Bulgaria's cigarette-maker Bulgartabac registered a net profit of almost BGN 25 M in 2009, the company press service announced Wednesday. This is an increase of 680% compared to 2007, when the company's net profit was only BGN 3,172 M. This staggering increase, however, is primarily due to the s...

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Bulgaria is already experiencing the positive effects of the global financial crisis, according to the Deputy Minister of Finance, Lyubomir Datsov. During a conference dedicated to Bulgaria's "Financial Sector in the Context of the Global Financial and Economic Crisis" in the city of Plovdiv on Wed...

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Ukrainian national security service agents have raided the head office of the state energy company Naftogaz in Kiev. The news was announced by Naftogaz spokesman, Valentyn Zemlyansky, as quoted by the BBC. A group of about 30 gunmen wearing masks and carrying machine guns entered the offices of Na...

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An Italian businessman has cheated over 30 employees of his textile plant in Bulgaria's Sliven by firing them without paying their due salaries, and leaving for Italy. Roberto Dedoro's employees have not received their salaries since December 2008, Darik Radio reported. "The total amount of mone...

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First-class investor certificates, the highest investor rank in Bulgaria, will be awarded to companies with a minimum investment volume of BGN 32 million, not BGN 70 million, the government decided on Wednesday. The investment volume for a second-class investor certificate is decreased from BGN 40...

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The central banks of five Eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, have slammed as "simplified and misleading" reports the region's banks were at risk. The supervisory authorities of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria issued a joint statement to express their concer...

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Bulgaria and Georgia intend to establish a permanent ferry line between the ports of Varna and Poti, which is expected to start in May 2009. This was announced by Bulgaria's Minister of Transport, Petar Mutafchiev, who welcomed Tuesday the first railway ferry from Russia's Port Kavkaz to the Bulgar...

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The Bulgarian milk processing company "Serdika-90" shut down over the global financial crisis. 93 of a total of 120 employees of the company, which is situated in the Northeast city of Dobrich, were fired. The employees found out about the layoff Wednesday from a list of names put at the front d...

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Rescue teams have resumed the search for at least two people still missing after the collapse of a six-storey building in the western German city of Cologne, Deutsche Welle reported. The building housed the archive documenting the city's 2,000 year history.  Rescuers worked during the night to p...

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The Brazilian metallurgical giant CSN (Companhia Siderurgica Nacional) remains the only main candidate for the purchase of the troubled Bulgarian steel mill Kremikovtzi. This was announced Wednesday by Bulgaria's Minister of Energy and Economy, Petar Dimitrov. Dimitrov explained his Ministry had...

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From The Economist print edition Eastern Europe's woes are not unmanageable. But they are not being managed. The result could be catastrophe AMID the wreckage of Latvia's retailing industry, which has declined 17% year on year according to the latest figures, one item is selling well: T-shirts wi...

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Defying gloomy forecasts for a tourism slump, investors continue to build hotel complexes along Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, significantly increasing the number of beds. Bulgarian vacation spots along the southern Black Sea appear to be in no quandary. The global economic crisis and the short-term ...

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A few months ahead of the general elections in Bulgaria, the country's chief prosecutor called on the political parties to slam vote buying practices. "Vote buying is nothing new but it has recently entered court-rooms," Boris Velchev told reporters. He announced that between fifteen and twenty se...

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Bulgaria expects a new crisis with the supplies of Russian natural gas, and a gas restriction plan is set to be put forward in a few hours, the Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov announced, cited by Darik Radio Wednesday. "Bulgaria is aware, and prepared for it", Dimitrov added explaining his concerns ...

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The miraculous rock formations near the northwest Bulgarian town of Belogradchik are second again in the global campaign to select the world's new Seven Wonders. On February 16, they moved up to first in the provisional ranking in the Group D category, "Caves, Rock Formations, and Valleys". Bulgar...

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Zdravelin Georgiev, Consul General of Bulgaria in Dubai, has announced that Bulgaria is planning to launch a campaign to boost two-way investment and tourist traffic with the UAE, Zawya, a business information company in Dubai, reported late Tuesday. Georgiev stated that the campaign, to be launche...

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Over 130 000 signatures have been gathered by the National Movement for Stability and Progress (NMSP) of the former Tsar and PM Simeon Saxe-Coburg to support the party's idea to hold national Bulgarian and European Parliament elections on the same day, Darik Radio reported Wednesday. The ?two vot...

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From IPS (Inter Press Service) By Claudia Ciobanu The World Ski Cup for women last weekend was organized in Bulgaria at a ski resort whose development is partially illegal, and which is damaging a world heritage site. A report published by the Save Pirin Coalition and endorsed by several environm...

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In a new worldwide survey of ski resorts, Bulgaria's Bansko came in as the cheapest ?ski holiday basket' for UK skiers and also as the best place to go for ?value for money' according to M&S Money's latest report, cited by the UK travel site holidayextras.co.uk. Travel money provider M&S Money'...

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Swedish media company Modern Times Group will merge its broadcasting assets in Bulgaria into a single entity, the company reported late Tuesday in an official press release. The company said it has reached agreement with Apace Media Plc to merge part-owned Balkan Media Group Limited into Modern Tim...

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The EU has blocked more funding to Bulgaria following another warning from the European Commission. This time Brussels has temporarily refused to sign any new contracts for water projects in the country under the Environment program, BGNES news agency reported Wednesday. According to a letter rece...

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Ivaylo Kalfin, Bulgaria's Foreign Affairs Minister, has condemned the fatal Tuesday attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team bus in Pakistan that left five security guards dead and some of Sri Lanka's top players injured, reported the Thai Thaindian News agency Wednesday. Kalfin, who is currently on an o...

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Ivaylo Kalfin, Bulgaria's Foreign Affairs Minister, has supported Nato's decision to restore and maintain dialogue with Russia, after attending a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Brussels, a Bulgarian Foreign Ministry statement reported late Thursday. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry statement an...

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The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, has suggested that Bulgaria could receive EUR 500 M from preliminary payments through European Programs to help the country through the financial crisis, Bulgarian National Radio reported late Thursday. Barroso's announcement came after...

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The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) has condemned in a special statement attacks on the offices of the Athens-based newspaper Apogevmatini. According to SEEMO, on the evening of 26 February 2009 a group of masked men attacked the paper headquarters by throwing rocks and wi...

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Seems an elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, "Your heari...

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The grave of the famous Bulgarian poet Nikola Vaptsarov has been desecrated. Relatives of the poet told the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) they were going to demand an exhumation in order to determine whether the remains of Vaptsarov are still in the grave. Practically, there is no longer a g...

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A car was involved in an accident in a street. As expected a large crowd gathered. A newspaper reporter, anxious to get his story could not get near the car.Being a clever sort, he started shouting loudly, "Let me through! Let me through! I am the son of the victim."The crowd made way for him.Lying ...

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Police are investigating links between two groups of Bulgarian women arrested for allegedly operating pickpocket rings on Melbourne's tram network, the Age newspaper reported. Three Bulgarian women were yesterday charged in relation to more than 40 purse and wallet thefts on trams in the past mont...

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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned the Ukraine that gas supplies might be cut if they do not pay for Russian gas before March 7. "If this payment is not made as a result of the recent operations and arrests of some officials, it will lead to a suspension of the supply of our fuel both to ...

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Emel Etem, Bulgaria's Minister of Emergency Situations, has been promoted to major, the department she heads announced. The military title has been conferred on her at the initiative of Defense Minister Nikolay Tsonev and coincides with the minister's birthday. Emel Etem is member of the predomi...

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"You see that there has been no call upon Bulgarian investors to pull out their investments from France." Bulgaria's Economy Minister, Petar Dimitrov, during the Invest in Bulgaria 2009 Summit in Sofia, when asked about the call of French President Sarkozy upon French investors to withdraw their in...

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The Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, Ivan Iskrov, said Thursday the currency peg practically made Bulgaria an informal member of in the Eurozone. Iskrov took part in the Invest in Bulgaria 2009 Summit, which took place in Sheraton Hotel in Sofia. He said that the stable currency rate of th...

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Bulgaria's Economy Minister, Petar Dimitrov, said Thursday the country was going to avoid the import of foreign workers thanks to the effects of the global financial crisis. Dimitrov was a keynote speaker at the Invest in Bulgaria 2009 Summit, which took place in the Sheraton Hotel in Sofia. "I ...

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Bulgaria's economy and energy minister admitted talks over the purchase of insolvent steel mill Kremikovtzi have been bogged down, blaming it on low prices on foreign markets. "The state has been lending a helping hand to the trade unions at Kremikovtzi for more than a year already. But you can't ...

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The Director of the InvestBulgaria Agency, Stoyan Stalev, said Thursday that Bulgaria was not less attractive for foreign investors than the world's top investment destination, the East Coast of China. Stalev spoke at the Invest in Bulgaria 2009 Summit, which took place in the Sheraton Hotel in So...

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Dimitar Bozakov, the most successful Bulgarian theatrical director in Israel, has returned to Bulgaria to produce a unique play at the National Theater "Ivan Vazov." The play "A Servant of Two Masters" of famous Italian playwright, Carlo Goldoni, is going to be presented for the first time in more ...

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Two pedestrians were hit by a car Thursday morning in downtown Sofia, BGNES reported. The traffic accident occurred close to the Sveta Nedelya church when an Audi rammed into two pedestrians. There was no immediate information available on the condition of the victims. Traffic in the area of th...

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Michael Jackson is suing Julien's Auction House in Los Angeles, in an attempt to stop the auction of his memorabilia that his new adviser Tohme Tohme arranged for next month, US based Fox News reported Thursday. Jackson is claiming that he never authorized the auction and that he and Tohme have bee...

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Bulgaria's "The Billy Goat," by Georgy Djulgerov is set to open this year's edition of the Sofia Film Festival, a major cinema industry event in the region. A total of 90 movies, another 40 from the documentary genre and 60 short movies feature in the schedule of the 13th edition of Sofia Film Fes...

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Bulgaria's star striker Dimitar Berbatov overcame the disappointment of missing the Carling Cup Final victory at Wembley Sunday by scoring Manchester United's winner against Newcastle to put them 7 points clear at the top of the Premier League table, the BBC reported late Wednesday. Man Utd. surviv...

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"We will consider, if we manage to form our own Cabinet, appointing a Roma Minister and Deputy Ministers, to include them directly in the country's government, to represent large social groups and be accountable to them. There are Roma in Bulgaria holding two or three degrees. By separating the elec...

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By Will Tizard Variety Magazine It's not unusual to spot scouts from Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Karlovy Vary, Moscow, Sarajevo and Thessaloniki on the streets of Sofia in March. Each of them is hoping to get the edge on the next big discovery from Eastern Europe. After 13 years, what began as a hipp...

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Boyko Borisov, Sofia mayor and leader of Bulgaria's right-wing GERB party, who is widely believed to eye the prime minister office, said he was considering a Roma minister in his future cabinet. Borisov spoke upon conclusion of the signing of a memorandum for collaboration and joint intent between...

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Energy security and economic issues will top the agenda of Thursday's meeting of Bulgaria's Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in Brussels. EC Spokesman Mark Gray said that the meeting is taking place at Stanishev's request. Stanishev is also sc...

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A Romanian Court is going to try the appeal filed by the Bulgarian national Petar Zikulov, who is charged with espionage. He is currently detained for 29 days, the maximum period under Romanian law. Peter Zikulov, and Floricel Achim, a Romanian military officer, were arrested in Bucharest Monday on...

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Chinese PM Wen Jiabao has said the current year will be the most difficult the country has faced this century because of the global economic crisis, while announcing the latest program to stimulate the China's economy, the BBC reported Thursday. Addressing parliament, Wen reiterated that there wou...

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In an international law first, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant for the arrest of a serving head of state. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir is accused of crimes against humanity in Darfur, the BBC reported late Wednesday. Reacting to the warrant, Sudan has dismissed the m...

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UK PM Gordon Brown has urged the US not to succumb to protectionism and to seize the moment in the battle to avoid a complete global financial meltdown. Brown made this statement in his first speech to the US Congress, the BBC reported late Wednesday. Brown, the fifth UK PM in history to address bo...

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The Bulgarian parliament has rejected the ?two votes in one day' proposal put forward by the National Movement for Stability and Progress (NMSP) of the former Tsar and PM Simeon Saxe-Coburg, BGNES news agency reported Thursday. In a vote early Thursday, 79 MPs voted for the proposal, with 101 vot...

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A large fire consumed the Red Hall at the center of the market of Ilientsi in the Bulgarian capital Sofia. A quick response team of firemen are still working at the site and the situation is said to be under control, BGNES reported Thursday. The fire started at around 8:30 am and it is reported th...

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Romanian businesses have started to move on mass to Bulgaria, in an attempt to avoid the worst affects of the current global financial crisis in their home country, Bulgarian daily newspaper Standart reported Thursday. The Bulgarian border city of Ruse has already seen a boom in rental property bus...

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Manuela Gorsova, who was left in a coma after a fatal car crash caused by world ice-skating champion Maxim Staviski in August 2007, arrived back in Bulgaria late Wednesday on a flight from Israel, BGNES news agency reported. Gorsova was transferred to the Bulgarian Military Medical Academy (MMA) in...

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