Two terrorists have been sentenced to life in jail for the 2012 tourist bus bomb attack at Bulgaria’s Burgas airport, despite continuing to evade attempts to catch them.
The explosion killed five Israeli tourists, including a pregnant woman, their Bulgarian bus driver and the Franco-Lebanese man who carried the device. More than 35 people were injured.
Bulgarian and Israeli authorities blamed the bombing on Hezbollah, a move that led to the EU blacklisting the group’s military wing as a terrorist organisation.
Judge Adelina Ivanova sentenced the two men – who fled Bulgaria and were tried in their absence – to “life in jail without parole”, finding them guilty of terrorism and manslaughter.
They were identified as Lebanese-Australian Meliad Farah, 39, and Lebanese-Canadian Hassan El Hajj Hassan, 32.
DNA analysis identified the bomber as Mohamad Hassan El Husseini, 23, who held French and Lebanese citizenship.
Airport CCTV footage showed him wandering inside the airport’s arrivals hall with a backpack on his back shortly before the explosion that tore through a bus outside the terminal. It had been heading to Sunny Beach, a popular summer destination on the Black Sea.
Witnesses said he tried to put his backpack inside the luggage compartment of the bus full of Israelis when it exploded.
The tourists who were killed were all in their twenties, except for the pregnant woman, aged 42.
Prosecutors were unable to determine if the explosive was triggered by the bomber or remotely detonated by one of two men who had also helped him to assemble the explosive device.
“I pleaded for the heaviest punishment because I consider that this terrorist act deserves to be punished in the heaviest possible way,” prosecutor Evgenia Shtarkelova said.
An investigation into the bombing found they arrived in Bulgaria from Romania in June 2012 and left again the evening after the attack.
Ms Shtarkelova said the nature of the explosive device, the fake US driving licences used by the men, their Lebanese descent and some family ties “link both defendants ... and the attack to the terrorist organisation Hezbollah.”
A public defender for Hassan, lawyer Zhanet Zhelyazkova, countered that evidence of her client’s complicity with the attack was “only circumstantial”.
The investigation into the attack found that the fake licences were made by the same printer at a university in Lebanon.
It also said the suspects received money from people linked to Hezbollah.
Bulgaria’s chief prosecutor, Ivan Geshev, has stressed that Hezbollah was behind the attack “in terms of logistics and financing”.
The prosecution confirmed that it had no clue about the two men’s whereabouts and that they are still sought on an Interpol red notice.
The court ruling is still subject to appeal, which can be lodged within 15 days to a higher court.
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
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• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
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Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
