Liberation Movement

Six Bulgarian U.N. aid workers who were detained by rebels in Sudan's strife-torn South Kordofan region have been released, the Bulgarian foreign ministry said on Jan. 31.

"They are in good health and are in a safe place with a team of the United Nations (World) Food Program," foreign ministry spokeswoman Betina Zhoteva said. 

The six Bulgarian aid workers, who were held captive in Sudan since January 26, have been released.

The six Bulgarian citizens were detained by Sudanese rebels after their helicopter made an emergency landing.

The six Bulgarians working for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), who were captured by Sudanese insurgents on Monday, have still not been released.

Their release was expected on Thursday or Friday at the latest, but at present they still remain captured, private NOVA TV station reports.

It is expected that the six Bulgarian citizens that had been captured by insurgents in Sudan should be released on Thursday or Friday at the latest.

This was announced by Georgi Spasov, the chairman of the board of directors of Heli Air, the airline company of which the captured Bulgarians are employees, in an interview for private NOVA TV station on Thursday.

The Bulgarian citizens held in Sudan are alive and well and are not taken hostage, said Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov in a speech at the Bulgarian National Assembly.

Six Bulgarian citizens were captured by members of the ''Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North" (SPLM-North) on Monday.

The incident happened when a helicopter owned by a Bulgarian airline company had to make an emergency landing at the city of Kadugli.

BELGRADE - Serbian deputy prime minister and minister of labour Jovan Krkobabic died after a grave illness in Belgrade on Wednesday at the age of 84, Tanjug learnt in the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS).

Jovan Krkobabic also held office as the PUPS leader since 2006 as he was appointed for the position shortly after the party foundation.