Iraq

Police in Istanbul and Edirne have dismantled a crime group which engaged in illegal trafficking of immigrants from Middle East countries to Bulgaria and Greece.

The 12-strong crime group was uncovered as a result of several months of tracking by special police units, according to reports of dnevnik.bg.

Russia issued a blanket ban on foreign trips for its law enforcement and military personnel, reports LifeNews.ru. 

The list includes Bulgaria, USA, Canada, UK, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Japan, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, etc. The number of off limits countries totals 150. 

Christians across the world celebrate Easter Sunday as this year the celebrations of all Christian denominations fall on the same date. 

According to reports, 100 000 faithful from across the world gathered at St. Peter's square in the Vatican to hear Pope Francis' blessing Urbi Et Orbi – To The City and The World at noon. 

Albanian police said they arrested Pashja on Tuesday in cooperation with the Turkish police, following an international arrest warrant issued by a Tirana’s Serious Crimes Court on March 10.

Earlier, eight people, including two radical imams, were arrested in Albania on March 12, accused of recruiting Albanian citizens to fight in the bloody civil war in Syria.

World military expenditure totalled USD 1.75T in 2013, a fall of 1.9% since 2012, according to figures released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

“Those who have sacrificed their lives, whether in Kosovo, Syria or in another country, for good causes, for freedom and democracy, may Allah bless them and I would like to send my deepest condolences to their families,” Ramadani told the news portal Presheva Jone.

Deputy Transport Minister Anton Ginev agreed on Tuesday with his Iraqi counterpart Bangen Rekani on a new document for bilateral air transport cooperation.

The agreement is expected to boost air traffic and lead to opening new lines, thus also creating jobs and enforcing Bulgarian-Iraqi trade.

Soldier kills 3, wounds 16 at U.S. base

WASHINGTON -- An American soldier has shot and killed three people and wounded 16 before he committed suicide in the Fort Hood military base.

Five years ago, Major Nidal Hasan killed 13 people at the same base in Texas.

The Romanian defence ministry said in a statement on Monday that a vehicle carrying explosives crashed head-on into the military vehicle in which Claudiu Constantin Vulpoiu and his five fellow servicemen were travelling.

The Romanian troops were on patrol in Zabul province, on the Kabul-Kandahar highway. Vulpoiu, 41, had served in six missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“We remain in contact [with the Albanian government] and Mr Blair would of course still be happy to help, as both Albania and the region mean a huge amount to him, but there is no contract,” Cirian Ward a spokesperson for Blair told Balkan Insight.

“Any help would be done at no cost to the Albanian government,” Ward added.