Bulgaria's Ex EU Commissioner Civic Project on Way to Politics
The civic movement, dubbed "Bulgaria for Citizens," established by former Bulgarian European Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, is on its way to turn into a political party.
On Saturday, during the first ever meeting in the country, after the establishment of the movement, Kuneva told about 100 citizens of the city of Shumen that "Bulgaria for Citizens" could turn into a political project.
She, however, pointed out that the movement had no preliminary plans to enter politics and this is not its own, single goal – they rather wanted to find out "the energy of Bulgarian people....
Top Diplomat: Bulgaria Missed Moment for Lift of US Visas
Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, regrets that the Bulgarian side "has slept through" the opportunity to lift the visa regime for the US.
Speaking in an interview for Darik radio Saturday morning, Mladenov accused the previous cabinet of acting irresponsibly on the issue. He pointed out that the former US Administration had lower criteria for the percentage of refused visas for Bulgarian citizens – a threshold for the country to request lifting the visa regime if the refusals would fall below it.
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Bulgaria-Romania Danube Bridge Open for Freight Traffic
Traffic of tractor trailers has been reinstated on both sides of the Danube Bridge connecting Bulgaria through the city of Ruse with Romania.
The news was reported by the Border Police Saturday. The bridge was closed for freight traffic on the Romanian side over inclement weather and heavy snowfall.
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Ideal Standard VP East Region Vassil Kanev: Bulgaria Under-Appreciated as Investment, Business Location
Exclusive interview with Vassil Kanev, Commercial Vice President - East Europe Region at Ideal Standard International; Executive Director and Chairman of Board of Directors of Ideal Standard-Vidima AD for the "Investors of the Decade" Business Survey of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg.
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Ex President: Today's Bulgaria Has No Leaders
Former Bulgarian President, Georgi Parvanov, (2002-2012) declared Saturday that rule and power should not be any politician's single-handed goal and must be protected by ideas and talent.
Parvanov is on a visit to the Black Sea capital Varna to participate in a round table "15 Years Later, Where are the Leaders," organized by the youth organization of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, in the city.
The discussion is dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the date when Parvanov, then leader of BSP, and the nominated for Prime Minister Socialist, Nikolay Dobrev, returned the mandate to appoint a cabinet in the aftermath of wide-spread people discontent and rallies toppling the BSP cabinet of Zhan Videnov.
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Russian Gas Supplies for Bulgaria Back to Normal
Russian gas supplies for Bulgaria and transit for Turkey, Greece and Macedonia have been reinstated to normal volume, the Ministry of Economy and Energy reports Saturday.
Over the last 24 hours Russian gas supplies to Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Macedonia have been reduced by 1/3, prompting the Ministry to create emergency headquarters to monitor them.
According to the announcement, pressure at the entrance of the Bulgarian gas delivery network had been reinstated to levels agreed on with the supplier and the country is receiving all contracted and requested natural gas.
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Bulgarian PM Assuages Shale Gas, ACTA Fears
Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, has vowed to not revise the ban on hydrofracking until Bulgarian people have even one single worry about exploration of shale gas in the country.
Borisov made the statement in an interview for the State TV BNT in answering a question from the host if he would retreat from the ban if US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, asks him to do so, during her visit to Sofia Sunday.
"I will tell Hillary that the American company Chevron had a hectic approach and downplayed fears of Bulgarian people over the exploration and extraction of shale gas....
Feb EC Report to Blast again Bulgarian Judiciary
Bulgaria's judiciary has emerged once again as a major problem in the upcoming report of the European Commission, the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, informed Saturday.
The report, under the Verification and Cooperation Mechanism, is interim and does not include political conclusions of the type that the judicial reform remains a major challenge for Bulgaria. This conclusion, however, emerges between the lines of the 8-page document, according to BNR....
Bulgaria Braces for Fresh Weekend Snow
Nine Bulgarian regions remain under code yellow Saturday over fog and snow, the National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) has announced.
In the regions of Vidin, Montana, Vratsa and Pleven in northwestern Bulgaria the warning is over expected snowfall and ice; in Plovdiv and Pazardzhik in southern Bulgaria – over fog, in Blagoevgrad in southeastern Bulgaria and in Smolyan in the Rhodoppe Mountains – over heavy rain, while in the southern region of Kardzhali code yellow was declared for heavy mixed precipitation of snow and rain.
Snow is supposed to arrive in western and central Bulgaria Saturday night into Sunday....
Day of Mourning in Bulgaria's Pernik over Slain Teen Burial
Saturday, February 4, is an official day of mourning in Bulgaria's western city of Pernik, near the capital Sofia, in memory for the murdered teen girl Miroslava Nikolova.
The City Hall has granted BGN 1 000 for the funeral services and buses free of charge for friends and relatives of the girl.
The mass is served at 11 am in the largest church in the city – "St....
Bulgaria Marks 140th Anniversary of Freedom Apostle Gotse Delchev
Bulgarians all over the country are honoring Saturday, February 4th, the 140th anniversary since the birth of the Bulgarian revolutionary hero from Macedonia Gotse Delchev.
One of the founders and the ideologists of VMRO, Delchev is among the most significant revolutionaries, revered as national hero in both Bulgaria and Macedonia.
Gotse Delchev was born in 1872 in the town of Kukush, present-day Greece....
Bulgaria Asks Clinton to Keep Joint Military Grounds with US
Bulgaria is going to appeal to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to keep the joint Bulgarian-American military training grounds.
The call will be made during Clinton's 5-hour visit to Bulgaria on Sunday, February 5, according to the Bulgarian "Standard" daily.
The training grounds are important not only for the country, but on regional level as well, and Bulgaria wants to continue using them and to receive US technology and funding for them and for the quality training of local servicemen including for foreign missions, "Standard" writes, citing own, unnamed sources.
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Key Bulgarian Judge Embarks on Deflating Wiretap Permit Statistics
Sofia City Court Chair Vladimira Yaneva will be invited to a meeting of the Bulgarian Parliamentary Subcommittee for Special Surveillance Devices Control next week to elaborate on her strategy for reducing the number of wiretap permits through maximum duration applications.
"Next week we shall invite Yaneva to a meeting at the Subcommittee to brief us on some issues of special surveillance devices (SRS)," socialist MP and rotating chair of the unit Mihail Mikov said on Friday, as cited by news portal Mediapool.
On Thursday it emerged that Yaneva had advised Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Konstantin Kazakov, head of the State Agency for Natonal Security (DANS) to make use of the maximum surveillance period of 2 months in applications to the court so as to deflate statistics.
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Lower Austria Backs Bulgaria's Hydro Project, Schengen Entry
Lower Austria fully supports the advancing of the "Gorna Arda" hydro power plant project, says the province's Governor, Edwin Proll.
Proll spoke after his Friday meeting in Sofia with the new Bulgarian President, Rosen Pleveneliev.
Plevneliev stated that the project is of prime importance to Bulgaria and the investment is crucial, especially in time of crisis and in an underdeveloped region of the country.
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4 Bulgarian Cities Hold Urgent Warm Clothing Donation Campaigns
Urgent donation campaigns will be held in four Bulgarian cities to help homeless people and hobos weather the freezing winter weather.
People are invited to bring warm clothes, hats, scarves, mittens, shoes, blankets, or anything else they consider useful to the designated spots in Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, Varna and Plovdiv on Saturday between 12 at noon and 3 p.m.
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Sofia Hit by Wave of 'Running Engine' Car Theft
Fifteen automobiles, left unattended for minutes by owners, with running engines and unlocked doors, have been stolen in the Bulgarian capital Sofia in the first three days of February.
The news was reported Friday by the Head of the anti-Car Theft Unit at the Sofia Directorate of the Interior, Dimitar Mashov, cited by the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR.
Most of the stolen vehicles are luxury SUVs, with three of them disappearing in the last 24 hours.
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Bulgarian MPs Wear Guy Fawkes Mask to Protest ACTA
A number of Members of the Bulgarian Parliament protested Thursday and Friday against the singing of the controversial international ACTA agreement.
On the initiative of the blog "Open Parliament" and following the example of their colleagues from the Polish Parliament, they agreed to wear the mask of Guy Fawkes, symbol of the global protest against ACTA, and to have their picture taken with it.
The MPs say they support copyright laws, but oppose ACTA over its possible turning into an instrument to limit freedom of speech, to control internet use, and to turn into an obstacle for the exchange of information and knowledge online.
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Bulgartransgaz Reports 1/3 Drop in Russian Gas Supplies
Russian gas supplies to Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Macedonia have been reduced by 1/3, according to Kiril Temelkov, CEO of Bulgaria's state-owned gas transmission operator Bulgartransgaz.
"At present, gas supplies for Bulgaria, as well as volumes of gas exported for Greece, Turkey and Macedonia, have been slashed by over 30%," Temelkov said in an interview on Friday.
Bulgartransgaz' CEO explained that Bulgaria was using its own reserves to make up for the gas supply restriction amid the severe winter weather.
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Every 3rd Bulgarian Was Economically Inactive Q4 2011
A total of 1.672 million people, or 33.7% of all Bulgarians aged between 15 and 64, were economically inactive (neither employed of seeking a job) in the fourth quarter of 2011, it has emerged.
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Bulgarian PES Head: EU Right Wing Must End 'Mania for Cuts'
The right wing across the entire European Union must end its mania for savings, says the President of the Party of European Socialists, PES, Bulgaria's Sergey Stanishev.
Stanishev, who is also the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, and former Prime Minister, has made the statement in an interview in the Spanish daily "Publico," on the occasion of the 38th Federal Congress of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party.
In it, Stanishev points out Europeans had been forced into the conviction that cutting expenses and not investments is the only way out of the economic crisis....
Sofia Airport Launches Wine Tasting Saloon
In February, known in Bulgaria as "vine and wine" month, the Sofia airport launched a renovated wine tasting saloon.
The saloon will offer monthly degustation of prestigious Bulgarian wines.
"This is an opportunity to present Bulgaria as a country with traditions and great achievements in winemaking....
Bulgarian Ruling Party's Version of Illegal Assets Bill Prevails at Debates
The second day of debates on the two draft bills on the confiscation of illegal assets tabled by Krasimir Velchev, Chair of the parliamentary group of center-right ruling party GERB, and Hristo Biserov from the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), yet again failed to yield constructive dialogue and degenerated into an exchange of mutual accusations.
The discussion at the Parliamentary Legal Committee lasted around two hours and was very similar to Wednesday's debates at the Internal Security and Public Order Committee.On Thursday, the Parliamentary Legal Committee reviewed and passed at first reading GERB's version of the asset forfeiture bill with 13 votes in favor, mostly from MPs of GERB and the right-wing Blue Coalition.
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US Environmentalists Sue Bulgarian Artist Christo over River Project
A lawsuit has been filed by group of environmentalists, outdoor enthusiasts and wildlife advocates demanding to block a project by Bulgarian-born artist to drape fabric canopies along a long stretch of the Arkansas River in Colorado.
According to the group, the US Bureau of Land Management in Denver has violated federal legislation and its own policies by approving Christo’s “Over the River” project.
Local business leaders and politicians have pointed out that the economy is still bad in the part of Colorado where “Over the River” is situated, stating that the project would put places like Cañon City on the map and create long-term benefits.
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Bulgarian Parliament to Probe Ex VP Pardons of Criminals
Sixty Members of the Parliament have signed a petition to establish an inquiry committee to probe the pardons and the Bulgarian citizenship granted by the former Vice President, Angel Marin.
The MPs are from the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, the marginal, conservative Order, Law and Justice party, RZS, which recently became an ally of GERB, and the so-called independent MPs, renegades from other parliamentary groups, also supporting GERB.
The news was reported by RZS leader, Yane Yanev, Friday, saying that ex President, Georgi Parvanov, had forgiven about BGN half million in debt to individuals, without anyone knowing who they were.
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Mercury Climbs up amidst Forecast of New Snow in Bulgaria
Eleven Bulgarian regions remain under code yellow over low temperatures and snow, the National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) has announced.
New heavy snow is in the forecast for the regions of Vidin, Montana, Sofia city and Sofia, Pernik, Vratsa, Pleven, Lovech, Gabrovo, Veliko Rarnovo, and Ruse. In Vidin and Montana, the snow will be accompanied by freezing cold.
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Ex Bulgarian President Challenges PM to Leadership Battle
Bulgaria's former President, Georgi Parvanov, vows to lead a heavy battle with Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, and his weak, inactive and detrimental cabinet and rule.
Parvanov, who left office on January 22 after serving two terms there (2002-2012), spoke Friday in an interview for the largest private TV channel bTV. He said that the forthcoming battle with the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, was a battle among different leaderships more than ever.
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US Won't Abolish Bulgaria's Visas in 2012 - Ambassador in Washington
The US will not drop its visa requirements for Bulgarians in 2012, Bulgaria's Ambassador in Washington Elena Poptodorova has revealed.
Bulgaria will start working anew with the new US Congress next January in order to achieve towards achieving its inclusion in the US visa waiver program, Poptodorova has told the Bulgarian Standart daily.
However, Poptodorova has pointed out that the Bulgarian government and the relevant US institutions will continue cooperating on the issue throughout the year.
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Bulgaria Air to Purchase 9 Embraer Jets by End of 2014
Bulgaria's Bulgaria Air airline carrier will acquire 9 state-of-the-art Brazilian Embraer jets by the end of 2014, it was announced on Friday.
The new planes will allow Bulgaria Air to increase its weakly frequency of flights to some European destinations and re-launch its flights to Prague, the company's CEO Yanko Georgiev has said, according to the Standart daily.
The first E-190 aircraft is expected to arrive in Bulgaria in March, while three more will arrive by the end of 2011.
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Bulgaria PM to Inspect Danube Bridge 2 Construction Each Month
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov will personally inspect the construction of the so-called Danube Bridge 2 between Bulgaria and Romania each month, it has been made clear.
"I wasn't to know what these companies that receive so much money are doing every day," the Prime Minister declared during the latest Council of Ministers sitting.
On Wednesday, the Bulgarian government decided to draw EUR 50 M out of the total of EUR 70 M European Investment Bank loan provided for the construction of the project.
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Bulgaria's 'Arsenal' Military Plant Braces for Massive Layoff
Over 900 employees of Bulgaria's Arsenal Kazanlak, one of the largest military factories in the Balkans, will be laid off, it was made clear after the plant's managing body met with representatives of the local municipality.
Approximately 600 of the workers about to be laid off are employed on temporary contracts, while 94 have reached the age of retirement, the Bulgarian National Radio clarified on Friday.
The layoff of employees on temporary contracts will be launched on February 13, while those on full-time contracts will start leaving on March 1.
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Bulgaria's Ex-VP Okayed Two-Thirds of Citizenship Requests
Bulgaria's former Vice President Angel Marin okayed 81 749 out of a total of 132 288 Bulgarian citizenship applications during his two terms in office, it has emerged.
3.5 times more applications for Bulgarian citizenship were given the thumbs up in the period 2002-2011 than in the preceding 10 years, the BGNES news agency has estimated.
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US State Dept: We'll See Real Winter in Bulgaria
The US State Department employees who are about to arrive on an official visit to Bulgaria on February 5 are about to witness some tough winter conditions, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland believes.
"Happy Groundhog Day everybody. I understand he saw his shadow, so six more weeks of winter, huh? Winter like this we can handle though....
Europe freezes in cold winter weather
More than 120 deaths linked to temperatures as low as -32.5C, while 11,000 villagers are trapped by snow in Serbian mountains
More than 120 cold-related deaths have been reported across eastern Europe, many among homeless people, and at least 11,000 people are trapped by heavy snow in mountain villages in Serbia.
Dr Milorad Dramacanin, who took part in helicopter evacuations in central Serbia, said: "The situation is dramatic, the snow is up to five metres high in some areas, you can only see rooftops."
Up to 300 people are stranded in Bosnia, with choppers supplying food and medication.
Goran Milat, one of those residents cut off, said: "We are thankful for this help. But the snow did what it did and we are blocked here until spring."
The conditions also forced the closure of the airport in Montenegro's capital Podgorica.
In Poland, where temperatures have dropped to -22C, officials have been trying to direct homeless people away from derelict unheated buildings and into crammed shelters.
Eleven people around the country have died since Friday from carbon monoxide poisoning after using charcoal heaters in sealed rooms.
In Bulgaria, more than 1,000 schools are closed after some areas saw the lowest temperatures since records began a century ago. Ukraine recorded deaths as the mercury sank as low as -32.5C (-26.5F).
Germany saw daytime temperatures on Thursday at below -10C, while Paris saw -8C and Stockholm recorded -13C. Parts of Italy have struggled with heavy snow, with freezing temperatures also seen in Greece and the Black Sea coast.
One nation is hoping to make the best of the big freeze: the speed-skating obsessed Dutch. Authorities have banned boats from some of Amsterdam's canals and turned off pumps in the hope the still water will freeze over.
The ambition is a sufficient stretch of ice to stage the Elfstedentocht – 11 Town Tour – a 125-mile skate over frozen canals and lakes in the country's north. It has only been staged 15 times since the first official event in 1909.
The US has enjoyed a very mild winter, with unseasonably warm temperatures and a lack of snow. But Pennsylvania's famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predicted six more weeks of winter in his annual appearance in the spotlight.
Bulgaria's Ex President Parvanov Back to Socialist Party
Bulgaria's former President Georgi Parvanov, who completed his second 5-year term on January 22, 2012, has already re-joined his native Socialist Party.
Parvanov was the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (technically the descendant of the Bulgarian Communist Party) between 1997 and 2001, when he quit since he got elected to the Bulgarian Presidency, which paved the way for his successor Sergey Stanishev (Prime Minister of Bulgaria in 2005-2009) to take over the Socialist ranks.
Parvanov has rejoined the party by signing up at the local party unit in the Municipality of Kovachevtsi near his native city of Pernik....
Romania Loses 2.6 Million People in 10 Years
Bulgaria's northern neighbor Romania seems to be hit just as hard by a demographic crisis, having lost 2.6 million of its population in the past decade.
Preliminary census results of the Romanian Statistical Institute released Thursday show that Romania's population declined from 21....
Greek Min: If You Want to Become Bulgaria and Be Finished, Just Default!
A Greek minister has resorted to a comparison with Bulgaria to describe the nightmare his country would face in the wake of further austerity austerity measures.
"If you cut salaries, incomes, pensions, you cut everything, the demand decreases, and then consumption decreases rapidly. All the policies are part of a vicious circle," Greek Development Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis said, as cited by Washington Post.
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Sofia City Court Chair Gets Reprimand for 43 Delayed Trials
Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) has penalized Vladimira Yaneva, Chair of the Sofia City Court (SCC), with a reprimand, the lightest form of disciplinary action, for 43 delayed trials.
The penalty was approved with 17 votes in favor and 2 abstainees.
After the vote, a VSS member explained that Yaneva had only committed insignificant delays by 2 or 3 months.
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UK New Envoy to Bulgaria Takes Office Armed with Rich Local Experience
Jonathan Allen, the new UK Ambassador to Bulgaria, handed in his letters of accreditation on Thursday after living for a month with an average local family.
Ambassador Allen officially assumed office following a ceremony at which newly elected Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev welcomed him.
The British diplomat spent the first month of the year in the second-biggest city of Plovdiv, getting to know the country and its people firsthand, as well as making an impressive progress into his studies of the Bulgarian language, a real challenge for any foreigner.
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Stoichkov Named among World’s 25 Worst Coaches
Bulgaria's former Barcelona striker Hristo Stoichkov has "earned" a mention in Bleacher Report's list of 25 worst coaches of all time.
Stoichkov, who recently took over Bulgarian champions Litex Lovech, has indeed failed to impress in his career as a coach, his last club being South African Mamelody Sundowns.
"Bulgarian Hristo Stoichkov was a great player and rivaled some of the best in the game....
Bulgarian ISP, User NGOs Strike ACTA Reservations Deal with Govt
Two Bulgarian NGOs – of Internet users and Internet service providers – have reached a handshake deal with the government in which Prime Minister Boyko Borisov promises that Bulgaria will ratify the ACTA with reservations.
On Thursday, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov met with representatives of the local IT sector, Internet Service Providers and MPs with his ruling centrist-right GERB to discuss the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which was signed by the Bulgarian Cabinet last week without any public mention.
Bulgaria will express its reservations upon ratifying ACTA and it will be explicitly written down that the country will not amend its legislation as far as Internet is concerned, key GERB lawmaker Valentin Nikolov said after the meeting..
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Kraft Foods Bulgaria CEO Antoine Collette: Bulgaria Moves in Right Direction, Should be Faster
Exclusive interview with Antoine Collette, Executive Director of Kraft Foods Bulgaria, for the "Investors of the Decade" Business Survey of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg.
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Bulgaria Says It Won't Ratify ACTA Unconditionally
Bulgaria will ratify the ACTA trade agreement, but the country will keep its current legislation in the field of Internet services, it emerged on Thursday.
On Thursday, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov met with representatives of the local IT sector, Internet Service Providers and MPs with his ruling centrist-right GERB to discuss the controversial agreement.
Bulgaria will express its reservations upon ratifying ACTA and it will be explicitly written down that the country will not amend its legislation as far as Internet is concerned, key GERB lawmaker Valentin Nikolov said after the meeting..
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Bulgarian Software Companies Slam ACTA Too
The Bulgarian Association of Software Companies (BASSCOM) has come up with a statement expressing support for an adequate protection of copyright and related rights, the fight against counterfeiting and the adoption of international standards on the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
BASSCOM, however, opposes the adoption of АСТА (The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) amid a total lack of transparency and no public dialogue on the document's impact on the economy and society.
BASSCOM reminds that it has, alongside a number of other business entities, repeatedly stated its disapproval of the provisions of ACTA.
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Bulgaria EconMin to Give Heed to German Stance on ACTA
Bulgaria's Economy Minister Traicho Traikov will get acquainted with Germany's stance on the controversial ACTA trade agreement during the Bulgarian-German Cooperation Council in Germany.
Last week, Bulgaria became one of the 21 EU member states to sign ACTA, while Germany is among the five bloc members that have not inked it.
Upon asked whether Bulgaria will take into consideration Germany's position ahead of ratifying the agreement, Traikov told Deutche Welle that "the procedures in Germany are to take longer before the initial signing, while the discussions in Bulgaria will be carried out before the ratification....
Bulgaria Ex VP May End Up at Constitutional Court
Bulgaria's top court is planning to approach the constitutional court to have the final say on the controversy over the legitimacy of the country's former vice president.
"We are expecting the presidency to officially confirm the lack of a decree that authorizes Angel Marin for his second mandate, after which we will approach the constitutional court," Georgi Kolev, chairman of the Supreme Administrative Court commented on Thursday.
A day earlier a three-member panel of the top court ruled that the presidency should provide a written document, stating whether former Vice President Angel Marin has been authorized for his second mandate or not.
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Basescu Angered by Dutch 'Abuse' against Romania, Bulgaria
Romanian President Traian Basescu has criticized the Netherlands' "abuse" against Romania and Bulgaria, answering the Dutch stance against the two EU newcomers' Schengen bids.
During a press conference in Brussels dedicated to his country's fifth anniversary as a EU member, Basescu revealed that he has tackled the Dutch stance on Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen entry bids at the recent European Council summit in Brussels.
"Romania would have deserved to be in the Schengen zone now," the Romanian President said, adding that his country has covered all technical criteria.
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Bulgaria Interior Minister Sends Mixed Signals about Judiciary
Speaking at a seminar on combating corruption, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov has yet again sent mixed signals about the work of the judiciary.
In his Thursday statement, Tsvetanov said that there were many honest magistrates, but there were also many examples which pointed to a poorly done job.
The Interior Minister assured that his words were aimed at sharing existing problems, rather than picking arguments with the judiciary.
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Deposits in Bulgaria Banks Hit New Record High
Banks in Bulgaria have been recording consistent and significant growth in deposits throughout 2011, a trend which peaked in the last quarter of the year, official data shows.
The deposits of citizens in local banks increased by BGN 768 M only in December last year, according to data of the central bank BNB.
Thus the total amount of deposits of citizens hit a record-high BGN 31....
Serena Williams Spotted Dating Bulgarian Tennis Hopeful - Report
Former women's No 1 Serena Williams has been reportedly spotted out on a date with Bulgaria's rising young tennis pro Grigor Dimitrov in Paris.
The pair had lunch in the L'Avenue restaurant before heading for "a romantic stroll" on the streets of Paris, according to New York Post. Williams has an apartment in the "city of love".
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Bulgarian Ex-President's Quiet Home-Coming
Much to the indifference of many Bulgarians, the country's former President Georgi Parvanov renewed his membership in the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the formation in which he launched his political career.
Was it the severely cold weather in Bulgaria or the biding ACTA threat in the country that overshadowed the former head of state's historical return? After all, analyzers have been predicting an epic party leadership combat between him and current BSP leader, former PM Sergey Stanishev.
Well, I am inclined to believe that the reason behind the general lack of interest in Parvanov's latest maneuver is the simple fact that he is now merely a part of Bulgaria's political past....
Bulgarian Right Wingers Rise against Shale Gas Fracking Ban
Several MPs with the right-wing Bulgarian Blue Coalition have prepared a draft resolution against the recent ban imposed on the use of hydraulic fracturing in the country.
The lawmakers, including former PM Ivan Kostov (1997-2001), have demanded that the recently implemented ban on hydraulic fracturing in the research and/or extraction of gas and oil in Bulgaria should be lifted, adding that legislative amendments should be created in order to ensure environmental protection and effective control.
Researchers from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences' Geological Institute have supported shale gas research in Bulgaria if state-of-the-art technologies and scientific methods are used and if strict environmental control is established, Ivan Kostov pointed out on Thursday, as cited by BGNES.
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Bulgarian Anti-Mafia Court Denies Attempt to Censor Media
The Chairman of the Bulgarian anti-mafia tribunal, Georgi Ushev, declared Thursday he has no intentions to censor local media.
One day earlier, the governing body of Bulgaria's newly established specialized criminal court asked print and electronic media to submit to it materials covering the activity of the institution for "verification" before making them public and to stop referring to the court by any other name, for instance "anti-mafia court," which is the most popular substitution.
In the aftermath, Ushev called the morning political talk show of TV7 to explain this has been a sheer misunderstanding and the directions sent to media Wednesday were actually a reply to a request for an interview with the magistrates, who sealed a plea bargain between four of the defendants and the prosecution in the Court's first trial.
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Prosecution Washes Hands of Bulgarian Top Cop-Judge Clash
Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev has made it clear that the prosecution will not examine the allegations of Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov against Miroslava Todorova, a judge at the Sofia City Court and Chair of the Bulgarian Judges Association.
In a series of media appearances two weeks ago, Tsvetanov claimed that Todorova was incompetent in doing her job and was patronizing the mafia.
He argued that she had delayed the issuing of written motives for verdicts against high-profile criminals, including drug lord Vasil Manikatov.
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Germans, Brits Top Sofia's Hotel Visitors
People from Germany, the UK, Greece, Italy and France were the most frequent foreign hotel visitors in Bulgaria's capital Sofia, according to Sofia City Hall's official data.
Most foreigners visited Sofia's hotels in September (over 76 000), October (over 75 000) and March (over 62 000).
Among Sofia's four and five-star hotels, Kempinski Zografski registered the higher total number of hotel nights in 2011 (86 005), followed by Dedeman Princess (72 435), Hilton (59 178), Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan (55 139) and Rodina (47 365).
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Bulgaria Called to Account for Wartime Treatment of Jews
By Alexander Andreev
Deutsche Welle
An umbrella group of Jewish organizations in Greece has called on Bulgaria to acknowledge the deportation of thousands of Jews during World War II....
Bulgaria's Emblematic Cosmetic Factory to Be Listed for Sale
Bulgaria's cosmetics factory "Alen Mak," functioning since the times of the Socialist regime, will be listed for sale in just days.
The news was reported Thursday by the factory's syndic, attorney Stefan Georgiev, cited by Darik Radio. Georgiev said that the expert evaluation of the factory's assets and liabilities is expected in a couple of day.
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Belgium's KBC Denies Plans for Sale of Bulgarian Insurer DZI
Belgium's KBC has firmly denied that it seeks to shed Bulgarian insurance subsidiary DZI, as claimed by local media reports.
Bulgaria remains an important market for KBC and therefore it plans to continue to develop its business in the country through DZI and CIBank, which it owns too, reads a statement by the financial group.
Belgium's KBC has put up for sale Bulgarian insurance subsidiary DZI and the deal is expected to be concluded by the end of the year, local media reported earlier this week.
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Winter Disrupts Bulgarian Airlines, Danube Navigation
The airport authority at Sofia International reports that some flights are delayed Thursday over the new heavy snow that hit the capital.
Runways are being cleaned round-the-clock and are closed for cleaning for about 30 minutes after each departing and landing aircraft.
Flights of the national carrier "Bulgaria Air" to Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam and Berlin are all delayed.
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Ex Bulgarian President Rejoins Socialist Party Ranks
The long-awaited return of former Bulgarian President, Georgi Parvanov, to the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, is now a fact.
The news was reported Thursday by the Bulgarian "24 Chassa" (24 Hours) daily, writing that Parvanov had officially received on Sunday his party membership card in the village of Kovachevtsi.
Kovachevtsi is a village in the western Region of Pernik and the municipal center of Parvnov's native village of Sirishtnik, along with 7 other villages....
Bulgaria Mulls Ways to Attract More Romanian Tourists
A large-scale business forum is held Thursday and Friday in the central Bulgarian city and old capital Veliko Tarnovo focusing on ways to attract more Romanian tourists.
The forum is attended by a number of Romanian companies from the travel sector to hear presentations on Bulgaria as a year-round tourist destination, the largest private TV channel bTV reported Thursday.
The event is organized by the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism, with the help of the Union for SPA Tourism and the Association of Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Owners.
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Bulgaria's 'First Lady' Resents National Security 'Watch'
Bulgaria's "First Lady," Yuliyana Plevnelieva continues to refuse to comply with the National Security Services, NSO, and with her new status.
The information was reported by the Bulgarian "Standard" daily, writing that Plevnelieva insists on picking herself groceries and produce for her husband and children and cooking for them and resents the constant checks of her purchases and meals by NSO.
NSO, however, continue to firmly refuse to allow husband and new President, Rosen Plevneliev, to take even a bite from any food without first checking it.
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Bulgarian Weather Services Threatened by Budget Cuts
Weather forecasts prepared by the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) several times a day may be suspended due to lack of financing and state budget cuts.
BAS Chair Nikola Sabotinov, reiterating a warning from October 2011, announces that he had once again asked Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, for help and is insisting on a personal meeting with him.
Meanwhile, the BAS management has promised to conduct a financial analysis on the activities of the Institute to find out if there are any possibilities remaining to cut on expenses....
Bulgaria Wakes up to Fresh Snow
Bulgaria wakes up Thursday to freezing cold accompanied by a fresh snow cover, but without new record low temperatures.
The mercury ranges between minus 19 degrees Celsius to minus 5 across the country with cloudy skies and strong winds in the regions of Montana, Varna, Vidin and Razgrad.
Snow is falling in the regions of Montana, Pazardzhik, Dobrich, Haskovo, Sofia, Plovdiv, Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Kardzhali, Smolyan, Vratsa, Stara Zagora, Veliko Tarnovo and the mountain passes in the Stara Planina range (Balkan)....
Bulgaria Promised Respite from Polar Cold Wave Very Soon
The severe cold snap that hit hard Bulgaria, pushing the mercury down to record lows, will gradually die out by the end of this week, only to be succeeded by heavy snowfalls, forecasts say.
Conditions will generally remain cloudy and foggy, but winds and temperatures are predicted to ease, returning to their normal levels with highs hovering about the freezing point.
The Black Sea region will remain cold and windy.
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Bulgaria Ex VP Enters Court Battle to Prove Legitimacy
The legitimacy of Bulgaria's former vice president can be proven with a written document only, the country's top court has demanded, fueling the raging controversy.
A three-member panel of the Supreme Administrative Court ruled on Wednesday that the presidency should provide a written document, stating whether former Vice President Angel Marin has been authorized for his second mandate or not.
It has recently emerged that former President Georgi Parvanov failed to issue a decree authorizing the second mandate of the Vice President from 2007 to 2012.
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Extreme cold weather in eastern Europe claims 79 lives
Helicopters evacuate dozens from snow-blocked Serbian and Bosnian villages, while hypothermia claims lives across region
Rescue helicopters evacuated dozens of people from snow-blocked villages in Serbia and Bosnia and airlifted in emergency food and medicine as a severe cold spell kept eastern Europe in an icy grip.
The death toll from the cold snap rose to 79 across the region, with emergency crews working overtime as temperatures sank to -32.5C (-26.5F) in some areas.
Parts of the Black Sea froze near the Romanian coastline and rare snow fell on Croatian islands in the Adriatic Sea. In Bulgaria, 16 towns recorded their lowest temperatures since records began 100 years ago.
In central Serbia, helicopters pulled out 12 people, including nine who went to a funeral but then could not get back over icy, snow-choked roads. Two people froze to death in the snow while two others are missing, bringing the country's death toll to five.
"The situation is dramatic, the snow is up to five metres high in some areas, you can only see rooftops," said Dr Milorad Dramacanin, who participated in the helicopter evacuations.
One of the evacuees was an elderly woman who had fallen into a coma. She survived after being airlifted to hospital.
Two helicopters were also used to rescue people and supply remote villages in northern Bosnia.
"We are trying to get through to several small villages, with each just a few elderly residents," said Bosnian rescue official Milimir Doder. "Altogether some 200 to 300 people are cut off. We are supplying them for the second day with food and medication."
Some villages have had no electricity for two days and crews were working around the clock trying to fix power lines.
"The snow is about two metres high and we have cleared off paths that look more like tunnels," Doder said. "It is going well but if there is more snow coming, then the situation may get critical."
Ukraine reported 43 deaths, mostly of homeless people. The country's emergency situations ministry said 28 people had been found dead on the streets, eight died in hospitals and seven in their homes. More than 720 others were hospitalised with hypothermia and frostbite.
Authorities have deployed over 1,730 heating shelters across the country, handing out hot tea, coffee, boiled potatoes and pork fat – a traditional Ukrainian dish – to the homeless. Hospitals were told not to discharge homeless patients even if their treatment was finished to protect them from the cold.
The country's prime minister, Mykola Azarov, urged Ukrainians to stay vigilant, dress warmly and help each other in the face of the severe weather.
"I call on citizens, enterprises, organisations not to be indifferent, to support and protect those people who cannot help themselves in this difficult time," Azarov said in a statement. "We are one people."
His comments came after some experts suggested Ukraine's high death toll was linked to authorities' unwillingness and incompetence in dealing with the homeless.
Pavlo Rozenko, an expert on social policy with the Kiev-based Razumkov Centre, said Ukrainian authorities often suffer from the Soviet legacy of viewing the homeless as alcoholics, drug addicts and do-nothings who need to be punished instead of helped.
"The country doesn't know yet how to take care of its homeless," Rozenko said.
In Romania, six homeless people have died of hypothermia in the past 24 hours as temperatures plunged to -32.5C, the health ministry reported. Hundreds of others were sent to shelters to protect them from the extreme cold.
Twenty people have also died of hypothermia since last Friday in Poland.
Several schools across Hungary suspended classes, including one in the east that said it could not afford the high heating bills.
In Russia, temperatures fell to -21C in Moscow but only one person was reported to have died as a result of the cold.
Despite freezing temperatures, 50-year-old Gyorgy Schirilla said he would go ahead with his annual swim across the Danube on Saturday with no protective gear – a distance of 500m – in the northern Hungarian city of Vac.
"I'm not afraid of the challenge," Schirilla said. "This will be my 15th crossing. Two years ago … I had to fend off ice floes weighing several tonnes."
Bulgarian ISPs Rise against ACTA
The ACTA agreement will breach users' rights and change the course of internet evolution, argued a branch union of Bulgarian ISPs Wednesday.
"ACTA aims at obliterating anonymity and entirely transform the structure of the global network," said the Bulgarian Union of Independent Internet Providers.
In addition, Bulgarian ISPs argue that the agreement will breach privacy of users and will go as far as reverse the presumption of innocence.
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Cold Wave Freezes Bulgarian Danube, Grounds Ships
A cold snap, combined with an exceptionally dry summer and fall, has led the Bulgarian section of the great Danube river to start freezing over, obstructing traffic.
Around 10% of the river's surface at Bulgarian Danube cities of Ruse and Silistra is reported covered with floating ice Wednesday.
The banks and port facilities in both cities are also reported to be sheathed with ice....
Bank Drain Ghosts Haunt Bulgaria Again
Foreign banks are pulling funds from their subsidiaries in Bulgaria as lending growth in the country stalls, shows preliminary data of BIS, the central bank of central banks, as cited by local media.
The total exposure of foreign banks to Bulgaria totaled USD 2.3 B during the third qurater of last year and about half of it - USD 1 B - was withdrawn by Greek banks, Sega daily reported, citing preliminary data from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
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Bank Drain Ghosts Haunt Bulgaria Again
Foreign banks are pulling funds from their subsidiaries in Bulgaria as lending growth in the country stalls, shows preliminary data of BIS, the central bank of central banks, as cited by local media.
The total exposure of foreign banks to Bulgaria totaled USD 2.3 B during the third qurater of last year and about half ot it – USD 1 B was withdrawn by Greek banks, Sega daily reported, citing preliminary data from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
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Bulgaria Formally Closes Down Tobacco Agency
The Tobacco Fund, Bulgaria's state unit in charge of subsidies for tobacco growers, was officially disbanded at a cabinet sitting Wednesday.
The entity had been rendered obsolete by EU requirements, which mandated that tobacco funds be integrated in the state's overall policy for subsidizing agriculture.
In line with that, starting 2011 tobacco money passed under the authority of the Agriculture Fund entity at Bulgaria's Ministry of Agriculture and Foods.
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Bulgaria Anti-Mafia Court Pressures Media
The governing body of Bulgaria's newly established specialized criminal court has asked print and electronic media to submit to it materials covering the activity of the institution for 'verification' before making them public.
"We would like you to cooperate with us on obtaining feedback for the coordination of the accuracy of the information released by us by sending us titles of articles and publications related to the activity of the specialized criminal court before they are published," the court said in a media statement on Wednesday.
The magistrates at the specialized criminal court call on the media to stop referring to the court by any other name, for instance "anti-mafia court", which is the most popular substitution.
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Bulgarian 'Threatened' Princess Diana Butler, Granted Bail
The former butler of late Princess Diana has accused a Bulgarian man of warning his wife had been kidnapped and threatening to torch his flower shop.
Former Royal butler Paul Burrell told the Chester Crown Court on Tuesday how Bulgarian Slav Mitev, 50, phoneed him and warned him that his wife had been kidnapped, BBC reported.
The jury found Mitev, of Wood Green, London, guilty of putting somebody in fear of violence.
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Bulgaria to Pay Debt on Burgas-Alexandroupolis in 2012
Bulgaria plans to pay its debt on the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline in 2012, said Plamen Grozdanov, Bulgarian Ambassador to Moscow.
In an interview for Russian news agency Interfax, he explained that the Bulgarian government had agreed to allocate BGN 12.8 M for the payment of its financial obligations as a participant in the oil pipeline project.
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Bulgaria Reports New Record Low as Cold Spell Peaks
Temperatures in the town of Sevlievo, northern Bulgaria, plunged Wednesday morning to minus 31.4 C, a record low, which made the region one of the hardest hit by the severe cold spell in Eastern Europe.
On Wednesday, due to heavy snow cover and clear skies, 16 towns in Bulgaria recorded their coldest temperature since records started 100 years ago.
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Bulgaria Reports New Record Low as Cold Spell Peaks
Temperatures in the town of Sevlievo, northern Bulgaria, plunged Wednesday morning to minus 31,4 C, a record low, which made the region one of the hardest hit by the severe cold spell in Eastern Europe.
On Wednesday, due to heavy snow cover and clear skies, 16 towns in Bulgaria recorded their coldest temperature since records started 100 years ago.
In the northeastern town of Knezha, the national weather service reported a low of minus 29 degrees, an absolute all time record, registered for the second day in a row.
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Bulgaria Lines New Envoys to Russia, Spain, Morocco, Syria, Pakistan
Five new ambassadors for Bulgaria's diplomatic service have been formally proposed by the Bulgarian cabinet to President Rosen Plevneliev for approval.
This includes brand new envoys to Russia, Spain and Morocco, as well as the promotion of interim ambassadors in Syria and Pakistan to full ambassadors.
Boyko Kotsev, who has up to now being permanent representative of Bulgaria to the EU, has been proposed to the ambassador seat in Moscow.
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Bulgarian Judges: Police Spec Op Stirs Aggresson against Judiciary
The Union of Judges in Bulgaria has sent an open letter of protest against the Ministry of Interior, for publicizing codenames of a special operation irreverently referring to the name of a judge.
Last Thursday, Sofia police carried out a much-vaunted special operation against a group of extortionists, codenamed with the acronym RALICA (or RALITSA), a popular Bulgarian female given name.
As it turns out, Sofia City Court Judge Ralitsa Manolova had presided a court sitting that decided that the detention under which one of the arrested suspects had been placed should be transformed into house arrest.
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Kaufland Bulgaria Protests Fine for Unlabelled, Substandard Eggs
The Kaufland chain of stores has refuted accusations of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency that it is selling substandard eggs, for which it was fined with BGN 10 000 two days ago.
An inspection at Kaufland conducted a few days ago found that the chain was selling cartons of mixed eggs, both labeled and unlabelled.
Some of the eggs in the cartons imported from Poland had red dots indicating that they were from hens kept in cramped cages.
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Bulgarian President Remembers Victims of Communism
Freedom and democracy must fought for and protected, said Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev at the Memorial for the Victims of Communism in Sofia.
Wednesday Bulgaria is marking for the second time the official Day of Gratitude and Homage to the Victims of the Communist Regime.
"Freedom and democracy ought not only be used, but also fought for, including in hard times," said Plevneliev upon laying a wreath at the monument.
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Bulgaria Scores Perfect Performance on 2011 Budget, Lower Deficit
The Bulgarian government has fulfilled its revenue and spending plans for 2011 at close to 100%, and recorded a budget deficit lower than expected, announced the Ministry of Finance Wednesday.
The report has confirmed that the state budget deficit for 2011 has been 2.1% of GDP for the year, lower than the 2....
Bulgarian Govt to Pay Damages for 18 Cases of Slow Justice
The Bulgarian government will conclude friendly settlements on 10 cases brought against the State before the European Court of Human Rights.
The decision is to be voted during Thursday's session of the Cabinet.
The applications are a part of the total of around 700 cases brought before the Strasbourg-based Court over slow and inefficient justice in the country.
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Bulgarian Police Rearrest Sofia Serial Arson Suspect
The man who was declared by the Bulgarian police to be a serial arsonist, Yuliyan Kovachki, had been arrested again.
The news was reported Wednesday by the largest private TV channel bTV.
This time the man was arrested because he acted violent in a bar in the capital's "Mladost" residential district....
Bulgarian MPs Hold Hearing of Ministers over ACTA
Bulgaria's Parliamentary Committees on Economy and on Culture will hold hearings of Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, and of Culture Minister, Vezhdi Rashidov, on the signing the controversial ACTA agreement.
The initiative was launched by the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, and was announced Wednesday in plenary hall by its Chair, Valentin Nikolov. He reiterated Traikov's words that Bulgaria has joined the agreement only in principle, and the debate on it was forthcoming.
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Bulgaria with Record High Electricity Use over Polar Cold
Bulgaria has registered a new record of electricity consumption over the freezing cold that has gripped the country, the Electric Energy System Operator, EESO, reported Wednesday.
On January 31, at the 20th hour, the maximum load was recorded in Bulgaria's electric power system – 7 354 MW, which exceeds the previous record of 7 270 MW, registered on January 26, 2010.
Because of the chilly weather, on Tuesday Bulgarians consumed 153 315 000 kWh of electricity - this was 6% more, compared to Monday....
Light Earthquake Registered in Southern Bulgaria
A light earthquake was registered Wednesday in southern Bulgaria.
The information was reported by the European Seismology Center.
The quake was of a 2....
Bulgaria Bows to Victims of Communism
Bulgaria is marking Wednesday for the second time the official Day of Gratitude and Homage to the Victims of the Communist Regime.
The date February 1 was chosen because on this day, in 1945, the so-called People's Tribunal sentenced to death 3 regents, 67 members of the parliament, 22 ministers, 40 generals and colonels of the royal army and a number of other public figures. The sentences have been executed on that same day.
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Top 10 Facts about 60K
1. 60K is a Business Process Outsourcer working for both international and Bulgarian clients.
2....
Bulgaria Remains in Grip of Polar Cold
All, but one, Bulgarian regions remain under code orange over extremely low temperatures, the National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) has announced.
Code orange means intense weather situations with potential damage, injuries and casualties.
A more moderate code yellow has been declared only for the region of Burgas....
Bulgaria Celebrates Vine and Wine Day
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors on Wednesday, February 1, the Day of Saint Trifon, the patron of vine-growers, wine-producers and tavern-keepers.
The holiday is widely known in Bulgaria as Trifon Zarezan - from the Bulgarian verb "zariazvam" meaning to prune vines.
Saint Trifon was born in 225 AD in the village of Kossada in Phrygia in Asia Minor....
US State Secretary Donates Fighter Jets during Bulgarian Trip
During her visit to Bulgaria, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is to extend an official offer to the Bulgarian government for the acquiring from the American army of several secondhand fighter jets F-16.
The proposal would be for Bulgaria to receive them as a gift, according to a report of the Bulgarian "Trud" (Labor) daily. Bulgaria will, however, have to find the money for repairs and for putting them into use.
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Bulgaria to Enter Stage 2 of Its Major Diplomatic Reshuffle
Bulgaria's diplomatic reshuffle is set to continue on Wednesday, as the country's Foreign Minister is expected to propose the appointment of five new Ambassadors abroad, according to a media report.
Russia, Pakistan, Syria, Morocco and Spain are the countries to which Bulgaria will send new envoys, dnevnik.bg reports.
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Bulgaria's Panagyurishte Enters Race to Host Chess Candidates Battle
Bulgaria has endorsed the town of Panagyurishte to run for host of this year's Candidates Tournament chess clashes, it has been revealed.
London and Baku have already entered the race to host the prestigious event, while New York is expected to join them.
Bulgaria recently hosted two key chess battles – the Candidate Match between Veselin Topalov and Gata Kamsky in 2009 and Topalov's subsequent World Championship match against Vishwanathan Anand in 2010, which the Bulgarian lost....
Sofia Court Orders House Arrest for Man under European Arrest Warrant
Stefan Klenovski, who was arrested in a shopping center in Sofia on the evening of January 27, has been placed under house arrest by the Sofia City Court.
Klenovski had a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued for him in connection with a police operation codenamed Shock held last year against a crime ring specialized in ATM scams.
The remand measure was issued Tuesday by Miroslava Todorova, Chair of the Bulgarian Judges Association (BJA), who was recently accused by Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov of patronizing organized crime and of incompetence.
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Empty Promises Don't Pay
by Martin Ehl
Transitions Online
We should really thank the Bulgarians....
Bulgarian Surfers Outraged over Govt Anti-Drug Video
Bulgarian surfers have expressed their outrage over a recent anti-drug campaign video produced by the country's Health Ministry, which they feel portrays them as drug addicts.
The surfers have launched a petition expressing their discontent over the suggestions made in the campaign video, the Cross news agency informs.
The campaign video, which is included in a campaign, entitled "Life is priceless! Do not substitute it for drugs," tells the story of a young man who has managed to stay off the drugs for two years before meeting a bunch of "surfer guys" while fishing.
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Bulgaria's New Anti-Mafia Court Closes First Case with Plea Bargain
Bulgaria's specialized criminal court, which became operational on January 03, has closed its first trial with a plea bargain sealed between four of the defendants and the prosecution.
The case was opened on January 16, 2012 on charges of organizing and commanding a crime ring specialized in drug dealing and other offenses resulting in undue pecuniary gain, the court said in a Tuesday statement.
Four of the defendants, Stepan Dimitrievich Kara, Georgi Borisov Boshnqkov, Ivan Kostov Ivanov and Silvia Mladenova Kapchikova pleaded guilty and gave up the right to a trial.
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Bulgaria's New Anti-Mafia Court Closes First Case with Plea Bargain
Bulgaria's specialized criminal court, which became operational on January 03, has closed its first trial with a plea bargain sealed between four of the defendants and the prosecution.
The case was opened on January 16, 2012 on charges of organizing and commanding a crime ring specialized in drug dealing and other offenses resulting in undue pecuniary gain, the court said in a Tuesday statement.
Four of the defendants, Stepan Dimitrievich Kara, Georgi Borisov Boshnyakov, Ivan Kostov Ivanov and Silvia Mladenova Kapchikova pleaded guilty and gave up the right to a trial.
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Euromoney Names UniCredit Bulbank Best Trade Finance Bank
UniCredit Bulbank, part of the UniCredit Group, came out as a winner in the annual poll of Euromoney magazine on the best providers of trade finance services on the local markets in countries worldwide.
More than 1 500 leading international companies that use trade finance products took part in the poll.
Besides the top ranking in Bulgaria, certain banks from the UniCredit Group were rated the best in the field of trade finance also in another four CEE countries as well as in Italy.
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Bulgarian Right-Wingers Rise Against Controversial ACTA
The right-wing Bulgarian Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) party has demanded that the county's Prime Minister and his government retract their signature under the international ACTA agreement.
ACTA has been created due to requests on behalf of the entertainment industry and aims to introduce an increased international cooperation implement legislative standards on intellectual property rights, the right-wing party has reminded.
However, the agreement is controversial, since it forces Internet providers to share information about their users' Internet activity, regardless whether movies, music, books or other data are concerned, according to UDF leader Martin Dimitrov.
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Bulgarian Smartphone Application to Ease Search for WiFi Zones
The organizers of the Bulgarian "Free Internet" campaign have officially presented a new smartphone application that is supposed to ease the search for free WiFi zones.
The application is compatible with Android and iOS and is available under the name "Free Internet."
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Bulgaria's Interior Ministry to Restrict Use of Force, Firearms
Reforms at the Interior Ministry will include the introduction of legal amendments stipulating the standard of "absolute necessity for the use of firearms and other police-related tools," according to Deputy Interior Minister Veselin Vuchkov.
Speaking at a Tuesday conference on reforms at the Interior, he said that the Interior Ministry Act would be changed in response to over 30 trials against Bulgaria for illegal use of weapons by the police won at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
"Despite the fact that these trials concern a period before 2004, the current working of the law is obviously creating problems....
Bulgaria Severe Cold Snap Claims More Lives
The winter cold snap in Bulgaria has killed another two as temperatures dropped to record lows, schools closed down, roads became impassable and power supplies were cut off.
A 62-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman froze to death in a southwestern and northern village respectively. The latest victims of the cold were discovered in the early hours on Tuesday and follow the deaths of another two men a day earlier.
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Bulgarian Women, Too, Remove Risky Breast Implants
Nearly 150 Bulgarian women have rushed to remove potentially faulty silicone breast implants supplied by Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) following the example set by the ladies in France.
"About 1,500 pairs of breast implants produced by French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) have been used by the surgeons in Bulgaria," Dimitar Evstatiev, national plastic surgery consultant announced on Tuesday.
"It is up to the patients to decide whether to remove the implants in advance and some 145 of them have already done so," he added.
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CSKA Players Get Away with Tiny Doping Bans
Rumen Trifonov, Todor Yanchev and Kostadin Stoyanov, the three CSKA Sofia football players who tested positive for banned stimulants, have been banned for just three months, the Bulgarian Olympic Committee has announced.
The players' minimum bans will expire on March 23, which means that they will miss CSKA's A league games against Lokomotiv Sofia, Kaliakra, Montana and Chernomorets Burgas, with only the last one of these considered to be among the stronger A league sides.
Trifonov, Yanchev and Stoyanov tested positive for methylhexanamine after the domestic league clash against archrivals Levski Sofia which their team won 1-0 on October 28 2011.
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Bulgaria’s EconMin Tries to Assuage ACTA Fears
The fact that Bulgaria has signed the controversial ACTA agreement will not change anything in the country, Bulgarian Minister of Economy Traicho Traikov believes.
"If you ate asking for my personal opinion, I am skeptical about the notion that ACTA will change anything, especially in Bulgaria, which has always been among the leaders when it comes to altering its legislation in that area," Traikov commented on Tuesday, as cited by dnevnik.bg.
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Bulgaria's EconMin Tries to Assuage ACTA Fears
The fact that Bulgaria has signed the controversial ACTA agreement will not change anything in the country, Bulgarian Minister of Economy Traicho Traikov believes.
"If you ate asking for my personal opinion, I am skeptical about the notion that ACTA will change anything, especially in Bulgaria, which has always been among the leaders when it comes to altering its legislation in that area," Traikov commented on Tuesday, as cited by dnevnik.bg.
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Bulgaria's December Unemployment Rate Reaches 11%
Bulgaria's unemployment rate in December 2011 was 11.2%, according to Eurostat's latest data.
According to the Bulgarian Employment Agency (which measures unemployment rates by calculating the number of people registered with Labor Bureaus), the December unemployment rate in the country was 10....
Polar Cold Shuts Down Hundreds of Schools in Bulgaria
More than 450 schools across Bulgaria closed their doors on Tuesday morning as the country was hit by a wave of polar cold.
The blizzards, which hit hard Bulgaria last week, blocking highways and leaving thousands of people without electricity, subsided only to be replaced by extremely low temperatures.
The country witnessed an historic cold snap on Tuesday, recording a wind chill of 29 degrees Celsius below zero in the town of Knezha, Northern Bulgaria.
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KBC Seeks to Shed Bulgarian Insurer DZI - Report
Belgium's KBC has put up for sale Bulgarian insurance subsidiary DZI and the deal is expected to be concluded by the end of the year, according to local media reports.
KBC declined comment on what they have described as "rumors".
The reports emerge shortly after the banking and insurance group KBC sold its Polish insurance unit Warta to Germany's third-largest insurance company Talanx for EUR 770 M.
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New Unit at Bulgaria Supreme Prosecutor's Office to Tackle Police Brutality
The new structure of the Bulgarian Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation will feature a special department on combating crimes committed by or against police officers, according to Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev.
In an interview published by Presa daily on Tuesday, he explains that cases of police brutality have their own specific properties and require competent prosecutors to lead the investigations.
Velchev points out that the new entity will provide additional guarantees that no case gets underestimated.
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Bulgarian Cartoon Artist Grabs First Prize in Iran
Bulgaria's artist Valentin Georgiev came out as a winner at Iran's traditional Tabriz cartoon fest, whose participants this year were provoked by the austerity times the world is going through, local media reported.
Musa Gumus and Sait Munwr, both from Turkey, ranked second and third respectively.
Artists from 38 countries took part in the 11th edition of the contest this year and their works will be displayed at a future exhibition.
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Bulgarian EconMin Refuses Comments on ACTA Initiative
Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, refused Tuesday to offer any comments on how the cabinet had made the decision to sign the controversial ACTA international agreement.
Transcripts from the meeting of the Council of Ministers from January 11 reveal that it had been precisely Traikov who had made the proposal, which stirred much discontent in Bulgaria, both because it had not been discussed by the members of the cabinet and because the public had been kept entirely in the dark about the decision to sign ACTA, until prominent Bulgarian bloggers and lawyers stirred large-scale noise about it. They lashed out at the signing of ACTA because they believe the agreement will bind countries to install legal regulations that excessively and unduly broadly penalize Internet users.
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Bulgaria Marks Grim Anniversary of Sisters Double Murder
Bulgaria marks Tuesday a grim anniversary – 6 years since the gruesome murder of two teenage sisters Rositsa (18) and Kristina (15) Belneyski.
The two went missing in January 2006, after leaving a night club in the town of Pazardzhik. Their mutilated bodies were found on January 31 2006, at the site "Gramadite" near the town of Peshtera.
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Drivers in Bulgaria Have a Day to Buy Toll Stickers for 2012
Drivers in Bulgaria have to buy by the end of January 31 their toll stickers – the so-called vignettes - for 2012, preferably those valid for the whole year as they are the best deal.
The current cost of an annual vignette for a car is BGN 67, a price that has remained unchanged since 2007.
The price for a monthly toll sticker is set at BGN 25.
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Bulgaria Remains Closer to Balkans than EU - Study
Bulgaria and Romania lag behind other EU countries in their development, according to a recent study.
The two newest EU Member States remain commensurable to the other Balkan countries in terms of economic state, quality of life, level of democracy and state governance, according to the so-called Catch-up Index, prepared by experts of the Open Society Institute.
The study analyses Bulgaria's EU membership and the competitiveness of the country's economy.
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Notorious Bulgarian SAPARD Fraud Trial Stalls Again
The trial against notorious Bulgarian businessmen Mario Nikolov and Lyudmil Stoykov, who are charged with large-scale SAPARD fraud in the amount of EUR 7.5 M, has once again failed to kick off.
The case is tried on appeal at the Sofia Appellate Court....
Bulgarian Interior Minister Launches Police Reform
Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, is presenting Tuesday plans for reforms at his institution.
Tuesday morning, Tsvetanov will have a presentation on the subject: "The Reform at the Interior: Current Situation and Perspectives" at the Council of Ministers building in downtown Sofia.
The other Deputy PM and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, and Tsvetanov's Deputies, Dimitar Georgiev and Veselin Vuchkov, will also attend.
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Bulgarian PM Orders FinMin to Clarify Bonuses Issue
Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, has ordered his Deputy and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, to inform the public about end-of-years bonuses at his institution.
Borisov spoke for the media from Brussels where he is attending the summit of EU leaders on the so-called Fiscal Pact.
"I told Minister Djankov to make the respective clarifications in Bulgaria if there are questions from the media and the public," he said.
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Mercury in Bulgaria Hits Record Low
The temperatures in Bulgaria fell to record lows Tuesday morning, even lower than Monday.
The mercury went down the most in Knezha, in northwestern Bulgaria, where it registered minus 29 degrees Celsius at 5 am - an absolute all time record. At most locations temperatures were below 20; in Sofia around 5 am the thermometers showed minus 21.
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Mercury in Bulgaria Hits Record Lows
The temperatures in Bulgaria fell to record lows Tuesday morning, even lower than Monday.
The mercury went down the most in Knezha, in northwestern Bulgaria, where it registered minus 29 degrees Celsius at 5 am - an absolute all time record. At most locations temperatures were below 20; in Sofia around 5 am the thermometers showed minus 21.
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Signing ACTA - Killing Both Torrent Sites and Bulgaria's Regions
Bulgaria's Borisov Cabinet has just come up with a new unpleasant surprise for the Bulgarian public by signing ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement), the controversial copyright protection deal, without telling anyone.
ACTA has already caused international protests because of fears that it blurs counterfeiting and content sharing on the Internet. It even requires Internet providers to cooperate in cracking down on pirate content.
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25 EU States Sign Up for EU Fiscal Pact, Brits, Czechs Out
A total of 25 out of 27 EU member states, Bulgaria included, have agreed to the new EU / euro zone fiscal pact for stricter budget discipline, a brainchild of Germany.
Only Britain and the Czech Republic refused to sign a fiscal compact in March that will impose quasi-automatic sanctions on countries that breach European Union budget deficit limits and make balanced budget rules part of national law.
"It is the first step towards a fiscal union....
Dozens freeze to death as temperatures plunge to MINUS 26C in parts of Eastern Europe
Poland, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have all been hit by temperatures as low as -20C - closing schools, blocking roads and cutting power.
Bulgarian Monarchists Mark Tsar Boris III's Birthday
Representatives of Bulgarian monarchist organizations celebrated Monday the 118th birthday of Bulgaria's Tsar Boris III The Unifier (r. 1918-1943).
The Club of Bulgarian Monarchists and the National Youth Club "Vrana" (named after one of the Bulgarian royal residences) laid flowers at the Tsar Boris III's monument at the Borisova Garden, the downtown Sofia park named after him.
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PM: Bulgaria Firmly Out of EU Fiscal Pact if Common Taxes Required
Bulgaria is not going to participate in the new EU Fiscal Pact if it requires that taxation policies be harmonized, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has declared in Brussels at the emergency meeting of EU leaders.
Right before the start of the forum, Borisov made it clear that Bulgaria has one single condition for joining the EU Fiscal Pact – a brainchild of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel which is supposed to improve economic integration in Europe, and thus help solve the EU debt crisis.
In Borisov's words, the condition of Bulgaria, which currently has the lowest tax rates in the EU, is that the new EU Fiscal Pact should not stipulate tax harmonization among the "euro zone plus" that are going to join it.
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Bulgarian Duty-Free Operators Push for Licenses Anew
Independent MP Emil Vasilev has proposed legal amendments providing for a resumption of duty-free trade and for a restoration of the suspended permits of duty-free trade operators for indefinite periods.
The proposal of Vasilev, a former MP of the marginal conservative Order, Law and Justice (RZS) party, started circulating a week ago, but economists from center-right ruling party GERB said that the issue was not on the agenda.
GERB MPs did not say whether they would back or oppose such a motion but used the opportunity to point out that duty-free trade operators had long been making futile attempts to push through legislation allowing the resumption of their activity.
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GERB Still Bulgaria's Leading Party, Poll Claims
Bulgaria's ruling centrist-right GERB has maintained the highest rating among the country's political parties, according to a poll conducted by Sofia-based Center for Analyses and Marketing.
Approximately 32.7% of the 1218 Bulgarians questioned in the poll would vote for GERB if the parliamentary elections were to be carried out now, while 17....
EU Petitions Committee to Investigate Donations for Bulgarian Police
The the EU Petitions Committee has asked the European Commission (EC) to start a preliminary investigation on the tip-off that vehicles owned by donors to Bulgaria's Interior Ministry do not get stopped by traffic police.
The information is part of a written response to a petition by a Facebook group calling for support for Konstantin Ivanov, the police officer who unveiled the umbrella policy of the Bulgarian Interior Ministry towards traffic violations committed by its donors and was subsequently forced to resign after 20 years on the job.
"The Petitions Committee will continue reviewing your petition as soon as it obtains the necessary information," the response signed by Erminia Mazzoni, the Chair of the Petitions Committee reads.
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Manchester United Striker Berbatov Turns 31
Bulgaria's most famous football player in the recent years, Manchester United Strike Dimitar Berbatov, celebrated Monday, January 30, his 31st birthday.
Berbatov, who was Bulgaria's No. 1 Football Player in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, was born on January 30, 1981, in the southwestern Bulgarian city of Blagoevgrad.
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Bulgaria President Plays Down Ex-VP's Alleged Illegitimacy
Former Bulgarian Vice President Angel Marin's second term in office was probably not "illegal", the country's new President Rosen Plevneliev reckons.
It recently emerged that former President Georgi Parvanov failed to issue a decree authorizing the second mandate of the Vice President from 2007 to 2012, which led some to state that Marin's decrees can be challenged in Court as invalid and in violation of the Constitution.
"It is perfectly clear to me that there are two opinions among lawyers....
Bulgaria to Be Ready with Next EU Funding Period Paperwork by 2013 - Minister
EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev has said that Bulgaria should be ready with the agreements and the texts on the Operational Programs in the next programming period, 2014-2020, by mid-2013.
Speaking at a conference on Monday, he specified that the most difficult task was striking a balance between the different types of investments that had to be made.
The EU Funds Minister explained that Bulgaria would apply a sector-based approach, rather than an area-based approach, for the future programming period.
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Bulgaria’s Sofia to Welcome Guns N’ Roses on July 8
Legendary rock band Guns N' Roses will delight Bulgaria's capital Sofia on July 8 2012, it has been announced.
Guns N's Roses are the confirmed headliners of the third annual Sofia Rocks festival, the organizers from Balkan Entertainment have revealed.
Never before have Guns N's Roses had a gig in Bulgaria....
Great Wall Motor to Inaugurate Bulgaria Plant on February 21
Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor will inaugurate its first plant in Bulgaria and Europe on February 21, it has been announced.
The brand new car factory is a a joint project with Bulgarian company Litex Motors that aims at selling 2 000 vehicles in 2012.
On November 14 2011, Litex Motors and Great Wall Motors unveiled their first vehicle assembled in the plant near the northern Bulgarian city of Lovech, 16 years after Bulgaria's last failed attempt at car manufacturing.
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Bulgaria's Agriculture, Tourism Most Resilient to Crisis in 2012 - Expert
The negative impact of the reduced economic growth forecast for 2012 in the Eurozone will spill over to sectors that have traditionally remained unscathed, according to Bozhidar Danev, Executive Chair of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA).
In a Monday statement, Danev suggested that export-related sectors like metallurgy and transport would be hit by the slowdown.
He said that Bulgaria's two main options for achieving stability during the crisis were agriculture (grain production in particular) and tourism (because rising poverty in Europe would result in a shift in tourist flows to Bulgaria).
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EBRD - Investment with a Difference
Presentation of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Bulgaria by EBRD Bulgaria Country Director Daniel Berg - for the "Investors of the Decade" Business Survey of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg
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EBRD - Investment with a difference
Presentation of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Bulgaria by EBRD Bulgaria Country Director Daniel Berg - for the "Investors of the Decade" Business Survey of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg
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Sofia Crowned Bulgaria's Best City to Live in
Bulgaria's capital Sofia has earned the title "Bulgaria's Best City to Live in" for 2011 in a ranking done by local media.
On Monday, Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova received a special award by the country's new President Rosen Plevneliev.
A total of 27 Bulgarian cities (all of the country's district centers) have been included in the ranking done by the 24 Chasa daily and Darik radio, with 28 different criteria being taken into consideration.
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60k CEO Jonathan Gladwish: Bulgaria Can Continue to Emerge as Tangible Outsourcing Hub
Exclusive interview with Jonathan Gladwish, CEO, 60k, for the "Investors of the Decade" Business Survey of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg.
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UniCredit Bulbank CEO Levon Hampartzoumian: Banks in Bulgaria Not Growing, but Stable
Exclusive interview with UniCredit Bulbank CEO Levon Hampartzoumian for the "Investors of the Decade" Business Survey of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg.
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Bulgarian Man Critical after Jumping before Metro Train
A young Bulgarian man is listed in critical condition at the Sofia emergency hospital "Pirogov," after he threw himself on the subway tracks Sunday evening.
The news was reported by the hospital Monday.
S....
Bulgarian Border Checkpoints Resume Normal Work
The lines of tractor trailers at the Danube Bridge, connecting Bulgaria and Romania have disappeared overnight.
The bridge was closed for several days over being blockaded by heavy snow on both sides.
Freight traffic at the Capitan Andreevo and Lesovo cross border points on the Bulgarian-Turkish border is also back to normal, after weekend difficulties, also triggered by the blizzard that gripped Bulgaria last week.
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Greek Jews Remind UN of Bulgarian Role in Deportations
Even though Bulgaria rescued its Jews in World War II, the country had a role in the genocide of Greek Jews, a Greek-Jewish umbrella group has pointed out in a letter to a United Nations body.
"Bulgarians saved their country's Jews in exchange for the Jews of the other territories under their control," said the letter sent Jan. 26 from the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece to the UN Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organizations.
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General Manager of Hilton Sofia Jacques Brune: Bulgaria's Sofia Is Becoming a Capital to Visit
Exclusive interview with Jacques Brune, General Manager of the Hilton Sofia Hotel, for the "Investors of the Decade" Business Survey of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg.
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'Austere' Bulgarian FinMin Awarded Hefty Bonuses
Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, has given generous end-of-year bonuses to employees at his institution.
The news that Djankov offered bonuses in the amount of BGN 233 725 at the end of 2011 was reported by the Bulgarian "Trud" (Labor) daily, citing the Head of the Human Resources Department at the Finance Ministry.
The sum has been divided among 176 employees, but the amount of each individual bonus remains unknown.
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Bulgaria's Bojinov Heading Back to Lecce
Sporting Lisbon's Bulgarian striker Valeri Bojinov will be certainly loaned out to Italian side Lecce for the next six months, according to Bulgarian media.
Sporting and the Italian club have already reached an agreement on the deal and Bojinov is expected to sign his contract with Lecce on Monday, gong.bg has reported.
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Bulgaria's Ex-VP Defends His Generous Pardoning of Felons
Bulgaria's former Vice President Angel Marin who controversially pardoned a large number of high-profile felons during his two terms in office, has reiterated that he sees nothing wrong in his actions.
In an interview for the bTV private channel on Monday, Marin declared that he supported the idea of increased media publicity when it comes to all pardoning documents.
The former Vice President pointed out that he has put "huge efforts" over the years in tackling each and every pardoning request in an unbiased way....
Bulgarian PM Joins EU Summit on Fiscal Pact
Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, is taking part Monday in the first for 2012 emergency meeting of the European Council in Brussels.
European leaders are expected to approve the final text of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union or the so-called EU Fiscal Pact.
Great Britain is the only EU Member State that has firmly declared it would not back the treaty....
General Manager of Sheraton Sofia Gerasimos Perdikaris: Bulgaria Needs to Keep Its Momentum in Difficult Environment
Exclusive interview with Gerasimos Perdikaris, General Manager of the Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan, for the "Investors of the Decade" Business Survey of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg.
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UniCredit Bulbank
UniCredit Bulbank is the biggest Bulgarian bank in terms of assets, exceeding BGN 11 B as of end of June 2011.
UniCredit Bulbank is servicing over one million individual clients and households, high profile private customers, small and mid sized businesses, larger domestic and multinational corporates, municipalities and budget enterprises.
UniCredit Bulbank
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Bulgarian President: Germany Must Lead Europe
Bulgaria supports the idea for Germany to have a leading role in Europe and for a harder line for tightening belts on the Old Continent.
The statement was made by the new Bulgarian President, Rosen Plevneliev, in an interview for "Financial Times Deutschland."
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Johnson Controls VP Jeff DeBest: Sky Is the Limit for What Private Sector and Bulgarian Education Can Achieve Together
Exclusive interview with Jeff DeBest, Group Vice President Global Electronics of Johnson Controls Automotive Experience, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Johnson Controls Bulgaria; Published by Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and Novinite.bg at the "Investors of the Decade" Business Survey.
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US Visa Regime on State Secretary Clinton's Agenda in Sofia
The US visa regime for Bulgarian citizens will be on the agenda of the talks of Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, with US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, during her visit to Bulgaria.
In a TV interview Mladenov informs that the visit, which is scheduled for February 5th, has been planned and prepared for a long time.
Other topics, according to the Minister, include Bulgaria recognizing years of service for Bulgarians, who have worked in the US; strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the US in the security sector, in NATO, and in the NATO mission in Afghanistan, partnership on the Balkans, and the situation in the Middle East.
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Visa Regime to Be Discussed with Hillary Clinton in Sofia
The American visa regime for Bulgarian citizens will be on the agenda of the talks of Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, with US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, during her visit to Bulgaria.
In a TV interview Mladenov informs that the visit, which is scheduled for February 5th, has been planned and prepared for a long time.
Other topics, according to the Minister, include Bulgaria recognizing years of service for Bulgarians, who have worked in the US; strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the US in the security sector, in NATO, and in the NATO mission in Afghanistan, partnership on the Balkans, and the situation in the Middle East.
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Novinite.com Launches 'Investors of the Decade' Business Survey
Bulgaria's largest English-language media Novinite com (Sofia News Agency) and the Bulgarian-language news site Novinite bg have launched a new initiative - the "Investors of the Decade" Business Survey!
"Investors of the Decade", whose first publications appeared on Monday, January 30, 2012, at www.novinite....
Bulgaria Braces for Code Orange Due to Harsh Cold
Code orange has been declared for almost the entire territory of Bulgaria Monday by the national weather service, due to especially cold weather setting in.
Sunday all but two southwestern regions were under code yellow, with highs at most places staying below -5 degrees C.
Lows are expected to drop below -15 C overnight and not to rise much above that throughout Monday, when lows will continue dropping.
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FM: EU Fiscal Compact Will Not Bind Bulgaria's Economy
The EU fiscal compact set to be negotiated at Monday's European Council will not harm Bulgaria's freedom to set its economic policy, said Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikolay Mladenov.
Speaking in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio Sunday, Mladenov assured that the pact will be of benefit to Bulgaria, as it will safeguard stability in the EU, at the same time not binding the hands of governments.
"This new pact will not hamper the Bulgarian government in its economic policies, social reforms, and in keeping taxes low," said Mladenov.
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Bulgaria Signs ACTA, Internet Users Cry Foul
The Bulgarian government has signed the international ACTA agreement, vowing to make downloading content similar to forgery of brands.
The agreement had been signed over the week by Bulgarian ambassador to Japan Lyubomir Todorov, based on a decision by the Bulgarian cabinet taken January 11.
The signing took place at a ceremony at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs last Thursday, reports Bulgarian daily Trud.
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Syrians in Bulgaria Protest against Violent Assad Regime
Scores of Syrians gathered in front of the Syria embassy in Bulgarian capital Sofia to protest the on-going violence in their home country, which they see as instigated by President Bashar Al-Assad's embattled government.
The protest has been occasioned by internet videos showing the dead bodies of five children, three women and one man killed in a suburb of Syrian city Homs, a hot point of the pro-democracy unrest.
In this second protest in front of the Syrian embassy in Bulgaria, ralliers again carried a replica of the clocktower in Homs, stopped at 1....
PM: Subpar Politicians Doom Bulgaria to No National Doctrine
Bulgaria is bound to have no implementable strategy for national development due to the low grade of its political class, reflected Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov Sunday.
In an interview for the K2 Radio, Borisov was asked about the possibility of development of a unifying "national doctrine" or "strategy," in given that many countries have the like, and given that recently inaugurated President Rosen Plevneliev vowed to work in that direction.
"There is no way we can have a national doctrine given the ethos of undercover agreements and cliques ramant in Bulgarian politics," confessed Borisov.
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Latest Bulgarian Police Brutality Wasn't That Brutal
A CCTV record of the recent arrest that sparked accusations of police brutality in Bulgaria's capital Sofia was shown by the city police head Sunday.
In the record, taken from the security system of the Tsarigradsko Shosse mall, where the arrest took place, police cannot be seen bringing the detainee to the ground and brutally hitting him, as his wife had claimed.
"You can manifestly see that our colleagues acted very clean and professionally, without disturbing random bystanders, and without using violence on the detainee," said Sofia police head Valeri Yordanov to journalists assembled for the screening.
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Bulgaria Degains 21 Illegal Migrants Crossing from Greece
Bulgarian border police detained 21 illegal migrants on a freight train entering at the Promachonas - Kulata checkpoint from Greece.
The train included 28 empty cars traveling in transit through Bulgaria to Croatia.
Police officers found in one of the cars 21 persons hiding, 19 of them with Algerian citizenship, 1 from Palestine and 1 from Somalia.
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Untainted Bulgarian Bishop: Church Will Come Out Stronger
The Bulgarian Orthodox Chruch will come out stronger from its ordeals after the announcing of a number of senior clergy's affiliation with ex-communist secret services, said Plovdiv biship Nikolay.
Metropolitan Nikolay, a young bishop, was one of the very few Bulgarian metropolitan bishops to have no affiliation with communist State Security. 11 out of 15 bishops were revealed to have belonged to the services.
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Sporting Coach: I Don't Care about Bojinov Any More
The fate of disgraced Bulgarian Sporting Lisbon forward Valeri Bojinov seems clearer, after manager Dominigos Paciencia said he has referred the case to the club's owners.
"I do not care about Bojinov any more. This hase is not important - we're thinking about our next game....
Bulgarian State Revenue Go Green, Save Paper
Bulgaria's National Revenue Agency has saved some 2.2 M sheets of paper over the course of the past two years, announced the state revenue Sunday.
The Revenue Agency has impemented a complex green policy, under the moto "Every Sheet of Paper is a Gulp of Air - Don't Throw it Away!"
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PES President: Merkozy Sing Lullabies to Eurozone
Europe must urgently take up measures to enliven the economy and boost employment if it is to emerge from the crisis, said Party of European Socialists president Sergey Stanishev.
Sunday the PES and Bulgarian Socialist Party leader is off to Brussels where he will chair a meeting of PES European PMs ahead of the important European Council Monday, where EU leaders are expected to flesh out the details of the new EU fiscal compact.
"European socialists deplore the highly unspecific proposals by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Nicolas Sarkozy to combat unemployment," said Stanishev at a press conference in Sofia Sunday.
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Bularian Jekova Grabs Snowboard Silver in Aspen
Bulgarian snowboarder Alexandra Jekova won the second place in the snowbord cross race at the extreme Winter X Games in Aspen, USA.
"One of my childhood dreams came true," commented the Bulgarian, adding "I'm looking forward with the hope to become ever faster."
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6,000 Perform Ancient Rites to Drive Off Evil in Bulgaria
Bulgaria's largest Kukeri event, a tradition in which people gather in traditional costumes to drive off evil spirits, is underway in the western city of Pernik over the weekend.
More than 6,200 participants from around the world have gathered at the festival, which has its 21th edition since being founded in 1966.
99 folklore groups take part in this year's Surva Festival in Pernik, 12 of them from abroad - Albania, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Romania Serbia, Slovenia - and China.
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Bulgaria under Code Yellow for Severe Cold
Code yellow for potentially dangerous weather has been declared over almost the entire territory of Bulgaria due to an incipient cold wave.
The national weather service at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences announced code yellow for all regions, except Kyustendil and Blagoevgrad in the south-west.
Sunday temperatures in most places will not rise above -10 degrees C, with wind in northern Bulgaria creating a significant windchill.
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Key Bulgarian Judge Still Mulls Suing Top Cop for Libel
Miroslava Todorova, Chair of the Bulgarian Judges Association, still considers filing a lawsuit against the country's Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, whom she has accused of libel.
Tsvetanov's claims that Todorova has deliberately acted in favor of the Bulgarian organized crime have contributed to the tough situation the judges are forced to work in, the judge has commented.
Todorova has told the Bulgarian National Radio that she will announce her decision on whether to sue the Interior Minister next week.
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Bulgarian Roma Don't Live on Social Security - Open Society
Only a small part of Bulgaria's Roma population lives on social security, according to a survey conducted by Open Society.
Contrary to the widespread notion that Bulgarian Roma do not work because they rely on child benefits, just 4.3% of the Roma minority group in the country receive maternity benefits and child benefits for children under 1 year of age, the survey has concluded.
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Denmark Throws Weight behind Bulgaria, Romania Schengen Entry
Bulgaria and Romania should be allowed to join the Schengen Agreement, Danish Justice Minister Morten Boedskov has declared.
"There are no obstacles to Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen system," Boedskov told a news conference at a meeting of EU justice and police ministers in Copenhagen.
Thus, Boedskov reiterated the Danish EU presidency for the two Balkan states' efforts to join the bloc's border-free zone.
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Bulgaria's Bojinov Now Linked with Santander, Dynamo Kyiv
Valeri Bojinov, Sporting Lisbon's troubled Bulgarian striker, may move to Spanish side Santander or Ukrainian Dynamo Kyiv, according to the latest transfer rumors.
According to A Bola, the Spanish club is ready to rescue the unwanted Bulgarian who recently stirred a massive scandal by shoving aside his team's habitual penalty-taker Matias Fernandez only to see his crucial injury-time penalty kick saved.
The Bulgarian can also end up playing for Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv, Correio da Mahna reckons.
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Greece Alarmed over Smuggled Bulgarian Bread
Thorough inspections have been launched in Greece due to the smuggling of Bulgarian bread in the country.
A document presented in the Greek parliament by the local Ministry of Development, Competitiveness and Shipping has revealed that an increased control will be imposed on the Greek bread market over the Bulgarian smuggling.
According to New Democracy MP Maria Kollia-Tsaroucha, Greek bread producers are facing problems due to Bulgarian bread with questionable quality and an unknown producer being smuggled into the country.
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Syrians to Rally in Bulgaria against Genocide in Their Home Country
The Syrian community in Bulgaria has organized a protest against the massacres committed by their home country's regime.
The rally will take place on Sunday in front of the Syrian Embassy in Sofia, dnevnik.bg informs....
New Malfeasance Acquittal for Ex Bulgarian Defense Minister
The Sofia Appellate Court has acquitted former Defense Minister Nikolay Tsonev accused of malfeasance in office carried out some ten years ago.
This is the second Court to declare Tsonev not-guilty.
In March 2011, the Sofia Military Court, the court of first instance, cleared Tsonev of accusations of official misconduct during his tenure as head of the Procurement Management Directorate at the Ministry of Defense.
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Code Red on Freight Traffic Lifted for Entire Bulgaria
The ban on tractor trailers of over 10 tons on the roads of four Bulgarian regions – Varna, Burgas, Silistra and Dobrich has been lifted effective 2 pm Saturday.
The news was reported by the Road Infrastructure Agency.
The situation in Bulgaria is slowly coming back to normal, after the blizzard that hit mid-week....
Latest Case of Alleged Police Brutality Reported in Sofia
Relatives of a Bulgarian man, sought by Europol, have complained of police brutality during his arrest in a shopping mall.
The news was reported Saturday by the largest private TV channel bTV, informing that Stefan Klenovski, who had been wanted for ATM draining, had been arrested Friday evening in the shopping mall on "Tsarigradsko Shosse."
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Hillary Clinton to Meet Bulgarian President, PM in Sofia
During her official visit to Bulgaria, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, will meet with Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, and President, Rosen Plevneliev.
Ministers of the cabinet will also be present during the talks.
The visit is scheduled for February 5 and comes on the invitation of Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov back in October 2010 during his visit to the US when the Bulgarian government's anti-corruption measures were discussed.
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Bulgarian Vice President: Pardons Must Be Granted by Experts
Bulgaria's new Vice President and former Justice Minister, Margarita Popova, proposes for payroll experts to lead the commission for pardon granting at the institution.
Speaking in an interview for Darik radio Saturday, Popova explained that it was irresponsible for the entire activity on pardons to be left to a technical assistant while all other members of the commission to be external experts as it was until now. She believes that this body must have a permanent structure with payroll chair, deputy chair and technical assistant.
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Bulgaria Has Resumed Export of Electric Power
Bulgaria has resumed exporting electric power at 1 am Saturday, January 28, on the order Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov.
The resumed export has been made possible by the end of the effective strike of miners and workers at the largest State-owned coal mines "Maritsa Iztok."
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Bulgaria's Largest Kukeri Festival Kicks off in Pernik
The 21st edition of Bulgaria's largest and most impressive "Kukeri" event – the Surva Festival – kicked off in the western city of Pernik on Saturday.
Thousands of "kukeri", or mummers, a beloved Bulgarian folklore tradition with roots from Ancient Thrace, have gathered for the weekend event. They will have processions in downtown Pernik on Saturday and Sunday.
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Bulgaria under Code Yellow over Snow, Cold
Twenty six Bulgarian regions are under code yellow Saturday over snow and freezing cold, the National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) announced.
Only the regions of Kyustendil and Blagoevgrad are under code green.
Code yellow means potentially dangerous weather, where the forecast is not for unusual meteorological events, but requires people to exercise caution.
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French Legion Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Buried in Bulgaria
Bulgarian Chief Sergeant, Svilen Simeonov, 34, who was killed in Afghanistan, is being buried Saturday in his native village of Rakovski, near the northeastern city of Razgrad.
The village has declared Saturday as a day of mourning, the Mayor announced. Locals want to pay tribute to Taner Uzunov, as Svilen is known in the village by his Muslim name, he says.
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Bulgarian Govt to Sell Up to 25% of State Energy Holding
Bulgaria's Cabinet is considering privatizing a minority share of the state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding, a deputy economy minister has confirmed.
Speaking to journalists in Sofia late on Friday, Deputy Economy Minister Delyan Dobrev has confirmed what was mentioned by Bulgarian Finance Minister and Deputy PM Simeon Djankov in an interview for Reuters.
Djankov had said the government aimed to sell a stake of between 10 to 25% in state energy company BEH (Bulgarian Energy Holding) via a foreign stock exchange by the end of the year, which could raise "several hundred million euros".
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Monaco Prince Albert Skips Star-Packed Ski Charity in Bulgaria's Bansko
Monaco's Prince Albert II has confirmed has canceled at the last moment his participation in a charity event organized by his Star Team for Children association and the Bulgarian Ski Federation at top Bulgarian winter resort of Bansko.
The emblematic celebrity has sent a letter to the Bulgarian Ski Federation apologizing for his absence at the sixth annual charity show – World Star Ski Event, to take place in Bansko on January 28-29, 2012.
Albert II is skipping the Bansko event because of "urgent changes in his program", according to the letter.
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Scotsman Left Behind Bars in Bulgaria over Boy's Murder
71-year-old Scotsman, David Bell Bryson, who is suspected of the murder of an 11-old-boy in Northwestern Bulgaria, has been left behind bars permanently.
Bryson appeared before the Vidin District Court Friday, which ruled that the Scotsman has to be kept in the arrest for the duration of the investigation.
The man allegedly strangled to death the 11-year-old Stanislav Mirchev in the village of Lagoshevtsi close to the city of Vidin on the Danube River....
Bulgaria Posts 155% Y/Y Increase in Visitors from FYROM in Dec 2011
The number of Macedonian tourists who visited Bulgaria in December 2011 increased over two-fold compared to the same month of 2010, according to newly published data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI).
The increase in the number of visitors from Macedonia and from Serbia was the major factor which contributed to an increase by 1/5 to a total of 144 000 in the number of tourists visiting Bulgaria in December 2011.
At the same time, the number of tourists arriving from EU countries fell by 3% to about 78 000.
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Bulgaria to Start Military Training in Schools in 2013
Bulgarian high schools are to introduce obligatory military training classes as of 2013, according to the new legislation.
Theoretical military training classes will be available to university students and the general public on a voluntary basis, Bulgarian Defense Minister Anyu Angelov explained Friday, after the Parliament adopted at first reading the new Reserve Military Forces Act.
The aim of the legislation changes is to recruit 3 500 university students or citizens for the voluntary military reserve.
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Bulgaria Sees 100% Y/Y Increase in Personal Data Abuse Complaints in 2011
Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry will be issued a penalty statement for a personal data leak committed in connection with the end-October local and presidential elections, the Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) announced on Friday.
In early October 2011, the Foreign Ministry published on its website about 37 000 permanent address registrations of Bulgarian voters residing abroad.
The expats were infuriated by the blunder, saying that it made them an easy target for theft and robbery and that they had to shell extra cash for insurance and security for their Bulgarian homes.
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Cost of 2nd Bulgarian-Romanian Danube Bridge Up EUR 26 M
The sum of EUR 25.7 M will be added to the total cost of the construction of the second bridge linking Bulgaria and Romania across the Danube River, the Bulgarian Parliament agreed.
The bridge will finally be completed by the end of November 2012, Bulgaria's Transport Ministry announced in a statement Friday as the Bulgarian Parliament voted to approve the measures taken by Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski over the past two years in order to ensure the completion of the bridge between Bulgaria's Vidin and Romania's Calafat.
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Scottish OAP admits in Bulgaria he raped 11-year-old as revenge for killing his pet dogs
British expat David Branson Ferguson, 71, is being held by police in Bulgaria who are investigating the death of schoolboy Stanislav Lagoshevtsi Mirchov.
Bulgaria PM Pushes Through Lobbyist Bills to Benefit Allies - Opposition
Bulgaria's prime minister stands behind a controversial bill, which is expected to deal a heavy blow to legal metal scrap dealers, the opposition says.
'The Waste Management bill aims to benefit only one company in the trade with ferrous and non-ferrous metals – Nadin company," Petar Kurumbashev, Socialist MP, fumed , referring to a well established scrap dealer, linked to the purchased bankrupt Bulgarian Kremikovtzi steel giant.
According to Kurumbashev the bills on waste management and forests have one and the same mastermind – Prime Minister Boyko Borisov himself.
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Sofia to Fund Repair of Burned Cathedral of Bessarabia Bulgarians
The Bulgarian government has announced it is going to provide a total of BGN 100 000 for the repair of the burned Orthodox Christian Cathedral in the ethnic Bulgarian-populated town of Bolgrad in Ukraine.
The Savior's Transfiguration Cathedral in Bolgrad, a spiritual center of the historical ethnic Bulgarian community in the southwest of Ukraine, burned down the night of January 26.
"Bulgaria's Consul in Odessa has already visited the Bolgrad cathedral, where the dome has been destroyed," Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said in Sofia Friday.
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Bulgarian Tries to Cross Romanian Border by Pushing Stolen Car
Romanian police have launched an investigation against a Bulgarian citizen who tried to cross the Nadlac border crossing point by pushing a stolen car.
The 32-year-old man appeared at the border crossing point, pushing a VW Golf, and told the Romanian authorities that he was travelling in that peculiar manner because he had no driver's license, Bulgarian private TV channel bTV reported on Friday, citing Romanian media.
Asked to present the vehicle's documents, the Bulgarian citizen showed a certificate of registration, a temporary license plate ticket issued by the German authorities and a purchase contract signed between natural persons.
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Brazil-Jailed Bulgarian Champ: I am Telling the Truth!
Bulgaria's former Olympic weightlifting champion Galabin Boevski, who was detained in Brazil and charged with drug trafficking offenses, has fervently claimed innocence in a rare media appearance.
"The most important thing for me is that I am telling the truth. My conscience is clean....
Bulgaria's Love-Hate Paradox
It has begun to snow again. The flakes, silver and dark, fall obliquely against the lamplight.
Who would believe that under the peaceful and poetic whiteness that has wrapped the country, there is discontent and anger?
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Bulgarian Economy to Grow 2.5-3% in 2012 - FinMin
Bulgaria's economy is likely to grow between 2.5% and 3.0% in 2012, according to Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov.
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Bulgarian Woman Gives Birth on Way to Hospital as Ambulance Battles Snow
A 23-year-old woman from the northeastern Bulgarian town Dulovo gave birth to a baby girl in an ambulance on the way to the hospital on Friday.
The woman had gone into labor and was on her to the hospital in the city of Silistra because the delivery suite at the hospital in Dulovo had been closed in September 2011 for financial reasons.
A team of emergency room doctors from the hospital met the ambulance near the town of Alfatar.
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Bulgaria's Parliament Greenlights Joining EU Fiscal Pact
Bulgaria's parliament approved on Friday the draft decision for joining the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union or the so-called EU Fiscal Pact.
The treaty was supported by 129 MPs, 1 voted against, while 48 abstained.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Nikolay Nladenov, informed the MPs that the country has set six conditions for the joining, such as no tax harmonization in the EU.
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Dundee Wins Key Court Battle over Bulgarian Gold Project
Bulgaria's top court has confirmed the rights of a subsidiary of Dundee Precious Metals Inc. over the controversial Krumovgrad gold mining concession for a 30-year period, the Toronto-based miner said.
The ruling by the five-member panel of the Supreme Administrative Court confirmed an earlier ruling of a three member panel in a dispute, which involved DPM subsidiary Balkan Mineral and Mining EAD.
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Bulgaria's Chief Secretary of Interior Blames Low, Middle Managers for Failed Operations
Bulgarian Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev , who came under fire for major faults in the work of the police, has said that lower and middle managers are to blame for the current problems at the Interior.
In a Friday interview for the morning broadcast for private TV channel TV7, he admitted that the last two controversial police operations, the violent raid of the home of the Nachkovi family in the village of Mirovyane and the search of the home of a murder suspect, during which he committed suicide, suicide of a murder suspect, had been ill-planned and poorly conducted.
Georgiev nevertheless insisted that the operations had been carried out by professional employees of the Interior and refused to name concrete people who could be held accountable for the mistakes.
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Bulgarian FinMin: Euro Can Go, We're Pegged to Deutsche Mark
Bulgaria should not be worried about its currency board in the event of a collapse of the euro, according to Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov,
Djankov commented on the euro zone debt crisis in an interview for Reuters cited by the press service of the Bulgarian Finance Ministry.
In it, he stressed that Bulgaria is not worried about the board that pegs the Bulgarian lev to the euro.
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Bulgaria's Business Climate Falls Slightly Jan 2012
In January 2012, the total business climate indicator decreases by 0.7% compared to its level from the previous month, which is due entirely to the drop of the indicator in retail trade.
The data was published Friday by the country's National Statistics Institute, NSI.
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Bulgaria to Rule on Alleged Supermarkets Cartel within Month
Bulgaria's anti-monopoly commission is to rule within a month on a suspected cartel agreement among six Bulgarian and international retailers, operating on the country's territory.
Exactly a year ago Bulgaria's Commission for Competition Protection said Germany's Metro Cash & Carry, HIT, Kaufland, Austria's Billa, Serbia's Piccadilly and Latvia's Maxima have been caught in an unregulated coordination of their trade and marketing policies.
All of the chains have applied common mechanisms for coordinating their trade policy on the goods supply market with their marketing policy in promotions, the regulator alleged.
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Bulgaria Resumes Export of Electric Power
Bulgaria resumes exporting electric power at 1 am Saturday, January 28, ordered Economy and Energy Minister, Traichko Traikov.
The resumed export has been made possible by the end of the effective strike of miners and workers at the largest State-owned coal mines "Maritsa Iztok."
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Polar Cold Wave to Hit Bulgaria Next Week
The blizzards, which hit hard Bulgaria, blocking highways and leaving thousands of people without electricity, will be tailing off only to be replaced by polar cold next week.
The country is expected to witness an historic cold snap over the next week, recording a wind chill of 20 degrees Celsius below zero, according to TV-MET forecasts.
In the early mornings the mercury is expected to plunge on average to 13-18 degrees Celsius below zero, particularly in western Bulgaria....
Bulgaria Bids Farewell to Beloved Actor Kosta Tsonev
Bulgaria bids Friday last farewell to beloved movie and theater actor, Kosta Tsonev.
The wake started at 10 am in the National Ivan Vazov Theater in downtown Sofia.
Tsonev passed away on January 25, at the age of 82.
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Ex Bulgarian Vice President Marin Was 'Illegal'
Angel Marin was "illegal" as Vice President during the second term of Bulgaria's President, Georgi Parvanov, who left office five days ago.
Parvanov failed to issue a decree authorizing the mandate of the Vice President from 2007 to 2012, reported "Monitor" daily.
Thus Marin's decrees subsequently can be challenged in Court as invalid and in violation of the Constitution.
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Bulgaria's New President: My Office Needs Good Airing
The Presidential Office needs a good airing, and I open my window every day, says new Bulgarian President, Rosen Plevneliev.
Thursday night in Brussels, Plevneliev took part in an extremely open and informal conversation with Bulgarians working in European institutions.
The participants have been invited in person by the Head of State and had the opportunity to ask him all kinds of questions and receive an answer.
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Bulgaria, World Mark Holocaust Memorial Day
Bulgaria joins Friday many countries worldwide in marking International Holocaust Memorial Day (January 27) - a day dedicated to the remembrance of the victims of The Holocaust.
The chosen date is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp by the Soviet Union Red Army in 1945.
Holocaust Memorial Day focuses on opportunities to learn lessons from the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides and apply them to the present day to create a safer, better future.
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Bulgaria Still under Code Red over Heavy Snow
The situation in Bulgaria remains difficult and serious Friday in the aftermath of the blizzard that gripped the country Wednesday and Thursday.
Seven municipalities have declared emergency situation. According to data from the power utilities – about 121, mostly small and difficult to access villages, remain without power.
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Humbled Bulgaria Police Boss Keeps Job, Vows to Learn
Bulgarian Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev will keep his office, it became clear following earlier reports he has filed his resignation with PM Boyko Borisov.
The resignation reports came Thursday after a fresh case of police brutality over the weekend raised calls from rights activists and opposition for resignations within the Ministry of Interior.
Thursday Georgiev and Borisov met to discuss the matter, and after the meeting it was announced that Georgiev will continue to serve as the Bulgarian police's Chief Secreatary.
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Bulgarian Police Beat Own Record for Bombastic Spec Op Name
Bulgarian police have publicized carrying out a "special operation" against an extortion group just at a time when a police brutality scandal has raised calls for senior resignations within the Ministry of Interior.
Ever since the taking over of Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov, the Bulgarian police has become notorious with inventing spectacular codenames for its many special ops, but this time it has surpassed itself by coining a exuberantly over-the-top appellation.
The special operation, carried out in Bulgarian capital Sofia, was codenamed RALICA....
Bulgarian, EU Presidents to Press Netherlands on Schengen
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy vowed to try to convince the Dutch government to reverse a negative stance on Bulgaria's Schengen entry.
Thursday Plevneliev met Rompuy in his Brussels roundtrip, the first international visit since assuming office Sunday.
Rompuy expressed satisfaction at Bulgaria's Schengen progress and assured that EU institutions are in favor of Bulgaria and Romania's swift accession to the Schengen Agreement.
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Bulgaria's Chief Interior Secretary Hints of Likely Resignation
Bulgaria's Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Kalin Georgiev, hinted before journalists Thursday that he was ready to resign over recent harsh criticism of the work of the country's police.
"I think that I am a responsible individual. I have made my decision and have reported it to Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov....
Bulgaria, Romania Schengen Hopes to Be Dashed - Report
The Co-operation and Verification Mechanism progress report for Bulgaria and Romania due early February is expected to be negative, according to information by diplomatic sources in Denmark's capital Copenhagen.
This is likely to stall a long overdue Schengen membership for both countries, as member states such as the Netherlands and Finland have insisted on linking progress in combating corruption and organized crime with Schengen entry.
Agencies Thursday quote the unnamed sources from the Danish EU Presidency, who say that Bulgarian and Romanian expectations for a swift positive end of their Schengen saga will likely come to nought.
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EC Refers Bulgaria to Court over EU Railway Law
The European Commission has said it will alert the European Court of Justice about Bulgaria's failure to ensure the proper implementation of "first railway package" legislation.
The irregularities concern the implementation of provisions on charges which railway undertakings have to pay for access to the infrastructure, the EC press office said in a statement on Thursday.
The main objective of the three directives of the first railway package is to create a basis for market opening and competition in rail services.
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Bulgarian President in Brussels: We Need More Europe!
New Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, who is on his first international visit, met Thursday European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
"We need a stronger and more effective EU. More Europe means, among other things, a better developed Bulgaria," stated Plevneliev after the meeting.
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Bulgaria, Greece Turn WD Teen Patient Nightmare into Happy Ending
A thirteen-year-old Bulgarian comatose patient, who was saved after authorities and doctors in Bulgaria and Greece pooled their efforts for a liver transplant, took the first step toward his new life on Thursday.
"The operation is unique in that it brings together the efforts of two countries – Bulgaria and Greece. Fortunately our attempt to save the child's life proved successful," Dr....
Notorious Bulgarian Ex Chief Prosecutor Mocks 'Octopus' Case
Bulgaria's former Chief Prosecutor, Nikola Filchev, firmly denied in Court Thursday that he had maintained close ties with defendant Alexey Petrov AKA The Octopus and The Tractor.
Filchev took the witness stand in the high-profile organized crime case against Petrov.
The indictment against the former employee of the State Agency for National Security, DANS, murky businessman and alleged crime boss Alexey Petrov was filed by the prosecution following an investigation of close to two years....
Stanishev to Barroso: EU Needs to Get Progressive, Social
The EU must take swift and concrete steps to promote growth and more jobs, said PES President Sergey Stanishev upon meeting European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
Thursday the Bulgarian socialist leader took part in political consultations that the EC President is undertaking with European parties' leaders regarding measures for emergence from the crisis in the EU.
"EU leaders must back up rhetoric with concrete action for growth and jobs, and a truly social Europe," said the PES President.
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Sofia City Court Judges Defend Colleague against Insults by Interior Minister
Judges from the Penal Division of the Sofia City Court (SCC) have come up with a statement in support of Miroslava Todorova, judge at SCC and Chair of the Bulgarian Judges Association (BJA), who was repeatedly accused by Interior Minster Tsvetan Tsvetanov of affiliations with organized crime.
The document, which was released Thursday, has also been signed by Vladimira Yaneva, SCC Chair and close family friend of Tsvetanov, according to reports of the Bulgarian Legal World Magazine.
In a series of media appearances, Tsvetanov accused Todorova of patronizing organized crime and of being incompetent at her job.
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2nd New Vice-Min Appoited at Bulgaria Economy Ministry
Dimitar Chohadzhiev has been appointed Vice-Minister of Economy by Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov Thursday.
Up to now, Chohadzhiev has been adviser to Bulgaria's Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Traicho Traikov.
He joins Julieta Hubenova as the second Vice-Minister appointed at the Bulgarian large Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism over the week.
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Bulgaria's Designated Fishing Ports Grow to 3
Bulgaria's Transport Ministry has transferred the fishing ports in the northern Black Sea cities of Varna and Balchik to Ribni Resursi EOOD ("Fish Resources EOOD"), a limited liability company 100% owned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
As a result of the step, the fishing ports in Bulgaria become three, according to Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov.
Through this step, Bulgaria fulfills its commitment to preserve fishing jobs and the ports will be eligible to apply for EU financing for modernization under the Fisheries Operational Program.
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Sofia University Snubs Raising Fees, Deplores Funding
The Academic Council of Bulgaria's Sofia University has decided to not raise student fees in 2012, in spite it was allowed to do so by the government.
"At a time of crisis and stagnation of higher education, it would be cynical to throw the burden of financing education on students and their families," stated Sofia University Rector, Prof. Ivan Ilchev.
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Bulgarian Opposition with No Confidence Vote over Police Brutality
The Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, is launching consultations with other opposition formations for a no confidence vote against the cabinet.
The no-confidence vote against the cabinet of the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, will be on the grounds of the more and more frequent cases of police brutality in the country and the refusal of Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, to distinguish from the actions of Interior Ministry employees.
This would be the second no confidence vote against the cabinet over actions of the Interior Minister....
Hillary Clinton to Visit Bulgaria in February
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to be on an official visit to Bulgaria on February 4 and February 5, according to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.
Clinton was invited by Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov back in October 2010 during his visit to the US in which the Bulgarian government's anti-corruption measures were discussed.
The US Embassy in Sofia has told the local Trud daily that it has received a confirmation by the US Department of State concerning Hillary Clinton's visit.
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Snow Freezes Freight Traffic on Bulgaria's Roads
Heavy freight trucks have been banned from travelling in and through Bulgaria, as heavy snowfall that started overnight is continuing throughout the country Thursday.
The situation is critical in the Ruse and Razgrad regions of northeastern Bulgaria, where the vast majority of roads have been closed, due to snow drifts of 0.7-1....
NATO Secretary General Thanks President Plevneliev for Bulgaria's Contribution
Bulgaria's participation in NATO was given a high assessment by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"2012 will be an important year for NATO and Bulgaria may play an important part in the process," Rasmussen said after a Thursday meeting with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev in Brussels.
"The fact that you chose to visit the NATO headquarters so soon after your inauguration is a clear sign of your attitude towards our organization", he told Plevneliev.
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Bulgaria Joins Romania in Danube Sturgeon Protection
Bulgaria has officially extended its one-year ban on Danube sturgeon fishing for a further four year, thus joining its northern neighbor Romania.
"It is of utmost importance that Bulgaria has finally joined Romania in this very important measure", said Vesselina Kavrakova, Programme Manager of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme in Bulgaria, as cited by WWF.
"The Romanian moratorium came into force in April 2006, but considering that the Danube serves as a national border between Bulgaria and Romania, a one-sided ban was not effective," she pointed out.
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Bulgarian PM Vows Sofia Airport Metro Connection by 2014
The Sofia subway will reach the airport in 2014, according to the promise of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov.
The new deadline is ahead of the previous schedule, after it became clear at the end of 2011 that the segment between the main Sofia thoroughfare "Tsarigradsko Shosse" boulevard and the airport will be included in the current program period of the EU operational program "Transport" and a public procurement tender for a construction contractor was announced.
Other lines of the capital's metro will also be finished several months ahead of schedule, according to Borisov, who spoke during a tour and inspection of construction works.
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Bulgarian MPs Bow to Legendary Actor Kosta Tsonev
Bulgarian Members of the Parliament began their workday Thursday by observing a minute of silence in tribute of legendary Bulgarian cinema and theater actor, Kosta Tsonev.
Tsonev passed away Wednesday, at the age of 82, after a prolonged and serious illness.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Tsetska Tsacheva, addressed the MPs, saying the actor was one of the symbols of an entire era in Bulgarian cinema and theater along with being an individual with an uncompromising civil position as an MP in two General Assemblies.
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Levski Renew Bid for Troubled Bojinov - Report
Bulgarian club Levski Sofia will try once again to complete a surprising transfer by snapping up Sporting Lisbon's unwanted striker Valeri Bojinov, it has been reported.
Bojinov stirred a scandal last week by shoving a team mate aside to take a vital injury-time penalty – which he missed. He was subsequently expelled from Sporting's first team and his future at Estadio Jose Alvarade is extremely doubtful.
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Bulgarian PM Not Bothered by First Lady's Dislike to Him
Bulgarian Prime Minister is not concerned with the political comments against him and his party that were discovered in the Twitter page of Yuliana Plevnelieva, the wife of Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev.
"In our party, we do not get involved in the people's personal relations. She has three children and the family is living fine, so everything is okay....
Prosecution Was Pressured into Closing 'Tapegate' Trial – Bulgarian Customs Agency Head
Customs Agency head Vanyo Tanov has boasted that the administration collected BGN 800 M more than planned in 2011.
"We got positive estimates both from the EU and in the OLAF report. Since the beginning of 2012, forty pre-trial proceedings have been opened for smuggling of excise goods....
Blizzard Grips Bulgaria, Staggering Power Outages Reported
About 53 000 customers of the Power Utility CEZ, serving western and southwestern Bulgaria, are without electricity over the heavy snowfall, the company announces.
In exception of Sofia, the entire territory served by CEZ is experiencing interruptions in the power supply. The worse affected are small villages, where access is very difficult.
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Bulgarian PM Wants Interior Secretary Axed over Police Brutality
Bulgaria's Chief Secretary of the Interior, Kalin Georgiev, should be sacked because of the recent series of police brutality cases in Bulgaria, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov believes.
"When I was Chief Secretary, I was responsible for all Interior Ministry operations. Now, I have not heard Kalin Georgiev say a thing," Borisov ponted out in an interview for Nova TV.
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Bulgarian Unveils Major Russian Facebook Scammers
Dancho Danchev, a Bulgarian cybercrime researcher has unmasked Koobface, a group of Russian botnet operators that have made an estimated USD 2 M over the past few years.
For three-and-a-half years, Koobface operated as a cybercriminal gang that fooled Facebook users into watching links to YouTube videos that were actually a piece of malware, Deutche Welle has explained.
That malware then infected these computers and made them part of a botnet, a vast network of computers worldwide that can be controlled remotely....
Scottish Murder Suspect in Bulgaria Aged 71, Called David
The Scotsman suspected for the brutal murder of an 11-year-old Bulgarian boy is 71-year-old David B., it has emerged.
The man who allegedly raped and strangled to death 11-year-old Stanislav Mirchev close to the town of Vidin on the Danube River has been educated in Germany and has worked as an aviation mechanic, local authorities have told the Bulgarian National Radio.
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Bulgaria Last in EU Media Freedom, Slumps Further
Bulgaria has reached the shameful 80th place in the latest Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index.
The Balkan country lags behind all other EU member states in terms of press freedom, according to the Index. Together with Greece (70th) and Italy (61), it has failed to address the issue of its media freedom violations, above all because of a lack of political will.
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14 Bulgarian Districts under Code Orange over Severe Weather
Code Orange has been announced in 14 Bulgarian districts due to the ongoing snowfall and the heavy winter conditions in the country.
The road traffic conditions in the districts of Smolyan, Pazardzhik, Shumen, Veliko Tarnovo, Sofia, Penik and Kyustendil remain complicated. The country's Road Infrastructure Agency has received approximately 2000 calls during the night.
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Bulgarian-Romanian Border Closed over Harsh Weather
The border between Bulgaria and Romania has been closed due to the Code Red weather warning implemented in Romania, Bulgarian Regional Development Minister Lilyana Pavlova has announced.
The heavy snow in Romania has led to the Giugiu-Bucharest road being closed for all vehicles.
All transit traffic from Greece and Turkey via Bulgaria to Romania has also been stopped, Lilyana Pavlova has informed.
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Bulgarian gangster Tihomir Georgiev has contract on his head
A BRUTAL Bulgarian gangster nicked in London last week has a contract on his head
Sarkozy Honors Bulgarian, French Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has honored the four French troops, including Bulgarian sergeant Svilen Simeonov, who were shot dead by an Afghan trainee last week.
At a ceremony in the southeastern town of Varces, Sarkozy said the troops gunned down were victims of a Taliban rebel who had infiltrated a military base stationed jointly by French and Afghan forces.
The four murdered soldiers - Chief Warrant Officers Sylvain Denis and Wilm Estin, Sergeant Geoffrey Baumel and Bulgarian-born Chief Sergeant Svilen Simeonov received posthumously the French Order of the Legion of Honor.
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Legendary Bulgarian Actor Kosta Tsonev Dies at 82
Kosta Tsonev, one of the most beloved Bulgarian actors, has passed away at the age of 82, his family announced.
Tsonev, born on June 10, 1929, in Sofia, died at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, January 25, 2012.
Throughout his career Kosta Tsonev, a graduate of the Bulgarian Academy for Theater and Film Arts, has received three times Bulgaria's awards for best roles in theater, and three times the awards for best roles in cinema.
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Key Bulgarian Mobster Jailed for 3 Years for Money Laundering
Bulgaria's Supreme Court of Cassation has confirmed a three-year jail sentence of Petar Petrov, aka Amigosa, for money laundering.
Amigosa was originally sentenced back in 2009 to five years in jail and a fine of BGN 25 000 by the Sofia City Court for laundering BGN 99 M, and heading an organized group smuggling cigarettes via Macedonia. However, his sentence was reduced to three years in prison by the Sofia Appellate Court.
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Bulgaria Opens Doors to Schengen Visa Holders
Holders of Schengen visas will be able to visit and stay in Bulgaria without Bulgarian visas, the Bulgarian Cabinet decided on Wednesday.
The move is supposed to bring about a boost in foreign tourist numbers and foreign direct investment, according to the Bulgarian Cabinet.
Accepting a proposal by the Prime Minister, the Cabinet today decided that until the date of Bulgaria's full accession to the Schengen zone, Bulgaria will unilaterally apply a visa-free system for holders of valid Schengen visas....
Russia's Lukoil Pours USD 1.5 B in Hydrocracking Facility in Bulgaria
The Lukoil Neftochim Refinery in Bulgaria's Burgas, a subsidiary of the Russian energy giant, has kicked off a USD 1.5 B investment in a large hydrocracking catalyst installation that will process petroleum waste.
The USD 1....
Bulgaria Waives Visas for Holders of Turkish Special Passports
The Bulgarian government decided Wednesday to grant visa exemption to citizens of the Republic of Turkey who have special (green) passports.
The resolution, adopted on the proposal of Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov, will allow Turkish citizens holding valid special passports to enter and transit through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria without visas and reside temporarily therein for a period not exceeding three months within any six-month period from the date of first entry.
Turkey issues special (green) passports to civil servants and their families....
Bulgaria Braces up for More Heavy Snowfalls, Freezing Cold
Bulgaria is to see another wave of heavy snowfalls in most parts of the country, as well as strong winds in the east during the next few days, weather forecasts have warned.
On Thursday the mercury will rop to nine degrees below zero in the afternoon, which will be colder even in comparison to the morning temperatures.
The Eastern regions and the Rhodopi mountains will first record downpours that are to turn into snowfalls.
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Bulgaria Braces up for More Heavy Snowfalls, Freezing Cold
Bulgaria is to see another wave of heavy snowfalls in most parts of the country, as well as strong winds in the east during the next few days, weather forecasts have warned.
On Thursday the mercury will drop to nine degrees below zero in the afternoon, which will be colder even in comparison to the morning temperatures.
The Eastern regions and the Rhodopi mountains will first record downpours that are to turn into snowfalls.
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Bulgaria Reshuffles Intelligence Service
Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev and the Borisov Cabinet have dismissed the long-time head of the National Intelligence Service, Gen. Kircho Kirov.
Kirov, who has been the head of the Bulgarian intelligence for the past 9 years, has beened dismissed together with his deputy Gen....
Bulgaria Moves to Up its Highway Speed Limit
Bulgaria's government has proposed an increase of the country's highway speed limit to 140 km/h, it was made clear on Wednesday.
The amendment now has to be passed by the country's Parliament. The current speed limit for highways in the country is 130 km/h.
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Stallone, Schwarzwnegger under Fire for Waking Up Bulgarian Bats*
From The Daily Mail
by Allan Hall
Hollywood superstars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are under fire from animal activists after they woke up one of Europe's biggest colonies of hibernating bats to film their latest movie.
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Scotsman Raped, Killed Missing Bulgarian Teen - Report
The missing Bulgarian boy, who was found dead over the weekend, has been sexually abused and brutally killed by a Scotsman, living in his village, the national radio reported.
Stanislav, 11, who was declared missing at the beginning of January, was found dead near the village he lived in together with his big and poor family - Lagoshevtsi, close to the town of Vidin on the Danube River. The child's body was not spared by the jackals, which inflicted it severe wounds, hindering the autopsy.
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Brown Bear Gives Birth to 3 Cubs in Bulgarian Zoo
A 15-year-old brown bear called Bella has given birth to three cubs in the Ayazmoto park zoo in the Southern Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora.
The bear gave birth on January 14, 2012, but it was only on Wednesday, January 25, that the zoo attendants discovered how many cubs she has this time.
Bella has been giving birth each January, and this is her tenth time....
Russian Daily Congratulates Bulgarian Energy Minister on Presidential Inauguration
Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda got Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and Bulgarian Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, Traicho Traikov, mixed up.
The newspaper published a photo of Traikov to an article from January 19, 2012 on the oath-taking ceremony of the new head of state.
The caption below the photo says "The new Bulgarian President took an oath of office".
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Italy's Lazio Want Man United's Berbatov - Report
The Italian Serie A club S.S. Lazio will try to buy Manchester United's Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov, Italian media reports say.
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Right-Wing Leader: Bulgarian Top Cop Is Coward!
Bulgaria has a coward for Interior Minister, according to Ivan Kostov, co-chair of the right-wing Blue Coalition.
On Wednesday, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov spoke in the Parliament and claimed that one of the key witnesses in the high-profile Octopus trial implicated that Kostov was in some way linked with a racketeering and extortion gang.
Kostov answered by describing Tsvetanov's words as a "vile insinuation", adding that the Interior Minister is going "out of control" and cannot put facts together.
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Bulgarian President Jumps to Defence of Notably Absent First Lady
President Rosen Plevneliev, who assumed office on Sunday, has deflected criticism over the notable absence of his wife during the inauguration ceremony.
"I have a real and a modern woman next to me. She is a devoted mother of three children and a true professional in her work who has built her own career," the new head of state declared in her defence.
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Bulgaria's 1st Group of New Ambassadors: Full List of Nominees
The first group of expected diplomatic appointments, as announced by Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov:
Konstantin Dimitrov - London
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Bulgaria Nominates 24 New Ambassadors
Bulgaria will appoint a total of 24 new Ambassadors in its major diplomatic reshuffle that aims to replace many envoys exposed as agents of the former State Security, the secret service of the Bulgarian communist regime.
Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov agreed upon a list of 24 new Ambassadors during their meeting Wednesday. The list (see below) was later approved by the Cabinet at a sitting held in the city of Pazardzhik....
Bulgaria Appoints 24 New Ambassadors
Bulgaria will appoint a total of 24 new Ambassadors in its major diplomatic reshuffle that aims to replace many envoys exposed as agents of the former State Security, the secret service of the Bulgarian communist regime.
Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov agreed upon a list of 24 new Ambassadors during their meeting Wednesday. The list (see below) was later approved by the Cabinet at a sitting held in the city of Pazardzhik....
UK New Envoy to Bulgaria: In Love with Plovdiv before Taking Office in Sofia
The new UK Ambassador to Bulgaria will be leaving for the capital Sofia this week after spending a month in the second-biggest city of Plovdiv, getting to know the country and its people firsthand.
Jonathan Allen, who will officially assume office on January 30, used the time to study Bulgarian and learn more about local traditions, but by all appearances has been captivated by the ancient Plovdiv.
"Plovdiv is a city I shall always come back to," the ambassador told reporters on Tuesday after meeting mayor Ivan Totev.
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Bulgaria to Appoint 24 New Ambassadors Abroad
Bulgaria will appoint a total of 24 new Ambassadors in its major diplomatic reshuffle that aims to replace many envoys exposed as former Communist State Security agents.
Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov agreed upon a list of 24 new Ambassadors during their meeting early on Wednesday, dnevnik.bg reports.
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53-Year-Old Syrian National Charged with Rape of Bulgarian Student
The suspect detained in connection with the January 03 rape of a 23-year-old student is a 53-year-old Syrian national who entered Bulgaria illegally in May, Interior Minister Tsvetanov announced Wednesday.
The crime was committed on January 03, but the accident gained publicity one week later.
On her way home after late-evening lectures, the girl was assaulted with a knife and was raped near the building of the New Bulgarian University (NBU) in Sofia.
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The Bulgarian First Lady Dilemma
The wife of new Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev was notably absent from his inauguration ceremony on Sunday, thus immediately triggering discussions in the media and the society alike.
While many defended her right to appear wherever she wants to (no law obliged her to attend her husband's inauguration), others insisted that she should have been there in order to "support her husband."
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Bulgaria's Ex-VP Pardoned Dozens of Murderers
Bulgaria's former Vice President Angel Marin pardoned mainly murderers and culprits of other grave crimes during his two terms of office, it has been made clear.
During his 10 years in office, Marin worked actively in order to pardon convicted felons, many of whom had committed brutal crimes, the BGNES news agency has revealed, citing newly released details. Many of the criminals have been released and are now walking the streets.
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EuroChigago Launches 2nd 'Bulgarian Event of Year in US' Contest
The editorial team of EuroChicago.com, with the support of the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington DC and all Bulgarian Consulate offices in the US, announces the launch of the second edition of the contest "Bulgarian Event of the Year in the US."
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Eurochigago Launches 2nd 'Bulgarian Event of Year in US' Contest
The editorial team of Eurochicago.com, with the support of the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington DC and all Bulgarian Consulate offices in the US, announces the launch of the second edition of the contest "Bulgarian Event of the Year in the US."
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Bulgaria to Welcome France's Anggun at Eurovision National Final
Anggun, France's representative in the Eurovision Song Contest this year, has agreed to perform as guest artist at the Bulgarian national final on the last day of February.
The charming singer is expected to present to the Bulgarian audience her Eurovision entry Echo (You and I), which will be partly in English and partly in French.
Though promoted as a French singer, Anggun was born in Jakarta....
Bulgaria to Make National Intelligence Service Reshuffle
Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev has declared that a new Director and Deputy Director will be appointed in the country's National Intelligence Service.
"We discussed the candidates, we agreed on them, the Council of Ministers will decide," Plevneliev told the 24 Chasa daily after he met with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. The names of the candidates have not been revealed yet.
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Bulgarian Judges Association Chair May Sue Interior Minister for Defamation
Miroslava Todorova, Chair of the Bulgarian Judges Association (BJA), has accused Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov of libel and may file a lawsuit in a week.
"Minister Tsvetanov certainly committed a slander and got my name involved in crimes. Slander affects human dignity....
US Ambassador Urges Bulgaria to Attract Foreign Investments
Bulgaria's government should put more efforts into attracting foreign investments, US Ambassador in Sofia James Warlick reckons.
"Recently, we have witnessed decisions which will not result in attracting foreign investments, despite the government's declarations that it wants them. The actions do not correspond to the words," Warlick has commented, as cited by the 24 Chasa daily.
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Bulgaria: History, Culture...and Wine!
By Frances Leate
TravelBite.co....
Bulgarian ID Thief Gets out of US Jail, Faces Deportation
Doitchin Krastev, the Bulgarian man who stole the identity of a slain Ohio boy and became an Oregon liquor enforcement agent, has been released from federal prison.
The 38-year-old has been handed over to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in Bakersfield and federal authorities say they'll seek to deport him back to his native Bulgaria.
Doitchin Krastev pleaded guilty in November 2010 to passport fraud and aggravated identity theft and apologized to the family of Jason Robert Evers, who was killed at age 3 in a 1982 kidnapping attempt.
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Bulgaria's New President Embarks on 1st Foreign Visit
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev will depart Wedesday afternoon on his first two-day visit to Brussels.
Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov will participate in the delegation, the press office of the head of state said in a statement.
Bulgaria's new President will head for Brussels after Vice President Margarita Popova returns from Germany.
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Sofia Police Detain Suspect in Rape of University Student
Police have apprehended a suspect in connection with the January 03 rape of a 23-year-old student near the campus of the New Bulgarian University (NBU) in Sofia.
The Interior Ministry will provide details on the case at a press conference later on Wednesday, according to an announcement of Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.
The girl was raped as she was going out of the university building after late-evening lectures.
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Bulgarian President, PM to Discuss Ambassadorial Reshuffle
President Rosen Plevneliev and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov are meeting Wednesday morning, the press office of Bulgaria's new head of state said in a statement.
The agenda of the meeting is to include the upcoming ambassadorial reshuffle.
The talks will be brief because the Prime Minister will head for the southern city of Pazardzhik for a session of the government.
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David Cameron calls for reform of European court of human rights
Prime minister to accuse court of unnecessarily overturning judgments reached in credible national courts
David Cameron is to warn that the European court of human rights is in danger of turning into a "small claims court" that fails to deal with serious violations of human rights, unless it embarks on reforms.
Amid anger in Britain at last week's decision of the court to block the deportation of the Islamist cleric Abu Qatada to Jobdan, the prime minister will on Wednesday accuse the court of undermining its reputation by unnecessarily overturning judgments reached in credible national courts.
In a speech to the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Cameron will say the ECHR has a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to reform its work to ensure it focuses on the original intentions of its founding fathers – upholding human rights across the European continent.
The court enforces the European convention on human rights, drafted in 1950 by the Council of Europe, which is designed to ensure universal human rights across Europe. The council has 47 members and is separate from the 27-strong EU.
The prime minister will say: "The court should be free to deal with the most serious violations of human rights; it should not be swamped with an endless backlog of cases. The court should ensure that the right to individual petition counts; it should not act as a small claims court. And the court should hold us all to account; it should not undermine its own reputation by going over national decisions where it does not need to. For the sake of the 800 million people the court serves, we need to reform it so that it is true to its original purpose."
Britain, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of Europe, wants to implement the reforms by the first half of 2014, when Austria will take over the presidency.
Kenneth Clarke, the justice secretary, is to chair a meeting of fellow justice ministers in April to agree on a ministerial declaration, which will have three elements:
• Immediate steps that the court can take to reduce the backlog of cases, which now stands at 152,800. It is estimated that two-thirds of these cases are inadmissible under the court's rules. Cameron will say that there should be new and more transparent rules for the appointment of judges on the court.
• Look at amending procedural parts of the convention to set out more clearly which cases the court should have the power to examine.
• Look at the future of the court over the next 20 years to ensure it does not become a court of fourth instance in which appellants seek a "fourth bite at the cherry" if they are unhappy with the decision of their national courts.
The UK government privately believes the court should spend less time focusing on countries such as Britain, France and Germany, which have well-regarded legal systems and a strong record on human rights, and more time focusing on countries such as Russia and Ukraine with less impressive records. Russia accounts for 26.6% of the backlog at the court. Cameron contrasts Britain's record with other Council of Europe member states, which face cases over extrajudicial killings and torture.
The court found against Bulgaria after an inmate was forcibly placed in a psychiatric institution and held against their will for years. It found against Ukraine over the ill-treatment of prisoners in "training exercises" by special forces, and it found against Russia over the persecution of the children of Chechen dissidents.
The prime minister will make clear that the court should focus on such violations, and will say Britain has a long and exemplary record on human rights. "Human rights is a cause that runs deep in the British heart and long in British history.
"In the 13th century, Magna Carta set down specific rights for citizens, including the right to freedom from unlawful detention. "In the 17th century, the petition of right gave new authority to parliament; and the Bill of Rights set limits on the power of the monarchy. By the 18th century it was said that this spirit of liberty is so deeply implanted in our constitution, and rooted in our very soil, that a slave the moment he lands in England, falls under the protection of the laws, and with regard to all natural rights becomes instantly a freeman.
It was that same spirit that led to the abolition of slavery, that drove the battle against tyranny in two world wars and that inspired Winston Churchill to promise that the end of the 'world struggle' would see the enthronement of human rights.
"These beliefs have animated the British people for centuries – and they animate us today."
Nick Clegg told the cabinet on Tuesday that he wholeheartedly supported Cameron's campaign on the grounds that defenders of human rights should support the government as it seeks to tackle a backlog of 150,000 cases at the court. The cabinet discussion took place after Sir Nicolas Bratza, the British president of the court, criticised "senior British politicians" for pandering to tabloid newspapers over the court.
In an article in the Independent, Bratza wrote: "It is disappointing to hear senior British politicians lending their voices to criticisms more frequently heard in the popular press, often based on a misunderstanding of the court's role and history, and of the legal issues at stake."
The intervention by Clegg shows that Cameron has been careful to calibrate his reforms. The Liberal Democrats agreed in the coalition agreement to establish a commission to "investigate the creation of a British bill of rights that incorporates and builds on all our obligations under the European convention on human rights". The commission has been carefully balanced to include critics and defenders of the court that enforces the convention.
Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, said: "David Cameron – instead of engaging in a positive debate about ensuring the workings of the European court on human rights are fit for purpose in these modern times – resorts to the peddling of myths that denigrate the human rights successes of the court and the convention.
"It smacks of throwing 'red meat' to the hungry pack of Conservative backbenches so recently emboldened by the prime minister's waltzing away from the European negotiating table."
Bulgaria to Fully Enter EU Fiscal Pact - FinMin
Bulgaria will most probably back the whole EU fiscal pact and not just some of the texts included in it, Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov has revealed, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio.
It is yet to be decided whether Bulgaria will maintain an observer status like other non-eurozone EU member states, Djankov clarified after attending the meeting of the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Brussels.
Djankov added that negotiations of the future European fiscal pact are almost finalized and the final draft is to be presented to the Bulgarian Parliament on Thursday.
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Bulgaria Sees EU's 2nd Largest Hotel Nights Increase 2011
Bulgaria registered an 18.3% increase in the number of nights spent in its hotels in 2011, the second largest increase among EU member states, according to Eurostat's latest data.
The Balkan country also saw the largest increase in the number of nights spent in its hotels by non-residents (+19....
Bulgaria Moves to Make Major Diplomatic Reshuffle - Report
Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov is expected to propose a major diplomatic reshuffle during Wednesday's cabinet sitting
As many as 25 new Ambassadors abroad will be proposed, dnevnik.bg reports, citing its own sources....
Bulgarian Socialists Expose New Case of Police Brutality
The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has stepped up calls for the resignation of Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, citing yet another example of police brutality.
The socialists announced late on Tuesday that an 18-year boy had been beaten with a stun baton by a plainclothes policeman at the regional police department in the southwestern village of Skravena.
BSP said that the boy had been beaten on January 11, 2012, when the local police detained several people for painting swastikas over houses.
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Troubled Bojinov to Head Back to Fiorentina - Report
Sporting Lisbon's embattled striker Valeri Bojinov may return to Italian side Fiorentina, Italian media have hinted.
Fiorentina's director of football Pantaleo Corvino is a fan of the Bulgarian and is eager to snap him up once again, Calcioline reports. In 2005, Bojinov joined Fiorentina from Serie A team Lecce.
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Paris Bows to Bulgarian, French Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
Paris paid tribute Tuesday to the four soldiers from the French military contingent who were killed in Afghanistan last week, including Bulgarian sergeant Svilen Simeonov.
The military honors ceremony was held at the Home of the Disabled Soldiers in Paris (Hotel des Invalides) at noon with only the relatives of the dead and officials attending.
Before that the motorcade passed through the bridge "Alexander III" (Pont Alexandre III), where the citizens of Paris were invited to express their homage with „dignified silence and fraternal presence....
Bulgarian Sodliers Rescue Wounded Doe
A seriously-wounded doe was found Tuesday by staff of the 2nd "Tundzhanska" Light Infantry Brigade in the southern Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora.
The officers notified the Director of the Stara Zagora Zoo immediately and the animal was taken to the Veterinary Clinic at the the Thracian University.
Asked by journalists to comment on the matter, veterinarians were optimistic that the animal would recover despite the serious trauma.
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Battalion Staff in Southern Bulgaria Rescue Wounded Deer Cub
A seriously-wounded deer cub was found Tuesday by staff of the 2nd "Tundzhanska" Light Infantry Brigade in the southern Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora.
The officers notified the Director of the Stara Zagora Zoo immediately and the animal was taken to the Veterinary Clinic at the the Thracian University.
Asked by journalists to comment on the matter, veterinarians were optimistic that the animal would recover despite the serious trauma.
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EBRD Lowers Bulgaria Economic Growth Forecast for 2012
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has decreased its October forecast for Bulgaria's economic growth in 2012 by 1.1% to reach 1.2%.
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EBRD Lowers Bulgaria's Economic Growth Forecast for 2012
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has decreased its October forecast for Bulgaria's economic growth in 2012 by 1.1% to reach 1.2%.
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Bulgarian Opposition Mulls No-Confidence Vote over Police Brutality
The Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, will use the entire parliamentary arsenal to obtain clear answers from Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, on the more and more frequent cases of police brutality.
BSP leader and former Prime Minister, Sergey Stanishev, reiterated Tuesday the left-wing call for Tsvetanov's resignation, but added that a no-confidence vote against the cabinet of the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, could be on the table over the issue.
Over the weekend, Malina and Petar Nachkovi complained of police brutality and reported they have been severely beaten and, with no sound motivation, detained by police, who after that went on to violently break in and search their home.
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Support Your Local Sheriff - The Bulgarian Sequel
The latest case of Bulgarian police brutality sent shockwaves throughout society, NGOs, and the opposition.
Saturday morning, 20 to 30 hooded police commandoes arrested in public a husband and wife, used unnecessary force, took them to the family home where they broke the door and raided the premises leaving them looking like a war zone. The couple complains of being hit, beaten, and cursed while their youngest daughter was taken in underwear outside, in the cold....
Bulgarians Eager to Export Anti-Shale Gas Ideas to Romania
The entity that triggered the recent mass protests against shale gas exploration and extraction in Bulgaria is eager to spread anti-shale gas awareness to the neighbor country of Romania, it has been made clear.
On January 26, the Civic Initiative on Banning Shale Gas Exploration and Production in Bulgaria through Hydraulic Fracturing will stage a peaceful protest in front of the Romanian Embassy in Sofia.
"Our neighbors need to pay attention to these problems that affect our common water horizon," Borislav Sandov, a representative of the civic initiative, declared during a press conference on Tuesday.
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Teachers in Berlin at 'End of Tether' over German-illiterate Roma Kids
Teachers in Berlin are at the end of their tether, according to a German daily.
Since Romania and Bulgaria's accession to the EU, more and more Roma have flocked to Germany, many of whom send their children to school without any knowledge of the language, the Berliner Umschau states.
The teachers at the Hermann Schulz primary school in Berlin-Reinickendorf have sent a letter to the authorities to complain about the matter.
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Bulgarian Press Remains Important Information Source - Poll
The Bulgarian "Trud" (Labor) daily has the most readers among print media in Bulgaria, according to a poll about the media market in the country, conducted by the MBMD agency.
The "24 Chassa" (24 Hours) and "Telegraph" dailies are second and third, while among the weeklies – "Weekend" and "168 Chassa" (168 Hours) have the leading first and second positions.
According to the poll, TV remains the most preferred source of information in the country, mainly because of the large share of elderly viewers and those with lower education....
EP Urges FYROM to Form Joint Committee on History with Bulgaria
The European Parliament has urged the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to create a joint expert committee with Bulgaria to tackle the sensitive issue of history education in the country.
The committee's task will be to further the objective interpretation of historical events, increase the cooperation in the academic field and improve the attitudes youngsters have towards their neighbors, the European Parliament has explained.
It was Bulgarian MEP from the Group of Socialists and Democrats Evgeni Kirilov who came up with the proposal for a joint expert committee....
Abused Family Warns of Unrest over Bulgarian Police Brutality
The family, who became victims of alleged police brutality Saturday, announced the establishment of a Civil Committee to deal with the more and more frequent cases of police abuse in Bulgaria.
Over the weekend, Malina and Petar Nachkovi complained of police brutality and reported they have been severely beaten and, with no sound motivation, detained by police, who after that went on to violently break in and search their home.
Three senior police officers were sanctioned with reprimands, despite calls for dismissals from Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov.
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Bulgaria's Bojinov Fall in Lisbon: Wife Comes to the Rescue
Bulgarian playmate Nikoleta Lozanova has made a desperate and not very convincing attempt to defend her husband, forward Valeri Bojinov, after his expulsion from Sporting's first team.
"He knows better than anyone else how to kick the ball," the model, who is expecting her first child, wrote on Twitter.
Bojinov triggered a scandal on Thrusday when Sporting ended in a 1-1 home Cup draw with lower-tier side Moreirense.
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Bulgaria's New President Congratulated by Macedonian Counterpart
Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev, who was officially inaugurated on Sunday, has been congratulated by his Macedonian counterpart George Ivanov in a phone conversation.
During the conversation, Ivanov has expressed his belief that Bulgaria will continue on its successful path during Plevneliev's five-year term, while maintaining its constructive role in the region's stability and development, according to the Macedonian sky.mk.
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French Financial Aid Helps Bulgaria Launch Initiative on Human Trafficking
The National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the Embassy of France in Bulgaria held Tuesday a press conference on the occasion of the launching a project titled "Prevention of trafficking in human beings who belong to ethnic groups with a focus on the Roma minority in Bulgaria".
The pilot project is managed by the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and will be implemented in the Varna municipality for a period of two years with the financial support of the Embassy of France in Bulgaria, the Permanent Representation of France to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Vienna, and the Embassy of France in Romania.
During Tuesday's press conference it emerged that traffickers recruit over 2....
Katunitsa Locals: Tsar Kiro's Verdict Is Just
The residents of the village of Katunitsa, near Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv, are overall satisfied with the verdict against notorious Bulgarian Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro.
Monday evening Rashkov was sentenced to 3.5 years in jail for making death threats against two locals from his native village of Katunitsa.
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57% of Bulgarians Are Internet Users - Poll
The share of Bulgarians who declare themselves as Internet users has increased from last year's 51% to reach 57%, according to a poll conducted by MBMD.
90% of those who have declared they are Internet users have said they are online at least two or three days a week.
The share of Bulgarians who state they use the Internet to read news has decreased by 3%, reaching 34%....
Bulgarian Watchdog Assuages Fears of Electricity Price Hike
In the aftermath of wide-spread rumors that prices of electric power will go up anywhere between 10% and 20%, Bulgaria's energy and waters watchdog announced that the increase will be more moderate.
The Head of the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation, DKEVR, Atanas Semerdzhiev, informed Tuesday that there will be a definite price increase, but no more than 7%-8%, effective July 1, 2012.
Semerdzhiev, however, stressed that Bulgaria is an island of cheap electric power compared to other countries in the region, something that cannot last forever.
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Sofia's 'Tokuda' Hospital Robbed Overnight
An unknown assailant had robbed the daily turnover of the hospital "Tokuda" in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.
Around 8 pm, the man entered the building, threatened the female receptionist, and hit her with a rubber club. He then proceeded to take BGN 30 000 from the safety vault and ran away.
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Property Prices in Bulgaria Not Expected to Rise in 2012
Property Wire
The extent of the decline in residential property prices in Bulgaria are shown in the latest figures which reveal they are 5 to 10% lower in 2011 than in 2010.
Initial predictions for 2012 are that prices are largely expected to be unchanged as real estate markets around the country remain at a standstill.
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Bulgaria's Top Cop: Claims of Police Brutality Are Often Fake
Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minster and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, believes that cases of criminals with groundless claims of police brutality are increasing in the country lately.
Speaking in an interview for the largest private TV channel bTV Tuesday, the Minister warned that such claims are not "always 100% true."
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Another Missing Bulgarian Teen Stifled to Death
The missing eleven-year old boy, who was found dead over the weekend, has been stifled, the autopsy has shown.
Stanislav, 11, who was declared missing at the beginning of January, was found dead near the village he lived in together with his big and poor family. The child's body was not spared by the jackals, which inflicted it severe wounds, hindering the autopsy.
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Court-Approved Agreement Ends Lukoil vs Bulgarian Customs Lawsuit
The Lukoil Neftochim vs Customs Agency lawsuit was terminated Tuesday as the Administrative Court Sofia City approved an agreement reached between the parties.
The trial was initiated by the Burgas-based refinery to appeal the withdrawal of its tax warehouse operator license by the customs authorities.
Lukoil's tax warehouse operator permits for the Neftochim refinery and the Rosenets oil terminal were revoked by the Customs Agency on July 22 after it failed to observe the June 26, 2011 statutory deadline for the installation of electronic devices reporting incoming and outgoing volumes to the National Revenue Agency (NRA).
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Court-Approved Agreement Ends Neftochim vs Bulgarian Customs Lawsuit
The Lukoil Neftochim vs Customs Agency lawsuit was terminated Tuesday as the Administrative Court Sofia City approved an agreement reached between the parties.
The trial was initiated by the Burgas-based refinery to appeal the withdrawal of its tax warehouse operator license by the customs authorities.
Lukoil's tax warehouse operator permits for the Neftochim refinery and the Rosenets oil terminal were revoked by the Customs Agency on July 22 after it failed to observe the June 26, 2011 statutory deadline for the installation of electronic devices reporting incoming and outgoing volumes to the National Revenue Agency (NRA).
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3 Bulgarian Senior Cops Rebuked over Latest Police Brutality
Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minster and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, signed orders for sanctions against three senior police officers from the Sofia Directorate of the Interior, SDVR.
The disciplining measures are based on grounds of "lack of control and allowing improper actions against citizens," during a search of a house in the village of Mirovyane, near the capital Sofia.
Over the weekend, Malina and Petar Nachkovi complained of police brutality and reported they have been severely beaten and, with no sound motivation, detained by police, who after that went on to violently break in and search their home.
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Rejected Bidder for Bulgaria's DTT Muxes Cries Foul
A failed bidder plans to join the battle against Bulgaria at the highest court in matters of European Union law over the controversial tenders for the operation of what will be the country's DTT multiplexes, according to insiders.
DVBT company has submitted a complaint against the alleged monopoly on Bulgaria's multiplex market at the European Commission on Friday, local Trud daily reported.
The move has come a week after a five-member panel of the Supreme Administrative Court rejected DVBT complaint against the selection of Latvia-based Hannu Pro for operating what will be the country's public service DTT multiplex....
Rejected Bidder for Bulgaria's DTT Muxes Cries Foul
A failed bidder plans to join the battle against Bulgaria at the highest court in matters of European Union law over the controversial tenders for the operation of what will be the country's DTT multiplexes, according to insiders.
DVBT company has submitted a complaint against the alleged monopoly on Bulgaria's multiplex market at the European Commission on Friday, local Trud daily reported.
The move has come a week after a five-member panel of the Supreme Administrative Court rejected DVBT complaint against the selection of Latvia-based Hannu Pro for operating what will be the country's public service DTT multiplex....
Four Bidders Said to Eye Bulgaria's Vivacom
Telekom Austria, Turkey's Turkcell, the head of Bulgaria's Corporate Commercial Bank and Icelandic businessman Thor Bjorgolfsson are interested in the sale of Bulgaria's telecom Vivacom, local media reports say.
The potential buyers of debt-laden Vivacom, heir to the state-owned Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC), will be expected to submit bids in a month, but none of them has officially confirmed it will make that move.
The telecom company has declined to comment.
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3.2 Quake Shakes Bulgaria's Dospat near Greek Border
A mild earthquake was felt early on Tuesday in the town of Dospat in Bulgaria's Rhodopi Mountain, close to the Greek border.
The quake measured 3.2 on the Richter scale and struck at 7:25 a....
France Honors Bulgarian, French Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
Paris will commemorate on Tuesday the four soldiers from the French military contingent who were killed in Afghanistan last week, including Bulgarian sergeant Svilen Simeonov.
The military honors ceremony will be held at the Home of the Disabled Soldiers in Paris at noon with only the relatives of the dead and officials attending.
Before that the motorcade will pass through the bridge "Alexander III", where the citizens of Paris have been invited to express their homage with „dignified silence and fraternal presence", according to the invitation by the Paris garrison commander.
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Bulgaria, S Korea Mutually Recognize Driver's Licenses
The citizens of South Korea can freely travel by car across the European Union after obtaining Bulgarian driver's licenses under an agreement that comes into force this week.
In order to request Bulgarian driver's licenses, South Koreans need to have documents proving that they are foreigners residing in Bulgaria, as well as documents proving that they have received at east primary education. These should be filed with the Bulgarian traffic police.
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Bulgarian PM Appoints New Deputy Economy Minister
Bulgaria's PM Boyko Borisov has appointed a new Deputy Economy Minister, the government press service announced.
Julieta Hubenova will join the team of Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism Traicho Traikov, and will be in charge of the economy portfolio.
At present, Delyan Dobrev is Traikov's deputy in charge of energy, and Ivo Marinov is in charge of tourism....
Bulgaria's Roma Tsar Gets 3.5-Year Sentence for Death Threats
Notorious Bulgarian Roma boss Kiril Rashkov, aka Tsar Kiro, has been sentenced to 3.5 years in jail for making death threats against two locals from his native village of Katunitsa located near Plovdiv.
Rashkov was found guilty by the court in the southern Bulgarian town of Asenovgrad on Monday of threatening to kill Veselin Hristov and Ivanka Petrova.
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ABB Factory in Bulgaria Extends Production Competence
The ABB factory in Bulgaria's Sevlievo has assembled and delivered its first Metal Enclosed Capacitor Banks (MECB) products to European customers, ABB Bulgaria announced Monday.
The delivery was carried out at the very end of 2011, with the beneficiary being the Solvey Sodi company, a significant chemical plant in Bulgaria.
The assembly unit has been set up in Bulgaria's Sevlievo, with the support of ABB's Technical Lead Center for MECBs in Australia, aiming at shortening the lead time for European orders....
Bulgaria's Black Sea Airports Report Strong 2011 Results
The airports in the Black Sea cities of Burgas and Varna, which are currently operated by Fraport Twin Star Airport Management, serviced a total of 3 435 152 passengers and 30 478 flights in 2011.
The 2011 figures represent a 10% year-on-year increase in the number of serviced passengers and a 7.3% annual increase in the number of serviced flights.
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Bulgarian PM Displeased with Ex-Communist Spies in Clergy
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has reiterated his discontent over the large number of former Communist State Security agents among the country's high clergy.
Last Tuesday, Bulgaria's so-called Files Commission – a panel investigating the Communist era secret files, exposed eleven out of a total of fifteen Bulgarian Metropolitan bishops as former secret State Security agents.
"The good thing is that the Patriarch is not an agent....
Bulgaria Eager to Welcome Croatia in EU Family
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has welcomed the results of Sunday's Croatian referendum in which approximately 66% of the voters supported the country's EU membership.
"This positive outcome of the referendum is a result of the efforts put by the Croatian society and political leaders on the country's way to join the EU," Borisov said on Monday, as cited by the BGNES news agency.
"I am glad that our European family will reach 28 members in 2013, with one more of them being from Southeaster Europe....
Bulgaria Eager to Welcome Croatia in EU Family
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has welcomed the results of Sunday's Croatian referendum in which approximately 66% of the voters supported the country's EU membership.
"This positive outcome of the referendum is a result of the efforts put by the Croatian society and political leaders on the country's way to join the EU," Borisov said on Monday.
"I am glad that our European family will reach 28 members in 2013, with one more of them being from Southeaster Europe....
On Bulgaria's Political Sanity and Tapegate: It's Boss's Choice!
Monday, January 23, 2012, was a pretty exciting day in Bulgaria for a number of reasons.
One is that Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov seemingly overstepped the borders of political sanity by explaining that he would still be kissing the hands of those Bulgarian bishops who have worked for the former communist secret police and intelligence (DS – "State Security" because "The Boss" allowed them to be bishops.
Important note: "The Boss" is how Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov refers to (the Orthodox Christian) God....
Bulgaria's Maxim Behar to Chair Also Hill+Knowlton Strategies Czech Office
Maxim Behar, a prominent Bulgarian PR and social media expert has been appointed Chairman of Hill+ Knowlton Strategies office in the Czech Republic, the company announced from Prague.
He will also act as an extended member of the regional management team with a responsibility for the Czech operation.
Behar is the Treasurer and an Executive Board member of the International Communication Consultancy Organization (ICCO), a two-term President and now Deputy President of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum (BBLF), and President (2009-2011) of the Bulgarian Association of PR Agencies (BAPRA).
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Bulgarian Prosecution Stops 'Tapegate' Investigation over 'Unknown Offender'
The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office has stopped the investigation of the "Tapegate" scandal on the grounds of an unknown offender.
Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov explained on Monday that the case had been stopped because the perpetrator could not be found.
Kokinov refused to comment on the expert statements on the case and added that the investigation could be renewed any moment if a new suspect appeared.
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Bulgarian Ombudsman Accuses Sports Daily of Race Discrimination
The notorious title that emerged on the front page of a Bulgarian sports daily last week is a case of race discrimination, according to Bulgaria's ombudsman Konstantin Penchev.
The Ombudsman has approached the country's Prosecutor's Office demanding an investigation of the case.
The January 18 edition of the Bulgarian "7 Dni Sport" ("7 Days Sport") daily featured a front-page title saying "CSKA's New Players: Italian, Swede and Two Blackies....
Japan's Yazaki to Open New Bulgarian Factory to Service Ford
Japanese company Yazaki, a global automative equipment supplier, is going to build a new factory with 1 500 jobs in the Bulgarian city of Sliven, the city mayor has announced.
Yazaki's new plant in the city of Sliven in Southeastern Bulgaria is to be completed by June 2012, Sliven Mayor Kolyu Milev told Radio Focus Monday.
In his words, by the end of 2012 Yazaki's new plant in Bulgaria will hire 500 people, with the number of employees swelling to 1 500 in 2013.
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12 from Bulgaria's Gov Administration Were Ex Communist Spies
Bulgaria's so-called Files Commission exposed Monday 12 people that worked for the administration of the Council of Ministers as agents and collaborators of the former Communist State Security, DS.
The Files Commission is a panel in charge of investigating the Communist era secret files.
Of the 12, only one – Gencho Genchev is still a Department Head at the Council of Ministers.
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Bulgarian NGO Raises Alarm over Latest Police Brutality
The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee has expressed its deep concern over the recent case that involved police brutality in the arrest of a Sofia family.
Over the weekend, Malina and Petar Nachkovi complained of police brutality and reported they have been severely beaten and, with no sound motivation, detained by police, who after that went on to violently break in and search their home. The police found nothing there besides 5 packs of cigarette without excise duty labels.
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Bulgarian State Mines Committed Harakiri with Payment Promises - Expert
Prof. Atanas Tasev, energy expert, has criticized the governing body of Bulgaria's biggest coal-mining company, the Maritsa Iztok Mines, for making a highly injudicious wage commitment.
In an interview for Standard Daily published on Monday, he says that the executives of the company "committed harakiri" by pledging to provide pay rises proportional to the workers' productivity.
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4 French Soldiers Murdered over Urinating US Marines Video
The bodies of the four French soldiers, including one Bulgarian-born man, who were killed in northern Afghanistan Friday, after a serviceman from the Afghan National Army opened fire, have been transported to Paris.
The killer had confessed that he was motivated by the despicable video clip, distributed online, showing US soldiers urinating on the dead bodies of murdered Afghani servicemen, the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, reported Monday, citing France Press.
Saturday, the Bulgarian National Radio announced that Bulgarian chief sergeant Svilen Simeonov, 34, was among those killed.
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Bulgarian Top Cop under Oppostion Fire over Police Brutality
The Bulgarian right-wing Union of Democratic Forces party, UDF, issued Monday a declaration strongly condemning police brutality in the arrest of a Sofia family.
UDF further demand the resignation of Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov.
Over the weekend, Malina and Petar Nachkovi complained of police brutality and reported they have been severely beaten and, with no sound motivation, detained by police, who after that went on to violently break in and search their home.
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Bulgaria’s New President Congratulated by World Bank Head
World Bank President Robert Zoellick has sent a congratulatory letter to Bulgaria's newly inaugurated President Rosen Plevneliev.
Bulgarians can be proud with their country's political and economic development over the last decades and Plevneliev's vision for the future can further Bulgaria's stable growth, Zoellick believes.
"I would like to assure you that the World Bank's Partnership Strategy with Bulgaria will remain focused on the global and European experience in dealing with challenges and will support the National Reform Program in its efforts to achieve an intelligent, sustainable and incorporated growth," Zoellick's letter has said, according to the BGNES news agency.
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Gazprom Allowed to Acquire 7 More Gas Stations in Bulgaria
The Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC) has cleared the acquisition of seven filling stations by NIS Petrol EOOD, a company owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom.
The sites are located in Smolyan, Kardzhali, Asenovgrad, Blagoevgrad, and the villages of Ledenik and Pavolche.
One month ago, the anti-trust watchdog allowed NIS Petrol EOOD to acquire another seven sites.
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Hefty 2011 Donations for Bulgarian Police despite Private Sponsors Ban
The Bulgarian Interior Ministry had received in 2011 over BGN 12 M in donations, according to the institution's updated registry of sponsor contracts.
The Bulgarian "Trud" (Labor) daily reminds that for the first half of the year, official donations amounted to BGN 4.8 M....
Bojinov Admits He's Wanted by Bulgarian Champs
Sporting Lisbon's troubled Bulgarian striker Valery Bojinov is wanted by his home country's champions Litex Lovech, he has revealed.
Former Barcelona striker Hristo Stoichkov who was recently appointed as Litex head coach was among the first to offer consolation to Bojinov after he controversially shoved a team mate aside and missed a vital penalty last week.
During their phone conversation, Stoichkov asked the Bulgarian international to consider the option of joining Litex, Bojinov has told the local Trud daily.
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Bulgaria to See More Hypermarkets Despite Weak Consumption
Chains of stores operating in Bulgaria will keep opening hypermarkets in the country despite weak consumption.
According to a survey published by Capital Daily on Sunday, the companies will continue to optimize their retail network and close loss-making outlets.
One week ago, Belgium-based Delhaize Group announced it was closing six stores from the Piccadilly retail chain in Bulgaria.
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Bulgarian Journalists Give Failing Grade to Freedom of Speech
The freedom of speech in Bulgaria has received a failing grade on a one to five scale in a poll of the Association of European Journalists Bulgaria, AEJ.
48 out of 113 journalists, taking part in the poll, have assessed the freedom of speech in the country as poor – or 2. On the scale, 5 was excellent, 4 – good, 3 – satisfactory, 2 – poor, and 1 – very poor.
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Bulgaria’s Dwelling Prices Slumped by 6% in 2011
The average market price of Bulgaria's dwellings decreased by 6.1% in 2011 compared with 2010, according to the country's National Statistical Institute
The market price index of Bulgaria's dwellings for the fourth quarter of 2011 decreased by 6....
Missing Classmate of Killed Bulgarian Girl Found in Varna
Bulgarian teenager, Dimitar Dimitrov, 18, from Pernik, a classmate of the girl from the same city, who was kidnapped and murdered, had been found in a casino in the Black Sea city of Varna.
The news was reported Monday by the Varna police.
Dimitrov went missing Wednesday, when he was last seen by his brother Viviyan....
Bulgarian PM Vows Penalties over Latest Police Brutality
Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, apologized and promised dismissals at the Interior Ministry over the scandal with the detention and raid of a home of a family in a Sofia suburb.
Over the weekend, Malina and Petar Nachkovi complained of police brutality and reported they have been severely beaten and with no sound motivation detained by police, who after that went on to violently break in and search their home.
"I will demand resignations," Borisov declared after calling the hosts of the morning political talk show of the largest private TV channel bTV, while they were having a conversation with the family in question in the studio.
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Bulgarian EconMin: Huge Money at Stake over Shale Gas
Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, believes that powerful financial interests were behind the mass protests in the country against the exploration of shale gas.
Speaking for the largest private Bulgarian TV channel bTV Monday morning, Traikov declared that the protests have been organized through a large-scale PR campaign, backed by substantial financing.
"In the case with shale gas extraction, there were a motivated elite, and people who adopted the idea, being misled that it was in their interest – those who protested and those who negotiated with us were fully aware of it," the Minister told the hosts, stressing that in principle one must always look for explanation in the direction of money.
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Axe Melee Injures 2 in Bulgaria's Blagoevgrad Roma Quarter
Two people were injured in melee with axes overnight, taking place in the Roma quarter in Bulgaria's southwestern city of Blagoevgrad.
The call for the incident was received through the emergency hotline 112 around 9 pm Sunday.
A clash between two Roma groups occurred on "Iglika" street....
12 Take Witness Stand in Notorious Bulgarian Roma Boss Trial
The case against notorious Bulgarian Roma boss, Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro is resuming Monday with the testimony of 12 witnesses.
The news is reported by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in the town of Asenovgrad.
The Roma clan leader is accused of threatening to kill one of his fellow villagers, Veselin Hristov, on September 23 2011, in the village of Katunitsa near Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv.
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New Bulgarian President Set to Impress Brussels
The headquarters of the new Bulgarian President, Rosen Plevneliev, who was officially inaugurated Sunday, are preparing his first official trip to Brussels.
Also on Sunday, Plevneliev met with the European Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn and the Bulgarian EU Commissioner on Humanitarian Aid and Emergency Response, Kristalina Georgieva. He thanked them for the honor of being his guests at the ceremony.
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PES Chair Stanishev: I Hope New Bulgarian President Will Be Independent
Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev needs to be an independent figure to ensure a proper balance of powers in the country, said PES and Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergey Stanishev.
Sunday Plevneliev was officially inaugurated in his five year term in office as Bulgaria's President at a solemn ceremony in capital Sofia.
Plevneliev, who swore in as President in front of Bulgaria's Parliament Thursday, was nominated in fall presidential elections by ruling center-right GERB party.
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Schoolmate of Murdered Bulgarian Girl Disappears
A Bulgarian teenager, Dimitar Dimitrov, from Pernik, has been declared missing and is being looked for by Bulgarian police.
Dimitrov, 18, went missing Wednesday, when he was last seen by his brother Viviyan.
Dimitar visited his brother's pawn shop, taking BGN 2,000, and leaving a note saying he is sorry for what he's about to do.
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Bulgaria Signs Cooperation Agreements with World Bank, EIB
Bulgaria signed Sunday memoranda for cooperation with the World Bank and the European Investment Bank on consultancy for major infrastructure projects.
Present at the signing were Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov, EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev, as well as World Bank Vice-President for Eastern Europe Philippe Le Houerou, EIB President Wilhelm Molterer, and EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn.
Just before signing the memoranda, Commissioner Hahn met new Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and praised the marco-economic indicators achieved by the cabinet of Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov.
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France Sorry for Death of Bulgarian Soldier in Afghanistan
The embassy of France in Sofia has issued a statement of regret for the Bulgarian member of the Foreign Legion, who was among the 4 French soldiers killed Thursday in Afghanistan.
"The embassy deeply deplores the death of four officers of the French forces killed Thursday by an intentional shooting by an Afghani soldier in their position," says the letter.
Saturday the Bulgarian National Radio had announced that chief sergeant Svilen Simeonov, 34, was among those killed.
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Commissioner Hahn: Few Can Boast Bulgaria's Success
The EU needs and supports the building of a stronger Bulgaria, said European Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn upon meeting new Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev.
Hahn, an Austrian, together with fellow EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, a Bulgarian, were the first to officially meet Plevneliev after his inauguration in office Sunday.
"I would like to congratulate you for the start of your term, to wish you success and to express my great pleasure and honor to be your first guest," said Hahn.
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Commissioner Georgieva: Bulgaria Can Count on EC
Bulgarian EU Commissioner on Humanitarian Aid Kristalina Georgieva met and congratulated new Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev on his inauguration day Sunday.
"You can always count on the European Commission and me personally. I wish you success and luck....
President Plevneliev: EU Needs Bulgaria
EU nations need to continue their work together for the building of a unified and prosperous Europe, said Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev Sunday.
Just hours after his official inauguration in office, Plevneliev met EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.
"I am proud and thankful that Commissioners Georgieva and Hahn honored this very special ceremony for Bulgaria," said the new Bulgarian President after the meeting.
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New Bulgarian President Alludes to Party Allegiance
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has inadvertently insinuated his commitment to ruling GERB party at his second public appearance since assuming office Sunday.
Plevneliev's first official meeting was with EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva and Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn.
"This first meeting of mine is of a symbolic nature, for the commitment I took is for the European development of Bulgaria," said the President after the meeting.
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Commissoners Georgieva, Hahn Honor New Bulgarian President
European Commissioners Kristalina Georgieva and Johannes Hahn are holding a meeting with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev just hours after his inauguration Sunday.
The EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner and Regional Policy Commissioner presented Plevneliev a copy of a picture held in the EC's archive showing the signing of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (the predecessor to the EU).
A press conference is scheduled after the end of the meeting between the new Bulgarian President and the Bulgarian and Austrian representatives in the second Jose Manuel Barroso commission.
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Sir Alex: Berbatov Stays with Manchester United!
Manchester United's manager Sir Alex Ferguson has dispelled the latest rumors that Bulgarian forward Dimitar Berbatov might quit the team.
Sir Alex has stated that Berba will be staying in Manchester United, albeit he did not clarify whether this means that the Bulgarian is to sign a new contract, or to just stay till the summer, reports the Daily Mirror.
The latest spat of Berbatov transfer rumors were ignited when a week ago he visited Germany.
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Skiers, Environmentalists Protest Expansion of Bulgaria Ski Area
Skiers, snowboarders, hikers and environmentalists staged a new protest on the Vitosha Mountain nearby Bulgarian capital Sofia against proposed revisions of the country's Forestry Act.
The tabled amendments to the Law on Forests, they argue, will make it much more easier for investors to build new structures and expand old ones, even in protected areas, and without a competition run by the state.
Interviewed by the Bulgarian National Radio Sunday, protesters said they wanted to freeze the amendments, and show that people can enjoy a meaningful interaction with nature without overdevelopment and with respect to protected areas.
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New Bulgarian President Plevneliev Officially Assumes Office
Rosen Plevneliev has assumed office as Bulgaria's new President after an official inauguration ceremony in Bulgarian capital Sofia Sunday.
Plevneliev, who was elected in elections end of October 2011, will be Bulgaria's President for 5 years, until January 22, 2017.
Plevneliev, who swore in as President in front of Bulgaria's Parliament Thursday, was nominated in fall presidential elections by ruling center-right GERB party.
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Bulgaria First Couple, VP Leave Office Cheered by Citizens
Bulgaria's outgoing President Georgi Parvanov, his wife Zorka Parvanova, and his VP Angel Marin have now officially left the Presidency Building in downtown Sofia.
This is the last part of the Sunday inauguration ceremony for new Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and aide Margarita Popova.
Parvanov and Plevneliev gave speeches at the Unknown Warrior monument in Sofia, went to the St....
Bulgarian Police Beat, Arrest Family of Anti-Govt Facebook Group Admin
A Bulgarian family has reported it has been brutally and with no sound motivation detained by police, who after that went on to violently break in and search their home.
Malina Nachkova and Petar Nachkov were arrested while parking their car, upon which Petar has been reportedly beaten by the heavily-armed anti-organized crime officers.
Police have denied claims by Malina, who said that they brought her husband to the ground, hitting him and hitting her, and held her at gunpoint, using rude words.
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New Bulgarian President Plevneliev: Bulgarian Unity Has Deep Roots
Rosen Plevneliev gave his first speech as Bulgaria's President at an official inauguration ceremony at the Unknown Soldier monument Sunday.
"Bulgarians are a people with deep, strong roots. In the past, we have been united at times when everyone of us was looking to one direction, one goal," said Plevneliev.
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Parvanov: During My Terms, Bulgaria Established Itself Globally
There was a strong foreign policy moment in the farewell speech of outgoing Bulgarian President Georgi Plevneliev, who finishes Sunday two 5-year terms.
"The Bulgarian President represents the country in foreign relations. I am happy that for the 10 years of my office, our country has won for itself an unprecedentedly good position," said Parvanov at the hand-down ceremony with his successor Rosen Plevneliev.
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President Parvanov: President Plevneliev Must Work for Justice
Outgoing Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov gave his farewell speech at the handing down ceremony Sunday, after serving two terms in office.
"In the past Bulgaria has had strong, pro-active, working presidents. It is to the credit of Presidents Zhelyu Zhelev and Petar Stoyanov credit that they contributed to the prestige of the institution....
New Bulgarian President Plevneliev Salutes Army
The official ceremony for handing down of Bulgaria's Presidency from outgoing President Georgi Parvanov to Rosen Plevneliev has started in central Sofia Sunday.
In front of the Unknown Warrior monument, Rosen Plevneliev, the new Supreme Commander of the Bulgarian Army, has saluted the elite unit present for the ceremony.
President Parvanov and President Plenveliev are to give speeches in front of senior persons of state and former Presidents Zhelyu Zhelev and Petar Stoyanov.
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4 Bulgarians Killed, Dozens Injured in Turkey Bus Crash
Four Bulgarian citizens have perished, and 27 fellow passengers have been wounded when a bus slid off the icy road near the Turkish-Bulgarian border at Derekoy and Malko Tarnovo.
According to Turkish sources, the four (one in his sixties, two in their fifties, as well as a 10-year-old boy) victims of the crash have Bulgarian citizenship, some of them dual Turkish.
10 of the 27 injured people also are Bulgarian citizens, according to information confirmed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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8 Day Strike at Bulgarian State Mines Ends
Talks between employers and trade unions at Bulgaria's Maritsa Iztok coal mines ended successfully, with the parties agreeing, putting an end to a major strike that started last Sunday.
Miners received bonuses, and the Maritsa Iztok company agreed to settle trade disputes with other firms, that allegedly prevented it to pay higher remunerations to its workers.
Talks started at 2 pm Saturday to continue through the evening, ending at 5 am Sunday morning.
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Bulgarian President Parvanov Steps Down, Enter Plevneliev
Sunday, January 22 is the day Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov officially hands the Presidency to successor Rosen Plevneliev.
Plevneliev, who swore in as President in front of Bulgaria's Parliament Thursday, was nominated in fall presidential elections by ruling center-right GERB party.
The erstwhile popular Regional Development Minister, won with some 53% of the vote at the second round, against the Bulgarian Socialist Party's candidate, MEP Ivaylo Kalfin.
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Who Is Who: Bulgaria's New Vice President Margarita Popova
Former Justice Minister Margarita Popova was nominated by the ruling centrist-right party GERB to run for Vice President of Bulgaria in the elections that took place on October 23 2011.
In the runoff that took place on October 30, GERB runner Rosen Plevneliev and his running mate, Margarita Popova, defeated oppositional Bulgarian Socialist Party runner Ivaylo Kalfin and his running ymate, Stefan Danailov, gathering 52.58% of the votes.
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Who Is Who: Bulgaria's New President Rosen Plevneliev
Rosen Plevneliev, former Bulgarian Regional Development Minister, was elected President on the ticket of the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria part (GERB) on October 30 2011.
Biography
Rosen Plevneliev was born in the southern Bulgarian town of Gotse Delchev in 1964.
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10 Bulgarians Injured in Bus Crash in Turkey
Four people have been killed and twenty-seven injured in a heavy crash of a passenger bus traveling from Turkey to Bulgaria.
The tragic accident occurred near the border checkpoint Derekyoy - Malko Tarnovo on Turkish territory.
Turkish media reported that ten of the injured passengers were Bulgarian citizens.
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Bulgaria's Bojinov 'Rueful' after Rise and Fall at Lisbon Giant
Bulgarian forward Valeri Bojinov has shown signs of repentance after his expulsion from Sporting's first team and amid reports of a looming transfer back to his home country, according to Portuguese and Bulgarian media.
Bojinov has reporedly expressed his strong desire to publicly apologize for what he did on Thrusday, when Sporting ended in a 1-1 home Cup draw with lower-tier side Moreirense.
In the injury-time, Bojinov decisively pushed his team's habitual penalty-taker Matias Fernandez, only to see his vital spotkick saved.
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Another Missing Bulgarian Teen Found Dead
Bulgaria's police have found the dead body of a missing eleven-year old boy, the latest in a series of teens' mysterious disappearances and gruesome deaths that have shook the country.
Stanislav, 11, who was declared missing at the beginning of January, was found dead near the village he lived in together with his big and poor family.
The police has launched an investigation into a man, whom the mother claimed to be obsessed with the idea of adopting her child.
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Naked Ukrainians Rally in Front of Bulgaria's Parliament
Three members of the provocative Ukrainian female rights activists FEMEN stirred media interest big time by protesting domestic violence against women naked in front of Bulgaria's parliament.
Almost totally naked, but armed with boxing gloves and red paint marks on their faces to imitate blood, the Ukrainian girls became rather violent when surrounded by – predominantly male – members of the press.
As they started to deal blows left and right, the policemen guarding the region interpreted rightly their symbolic aggression and did not resort to arrests.
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Middle Aged Bulgarians Face Shocking Retirement Prospects
A demographic and economic slump may force today's actively working Bulgarians to retire at the age of 70 and not at all comfortably at that, an expert has warned.
"Nowadays Bulgarians aged between 30 and 40 exceed 1 million. When they become old enough to retire, their pensions should be paid by today's teenagers, whose number is two time lower....
CVCI, NBGI Private Equity to Buy Bulgarian Confectionary Co
Citi Venture Capital International (CVCI) and NBGI Private Equity (NBGI) have signed an agreement for the acquistion of Bulgarian confectionary company Prestige 96 OOD, a leader on the local market.
Prestige's existing shareholders will retain a minority stake, the company said.
The deal price was not disclosed, but analysts have commented that the Bulgarian company assets are worth EUR 30-40 M.
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PM Girlfriend Ups Stake in Bulgarian-American Credit Bank to 61%
An investment firm led by Tsvetelina Borislavova has increased its majority stake in Bulgarian-American Credit Bank (BACB) following the public offering of its shares.
The businesswoman's Clever Synergies Investment Fund (CSIF) announced it now owns 61.43% in the bank.
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Bulgaria's Holy Synod: God Is Testing Us
These days God is testing us, but our Holy Church will overcome this ordeal, Bulgaria's Holy Synod says in a statement.
It was included in the greetings of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church for the Saturday celebration of Patriarch Maxim's name day, read by the Plovdiv Bishop Nicholay.
The Holy Mass and the liturgy for His Holiness name day were held in the Sofia "St....
Bulgarian Railways Announce Train Fare Hike
Train fares in Bulgaria are going up, beginning Monday, January 23, the State-owned Railways BDZ Holding announced Saturday.
The average price increase will be about 9%, compared to current ticket prices.
The changes are triggered by the increased expenses of the national railroad carrier, related to the increase of prices of diesel fuel and electric power....
Bulgarian 'Costa Concordia' Crew Member Rescued 500
A member of the crew of the the Costa Concordia cruise liner, which capsized off the coast of Tuscany in Italy last Saturday, has rescued over 500 passengers.
"I did six runs with a lifeboat which holds 150 people. It was full the first three times, but the next runs were lighter because most passengers were already on the shore....
Bulgarian Man among 4 French Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
A Bulgarian serviceman, Svilen Simeonov, 34, has been killed in Afghanistan, the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, reports Saturday.
The information has been confirmed by the Bulgaria Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Simeonov has served as sergeant in the French Foreign Legion and was among the four French soldiers who were killed in northern Afghanistan Friday, after a serviceman from the Afghan National Army opened fire.
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New Round of Talks over Bulgarian State Mines Strike
Talks between the management of Bulgaria's biggest State-owned coal-mining company, the Maritsa Iztok Mines, and the syndicates resume Saturday, while the strike is in its seventh day.
The negotiations are being launched again on the order of Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov.
The Saturday negotiations will start after the conclusion of a meeting organized by the two main labor unions in Bulgaria – the Confederation of Labor Podkrepa (Support) and the Confederation of Independent Syndicates in Bulgaria (KNSB)
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Brutal Bulgarian Criminal Busted in UK on 'The Sun' Tip-Off
A brutal Bulgarian gangster, notorious for slicing off victims' fingers and ears, was caught in London on an alert from an investigation of The Sun.
Tihomir Georgiev, 43, AKA Tisho The Boxer — suspected of murder — was on Interpol's "most wanted" list after fleeing a trial in Bulgaria, the Sun writes.
In the article, Georgiev is presented as a former associate of "Zlatomir Ivanov (AKA Zlatko Baretata - The Beret, The Barret), a ruthless Bulgarian mafia boss who controlled a vast empire based on drug-dealing, prostitution and money-laundering," and a criminal who "tried to get off charges by testifying against Ivanov — and gave chilling evidence of how he had butchered double-crossing drug dealers for his boss....
3.5 Earthquake Shakes Bulgaria's Razlog
A mild earthquake was felt in the first hour of Saturday in the town of Razlog, near the winter resort of Bansko in Bulgaria's Pirin Mountain in southern Bulgaria.
The quake measured 3.5 on the Richter scale and was registered at 0:58 a....
Bulgaria Honors Midwife Day
With a variety of colorful rituals, Bulgaria marks the day of midwives on Saturday, January 21, or the so-called Babin Den.
Midwife Day or in Bulgarian Babin Den, is a purely Bulgarian holiday. The name Babin Den comes from the Bulgarian word "baba", which means old woman or grandmother because in the past old women have been the village midwives, helping the younger ones to give birth....
Heavy Weekend Snow Grips Bulgaria
Eleven Bulgarian regions are under code yellow Saturday, the National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) announced.
The warning is issued over the forecast of heavy snow and ice. Code yellow means potentially dangerous weather, where the forecast is not for unusual meteorological events, but requires people to exercise caution.
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