Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Saturday 28 April 2012

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28 April 2012, Issue 292

by Novinite.com

Bulgaria's Online Weekly Newspaper since 2001

10153 subscribers of Novinite.com

121750 articles

590 interviews

7312 pictures

BUSINESS POLITICS WORLD SHOW SPORTS FORUM

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Special Report

Time for Preemptive Division of Macedonia (?)

By Ivan Dikov

After five Macedonian men were found killed near Skopje last week, the ethnic tensions in the Republic of Macedonia seem to be getting worse by the hour. | read |

Sofia Speaking

Will Bulgariaâ��s PM Finally Grab a Footballer of the Year Title?

By Nikola Petrov

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is known for his passion for sports and is an amateur football player in his spare time. | read |

Business

Business War, 'Corporate Journalism' Plague Bulgarian Media, SEEMO Mission Finds

A conflict between the two largest press business groups in Bulgaria as well as "corporate journalism" undermines the credibility of Bulgarian media, the South and East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO) has concluded in a report. | read |

The Week in Pictures

MiG 29 Crash Wrecks Largest Bulgarian, US Air Force Training

Bulgaria to Become 1st EU Country to Receive Azerbaijani Gas

Hungary’s MOL Ready to Sell Stake in Nabucco Project

Bulgaria's Jammed Capital Starts Building 3rd Overpass

China 'Interested' in Concession of Bulgarian Black Sea Port Varna

Borisov, Van Rompuy Inaugurate New Section of Sofia Metro's Line 1

Fuel Thefts Uncovered at Locomotive Depots in Southern Bulgaria

Farewell for Legendary Bulgarian Actor Naum Shopov

HOT PHOTO

Rutgers Dedicates NJ Folk Festival to Bulgaria, Ambassador to US Special Guest
The 2012 NJ Folk Festival at Rutgers University is dedicated to Bulgaria. Screenshot from the festival website at njfolkfest.rutgers.edu

Top Story

Romanian Govt Collapses, Opposition Leader Nominated as PM

Romania's President Traian Basescu has nominated leftist opposition leader Victor Ponta as the country's new Prime Minister on Friday.

Ponta is to form a government after the Romanian parliament brought down a two-month old center-right cabinet in a no-confidence vote.

"Victor Ponta is the prime minister designate. He was the only proposition made by three political parties," Basescu told a news briefing, as cited by international media.

"I do hope the new government will be installed rapidly," he added.

Ponta must draft a governing program, the cabinet lineup and ask parliament for backing within 10 days.

Romania's government of Prime Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu was brought down, as a total of 235 MPs cast their ballots in favor of defeating it in a no confidence vote on Friday, with 231 votes needed.

Ungureanu's cabinet cut salaries and increase taxes in an attempt to stabilize the country's finances. However, the anti-crisis measures dealt a serious blow to Romaniaâ��s economic recovery.

The no-confidence motion was submitted by the opposition Union of Social Democrats and Liberals (USL). Shortly after the vote, USL leader Victor Ponta declared that the formation was ready to form a new government.

Over the past several days, several MPs of the governing coalition defected to join the oppositional USL, hotnews.ro informs. Early on Friday, USL needed only 4 votes to reach the threshold for the motion to pass and for the government to fall (231 lawmakers).

The cabinet headed by Prime Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu was approved by the country's Parliament on February 9, 2012.

Bulgaria PM Ties Gas Supplies from Azerbaijan to Interconnection with Turkey

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who is on a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan, has said that the main route for exporting Azeri gas to Bulgaria must cross Turkey.

Speaking after a Friday meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Artur Rasizade, Borisov insisted that there was no other option but the Bulgaria-Turkey gas grid interconnection to achieve a diversification of gas supplies.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister stressed the importance of the cooperation with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and EC President Jose Barroso for the process.

"From the talks we held today and yesterday two things became clear to me. One is that it must be clarified whether Europe wants a real diversification of gas supplies. There is no other option than Azerbaijan to achieve this. This is why we shall put all our effort into clearing up the stance on the matter. If they do not allow us to build the gas grid interconnection with Turkey, which will carry Azerbaijani gas to Europe, then, in my opinion, Â the word "diversification" does not exist as a term for the EU," Borisov said.

Azerbaijan's PM Artur Rasizade commented that the political relations between Baku and Sofia were at a very high level, which had to be achieved in all other spheres, for instance in the economic, humanitarian and cultural ties between the two countries.

Rasizade added that trade flows between the two countries mostly consisted of crude oil and petroleum products.

During the two-day visit of the Bulgarian delegation, a memorandum was signed between the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) and Azerbaijan's State Oil Company (SOCAR) for potential gas supplies, provided that the Bulgaria-Turkey gas grid interconnection is built by 2014.

Sofia and Baku will also cooperate in the transportation of gas supplies to Europe from Shah Deniz II and other gas fields in Azerbaijan, in the construction of a new gas storage, in the campaign to encourage gasification in Bulgaria, and in oil and gas exploration and production projects.

After the meeting, the two Prime Ministers signed two agreements for cooperation in the spheres of combating crime and protection from disasters and breakdowns.

World

27 Injured in Ukraine Terror Attacks

The number of injured people in the four explosions that shook Ukraine's Dnepropetrovsk has climbed to 27, according to the country's Emergency Ministry.
| read |

Diplomacy

Russian Patriarch Kirill Gives Blessing to Bulgaria

The Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Kirill, gave his blessings to the religious Bulgarians after arriving in Sofia on Friday.
| read |

More News

· Bulgaria Passes Controversial Illegal Assets Law in Dark of Night
· Bulgaria's Business Climate Sees Slight Improvement in April

· Bulgaria's Telerik Acquires US Partner NimblePros
· 9517 Bulgarians Gave Up on Bulgaria in 2011 - Official Data

Finance