we going to get the merchandise? There is no wholesale market here."Castro has ushered in dramatic changes like the legalization of a real estate and used car market, the granting of licenses for 181 types of private sector jobs, micro-loans for small business owners, the loosening of rules limiting independent restaurants, and a program to turn fallow government land over to small time farmers.But the momentum has undoubtedly waned this year, with no major reforms announced since December. Two promised high-profile changes, the creation of mid-size cooperative businesses and the elimination of travel restrictions that keep most Cubans from leaving the island, have yet to materialize, despite repeated assurances they are in the works.The reforms are part of a five-year plan to shed a million state workers and turn more than 40 percent of the economy over to the private sector, compared to about 15 percent today.

EU says Romania's gov't undermines rule of law

 

The European Union sharply criticized Romania's government on Wednesday, saying it has undermined the rule of law and independence of the judiciary as it tried to remove the president.President Traian Basescu was impeached by Parliament last month on grounds he overstepped his authority by meddling in government business and the judicial system. Critics accuse Prime Minister Victor Ponta of orchestrating the move as part of a power grab, and the political turmoil has dented Romania's credibility, with the United States and the EU expressing doubts about the left-leaning government's respect for the independence of the judiciary.A referendum will be held on July 29 to determine whether Basescu should be removed from office.The EU said in a report Wednesday that recent steps by the government raise concerns about its respect of fundamental democratic principles and it urged Bucharest to take urgent action to demonstrate its commitment.EU officials have been particularly concerned about the speed of the impeachment process and that the government tried to pass emergency decrees to change the referendum law to make it easier to remove Basescu.The EU allowed Romania and Bulgaria to join the bloc in 2007 despite delays in reforming their judicial systems and combating corruption and organized crime. Since then, it has been issuing regular annual reports on their progress.Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, said "exceptional events" in Romania had been a source of major concern."Politicians must not try to intimidate judges ahead of decisions or attack judges after decisions they don't like," Barroso told reporters Wednesday. He said an additional report would be prepared on Romania before the end of 2012."In this report we will look whether our concerns have been addressed," Barroso said.Romania's interim President Crin Antonescu said in a televised address later Wednesday that the government "categorically agreed" with the principles of "an independent justice system, respect for the constitution, laws and constitutional court."He said that he had some reservations about the report, but did not specify. "Romania is not isolated" he said. It will become "more and more European, and more connected to European standards."The EU has no provision to expel members, yet continued negative reports could contribute to a cutting of EU funds. The EU could also sanction Romania by refusing to give it passport-free travel within the EU anytime soon.