Measles Outbreak in Bulgaria Surpasses 100 Cases, Majority are Children
Health authorities in Bulgaria report a total of 101 confirmed measles cases across the country, according to data from the Ministry of Health
HOT: » Which party would you vote for (if you could) in the upcoming snap vote in Bulgaria on April 19?
Bulgarian MPs have declined to back a bill proposed by the "There Is Such a People" party (TISP) that aimed to prohibit advertising and medical procedures for gender reassignment for individuals under 18. Meanwhile, "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) abstained from voting on three of its own proposed amendments to the Child Protection Act. TISP's proposal sought to extend state protection to children aged 16 to 18 who are not in education and to impose penalties of 1 to 3 years of imprisonment for anyone providing medical prescriptions or procedures for gender change to minors.
Following the initial failed vote, TISP's Toshko Yordanov took to the podium to accuse the GERB party of supporting "gay-oriented propaganda" from WCC-DB. In another development, the deputies dismissed three draft laws from WCC-DB aimed at amending the Child Protection Act. One of these proposals, introduced by Elisaveta Belobradova, sought to ensure that children are protected from "political propaganda, untruths, and pre-election actions," and proposed the concept of "genomic sex."
Prof. Andrey Chorbanov from TISP criticized Belobradova's suggestion, calling it "insane," asserting that "gender is gender" and that gender does not relate to genomics (ed. note: gender and sex are the same word in Bulgarian language: пол/pol). WCC-DB's legislation permitted gender reassignment under life-threatening conditions, prompting Georgi Ivanov from "Revival" to label WCC-DB a "pro-pedophile coalition," which drew a reprimand from National Assembly Speaker Raya Nazaryan for his inflammatory language. The bill did not pass, with WCC-DB abstaining from the vote.
Another WCC-DB proposal, presented by Bozhidar Bozhanov, aimed to enhance existing laws regarding sexual offenses against children, introducing stricter restrictions for individuals with convictions for such crimes and requiring background checks for anyone working with children. This bill, which also sought to regulate online child protection, was not adopted, with WCC-DB abstaining once again.
A third draft law by Katya Paneva aimed to ensure the protection of children and doctors in the context of established medical issues. However, this proposal also failed to pass, with WCC-DB abstaining from the vote.
After the voting concluded, TISP accused GERB and WCC-DB of "collusion" regarding the changes to the Child Protection Act, while "Revival" reiterated its accusations against WCC-DB for promoting propaganda within schools.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) in Bulgaria has confirmed that a total of 6,575,151 citizens are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections on April 19
TikTok has removed 34 accounts linked to what it described as coordinated inauthentic activity connected to Bulgaria’s upcoming parliamentary elections
A mayor in northwestern Bulgaria is under scrutiny after allegedly distributing social benefits alongside a political party’s election materials
A new survey by the “Sova Harris” agency indicates that six political formations would enter the next Bulgarian National Assembly, based on data collected between April 2 and 6 among 800 respondents through standardized face-to-face interviews
Bulgaria is bracing for an increase in disinformation activity in the run-up to the parliamentary elections on April 19, with authorities warning of coordinated attempts to influence voters and destabilize public trust
The Prosecutorial College of the Supreme Judicial Council has declined to remove Borislav Sarafov from his position as Acting Prosecutor General, despite calls from the Justice Ministry to act following a recent Constitutional Court ruling
Aniventure Comic Con Returns to Bulgaria with Star Guest Christopher Judge!
Global Fuel Shock: Oil Jumps Over 40% Since Iran War Began