Registration Opens for the 42nd Sofia Marathon
The 42nd Sofia Marathon is now accepting registrations for runners from both Bulgaria and abroad
US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has stated that the deadly explosions in Boston which killed 3 people and injured 176 were not part of a broader plot.
The statement comes in the aftermath of information from the investigation that the bombs used in the Boston Marathon tragedy may have been pressure cookers hidden in backpacks.
Napolitano is quoted saying:
"Yesterday afternoon, two explosive devices detonated in Boston, Mass., killing three and wounding over 150 people. We continue to keep those affected by this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers, especially the families and loved ones of those lost or injured. I spoke earlier today to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Boston Mayor Tom Menino, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis as well as Members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation—including Senators Elizabeth Warren and William Cowan, and Representatives Mike Capuano, Bill Keating, Stephen Lynch, Ed Markey, and John Tierney.
I reiterated the Department of Homeland Security's support to the FBI-led investigation and the Administration's commitment to bringing whoever committed this act of terror to justice. While there is no current indication to suggest that the events in Boston are indicative of a broader plot, out of an abundance of caution, DHS continues to keep in place enhanced security measures at transportation hubs, utilizing measures both seen and unseen. We continue to urge the American public to remain vigilant and immediately report any signs of suspicious activity to local law enforcement officials."
According to FBI, no one has so far declared responsibility for the bloody act, and the motives and the suspects remain unknown, which reaffirms as top lead the perpetrator having acted alone and not being part of a large terrorist organization.
A Chinese student is the third victim of the blasts, but her identity has not been revealed on the request of her family.
The other two are a restaurant manager, Krystle Campbell, 29, from Arlington, Massachusetts, and 8-year-old Martin Richard from Dorchester, Massachusetts. Martin's sister and his mother have sustained serious injuries while his father and older brother, who also watched the marathon near the finish line, have escaped unharmed.
About half of the wounded (80 people) remain in hospitals, while 17 are still in critical condition.
Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick, is quoted saying Boston will keep the tradition of running the marathon every year, stressing there have not been any incidents in 160 years, while the bloody act will turn into a lesson for the organizers.
He vowed a bigger and better event next year.
US President, Barack Obama, will take part in a memorial mass in Boston on Wednesday.
A group of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) has raised urgent concerns with the European Commission regarding the ongoing detention of Saudi political activist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi in Bulgaria
Montenegro’s Minister for European Affairs, Majda Gorgević, reaffirmed in an interview with BGNES that Chinese investments do not threaten the country’s EU aspirations
Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev has been invited to speak before the European Parliament in Brussels on April 22
During the "EU Meets the Balkans" forum in Sofia, North Macedonia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Zoran Dimitrovski addressed ongoing concerns surrounding his country's EU accession process
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared that the era of a unified West is over, stating that only Europe remains as a bastion of the values traditionally associated with the Western alliance
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos emphasized that the expansion of the European Union remains one of the top priorities of the current European Commission
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