February 2005
February 18, 2005
Yushchenko to remove opponents in high local government positions
As far as you know, Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's former opposition leader, was elected the country's president for the next four years. On January 23 he was sworn in as president and now Yushchenko has to form a new government. Everyone claims democracy won in Ukraine but the article below testifies to how "democratic" our country is.
Ukraine's Parliament Speaker Says Pick Your Team Carefully And Prime Minister Will Have Significant Power
After the presidential elections Yulia Tymoshenko, who played a significant role in the massive demonstrations before the last run-off of the presidential elections, was appointed prime minister. The first woman to shoulder this job in the country, she presented an "outline of her government proposals, including ensuring free medical care, protecting intellectual property rights, converting the military to full contract service by 2010, reforming Ukraine's corrupt judicial system and changing the nation's image abroad." It is curious to note that while Tymoshenko labels Ukraine's judicial system as 'corrupt', she was known to be involved in a recent corruption scandal but managed to escape justice unscathed by bribing the justices in the Supreme Court she is willing to free from corruption now. Read about the Ukrainian parliament speaker's attitude to the events who is viewed as an influential politician in the country.
Why Millions Say, Softly, God Bless America
The word 'democracy' is so frequently used today that it has been abused and completely misused up to the point that it very often came to mean or to imply the opposite. Of course, it is a nice word with all sorts of positive connotations but it became very convenient to apply it to any undertakings for the sake of one's own interests. The article below is aimed at disclosing European 'pseudodemocracies' while extoling the democratic merits of the United States. The only response it deserves is a question: who are the judges? It is widely recognized that the foundation of America was the democratic principles inscribed in its constitution. In the course of its development the USA, however, changed so much that these principles seem nowadays merely a tribute to history. This statement may sound too harsh but how a democratic country can speak about "the installation of freedom"? Isn't freedom achieved naturally? Doesn't "installation of freedom" mean imposing freedom or even using violence to achieve it? Anyway, placing George W. Bush's name next to the names of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington is unacceptable whereas saying they would have been proud of what he had done is simply a sacrilege. One more issue which deserves attention in the article is connected with Ukraine and its sweet democratic present. If only the author of the article knew how bitter this sweetness is and what kind of democracy Ukraine now "enjoys".
Mayor initiates march against the Government
Several weeks ago there was a march in Guayaquil (Ecuador’s biggest city), against the government. Since Lucio Gutierrez, the president of the country, came to power, many aggrieving incidents have happened. Jaime Nebot, Guayaquil’s mayor, is one of the persons in charge of the group that’s against the actual government. That's why he asked the people of Guayaquil as well as his colleagues from his political party to march in a pacific demonstration, so they can show what the power of will can do. This happened because the president took many of the resources that by law he is supposed to give to the city.
Taking care of others
It’s known that Ecuador is one of the poorest counties in South America. Lack of money and dependency on others nations make many peoples' life misery. The public system, such as social security services, health care and public education, is something that we still are trying to improve. So it is always gratifying to see how strangers show their will to help others, without gaining anything, but the satisfaction to improve someone’s live.
Earthquakes worry people living at the coast
After the tsunami disaster in Asia, many people are scared of earthquakes, especially people who live near the coast. In the last month, about 320 tremors higher than 4.0 on the Richter scale have occurred in the Pacific Ocean, near the coasts of manta (one of Ecuador’s beaches). The people in this place live in fear of the possibility that an earthquake might shake Ecuador’s coasts.
Students in the street, government backing down
The government is working on an education reform bill aimed at halting the decline in French educational standards. But some of the consequences of this reform don’t please the people concerned. Tens of thousands of French high school students and teachers took to the streets to protest against the changes to the revered 200-year-old baccalaureat school-leaving examination. As a consequence, the government withdrew these changes, momentarily at least.
US reaches out to "Old Europe"
"It is time to turn away from the disagreements of the past." Condoleezza Rice was in Paris last week and with these words tried to call for a fresh
start between the US and Europe, and especially France. The new US secretary of state’s effort to revive the trans-Atlantic Alliance was received positively. When Bush meets with Chirac and Schröder in Europe next week, he will need to complete the diplomatic healing that Rice has
begun.
Guide to Paris' night clubs
For those of you who are planning to go to France soon (and there are a lot of Willamette students who learned last week that they were about to
go there…) here is a useful list of the most famous night clubs of the capital. You can’t say you’ve seen Paris, if you haven’t seen Paris by night. And remember that you don’t need to be 21 to have fun over there!!
Male athlete wins medals in female competition
I guess compared to the rest of the world, Zimbabwe is where it is happening right now. It started with a friend of mine sending me a link to an article about a Zimbabwean male athlete who had performed as a female athlete and won a lot of medals. Actually prior to my friend sending me the link I had read the article on some Zimbabwean online paper, but I didn’t really trust the source and the story didn’t really sound realistic to me, till my Americano friend sent me the e-mail after having seen it on Sports Illustrated. My response to it? Well, I guess we (Zimbabwean man) are really good looking to pass for a woman, and that’s my two cents to the story.
Miss World Tourism pageant in Victoria Falls
As I speak right now, 100 of the most beautiful people in the world are in Zimbabwe right now, what a blessing. The Miss World Tourism pageant is being held in the resort town of Victoria Falls, home of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Victoria Falls. Maybe that can be a good reason for me to take a leave of absence from school. So that’s some feel-good news for a country which seems to make news for the wrong reasons all the times.
Recent slavery in Niger
Last, but definitely not least is something that really touched me. I was shocked as I’d ever been, I didn’t think this still happens right now in the 21st century. The article is about slavery in Niger which is a different country from Nigeria; I thought I would make that clear. I don’t think I’ve really gathered my thoughts enough to comment on this issue, but I can just say I’m really shocked and disappointed.
Stasi officer aquitted of shooting GDR-Dissident
This week, another sad chapter in Germany's history came to an end. After 15 years the last trial of a series of persecuting the "Mauerschützen" - the Stasi officers who shot people who wanted to flee the GDR at the Wall - ended. Former Stasi officer Singer was accused of having killed 32-year-old Michael Gartenschläger in 1976. He was aquitted because the judges said they could not rule out that the Stasi officer acted in self-defense as Gartenschläger was armed when the two met on the border line. Alltogether 916 people were shot while trying to reach West Germany. The border guards who killed them, were usually given short or suspended sentences, because they had acted under standing orders.
Germany beats Austria and USA in Nation's Cup for Alpine Skiing
The bad news: It was a disappointing Worldchampionship for the German Alpine Skiers. The good news: During the last competition - the Nation's cup, in which three men and three women start as a team - we got a little of our pride back. In a discipline that values team-effort as much as talent, Martina Ertl, Hilde Gerg, Monika
Bergmann-Schmuderer sowie Florian Eckert, Felix Neureuther und Andreas Ertl won with 26 points before Austria, France and the United States. This triumph took everyone by surprise and gives us hope for the 2006 olympic winter games in Torino. What makes this success even more spectacular for myself, is that three of the runners came from my birth- and almost hometown Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Germans demonstrate during Bush visit
Even if this Artikel was written a month ago, it could be of interest to you now - that President George W. Bush is actually visting Germany "to mend broken ties" with
Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. But many people won't forgive and forget the past. Thousands of German protesters feel they can't rely on the German government to express indignation about Bush's politics and organized street protests, a Mardi-Gras like parade and candlelight vigils.
Indian junions are ”inside intel”
As is now the pattern, the usual clutch of students of Indian-origin have made the final cut for the Intel Science Talent Search, an annual event whose top finds are said to be progress towards the Nobel Prize and other high honours later in life.
India hot spot for dental tourism
Meditation seems to gel well with medication: designer smiles, fresh crowns and firm implants promise a refashioned nirvana for an increasing number of people from foreign shores as dentistry gets a new edge in India with state-of-the art equipment and multi-speciality centres.
Moral police no problem for city love birds
City Valentines and the 'moral police' are both set to 'celebrate' Valentine's Day in their own way on Monday.
Hi everybody,
My name is Mariana Vasquez and I am from Oaxaca, Mexico. I am new on campus and I will be here just for this term. However this is such a great experience and I am sure it will be unforgettable.
I would like to share some information about my country with you. Oaxaca is the fifth largest state in Mexico and it is located in the southwest. It is rich in history, nature, and culture. Oaxaca was also the settlement of two very important indigenous cultures: the Mixteca and Zapoteca. Today, we have still preserved 16 indigenous languages throughout the region.
I will try to provide some web sites links so that you will know what is going on in Mexico. If you want to know something about Mexican culture or Oaxaca, or just practice your Spanish, just e-mail me, I will be glad to help you.
This is a site where you can find lately news about Oaxaca, just as an introduction.
Americans Queue to Buy Martenitsas at $1
This article shows how Bulgarians currently living in the US found an original way of incorporating a profitable business with continuing their traditions in a foreign country. They have started selling martenitsas √ bracelets made of interwoven red and white threads, worn after March 1st until the beginning of the spring season √ to people in Florida. Bulgarians believe that martenitsas bring good luck and health to the person who is wearing them.
Nurses Pinch Doctors
This article talks about the reversion of the trends of harassment in the field of medical practice. According to a recent survey, the cases of nurses harassing younger doctors have increased and even surpassed the cases of doctors harassing nurses.
Soup Ad Sparks "Diplomatic Crisis" between Turkey and Bulgaria
A TV soup commercial produced by a Turkish company for a TV channel in Germany has caused a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Bulgaria. In the commercial, a Turkish citizen on his way from Germany to Turkey is purportedly asked to pay bribes by a Bulgarian or a Serbian customs officer.
Country profile: Bulgaria
This is BBC▓s profile about Bulgaria with links to several media sources at the end. The profile offers a short overview for the country and describes completely the political system and situatio. There also are several geographical and geopolitical facts.
February 04, 2005
Hey, Willamette!
To everyone’s disappointment the semester has started. Now it’s hard to believe that only two and a half weeks ago we were enjoying all the pleasures of being free: free from school, classes, exams, in the festive atmosphere of our homes with our family around. Many of the international students also had a chance to cross the Atlantic (or just the Northern American border) to reunite with their families and friends for the vacations and rush back again. For me, however, it was not there and back again but rather “here and here again”. Anyway, I had a good time with my roommate in Manzanita, Oregon, where I spent Christmas with her family.
One day we went to Astoria and met her dad who lives on a sailboat. We took a trip on the Columbia River and saw a dozen of sea lions just in a few steps’ distance. Very exciting! What was later - you don’t want to know. Well, I stayed in Salem and worked on my research back home. Hopefully, it was productive enough.
Frankly speaking, I am glad to have come back to campus, it was so lonely without you, guys. I wish you patience and perseverance in striving towards your goals. Be creative and enthusiastic and you will accomplish what you have in mind for this semester and later. Good luck, everyone!
What you missed in Ukraine:
Ukraine's Parliament Sets Inauguration of Yushchenko
On Sunday, January 23, after more that a month of protests and
demonstrations, Ukraine eventually saw the inauguration of its new
president, its former opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko. Though the article I suggest here was written prior to this event, it provides a comprehensive review of what had been happening in the country since October, 31 – the date of the first round of these presidential elections. Moreover, it gives some hints on the elected president’s priorities and on what our foreign policy will be like in the following several years.
Washington Interest in Ukraine: US Intervention for 'Democracy'?
The next thing I suggest reading here is not actually a piece of news but a review of William Engdahl’s recently published book Washington Interest in Ukraine: US Intervention for 'Democracy'? I would like to start presentation of this abstract quoting the last sentence of the previous article: "Geographically… Ukraine has not gone anywhere." The significance of this phrase seems irrefutable in connection with what has been going on in the country since the beginning of the 2004 presidential election campaign. Apparently, it is Ukraine’s geopolitical location which makes it so irresistibly attractive for the world’s superpowers, Russia and the USA
in particular. What interests do Russia and America have in Ukraine and other post-soviet countries? What impact their political games have on the young democracy? How democratic this democracy is going to be? You will find answers to these and other questions in this review. Also, this reading is advisable because it is much different from what you usually find on-line in the editions that are highly influenced by the people in power who succeed in shaping our minds according to their molds through media.
New Year Celebration in Ukraine
Strange as it may sound to a western ear, New Year (not Christmas) is the most important and favorite holiday in Russia and Ukraine. It may partly be accounted for by the fact that religion takes a minor place in the life of the majority which must be the result of the prohibition of everything which had to do with the church during the Soviet era. Today Christmas (Ukrainians as the Orthodox celebrate it on January, 7) is a quiet family holiday which is highly respected but still stands minor in importance to New Year’s. However, there is Catholic population in the Western Ukraine which celebrates the holiday together with the Western world. Several years ago the popularity of the “Western” Christmas reached such a height,
that many people began to celebrate it twice - on December, 25 and on January, 7 though we still don’t have an extra day-off in December. Due to these historical and cultural reasons the celebration of the New Year’s Eve has more colorful and vivid traditions in contemporary Ukraine than Christmas.
In this article you will find the history of the Russian-Ukrainian New
Year and the first four lines of our famous song of the holiday. As long as the notion of a ‘carol’ is not familiar to the major part of Ukrainians and Russians, it is a good substitution for it.
Welcome back, everyone!
Hope all of you are excited for a new semester and being back to Salem, OR. You should be!
During the winter break it seems like that many new things have happened in each country. In the Ukraine, there was a major event. A new president was finally elected. I tried to keep up with the news during my winter break, yet, a lot was happening out there. So, I can tell all the news. Talking with some people back in Ukraine, now it looks like the situation is calmer than it was a month ago. Unfortunately, it is very hard to say if the new president is good for the country. I guess, time will show.
Here is a link of some pictures and short summaries that might give a better idea on the latest news in Ukraine.
By the way, regarding the holidays, Ukrainians love to celebrate the New Year’s , December 31. Big and fun times, family time, Santa (ded Moroz), gifts, party, good food, …all the good things.
Happy new year to all of you!
I didn’t go back to France for Christmas. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to experience this celebration here. My
roommate Katie invited me in Los Alamos, New Mexico. I’ve had a great time there. Christmas was not so different from home but I discovered a lot of little traditions that I’ll never forget (like the lightning of “fajelitos” in the streets on Christmas Eve). Back in Salem, I’ve started the year with a tiny medical problem but it didn’t prevent me from keeping an eye on what’s going on in my country.
Bonne année à tous! Je ne suis pas retournée en France pour les fêtes de fin d’année. Je ne voulais pas manquer l’opportunité de vivre ces célébrations ici. Ma colocataire Katie m’a invitée à Los Alamos au Nouveau Mexique. J’y ai passé un séjour merveilleux. Noël n’a pas été très différent pour moi mais j’ai découvert tout un tas de petites traditions que je n’oublierai jamais (comme l’illumination des « fajelitos » dans les rues la veille de Noël). De retour à Salem, j’ai commencé l’année avec un petit problème médical mais cela ne m’a pas empêchée de garder un œil sur l’actualité de mon pays.
What you missed in France:
FREED FRENCH HOSTAGES BACK FROM IRAQ
In one of the first editions of World News, I mentioned that two French
journalists had been kidnapped by an Islamist group in Iraq. After 124
days of captivity and a continuous campaign by the press, they were
finally released before Christmas. They are thought to have been the
longest-held Western hostages in Iraq and their release is partly due to
France’s anti-war stance. A few days later, another journalist, a woman,
disappeared in Iraq.
22 FRENCH DEAD, OVER 100 MISSING POST-TSUNAMI
One tragic event gathered the world a few weeks ago. It seems that we’ll
never know the exact number of victims. As far as France is concerned, it
is for sure that 22 people died and it is likely that more than a hundred
others also disappeared. At the same time, France could set up a UN global
natural disaster center to alert countries about tsunamis and other
catastrophic phenomena on its Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean.
THE TALLEST BRIDGE IN THE WORLD
If you’re looking for the tallest bridge in the world, you can now find
it in southern France. 900 feet of steel and concrete above the valley of
the river Tarn were inaugurated by the president last month. In this
article, you’ll find a bunch of good pictures of this amazing piece of
engineering.
Hi!
I’m really excited about this opportunity to be working with the Willamette World News team this semester. My name is Tatenda and this is my second semester here at Willamette University as a 1st-year MBA student at the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. I’ll be representing the whole continent of Africa, and thought it was my responsibility to share with the school news from this part of the world. It’s not that I don’t have anything to write on Zimbabwe, Harare being the city I come from.
What you missed in Zimbabwe:
Actually there is a whole lot to talk about especially recently with Condoleezza Rice mentioning during her recent inauguration speech that Zimbabwe was one of the spots of tyranny that President Bush had to deal with during his second term
I just think there is more I can let people know about Africa too, a places I have close to heart. Alright before I get all emotional and mushy about how much I love Africa and all that, I have to introduce the first article I have, which is on Zimbabwe. This coming March is parliamentary elections, and that’s as hyped as the country can ever get. With the last presidential elections still being disputed in court for rigging and electoral fraud, I can bet you the next elections will have similar squabbles and ruckus. With the government already being accused of going through a delimitation process (redrawing the parliamentary lines) which has already dissolved three parliamentary seats held by the opposition, there is likely going to be far more out-cry during the next elections. Also not to be forgotten will be all the opposition members and all the innocent civilians that were killed in the violence and intimidation of the last elections. We all hope and pray it will be a free, fair and peaceful election, we hope.
Now something I thought would be good news to you all that have been paying high gas prices. The oil supply has just been increased, by how much I don’t know but I think it should be significant. Libya the biggest oil producer in Africa wasn’t able to export oil since sanctions were imposed in the 1980s. So since those sanctions have now been removed, Chevron Texaco and Occidental, American oil companies have already won bids to go and explore for oil there.
Hello and welcome back everyone to Salem,
even though most of you would still rather be at home playing video games and eating chips with salsa (my favorite). I hope you all had a fantastic break. As the price of airline ticket to Thailand is extremely costly, I did not go home. Instead, I decided to go back to upstate New York where I had spent a year as a high school exchange student in 2000-2001. As much as I'd like to say that my whole break was awesome, I can't really say that. It has some good and bad parts. The good part was visiting my host families, friends, and teachers there. It had been four years since I last saw them. For the most part, my break was a very restful and relaxing one, just what I needed after four months of nonstop schooling here at Willamette. For the last week of my vacation, I went up to stay with my dad's friend in New Hampshire. It was really sweet, the area was stunningly beautiful. Everywhere I looked I saw snow, on the ground, on top of mountains, just simply beautiful. I honestly did not want to come back to Salem : )
As I said earlier, there was one bad part of my vacation. It was the catastrophe that happened back at home in Thailand. On the Boxing Day
morning (local time), the massive seismic waves simply smashed the southwestern coast of Thailand. It was, by far, the worst natural disaster that ever happened to Thailand. Although my country was not as badly hit as some other countries in the region, the whole thing was simply unimaginable for me. I called my dad as soon as I found out, and it was such a relief to hear his voice and him saying "we're all safe and sound." Although my family was not directly affected by this tragic incident, it was still very tough for me to be away from them during the time like this. Anyway, the vacation is over and we are now back to our normal lifestyle, I hope you all did not have as hard of time as I did getting myself motivated, focused on school. I am having a very busy and difficult semester; all my classes are three hundred levels. Yuck! However, I want to make a promise to you all that I will bring you interesting articles about Thailand consistently. With my selection of articles, please, if you can, email me some feedbacks. I'd love to read them. I think this is it for now, I'll see you soon.
What you missed in Thailand:
Thailand to turn the tragedy around
This article is very interesting as it talks about how instead of viewing it as a soul-shaking incident, the Thai government should look at the tsunami tragedy in a positive way. According to this news article, the tsunami is indeed a golden opportunity that the government should seize to re-think and rebuild the country to be an even better place than it was
prior to the catastrophe.
Tsunami's political impact
While for some the Tsunami incident maybe the end of everything, for others it paves the way for a new beginning. With the upcoming General Election scheduled on February 6, an incumbent Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his Thai Rak Thai Party is expected to win this election easily. Recent polls have shown that the prime minister's party, alone, is
likely to win the majority of seats in the parliament; the party is expected to gain as many as 250 seats out of 400 available seats. You guys might not find this interesting, but it is indeed. Thailand has a multi-party system, so it is really hard for any single party to win a majority of seats in parliament. As the matter of fact, I don't recall this happening before. We've always had coalition governments. Anyway, the Thai Rak Thai party, according to many political analysts, owes so much to
the prime minister's handling of the tsunami. (This whole story certainly reminds me of President Bush's popularity in the post-9/11 America)
A bowl of Thai curry may help fight cancer
A lot of people here love Thai food, and so do I! I must say that food is one of the things about Thailand that I have always proud of, it's just simply delicious. If you already love Thai food, this article will make you want to pay another visit to a Thai restaurant this weekend. However, if you're one of those people who has never tried Thai food, this article will tell you one of the reasons why Thai food is right for you. Beside the superb tastes, Thai food also keeps you healthy! The following article informs us how Thai food helps decrease the risk of cancer. Very interesting!
Hallo!
Mijn naam is Maaike, and I’m back bringing you news from my home country; the Netherlands. After extending my stay last semester, and realizing I’d be here for four more months, I also realized I really missed my family, friends and basically everything that is Dutch. Therefore I went back home for Christmas break to get some cheese, eat herring and bread and see some windmills.
Well, okay, I didn’t eat cheese that much (I think I ate more here last semester), I missed the raw herring, and I didn’t see any windmills - I wouldn’t even know where to look for them. What I did do, was visited friends in Amsterdam, I even went to the Artis zoo (which was more impressive than the Portland Zoo I visited three days before I got home, no offense). I celebrated Christmas and New Year’s Eve with my family in the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch (or Den Bosch) - should you ever go to Holland, this is a recommendation. I also visited The Hague, our country’s administrative capital, also known for the International Court of Justice. I even went to Germany! One of the benefits of living in a small country like Holland (or Dutchland as some people here prefer to call it), is that you can make a lot of daytrips nationally, as well as internationally – Paris is only five hours away!
What you missed in the Netherlands:
Of course the tsunami disaster in Asia made a huge impact in Holland as well. There was a lot of news coverage, three-minute silence, and special ceremonies. Besides that, like a lot of other countries, our most famous Dutch singers and bands made a single together, and we had a fundraising show on Dutch television, which made commercial and public networks cooperate as an exception. In total 112 million euro was raised, largely because of the show. By January 25, it was a total of more than 160 million (not counting the donations from the government).
Also, sadly there still remain tensions with the Muslim communities in Holland. The court case against the murderer of film maker Theo van Gogh (killed in November) has started. After three months of silence, the suspect finally made statement he wants to be held fully responsible for his actions.
Besides this case, there is another controversial case going on. Two Moroccan boys snatched the handbag of a Dutch woman, and as a reflex she reversed her car. Doing this, she hit the boys on their scooter, and when they got stuck between the car and a tree, one of the boys died. The woman can now be sued for attempted manslaughter, and of course this has raised even more questions and discussions among both native and ethnic groups.
Hello!
My name is Rositsa and I am coming back to World News for a third consecutive semester. For this period, I have joined Hristo Pavlov in an effort to bring to you the most interesting events which color the daily social, political and cultural life of our home country √ Bulgaria. I hope that I have been able to present to you so far an objective and engaging perspective on Bulgarian and Balkan sensibility and that this attempt of mine has provoked your interest towards this unique piece of the globe.
Bulgaria is currently undergoing a rich in change and hardship transition from centralized economy to free market economy, from communism, to post-communism to democracy, in preparation for the country▓s admission to European Union. I eagerly encourage you to join me regularly on these pages to witness the historical process of a nation▓s reevaluation of identity and goals.
Bulgarian Muslims Protest Peacefully
The Ottoman yoke in Bulgaria lasted for 500 years and affected the make-up of the population in profound ways. Indeed, almost 13% of Bulgarians converted and have remained an integral part of the population. Though a substantial minority, these Bulgarian Muslims have integrated well within the population and have built bridges of friendship and understanding with their Christian neighbours.
Recently, a series of ill-thought publications from Denmark enraged the Muslim community and, as a result, many engaged in riotous action and violent retaliations. In this case, Bulgaria 's Muslims offer a bright example to the rest of their brothers: The religious leaders of Bulgaria's Muslim community condemned the Prophet Muhammad drawings and called for peaceful protests.
The chief office of Bulgaria 's Mufti has expressed the deep offence of the Bulgarian Muslim communities by the publication of controversial caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad both in foreign and Bulgarian media.
Bulgarian scientist, inventor of automatic transmission, sues Toyota
The transmission of Toyota's Prius has been invented and developed by the Bulgarian Rumen Antonov, but he has received no financial benefits from his invention, German Die Welt wrote.
Antonov, who is currently living in France, has brought a legal suit in Germany against the automobile giant, the newspaper reported.
The scientist is claiming EUR 3 M as he has developed the new automatic transmission used by Toyota in its models Prius and Lexus RX. The Bulgarian has patented the transmission invented by him in France back in 1988 and since 1992 he has a license, which is valid on the territory of Europe.
Sofia enters bid for Winter Olympics
Sofia's application for Winter Olympics host in 2014 will rely not only on the budget of $1.322 billion directly related to the event, but also on $820 million to be invested in public funds and infrastructure. This emerged after the International Olympic Committee accepted Bulgaria's application.
