Latest news with #Bulgarian
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders legend 'died virtually penniless' after blowing £1m fortune
Leslie Grantham was a jewel in the crown of EastEnders as 'Dirty' Den Watts – but the actor sadly died with virtually no money to his name after an incredible downfall EastEnders continues to bathe in the glory of it 40th anniversary celebrations back in February. Viewers were delighted by an epic live episode that saw the harrowing death of Martin Fowler (James Bye), although viewers couldn't help spotting 'blunders' with Sonia and Linda during the special programme. For many months, the soap has also been indulging in a bit of nostalgia, welcoming back several familiar faces from the past, including from David Wicks (Michael French), Tracy-Ann Oberman (Chrissie Watts), Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). Yet, these comebacks are dwarfed by the programme's most dramatic 'return' plotline, which unfolded back in 2003. The decision to bring back 'Dirty' Den Watts from the dead – despite the character being 'killed off' in 1988 – made headlines and sent the show's ratings skyrocketing. Regrettably, for Leslie Grantham, the actor who portrayed Den, this comeback was to be his last hurrah. His second tenure on the show ended amidst scandal, causing his career to stumble. In 2004, a newspaper revealed then-57 year old Leslie had been exposing himself online, using a webcam in his EastEnders dressing room. Consequently, Den was written out of the show in early 2005, meeting his end for the second time after his wife Chrissie hit him on the head with an iron doorstop – and this time, there would be no miraculous resurrection. Following his departure from the limelight, Leslie did snag a part in The Bill, yet post-2005, his professional life was largely made up of panto and theatre gigs. Reports suggest that by 2018, when cancer claimed his life, Leslie was nearly destitute, having spent some of his last years in a friend's spare room after his long marriage to Jane Laurie ended. Daily Mail coverage indicated that the financially-stricken actor took measures to organise and pay for a 'no frills funeral', worried his family might otherwise be burdened with the cost. Possessing only scant shares in a business worth below £23,000 and a modest Bulgarian property, legal complexities meant his survivors – including his three sons with ex-wife Jane – wouldn't inherit much. A confidant revealed: "Leslie suffered from really bad money troubles the past several years, and worrying about it did his health no good. In fact, the stress of his financial situation probably speeded up his death as he was so frail." Detailing Leslie's funeral preparations, the informant shared: "He paid for the whole event and left specific instructions about what he wanted. An average funeral costs £4,000 and he made sure it was all sorted." On a brighter note, Leslie's son, Daniel Laurie, is keeping the acting legacy alive with his regular appearance as Reggie Jackson in the BBC series Call The Midwife.
Canada News.Net
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Vucic Halts Ammunition Exports, Says Supplies Will Go To Serbian Army
Serbia is halting all ammunition exports following a decision by President Aleksandar Vucic as the Balkan country faces challenges over exports to Israel and Moscow's suspicions that ammunition made in Serbia has made its way to Ukraine. We've halted literally everything, and we are supplying our army, Vucic said on June 23 after reporters asked whether Serbia had chosen a side in the Israeli-Iranian conflict by exporting ammunition to Israel. Vucictold reportersafter attending a meeting with the Armed Forces Chief of General Staff that Serbia's arms exports to Israel following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas was one thing, and that today we have a different situation. Several hours after Vucic's comments, the Serbian Ministry of Defense said that any future exports of arms manufactured in Serbia would require the consent of the country's National Security Council and permission from other relevant authorities. Serbia also has faced pressure from Moscow, which recently criticized Serbia's position on arms exports. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Serbia of exporting arms to Ukraine via third countries. Ammunition produced at Serbian defense enterprises, primarily for heavy long-range systems, is sent to NATO countries in the interests of Ukraine in the form of complete sets of parts for assembly, the SVR claimed in astatementon June 23. This allows Kyiv to formally receive military products that are no longer Serbian, but assembled at weapons factories in Western countries. SEE ALSO: Western Balkan Countries Reaffirm Support For Ukraine At Summit In Tirana Serbia's Ministry of Defense didn't respond to RFE/RL's requests to confirm or deny the SVR's allegations, which have not been addressed by Vucic or other Serbian officials. According to the SVR, Serbia's ammunition exports to Ukraine have strained ties between Belgrade and Moscow. It is regrettable that now these traditions of friendship and mutual assistance are crossed out by the thirst for profit and cowardly multi-vectorism, the SVR said in the statement. It claimed that the assembly and loading of ammunition produced in Serbia is carried out primarily in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Neither the Czech nor the Bulgarian foreign ministry was available to comment on the Russian allegations following inquiries by RFE/RL. The Bulgarian military company EMCO Ltd., designated by the Russian SVR as one of the companies to which Serbia delivers ammunition for further shipment to Ukraine, strongly denied these allegations in comments to RFE/RL, calling them unfounded. We declare that this is not true. EMCO has not exported any material for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for about 10 years, the company said. For more than three years, Vucic has endured pressure from both Brussels and Washington to impose sanctions on Russia after its unprecedented full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In May he made his first visit to Moscow since its invasion of Ukraine and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising concern in Brussels. Moscow, Russia--Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, May 9 2025 The European Commission on May 8advisedVucic to refrain from giving legitimacy to Putin's aggression against Ukraine. Vucic earlier this month received praise for Serbia's support from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Odesa, wherethe two meton the margins of the Ukraine-South East Europe Summit. Serbia's official stance is that it fully respects Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. However, it has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow despite being a candidate country for the EU membership. Media reports on Serbia's ammunition exports to Ukraine, which Vucic and other top Serbian officials have denied, have been mounting over the years. In June 2024, the Financial Times reported that Serbias ammunition exports arriving in Ukraine via third parties totaled around 800 million euros since 2022. Commenting on these estimates at the time, Vucic said that export was a part of [Serbia's] economic revival and important for us. "Yes, we do export our ammunition," he said in an interview with theFinancial Times. "We cannot export to Ukraine or to Russia but we have had many contracts with Americans, Spaniards, Czechs, others. What they do with that in the end is their job." Precise data on what weapons and military equipment and in what quantities Serbia exports to Ukraine, Israel, and other countries is not publicly available, as in recent years the relevant ministry has not published annual reports on issued export permits on its website.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Why this season's 3rd-place battle could be one for the ages
We all know the main reason why: Rangers have never fully recovered from their 2012 financial disaster and it's left them trailing miles behind Celtic with the notable exception of the 2020/21 title, which they themselves won at a canter. But with the way in which Scottish football operates, they should still be able to give their rivals a good go of it until the last couple of games of the campaign each and every year. Because, sure, they may be terrible at player trading – both in terms of getting money for their best and brightest and squandering a lot on poor investments – but they still have resources which dwarf the other ten teams in the top flight. They should still win every match they play except when facing Celtic and it's a credit to the rest of the league that they don't. Early indicators would suggest next season doesn't look like it's going to buck the trend. Regardless of whether Russell Martin is the long-term answer or not, with Rangers' new hierarchy seemingly looking to cash in on their best and brightest so they can reinvest as part of a new long-term trading model suggests a campaign of transition. And that's going up against a Celtic side that is fairly settled after coming within a couple of penalties, and a Kasper Schmeichel error, from winning the treble last time out. However, if we as a country could possibly tear attention away from Glasgow for just a few seconds, there's an exciting battle brewing just beneath them. Hibs, Aberdeen and Hearts, undoubtedly the three biggest clubs outside of Glasgow, should all be feeling good about themselves as they look ahead to the new campaign. Everything changed for the Dons when Dimitar Mitov saved those two penalties in the Scottish Cup final. Prior to that they were a team who were drifting perilously into an uncertain future. Jimmy Thelin's red-hot start as Dons boss had given way to a sustained run of poor form across the rest of the campaign that was only slightly better than relegated St Johnstone. They were stuck in a stick or twist situation with their Scandinavian head coach and may have significantly tightened the purse-strings this summer having already thrown money at the issue in January. Then the Bulgarian custodian made himself a club legend and everything changed. Suddenly Thelin has credit in the bank again, faith instilled in him from the supporters and above, and they've now got another £5 million of additional income coming through the door, a fair chunk of which will be spent on the squad. It's the second time in three years they'll have that. Europe does tend to impact early-season results for non-Old Firm teams, especially those who make it to the group stages, but there's simply too much investment here for them not to be in the mix. Hibs have been making their supporters happy in recent days as they appear poised to add Josh Mulligan and his versatile talents from Dundee, and have also agreed a new deal for Rocky Bushiri, who went from figure-of-fun outcast to the club's Player of the Year last term. A caution for Hibs (other than the fact that teams rarely finish third two seasons in a row) is the potential folly of running it back with largely the same group of players, as rumours continue to circle about a potential £1 million deal to re-sign Nectar Triantis on a permanent basis. But they aren't satisfied to just get the band back together. It would have been easy to trust Jordan Smith to continue his steady form across the second half of last term but the club are not standing on sentiment and have recruited Austrian Raphael Sallinger to be the new No.1. Jamie McGrath also provides another excellent option for a coach in David Gray who expertly rotated his squad in the second half of last term. Furthermore, Kieron Bowie is poised for a monster season in attack if he can stay fit. As for Hearts, there are a lot of unknowns coming in from abroad as the Tony Bloom era kicks into gear, but they have maybe the most steady hand they could possibly hire in Derek McInnes. If there's anything the former Aberdeen and Kilmarnock manager knows, it's finishing in the top four of the top-flight. His promise to bring a bit of grit and toughness back to Tynecastle has got fans purring at the prospect. It feels like we've been waiting on these three clubs to slug it out with each other for years but it hasn't happened on a consistent basis. In fact, on only three occasions since 2009 have they all finished in the top half. There was a battle between the three in 2022/23, with Aberdeen storming from behind to take third from Hearts, who then had to fight off Hibs for fourth in a tense final-day meeting at Tynecastle. But that was a season in which none of them had a particularly good time of it. Aberdeen sacked manager Jim Goodwin halfway through; Hearts did likewise when Robbie Neilson's side surrendered the healthy lead in third, while Lee Johnson at Hibs always seemed to be a couple of games away from the chop. It certainly wasn't a vintage season for any of them and Aberdeen took the 'crown' on just 57 points. And nobody knew there even was a race until Hearts started faltering in the spring. This campaign promises to be different. Long term it wouldn't be a good thing for the league to have even less parity than it does at the moment, but for one season it would be thrilling to see all three fly out of the traps and every contest feel like a significant moment in the race. It's just a shame there won't be a guaranteed European bounty waiting for the victor at the end this time.
American Military News
2 days ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Vucic halts ammunition exports, says supplies will go to Serbian army
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Serbia is halting all ammunition exports following a decision by President Aleksandar Vucic as the Balkan country faces challenges over exports to Israel and Moscow's suspicions that ammunition made in Serbia has made its way to Ukraine. 'We've halted literally everything, and we are supplying our army,' Vucic said on June 23 after reporters asked whether Serbia had chosen a side in the Israeli-Iranian conflict by exporting ammunition to Israel. Vucic told reporters after attending a meeting with the Armed Forces Chief of General Staff that Serbia's arms exports to Israel following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas was 'one thing,' and that today 'we have a different situation.' Several hours after Vucic's comments, the Serbian Ministry of Defense said that any future exports of arms manufactured in Serbia would require the consent of the country's National Security Council and permission from other relevant authorities. Serbia also has faced pressure from Moscow, which recently criticized Serbia's position on arms exports. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Serbia of exporting arms to Ukraine via third countries. 'Ammunition produced at Serbian defense enterprises, primarily for heavy long-range systems, is sent to NATO countries in the interests of Ukraine in the form of complete sets of parts for assembly,' the SVR claimed in a statement on June 23. 'This allows Kyiv to formally receive military products that are no longer Serbian but assembled at weapons factories in Western countries.' Serbia's Ministry of Defense didn't respond to RFE/RL's requests to confirm or deny the SVR's allegations, which have not been addressed by Vucic or other Serbian officials. According to the SVR, Serbia's ammunition exports to Ukraine have strained ties between Belgrade and Moscow. 'It is regrettable that now these traditions of friendship and mutual assistance are crossed out by the thirst for profit and cowardly multi-vectorism,' the SVR said in the statement. It claimed that the assembly and loading of ammunition produced in Serbia 'is carried out primarily in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.' Neither the Czech nor the Bulgarian foreign ministry was available to comment on the Russian allegations following inquiries by RFE/RL. The Bulgarian military company EMCO Ltd., designated by the Russian SVR as one of the companies to which Serbia delivers ammunition for further shipment to Ukraine, strongly denied these allegations in comments to RFE/RL, calling them 'unfounded.' 'We declare that this is not true. EMCO has not exported any material for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for about 10 years,' the company said. For more than three years, Vucic has endured pressure from both Brussels and Washington to impose sanctions on Russia after its unprecedented full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In May he made his first visit to Moscow since its invasion of Ukraine and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising concern in Brussels. The European Commission on May 8 advised Vucic to 'refrain from giving legitimacy to Putin's aggression against Ukraine.' Vucic earlier this month received praise for Serbia's support from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Odesa, where the two met on the margins of the Ukraine-South East Europe Summit. Serbia's official stance is that it 'fully respects' Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. However, it has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow despite being a candidate country for the EU membership. Media reports on Serbia's ammunition exports to Ukraine, which Vucic and other top Serbian officials have denied, have been mounting over the years. In June 2024, the Financial Times reported that Serbia's ammunition exports arriving in Ukraine via third parties totaled around 800 million euros since 2022. Commenting on these estimates at the time, Vucic said that export was 'a part of [Serbia's] economic revival and important for us.' 'Yes, we do export our ammunition,' he said in an interview with the Financial Times. 'We cannot export to Ukraine or to Russia … but we have had many contracts with Americans, Spaniards, Czechs, others. What they do with that in the end is their job.' Precise data on what weapons and military equipment and in what quantities Serbia exports to Ukraine, Israel, and other countries is not publicly available, as in recent years the relevant ministry has not published annual reports on issued export permits on its website.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Traitors' Are Coming to Bulgaria
Watch out, Bulgarian faithfuls, and get a roundtable — The Traitors are coming! All3Media International on Tuesday revealed that a local format version of the hit cloak-and-dagger format has been commissioned in the country for the first time. Produced by bTV, the new version is set to premiere this fall on the Bulgarian private national television channel, which is part of the bTV Media Group. More from The Hollywood Reporter YouTube Pitches Itself as a Partner for TV, Including as a Place for Long-Form Content and Full Episodes Diego Luna Slams Trump's Immigration Policies, Says Immigrants "Are the Ones Who Build This Country" Ezra Miller Signals "Tentative" Hollywood Return After Surviving Personal "Abyss" The Bulgarian adaptation of The Traitors will become the sixth local version of the TV phenomenon in Eastern Europe, joining Romania, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary and Ukraine. 'Bringing The Traitors to Bulgarian audiences marks a significant step in our mission to deliver bold, premium entertainment,' said Ralf Bartoleit, CEO of bTV Media Group. 'It's been fantastic to partner with All3Media International on this globally acclaimed format, which aligns perfectly with bTV's strategy to innovate and engage viewers with powerful storytelling and high production value. We're proud to be the home of such a dynamic and gripping show and look forward to introducing it to our viewers.' Since its launch in the Netherlands on RTL 4 in 2021, the format has shown its international appeal, with more than 30 territories commissioning local format versions so far, in addition to numerous returning seasons and companion shows. The adaptations of the ratings hit around the world include the U.S. version for NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock and the BBC version in the U.K. Created in the Netherlands by IDTV, an All3Media company, The Traitors (Dutch title: De Verraders) was developed with POSVIDEO, in cooperation with RTL Creative Unit. All3Media last year sold to RedBird IMI, led by Jeff Zucker. Said Gabriel Andrews, All3Media sales executive for the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, CIS: 'We are very pleased to be partnering with bTV to bring The Traitors to Bulgaria. I have every confidence audiences will find themselves thoroughly addicted when the new series launches.' Meanwhile, Fox Entertainment Global also unveiled a raft of content sales across Central and Eastern Europe. HRT Croatia secured rights to two star-driven factual titles, namely Yellowstone to Yosemite With Kevin Costner and Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints. In the Czech Republic, FTV Prima acquired 'a broad package of films, marking a key partnership in one of the region's most competitive broadcast markets,' the company added. Regional SVOD platform Pickbox Now and channel Pickbox TV acquired a pan-regional package of films, as well as drama The Chicken Sisters, starring Schuyler Fisk (Sam & Kate, Orange County), Genevieve Angelson (The Handmaid's Tale, Good Girls Revolt), Lea Thompson (Back to the Future, Switched at Birth) and Wendie Malick (Young Sheldon, Shrinking, Just Shoot Me!). Plus, Poland's Media4fun has renewed a multi-title content package. Said Prentiss Fraser, president of Fox Entertainment Global: 'It's a very important market for our business, and we're thrilled to support these platforms and channels as they continue to grow their audiences locally.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
