Bulgaria's Cardiovascular Crisis: Deputy PM Urges Action
Bulgaria is grappling with a staggering burden of cardiovascular diseases, with more than 6 million new cases and over 1.8 million deaths reported annually
HOT: » Assessing the Legacy of Bulgaria's "Denkov" Cabinet: Achievements, Failures, and What Comes Next
Voting is under way in Venezuela to elect a new assembly with powers to rewrite the constitution, reported BBC.
The opposition is boycotting the vote which it says is a power grab by President Nicolás Maduro.
The government says the constituent assembly is the only way to bring peace back to the country after months of violent protests.
On the eve of the vote, protesters blocked roads in the capital Caracas in defiance of a ban on demonstrations.
In a speech broadcast on TV, President Maduro predicted a "big victory", calling the vote "the most important election held in Venezuela's political system".
However, electoral council chief Tibisay Lucena acknowledged that some voting machines had been attacked and burned in parts of the country.
Oil-rich Venezuela is gripped by a political crisis with soaring inflation and daily food shortages. Violent demonstrations since April have left more than 100 people dead.
Many residents in Caracas were stocking up on essential items on Saturday in case unrest left shops closed into Monday, correspondents said.
More than 6,000 candidates are standing for the 545-member constituent assembly but none are from the opposition.The new body will have the power to bypass the National Assembly, currently controlled by an alliance of opposition parties.
Turnout and the number of spoilt ballots will be watched closely as an indication of how much support there is for the assembly.
A poll by Datanalisis suggested that over 70% of Venezuelans were opposed to the new assembly - but the government has said it is confident that millions will take part in the vote.
Neighbouring Colombia has said it will not recognise the constituent assembly. France, Spain, the US and the EU have also urged the government to cancel the vote, but to no avail.
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Ukrainian military intelligence has accused Russian intelligence services of having prior knowledge about the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall near Moscow
Israeli military operations against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza City's Shifa Hospital and Khan Yunis continued, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
The Czech Republic has revealed the dismantling of a vast network of Russian influence spanning across Europe, with Bulgaria among its targeted countries
Amidst reports linking the messaging app Telegram to the recruitment of gunmen involved in a recent attack near Moscow, the Kremlin has issued a warning to the app's owner, Pavel Durov
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia has no intention of attacking NATO countries such as Poland, the Baltic states, or the Czech Republic
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a meeting with the White House to discuss an upcoming ground operation in Rafah, situated in the southern part of the Gaza Strip
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