Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Thursday 29 March 2012


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29 March 2012, Issue 3353
by Novinite.com
Bulgaria's Daily Newspaper since 2001
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BUSINESS POLITICS WORLD SOCIETY SPORTS FORUM
 
Dutch Parliament Condemns Xenophobic Site


Dutch Members of the Parliament have condemned the the notorious anti-immigration website created by the far-right PVV party of Geert Wilders. read
Belene NPP Cannot Spoil Bulgaria-Russia Relations – PM Borisov


Commenting on the decision to quit the Belene NPP project, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has voiced hopes that Bulgaria and Russia will retain friendly relations. read
Bulgarian President Cares for 'The Big Picture', Not Belene NPP


Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev has stated that he is not interested in "particular projects", referring to the fate of his country's potential second nuclear power plant in Belene. read
 
Socialy Yours
 
NOVINITE INSIDER
Why Burying Belene Is Good

» More
MORE TOP NEWS
Bulgaria Seeks Investors for Gas Turbine Power Plant

Bulgarian President Praises Govt Decision to Quit Belene NPP

Rosatom Head: Belene NPP Cancellation by Bulgaria Is Negligible Loss

Bulgarian Ambassador to US Backs Shale Gas Exploration

Bulgaria to Fork Out BGN 2 M after Quitting BA Pipe

Melrose Swings to Profit Thanks to High Gas Prices in Bulgaria

Bulgaria to Appoint 4 New Envoys Abroad

Bulgaria Illegal Assets Law to Target Parties Too - Report

2 Bulgarians Jailed for Life in Scotland over Millionaire Murder

Clan of Notorious Roma Boss Moves out of Bulgarian Village
VIEWS ON BG
Bulgaria: A Land of Antiquity and Resilient People

UPS & DOWNS
Bulgarian Policeman Applauded for Rescuing Archeological Treasure

Bulgarian Mining Mogul to Lose Concession over Debt
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Where do you plan to take the gas supplies from? Fom the outer space or from Russia? By this act Bulgaria just increases its dependence on gas, an energy resource, the planet is running out of, and gives up nuclear energy, which the European Commission has described as an independent energy resource."
Bulgaria's Former Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov comments the decision of the center-right governemnt to abandon plans to build a second 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant on the Danube River with Russian firm Atomstroyexport and construct a gas power plant instead
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TOP NEWS
BULGARIA QUITS BELENE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PROJECT
Bulgaria's Belene Nuclear Power Plant will not be constructed, the country's Deputy Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov announced on on Wednesday.
A natural gas power plant will be built in the Danube town of Belene instead, Goranov told reporters after Wednesday's Council of Ministers sitting. read more

PALESTINIAN-BULGARIAN DOCTOR GETS EUR 1 M OVER LIBYAN TORTURE
The Court in The Hague has ruled that Libya pays EUR 1 M in damages to the Palestinian doctor with Bulgarian citizenship, Ashraf al-Hadjudj
Al-Hadjuji was jailed in Libya along with five Bulgarian nurses and Bulgarian colleague, Doctor Zdravko Georgiev on charges that they deliberately infected more than 400 children with HIV in a Benghazi hospital. read more

BUSINESS

BULGARIA'S BUSINESS CLIMATE SEES SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT IN MARCH
Bulgaria's business climate has improved by 2.3% in March 2012 as compared with February, according to the country's National Statistical Institute.
The business climate has remained virtually the same as the previous month's in the industry and construction sectors, while an improvement has been registered in retail trade (by 2.4%) and services (by 9.2%). read more

FINANCE

S&P KEEPS UNITED BULGARIAN BANK ON WATCH NEGATIVE
Standard & Poor's rating agency announced it will keep the United Bulgarian Bank, majority-owned by the National Bank of Greece, on its credit watch negative.
The agency affirmed its 'B-/C' long- and short-term counterparty credit ratings on United Bulgarian Bank (UBB) to reflect the bank's 'bb' anchor, adequate business position, capital and earnings, weak risk position, below-average funding, and moderate liquidity. read more

ENERGY

BELENE NPP CANNOT SPOIL BULGARIA-RUSSIA RELATIONS � PM BORISOV
Commenting on the decision to quit the Belene NPP project, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has voiced hopes that Bulgaria and Russia will retain friendly relations.
"I hope that President Putin will stick to his word and that we will part ways as friends on this project," Borisov stated after a hearing in Parliament on Wednesday. read more

ROSATOM HEAD: BELENE NPP CANCELLATION BY BULGARIA IS NEGLIGIBLE LOSS
Sergey Kirienko has said that a potential decision of the Bulgarian authorities to quit the construction of the Belene NPP will not lead to significant losses for Rosatom.
"Given the total volume of orders of Rossatom, the suspension of one nuclear power plant project is an insignificant loss. However, quite some time and efforts went into the Belene NPP. Naturally, it would be a pity if the project was not implemented," the head of Russia's nuclear corporation Rosatom said in an interview for the ITAR-TASS news agency. read more

BULGARIAN PRESIDENT PRAISES GOVT DECISION TO QUIT BELENE NPP
Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev has backed the government's decision to scrap the Belene Nuclear Power Plant project.
According to Plevneliev, Bulgaria's potential financial benefits from the construction of Belene would have been uncertain. read more

BULGARIAN EX ENERGY MINISTER: COMMON SENSE PREVAILED ON BELENE NPP
Traicho Traikov, former Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, has sided with the reactions of approval for the government's decision to quit Belene NPP project.
"Common sense has prevailed, now we need to see the details," Traikov told journalists of news portal dnevnik.bg. read more

BELENE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT CANCELED, BULGARIAN PM CONFIRMS
Bulgaria has quit the Belene Nuclear Power Plant project, the country's Prime Minister has confirmed.
"During today's Council of Ministers Sitting, we decided to terminate the Belene Nuclear Power Plant project," Borisov told reporters. He added that Bulgaria will pay a further EUR 140 M in order to acquire the reactor initially intended for Belene that is to be completely ready in October. read more

BULGARIA RIGHTIST TO PM: CONGRATULATIONS FOR SCRAPPING BELENE!
Rightist leader Martin Dimitrov has praised the decision of the center-right GERB government to quit the Belene NPP project.
"If this is the decision and we are indeed withdrawing from the Belene NPP project, it is the right way to go. I congratulate the Prime Minister, although he wasted money on the project for two years and a half," the leader of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) and Co-Chair of the Blue Coalition said Wednesday. read more

BULGARIAN RIGHT WING LEADER LAUDS ABANDON OF BELENE NPP
Bulgaria's decision to halt the Belene Nuclear Power Plant project is very significant because with it the country returns to the geopolitics of Europe and NATO, according to right-wing leader, Ivan Kostov.
Kostov, who is the leader of the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria party, DSB, and co-Chair of the Blue Coalition, commented for the media after the breaking news that the cabinet has decided to not built a second NPP with Russia in the Danube town of Belene. read more

BULGARIA SOCIALISTS SLAM QUITTING BELENE N-PLANT
Bulgaria's former energy minister, part of the previous Socialist-led coalition, has blasted the decision of the current center-right government to abandon plans for a second nuclear power plant in Belene.
Bulgaria´s government announced on Wednesday it has abandoned plans to build a new, 2000 megawatt nuclear power plant on the Danube River for which it has contracted Russian state firm Atomstroyexport. read more

BULGARIA SEEKS INVESTORS FOR GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT
Bulgaria is looking for potential investors in its gas turbine power plant that is to be constructed in the Danube town of Belene, the country's Deputy Economy and Energy Minister Valentin Nikolov has revealed.
On Wednesday, Bulgaria officially abandoned the Belene Nuclear Power Plant which Sofia and Moscow had agreed on in 2008. Deputy Finance Minister Vladimir Goranov announced that a gas turbine power plant will be built in Belene instead. read more

BULGARIAN GERB SCRAPS PM'S HEARING ON BELENE NPP FATE
Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, had declined appearing in the Parliament for a hearing on the fate of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant.
The co-Chairs of the right-wing Blue Coalition, Ivan Kostov, leader of the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, DSB, and Martin Dimitrov, leader of the Union of Democratic Forces, UDF, requested the hearing because the future of Bulgaria's second NPP in the Danube town of Belene remains even more unclear after Monday's phone conversation between the prime ministers of Bulgaria and Russia. read more

GAS POWER PLANT ON BELENE SITE JUST OPTION - BULGARIAN DEPUTY MINISTER
The idea to build a natural gas power plant on the site of the Belene NPP is just one option but the fate of the terrain is yet to be decided, according to Valentin Nikolov, Bulgaria's Deputy Energy and Economy Minister.
In a Wednesday interview for Darik radio he explained that it was too early to say what would be built on the terrain designated for Bulgaria's second nuclear power plant. read more

CANCELLATION OF BELENE NPP PROJECT SHOULD BE REVOKED � MAYOR
Petar Dulev, Mayor of the northern town of Belene, has expressed optimism that the decision for the suspension of the nuclear power plant project will be revoked.
"What gives us cause for optimism is the studies and the data available on the project, including the preliminary report of the British consulting bank," Dulev added. read more

BULGARIA'S ELECTRIC CO WITH NEW CEO
The financial director of Bulgaria's National Electric Company, NEK, Ivo Lefterov, is temporarily taking over the company.
Lefterov will be acting CEO of NEK until the conclusion of the job competition, Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, Valentin Nikolov, announced Wednesday. read more

MELROSE SWINGS TO PROFIT THANKS TO HIGH GAS PRICES IN BULGARIA
Edinburgh-based oil and gas explorer Melrose Resources reported a rise in profits and said it expects strong results in 2012 on the back of high gas prices in Bulgaria.
Melrose posted a pretax profit of USD 51.6 M compared with a loss of USD 11.7 M a year ago. read more

BULGARIAN AMBASSADOR TO US BACKS SHALE GAS EXPLORATION
Bulgarian Ambassador in Washington DC, Elena Poptodorova, says that the subject of shale gas exploration in the country must be examined more calmly.
Speaking for the Bulgarian State TV BNT, the Ambassador stressed that the government must work on securing even larger US investments in Bulgaria, which would greatly contribute to the country's advancement. read more

BULGARIA TO FORK OUT BGN 2 M AFTER QUITTING BA PIPE
Bulgaria will issue another 18 000 shares to cover expenses of Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, the government decided on Wednesday without providing details.
The shares will be worth BGN 1.8 M to be used for covering costs before Bulgaria can conclusively withdraw from the project, the government said in a statement. read more

PROPANE TANK EXPLOSION, FIRE NEAR SOFIA
A propane butane tank truck has exploded in a warehouse near the Chelopechene residential district in Sofia and another one is burning, according to a statement of the Interior Ministry.
Nobody has been injured and there is no danger for the people living in the area. read more

INDUSTRY

UNPAID BULGARIAN LEAD WORKERS THREATEN LARGE UNREST
Workers of the Lead and Zinc Complex in Kardzhali, the leading Bulgarian non-ferrous metals producer, are blocking the main local road to the city of Haskovo during rush hour Wednesday morning.
The wave of recent protest was triggered by their long-delayed salaries, while the one on Wednesday comes in the aftermath of the personal visit of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, to Kardzhali. Borisov failed to deliver a firm solution for the salaries and the future of the plant. read more

DIPLOMACY

BULGARIA TO APPOINT 4 NEW ENVOYS ABROAD
Bulgaria's major diplomatic reshuffle is set to continue, as the country's Council of Ministers has suggested the appointment of four new Ambassadors abroad.
Career Diplomats Lyubomir Todorov and Georgi Karastamatov will be appointed as heads of the Bulgaria's diplomatic missions in Finland and Armenia respectively. read more

BULGARIA IN EU

DUTCH PARLIAMENT CONDEMNS XENOPHOBIC SITE
Dutch Members of the Parliament have condemned the the notorious anti-immigration website created by the far-right PVV party of Geert Wilders.
The site, titled "Complaints about Central and Eastern Europeans," boasts slogans such as "Do you have problems with people from Central and Eastern Europe?" and "Have you lost your job because of a Pole, a Bulgarian, a Romanian? We want to know." It also displays media headlines reporting how Eastern Europeans commit more and more crime. read more

DOMESTIC

BULGARIA ILLEGAL ASSETS LAW TO TARGET PARTIES TOO - REPORT
Bulgaria's long-delayed bill authorizing widespread confiscation of illegal assets will probe the financing of parties, as well as participants in public procurements, insiders say.
"The ruling GERB party is preparing on the sly serious changes to the bill in between the first and second readings," the opposition-leaning Sega daily reported on Wednesday, citing well-informed sources. read more

BULGARIA'S FAR-RIGHT ENRAGED OVER SCRAPPED BELENE NPP
Bulgaria's far-right Ataka (Attack) party has expressed its disappointment over the government's decision to quit the construction of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant project.
Ruling centrist-right GERB's decision to abandon Belene is a "betrayal of Bulgaria's national interest," Ataka MP Pavel Shopov declared on Wednesday. read more

BULGARIAN PRESIDENT CARES FOR 'THE BIG PICTURE', NOT BELENE NPP
Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev has stated that he is not interested in "particular projects", referring to the fate of his country's potential second nuclear power plant in Belene.
Instead, the President has claimed that he cares for "national priorities that are followed and not substituted." read more

BELENE NPP CRUCIAL FOR BULGARIA'S NEXT COALITION GOVT - RIGHT-WINGER
Bulgaria's right-wing Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) party will only agree to a coalition with ruling centrist-right GERB if it scraps the Bulgarian-Russian Belene nuclear power plant project, it has been made clear.
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov recently named the right-wing Blue Coalition (which involves DSB and the Union of Democratic Forces) as a potential coalition partner after the 2013 general elections. read more

SOCIETY

CLAN OF NOTORIOUS ROMA BOSS MOVES OUT OF BULGARIAN VILLAGE
The family of Bulgaria's notorious Roma boss Kiril Rashkov AKA Tsar Kiro is moving out of the village of Katunitsa, according to local people.
In October 2011, the Regional Construction Control Directorate in the nearby city of Plovdiv ordered the demolishing of the clan's illegally erected buildings. read more

ANOTHER BULGARIAN PASSENGER TRAIN CATCHES FIRE
The engine of the express train serving the line between Bulgarian capital Sofia and the Danube city of Vidin had caught fire Tuesday evening.
The train left Vidin at 4 pm and the fire was noticed about 8:30 pm, near the Lakatnik railroad station. read more

IT'S OFFICIAL: BULGARIAN ECONMIN HAS US BA DIPLOMA
Bulgaria's newly appointed Minister of Economy and Energy, Delyan Dobrev, has graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and Economy Major from the Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, US.
This is the official response of the Director of the PR Office of the University, which had been received after the request of Bulgaria's PRESSCLUB Information Agency (PIA). read more

SPORTS

LEVSKI SOFIA PICKS INTERIM COACH
Levski Sofia's selection manager Georgi Ivanov will serve as interim coach of the major football club until the end of April, the management decided.
This will be Ivanov third stint in this position after stepping in breifly to lead the team in 2010 and 2011. read more

CRIME

2 BULGARIANS JAILED FOR LIFE IN SCOTLAND OVER MILLIONAIRE MURDER
The Edinburgh High Court has sentenced to jail for life two Bulgarians, who acted as a hitman and a fixer in the murder of a millionaire businessman in 2010, bringing to an end a historic case.
Hitman Tencho Andonov and fixer Deyan Nikolov were given on Wednesday life sentences and were ordered to serve at least 29 and 18 years respectively, BBC reported. read more

PROSECUTION ASK 5 YEARS JAIL FOR EX BULGARIAN HEALTH MINISTER
The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office asked Wednesday five years behind bars for former Health Minister in the cabinet Borisov, Bozhidar Nanev.
The prosecution requested from the magistrates to rule that Nanev is guilty for inflicting damages for the Ministry, calculated at BGN 2 454 319.20, which is the difference between the price offered by the British National Health Services through the British Embassy in Sofia and the price negotiated by the Ministry with "Roche Bulgaria" for the antiviral medicine Tamiflu. read more

VIEWS ON BG

BULGARIA: A LAND OF ANTIQUITY AND RESILIENT PEOPLE

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