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Yet another high concentration of sulphur dioxide in the southern Bulgarian town of Dimitrovgrad was reported Tuesday The pollution monitoring system in the town detected levels of the chemical substance exceeding the permitted threshold of 350 micrograms per cubic meter at 3 pm and 4 pm Poisonous emissions from the thermal power plants of the Maritza-Iztok Complex are the cause for the elevated concentration of sulphur dioxide in the area We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria The air quality in several Bulgarian cities Air pollution is the leading environmental health risk in Europe with 357,000 deaths in the European Union in 2022 the Sofia Inspectorate conducted 158 inspections targeting potential sources of air pollution due to the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology’s (NIMH) forecast for elevated PM10 levels Sofia is implementing a green ticket for public transport today as a measure to address poor air quality Air quality in Sofia was reported to be completely within permissible limits on Thursday In response to elevated levels of PM10 particles in Sofia’s air and forecasts predicting continued potential for pollution The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology forecasts that May will bring temperatures ranging from 2°C to 33°C across Bulgaria the weather will be mostly sunny—around and after midday cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds will develop Bulgaria and Greece have signed a draft Joint Declaration regarding the use of the Arda River waters over the next five years following a decision by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers The weather across Bulgaria on May 1 will begin with sunshine in the morning followed by an increase in cloud cover during the afternoon The Constitutional Court of Bulgaria has repealed legislative changes made two years ago that permitted the installation of photovoltaic (solar) systems on arable agricultural land Bulgaria will experience mostly sunny weather accompanied by a light to moderate east-northeast wind Google Street View Cars Return to Bulgaria for Major Mapping Update Housing Prices Soar in Bulgaria’s Major Cities as Demand and Supply Strain Increase After the storm that caused flooding in Northwestern Bulgaria it turns out that the areas affected by the disaster did not receive a warning from the Bg-Alert system The government's response is that more municipal administration employees need to be trained to be able to send messages through the Bg-Alert system 98 municipalities have sent requests for training The Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the National Association of Municipalities and Mayor of Dimitrovgrad Municipality Ivo Dimov stated that in his opinion the connection between the institutions and the protocol of the warning system has been broken “One year after the system was put into operation 1/4 of the regional governments that have the right to operate the system have submitted applications for training of their employees“ it is time for the National Association of Municipalities and all competent authorities to clarify the methodology and way of working of the system “The operator of the system is the General Directorate “Fire Safety and Protection of the Population“ according to the Regulation published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs“ More news from Bulgaria 50,000 volunteers helped create Dimitrovgrad a new city that symbolised the brave new world of communist Bulgaria In her flat overlooking the main square of Dimitrovgrad 90-year-old Maria Oteva casts her mind back more than seven decades to the foundation of the town in the early years of Bulgaria’s communist era 50,000 volunteers built this city because they believed in something,” she says you wouldn’t find 50 people to come and clean up the dirty streets.” All of this was made with our sweat – it was built by decent people who thought they believed in somethingPeter SharkovOteva was one of those volunteers aged 17 and eager to build a new socialist Bulgaria after the ravages of the second world war She had joined the partisan resistance against the Nazi-allied government as a young teenager before joining the regular army in 1944 when Bulgaria She operated a machine gun and then worked as a medic as the army fought its way into Hungary Left: Young volunteers during the construction of Dimitrovgrad; right: Maria Oteva today she joined the police force before being invited to join the “brigades” movement of volunteers being assembled by the new communist government for public works projects The most ambitious of these was Dimitrovgrad a city that was to exemplify the brave new world being created ShowScores of new cities are rising across the world from previously untouched desert and jungle While the history of cities built from scratch is long the scale of the current epidemic is beyond anything seen before.  Another 2.5 billion people are predicted to move to cities over the next 30 years and the trend shows no signs of stopping New research has identified more than 100 examples This week Guardian Cities meets the 90-year-olds who built the Bulgarian city of Dimitrovgrad after the second world war (many still live there) and visits the bizarre Bahria Town development promising Karachi residents protection from terror attacks and violent crime.  We look at Hong Kong’s plan to build artificial islands for 1.1 million people and examine Egypt’s dream to conquer the Sahara We remember past visions of future cities and ask is there ever a good reason to start a city from scratch Nick Van Mead Thank you for your feedback.Oteva was the leader of the first group of “brigadiers” to work on Dimitrovgrad following a course of lessons in construction techniques She lives in one of the original buildings constructed for workers in the city and spends much of the day on the balcony looking out over the town hall “I believed strongly in the ideas and perspectives offered by socialism,” Oteva says “It gave people power and the keys to their future.” A group of young volunteers pose during the construction of Dimitrovgrad Dimitrovgrad was constructed on the site of three small villages and named after the first communist leader of Bulgaria who would die two years after the city was founded According to the regime’s official version of events Dimitrovgrad was established on 10 May 1947 when a group of 40 young people arrived at the site on the banks of the Maritsa River on the Thracian Plain and decided to build the city of the future It was to be a symbol of the conversion of a predominantly rural society to an industrialised The zeitgeist of that era is strikingly portrayed in murals at the Asen Zlatarov high school the first built for the children of Dimitrovgrad’s workers They depict the glory of workers striving to build a better country and future with idealised communist images of family life a former teacher; right: Yordana Strancheva a former purse maker in one of Dimitrovgrad’s now-defunct factories it was the first of the grand communist projects and they constructed a totally new city according to communist ideals of urbanism,” says Dimana Trankova a writer who has authored a three-volume book on communist Bulgaria and written extensively about the city “The project was very important in showcasing the new Bulgarian government.” For some, the communist dream faded quickly. Penyo Penev, a poet, was an early and enthusiastic arrival in the city, and his works were promoted by the regime. But Penev killed himself aged 28, apparently disillusioned with the reality of life in the new utopia. His old apartment is one of the city’s few tourist attractions. As Trankova points out, not everyone participating in the brigades was an enthusiastic participant. While many were already won over by the relentless communist message, some felt compelled to join to improve their standing with the new regime, having come from families that had fallen foul of it. Clockwise from top: inhabitants and retired workers from the neighbourhood of Tolbuhin in downtown Dimitrovgrad; Peter Sharkov in his office; and Malin Dimovski, 85, part of the electrician brigade that took part in Dimitrovgrad’s construction One of these was Peter Sharkov, now an 81-year-old author. Sharkov was born in a small village in south-west Bulgaria. When the communists came to power, his father’s land was seized by the government. Jobless and fearing imprisonment, the younger Sharkov travelled to Dimitrovgrad and enrolled as a brigade manager building housing units, despite his antipathy to communism. “That time was good for poorer workers, who had the certainty of a decent living but it was a hard time for the wealthier families, who saw their property and land confiscated,” he says, adding that he still feels resentment about the communist period. Nonetheless, he feels a certain pride towards Dimitrovgrad. “It’s important that the heritage is preserved,” he says. “All of this is made with our sweat. Everything has to be maintained – it was built by decent people who thought they believed in something. You can’t take that away from them.” After the fall of communism, a large statute of Dimitrov was removed from the city centre, and now lies face-down in a corner of a park. Sharkov, like many others in the city, would like to see it reinstated. Left: a mural in front of Dimitrovgrad city hall that glorifies the advent of communism in Bulgaria Dimitrovgrad has made a rapid and incongruous transition to capitalist consumerism, says Trankova. Located at a crossroads near the Turkish border, the city developed a huge and lively market for previously unavailable goods, drawing shoppers and traders from around the region. Today, thousands come across the frontier to gamble in its gaudy casinos, which are illegal in Turkey. Dimitrovgrad is also regarded as the birthplace of chalga, a pop-folk style of music that embraces the sort of vulgar lyrics and conspicuous consumption that would have shocked the early pioneers. Finally, the city was re-dedicated: its name now officially refers to St Demetrios, a saint popular in the region, rather than the late communist leader. For many younger residents, times have moved. Ivo Ivanov, 25, and his 27-year-old wife, Viktoriya, typify a generation that has no direct memory of the communist era. Read moreThe couple are worried about the country in which they are bringing up their three-year-old son describing it as plagued by corruption and social injustice A chemical factory originally named after Stalin employs about 1,000 people This is a far cry from the days when it provided jobs for 10,000 workers and was the lifeblood of the local economy The couple are preparing to move to the UK “We have a better life than our parents did under communism,” says Ivanov. “We want to get rid of the label of ‘communist town’ and start building a future with the help of the EU and young people across Europe.” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Two individuals from Dimitrovgrad were detained on charges of possessing and trafficking more than 300 firearms and ammunition after a raid by the Directorate General for Combating Organized Crime (DGCOC) Haskovo District Prosecutor Ivan Stoyanov said at a press conference He revealed that arrests followed searches at 10 private addresses across Haskovo with special intelligence means employed in the investigation DGCOC’s raid found a large cache of weapons at multiple locations Confiscated items included three Kalashnikov assault rifles and assorted metal plates were also found at the addresses Many of the firearms had altered serial numbers Investigations and expert evaluations into these findings are currently ongoing Supervising Prosecutor Krasimira Neycheva from the Dimitrovgrad Prosecution Service confirmed that both individuals have no prior criminal records or convictions She reported that charges have been filed for possession and trafficking of illegal weapons and ammunition in significant quantities Despite one individual holding a legal weapons permit multiple illegal firearms were discovered in their possession Investigations have documented two transactions though it remains unclear if the weapons were intended for domestic sale or export DGCOC Deputy Director Kalin Litov said that at the end of 2023 the directorate has exposed a network engaged in procuring and restoring decommissioned weapons for sale Evidence suggests that these weapons were acquired Parts of these arms were disassembled and distributed to purchasers through shipping companies Coordinator of ground operations for DGCOC Marian Mitkov said that the majority of weapons seized in the recent raid were designated for criminal groups within the country He added that efforts to fully uncover the operation are continuing The accused could face three to ten years in prison for weapons possession and two to eight years for their sale Contacts +359 2 9262 210 This website uses cookies. 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All rights reserved One of the largest Bulgarian fertilizer factories Neochim Plc has restarted production after being shut down for repairs for two months the successor of the chemical plant in the southern town of Dimitrovgrad founded in 1951 its operational director Pavel Pavlov announced Friday Neochim's facilities will now be able to produce 2 100 metric tons of ammonium nitrate and 970 metric tons of ammonia in 24 hours stressing the modernizations of the production process that have been introduced For the first time since it was opened in 1987 the nitric acid facility of the Neochim plant will be powered with hydrogen instead of the nitrogen and hydrogen mix previously used The management of Neochim Plc has stated further that the company is fully prepared with its boosted capacity to meet any demands of Bulgaria's domestic and export markets The European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) registered three earthquakes in Bulgaria within 30 minutes A mobile team of the Environmental Executive Agency will monitor the air quality in the area of the village of Kalotina to the border point with Serbia An ammonia wagon overturned near the Serbian town of Pirot and a state of emergency was declared in the town Exceedance of the maximum allowable hourly norms of sulfur dioxide (SO2) has been registered in Dimitrovgrad announced the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water (RIEW) in Haskovo Bulgaria's exports of alcoholic beverages totaled 30.4 million euros Bulgarian garment companies are struggling to find new markets due to the recent increase in tariffs on industrial goods under Donald Trump’s administration Bulgaria recorded the highest annual growth in construction output among EU member states The digital entertainment landscape is evolving rapidly with new platforms and experiences reshaping how we spend our leisure time Bulgaria has seen a record influx of workers from non-EU countries in recent years yet the demand for labor in various industries remains unmet Industrial production in Bulgaria continued to experience a downturn at the start of the year Putin and Lukashenko speak on Union State ties and united historical memory at Volgograd forum Russia proposes joint aviation venture with Belarus as part of expanded industrial cooperation Russian and Belarusian agents accused of plotting attacks on exiled Belarusians in Lithuania Belarus now ‘untouchable’ under Russia’s nuclear umbrella Tensions flare in Azerbaijan–Russia ties despite Patriarch’s visit Russian manufacturing downturn eases with PMI of 49.3 in April Global press freedom indicator slips – Statista Europe’s quest for Central Asian resources meets reality but playing second fiddle to the Northern Route Think-tank urges EU to consider 'Big Bang' enlargement and sweeping reforms Trump policies won’t harm Emerging Europe badly – and will actively benefit Russia EU swaps China for Russia in procurement of rare earth metals Incoming German government compromises on carbon offsets to boost flagging economy Hungary requests activation of national escape clause MOL and TPAO bring upstream partnership to Hungary casting doubt on government’s growth targets Poland’s manufacturing conditions improve for third consecutive month in April but outlook weakens Tusk unveils national doctrine to build strongest army Hungary and Slovakia warn EU against scrapping unanimity rule over Ukraine membership bid Protesters return to towns and cities across Slovakia against cabinet’s NGO bill Press freedom declines sharply in several Balkan countries Albania’s 2025 general election to test democratic institutions Western Balkan states increase use of surveillance Bulgaria-based crypto lender Nexo to return to US market Spanish blackout caused by extreme weather and a major renewables failure for the first time Croatia to prioritise economic cooperation as chair of Three Seas Initiative Moldova approves €8bn development plan for 2026-2028 George Simion takes decisive lead in Romanian presidential election first round Romanian nationalist politician Simion is strong frontrunner in presidential election first round Far-right candidate leads Romania presidential race as mainstream rivals battle for runoff spot Serbian president stable after falling ill during US visit PMI shows Turkish manufacturing stayed in doldrums in April Turkey pushes up exporter obligation to sell FX to central bank to 35% of revenues Turkish unicorn Dream Games raises $2.5bn in private equity round at $5bn valuation COMMENT: Embracing “Greater Central Asia” has become a strategic imperative for US Russia and Europe vie for investment in Central Asia Russia removes Taliban from terrorist list acknowledging it as legitimate leadership of Afghanistan Taliban seek $100mn from World Bank to restart work on CASA-1000 electricity transmission project COMMENT: Europe could benefit from partnering with Armenian tech innovation Armenia courts African countries to supply diamond industry New study reveals extent of Russian disinformation targeting Emerging Europe Aid ship to Gaza hit by drone strikes near Malta in international waters “Lost” Ottoman era painting reappears at Sotheby’s London MACRO ADVISORY: Kazakhstan’s High Stakes Oil Gambit Gold mine no cash cow for Kyrgyz government Kyrgyz PM gets polite brush off by US business executives Turkey’s foreign policy falling apart on all fronts China exports Xi Jinping Thought to Mongolia Boosting Mongolia’s democracy with reform remains an uphill battle China spikes Gazprom gas export plan in Central Asia Tajikistan: Big purge at Interior Ministry First-ever Uzbek-language startup guidebook series launched to support aspiring entrepreneurs Oil is a major source of income for eight African countries – OWID Sanctioned Russian cargo ship sinks in Mediterranean after explosion Russia's budget oil breakeven price world’s second lowest as oil revenues recover Southeast European countries look to Algeria to diversify energy supplies Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 16% of the global population but 67% of extreme poverty - OWID Russia's expanding pull in Africa is pushing Western influence out EBRD delivers 26% expansion in investments in 2024 Global access to energy starts to fall for the first time in a decade Saudi Arabia hosts kingdom's first Africa summit Putin at 2023 Africa-Russia summit: Wiping debts Botswana throws the diamond industry a lifeline Nelson Mandela worried about natural diamonds Botswana’s 2,492-carat diamond discovery is golden opportunity to replicate legendary Jonker diamond's global legacy Kamikaze marketing: how the natural diamond industry could have reacted to the lab-grown threat Guns and gold: how two coups reshaped Burkina Faso’s mining sector Russia’s Rosatom to support nuclear projects across Africa at AEW2024 Chase and HSBC reportedly unwittingly processed payments for Wagner warlord Prigozhin Burkina Faso the latest African country to enter nuclear power plant construction talks with Russia IMF: China’s slowdown will hit sub-Saharan growth Moscow unlikely to give up Niger toehold as threat of ECOWAS military action looms CAR mercenary becomes first African to die in Ukraine conflict Russia to capitalise on Africa’s growing energy demand Minerals for security: can the US break China’s grip on the DRC BRICS seeks new global alignment at Rio ministerial summit BRICS labour meeting in Brasilia tackles AI impact CONFERENCE CALL: Aurora Women in Tech Global Awards France call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza amid trilateral summit in Cairo Can Eritrea’s mining sector flourish under autocratic rule SDS storms fed by sand and dust equal in weight to 350 Great Pyramids of Giza US Treasury targets Iran's National Oil Co HALLIGAN: Trump's tariffs are either madness or genius – it could go either way Brazil hosts first BRICS Sherpas meeting with expanded membership From oil to minerals: Gabon’s ambitious mining transition Guinea grants final approvals to Rio Tinto for $11.6bn Simandou iron-ore project PANNIER: Prince Karim Aga Khan IV obituary New Aga Khan takes helm of Ismaili Shi'ite Muslims Liberia’s mining resurgence: from conflict to opportunity US adds 17 Liberian-flagged bulk carriers and oil tankers to Russian sanctions-busting blacklist Force majeure at Libya’s Zawiya Refinery threatens exports and oil expansion plans facing loss of Syrian base for Africa operations seen turning to war-torn Sudan or divided Libya Libya’s mineral riches: unlocking a future beyond oil Russia funding war in Ukraine via illegal gold mining in Africa – WGC report Ukraine claims it was behind massacre of Wagner Group mercenaries in Mali Uzbekistan's Startup Garage arrives in North Africa with Casablanca launch EBRD warns of risks for emerging markets pursuing industrial policies Can Morocco's phosphate wealth put it at the centre of the global battery supply chain Foreign agricultural workers flock to South Africa as sector expands Russia's nuclear diplomacy binding emerging markets to the Kremlin Can Niger's military junta seize the country's uranium opportunity Disaster season: heat waves sweep the world – in charts and maps Niger and beyond: Francophone credit delivers coup de grâce From blood diamonds to critical minerals: Sierra Leone’s mining transformation 10 African countries to experience world’s fastest population growth to 2100 Global military spending surges to $2.7 trillion – Statista SITREP: Middle East rapidly destabilised by a week of missile strikes Gold and guns: how civil war keeps Sudan's mineral riches in the ground Colombian mercenaries trapped in Sudan’s conflict COMMENT: What impact will a raft of protests across the Emerging Markets have Tunisian President Kais Saied re-elected for second term Sri Lanka's LTL Holdings targets African power sector WHO declares "global public health emergency" owing to mpox outbreak in Central Africa Climate crisis-driven global food security deteriorated between 2019 and 2022 and is even affecting the US Reserve Bank of India signals further rate cuts as inflation eases and growth outlook weakens Singapore eases monetary policy again as growth outlook dims and tariff pressures mount Russia and Indonesia work on direct bank settlement framework to bolster trade Bank of Korea expected to lower rates in April despite currency slide IMF: Global debt to exceed pandemic levels soon Oil falls 3.75% amid global trade war recession fears Chipping point – the climate toll of AI chip-making in East Asia Indonesia’s coal politics: maintaining a strategic market price despite Chinese resistance India moves to cut reliance on Chinese solar modules and PV cells Google backs Taiwan’s geothermal future in landmark Asia-Pacific energy deal mobility infrastructure in western Himalayas India eyes deeper trade ties with trusted economies Record gold prices to hit sales volume of Indian jewellery retailers Beijing VS Washington on rare earths – and why the US is losing Vietnam gold prices hit record highs as global bullion rallies Indonesia to launch national data centre by April 2025 Tehran-based ride-hailing giant sets record with nearly 6mn daily trips Chinese threat to submarine cables emerges in Indo-Pacific BMI: New US tariffs set to reshape economic landscape across Middle East US deploys six B-2 bombers to Indian Ocean ahead of Iran standoff Arab League and UN condemns brutal Israeli airstrikes on Gaza COMMENT: Gulf states court Russia but stop short of strategic shift Trump threatens sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil Iranian exporters eye expanded routes via Canadian association Iraq facing worst drought in history as water resources dwindle and climate crisis intensifies Unemployed Iraqi engineers block Lukoil’s site in Basra Kazakhstan will put national interests over OPEC+ oil limits US forces withdraw from military base in Syria's Al-Hasakah province Israel to respond against Yemen for missile on Tel Aviv airport COMMENT: Israel is attempting to destabilise Syria Israeli fighter jets strike targets near the Syrian presidential palace Ryanair and Wizz Air to launch direct flights to Jordan in April Netanyahu to discuss Turkey-Israel relations with Trump at White House on April 7 Syrian foreign ministry urges Kuwait to reopen embassy in Damascus Middle East markets suffer massive losses as Trump tariff effects continue Deadly Israeli air raids heighten risk of renewed Lebanon-Israel conflict Israel launches airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburb amid Lebanon escalation Missile sirens sound in northern Israel amid Lebanon border tensions Is Oman the 'Switzerland of the Middle East' Iran FM to visit Russia ahead of second round of US talks Israel faces major wildfires in Jerusalem hills as authorities evacuate villages Indonesian President Prabowo’s Middle East mission: Humanitarian diplomacy or saviour complex COMMENT: Is Israel's Prime Minister committing political suicide Saudi Arabia deploys AI to streamline Hajj Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Air plans first flights for late 2025 Saudi Arabia's US Treasury holdings fall to $126.4bn in February Montenegro mega beach deal reignites debate over UAE investments in Western Balkans Protesters against UAE beach development deal target Montenegrin parliament Turkey says it wants no confrontation with Israel in Syria ECLAC cuts Latin America growth forecast amid global uncertainties LatAm set to be world's slowest-growing region as World Bank slashes forecasts Trump’s trade tariffs push Mexico towards recession and weigh on regional growth Latin American leaders blast US tariffs at CELAC summit as China offers economic lifeline Why investors are turning their gaze to Latin America after Trump tariffs Gazprom abandons Bolivia's Azero project after 16 years of unfulfilled promises Brazilian police foil bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga's 2mn people Rio concert IMF suspends Colombia's flexible credit line amid fiscal concerns Colombia’s import surge deepens trade deficit Latin America to miss more than three-quarters of 2030 sustainability targets EU observers reject election fraud allegations in Ecuador Ecuador's Noboa secures presidential win with 55.95% of vote El Salvador plays defiant game with IMF Bitcoin rules Trump and Bukele cement controversial migrant deportation deal Cross-border oil smuggling reveals dark underbelly of US-Mexico trade nexus Mexico rejects bleak IMF recession forecast Panama’s Mulino rules out mining law in bid to restart First Quantum project Trinidad opposition sweeps to power in decisive election victory Venezuela embraces Russian GLONASS in challenge to US satellite dominance Japanese official warns of wider Asian security impact of Trump tariffs ASIA BLOG: Is China preparing to poke the paper tiger in the White House Asian giants thrive in Russia despite sanctions ASIA BLOG: China suddenly recognises need for community Myanmar junta chief to attend regional summit in Bangkok Southeast Asia's leading economies ponder possible US tariffs as 90-day pause takes effect China doubles down on Cambodia ties amid global trade tensions but Myanmar’s celebrations damped by earthquake aftermath Albanese defies ‘incumbency curse’ with a landslide re-election in Australia Pakistan airspace closure impacts around 600 Indian flights war clouds hover over the Indian subcontinent Nusantara: Indonesia’s grand ambition to reshape its future Empty shelves and soaring costs hit Japan’s rice supply China to boost Russian LNG imports in 2025 Myanmar’s recovery stalls as extent of losses still not known North Korea acknowledges deployment of troops to support Russia in Kursk region North Korea is making billions of dollars a year from supplying Russia with weapons India bans Pakistani Youtube channels over provocative content after Kashmir attack US imposes preliminary duties on Southeast Asian solar imports Papua New Guinea tribal conflict leaves 30 dead amid gold mine dispute Singapore election outcome a ‘clear signal of trust South Korea’s PPP narrows presidential field to two finalists China accuses US of sophisticated cyberattacks Thailand's Maha Songkran World Water Festival draws over 558,000 visitors Magnit acquires controlling stake in Azbuka Vkusa German Prosecutors Confirm Termination of Money Laundering Investigation Against Alisher Usmanov Comments by President of the Russian Fertilizers Producers Association Andrey Guryev on bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC green chemistry research grants awarded for the 8th time to world's best young scientists Download the pdf version Download the pdf version Download the pdf version Download the pdf version The southeastern Serbian municipality of Dimitrovgrad is planning to build a cross-border industrial park for IT companies, near the border with Bulgaria, eKapija.com reported on October 4 A day earlier, Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said that every second job that was created in Serbia in the past year was in the IT sector the municipality of Dimitrovgrad has announced a tender for drafting a development plan for the project was cited by eKapija as saying that the park which will be the first of its kind in Serbia would be located in the border crossing area of Gradinje with Bulgaria and will cover an area of 2 hectares we are planning to build a cross-border industrial park with Bulgaria mainly from the IT sector,” Dimitrov said.  Check the box to receive the e-magazine to your inbox every month for free Get notified when there's a new bne IntelliNews Podcasts added The little town in eastern Serbia (population 6,000) is an otherwise unremarkable place bucolic tableau save for a small police station on a hill overlooking the town It’s here that a steady stream of Iraqis Syrians and Afghans emerge daily to report allegations of abuse at the hands of police in neighboring Bulgaria it would seem that Bulgaria is the European Union’s most violent land for transiting refugees unlawful imprisonment and even murder — by local police forces have climbed two Yazidis from Nineveh Governate in northern Iraq sit on a bus outside the Dimitrovgrad police station after completing registration They are still shivering after walking many hours through the forest to reach Serbia The linings of their jackets are ripped — the result of the Bulgarian police searching them for money “We tried the Bulgarian border four times and the final time we were successful but then we met the police,” said Ali they set dogs on us and one father who tried to defend his daughter from the dogs got beaten by the police They took our phones that we were using for GPS and €200 each There was a man with disabilities who couldn’t understand what the police were telling him We heard these rumors about Bulgaria but there is no other way for us Daesh [ISIL] is half an hour from our city Afghan refugees talk about the hardships of their crossing through Bulgaria upon their arrival in Dimitrovgrad | Nicola Zolin Yet no other EU state has seen anywhere near a comparable number of allegations of violence committed against refugees In a continent increasingly torn by how to deal with the ceaseless arrival of people fleeing the world’s worst conflicts Bulgaria’s tough approach is silently tolerated In March 2015, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee reported that two Iraqi Yazidis fleeing ISIL and whose legs were reportedly broken by Bulgarian police were brought back to Turkey by friends and eventually froze to death in a remote village Responding to allegations that his police force used excessive violence Gounev first chose to focus on the claimants’ immigration status and maintains that Bulgaria is rooting out potential security threats to Europe “The use of force to subdue a large group of migrants who disobey police orders “On a monthly basis we identify individuals who are related to either terrorist organizations or radical movements or sympathize with them ISIL views Yazidis as infidels and persecuted them so brutally that the few families with resources to do so choose to flee Iraq and Turkey, mistrustful of living in any Muslim society. Last November, Kurdish forces backed by U.S. airstrikes liberated the Yazidi heartland of Sinjar only to find numerous mass graves of women ISIL militants had deemed too old to become sex slaves Afghan refugees on the bus bound for Belgrade | Nicola Zolin an Iraqi-Yazidi father proudly introduced his two-year-old daughter Jilan named after a 19 year-old Yazidi girl who was captured in Mosul by ISIL in 2014 and slashed her wrists before she could be dragged into a world of rape “The majority of them are basically economic migrants “[The Yazidis] are internally displaced to safe areas of Iraq and they are looking for economic opportunities in Europe.” refugees in Dimitrovgrad first register with the local police to obtain a document which gives them 72 hours to either claim asylum in Serbia Outside the police station the local Serbian mafia run a racket of shuttle buses to Belgrade who allege they were robbed by the police as they crossed the Bulgarian border It’s left to a small band of European volunteers to appeal to the mafia to give them a free pass Some volunteers pay out of their own pocket We idly discuss the Bulgarian authorities’ conduct with Goran a ‘businessman’ from the nearby city of Niš “They are not really behaving as you might expect from a European Union member.” Coordinating the volunteers is Tarek Muharat the ruined city so closely linked to the Syrian revolution He wearily points out that negotiating with gangsters is an undesirable but necessary part of the process I came to the camp after I received a phone call informing me that the police are beating the refugees in the yard,” Muharat said “I arrive and there is this gigantic guy blocking my path ‘How about I kill you and send you back to Syria in a box?’ And I reply I haven’t been back home in years.’ Then he let me in a translator for the Serbian police in Dimitrovgrad I follow him down the hill back into town and he begins to talk about the distressing tales he hears on a daily basis “It makes me angry but I can do nothing Bulgarian police are just searching for the money — if someone doesn’t have money Two weeks ago a boy told me that they didn’t believe his age — he was sixteen — so put him in jail for 80 days Some of the migrants told me that people are dying on the way A spluttering engine backfires in the distance Gounev explains that the police have a right to shoot in the air to halt intruding refugees especially when there is aggressive behavior — and there is on a monthly basis — [the border police] fire warning shots It was such an occasion when we had an … accident with a refugee or a migrant being injured and died.” was shot dead by border police in front of his brother after he and around 50 others were caught hiding under a bridge Bulgarian authorities maintain he was hit by a “ricochet” bullet fragment following a “warning shot” after the group “resisted” and refused to obey commands Bulgarian police officers on the scene following the shooting death of an Afghan migrant in October | Nikolay Doychinov/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images asylum seekers don’t have bright prospects in Serbia where some reception centers still host ethnic Serb refugees who fled Croatia and Bosnia during the wars of the ’90s Employment opportunities and meaningful integration remain elusive in both countries a repurposed concert venue is often the site of refugees’ first friendly welcome it is a mere five-minute walk to Miksaliste (“the mixing place”) medicine and clothes — all provided by donations an engineering student from the restive Baghlan Province in Afghanistan dusts off a smart brown trenchcoat and shakes his head as he recollects his Bulgarian experience One [policeman] hit one of our friends and his leg was broken.” Volunteer manager Aleksandra Djurdjev speaks as a group of Afghan men pour tea and kick a football in the background Refugees and volunteers pause for a bit of football in Belgrade they survey clothes made available by NGOs | Nicola Zolin Regugees looking for better clothes at Miksaliste center in Belgrade but then when we start talking with them about what they have been through in Bulgaria It’s not unusual for the volunteers to cry a lot in the beginning.” Though the interior ministry stresses that excessive force and extortion are not policy a 2013 investigation by Bulgarian state TV broadcast interviews with members of the border police who revealed that their superiors instructed them to “beat” refugees and “send them back.” most refugees’ claims about police conduct do not specify a location and are therefore impossible to investigate “I think that if this was a massive case of abuse this would mean that thousands of migrants would have been abused which would mean that there is some kind of undeclared crime a little white tent has been set up as a playroom for refugee children many draw images of their odyssey to Europe among countless colorful doodles of rolling hills and crowded cars heart-stopping in its childlike bluntness: Andrew Connelly (@connellyandrew) is a roving freelance journalist covering politics in Europe and its borders Also On POLITICO OPTICS In pictures: Through the hell called Bulgaria By Tim Ball Fear and mistrust prevent many from returning after a Russian-negotiated agreement changed the map Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought for 27 years Barely two decades ago Baku was a dusty backwater recovering from war Generation IV nuclear unit scheduled for completion in 2026 Pilot fuel elements for the Generation IV MBIR multipurpose fast neutron research reactor under construction in Russia have passed acceptance tests allowing state nuclear corporation Rosatom researchers to move on to production of fuel for the initial loading of the reactor core Rosatom said the pilot fuel elements had been manufactured by researchers in the fuel technology department of the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (NIIAR) as part of a Russian government programme to develop nuclear science and technology It is scheduled for completion in 2026 and physical startup for 2027 The MBIR will primarily use sodium as a coolant and vibro-packed mixed-oxide (VMOX) fuel VMOX is a Russian variant of MOX fuel in which blended uranium-plutonium oxide powders and fresh uranium-oxide powder are loaded directly into the cladding tube of the fuel assembly instead of first being manufactured into pellets The reactor will be used for the development of materials for Generation IV fast neutron reactors Scientists will use it for experiments on the operating parameters of core components under normal and emergency conditions when using sodium According to earlier reports the total cost of the project could be up to $1.5bn (€1.35bn) but no recent figures have been made public Which language would you like to use this site in Russian human rights activist Yan Sidorov is facing the prospect of three years under harsh probation conditions when he is released next week from the penal colony where he has spent the last two years Yan Sidorov is a prisoner of conscience, whose attempts to hold a peaceful protest in 2017 resulted in an imprisonment at a Dimitrovgrad penal colony after he had spent two years in pre-trial detention but on 29 October Dimitrovgrad City Court will hear a request by the authorities to impose a severely restrictive probation period “Russian authorities are sending a clear signal to all young activists that participation in peaceful protests can come at huge personal cost Yan Sidorov has already served four years in prison; he may now have to spend three more under strict police surveillance forbidden to go out after 10 pm and banned from travelling outside the Krasnodar region,” said Natalia Zviagina Amnesty International’s Moscow Office Director Russian authorities are sending a clear signal to all young activists that participation in peaceful protests can come at huge personal cost “The Russian penitentiary authorities must immediately withdraw their request to impose additional arbitrary restrictions on Yan Sidorov and release him unconditionally Yan Sidorov has done nothing but exercise his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and this outrageous campaign of punishment must end.” Two weeks ahead of Yan Sidorov’s release from penal colony IK-10 in Dimitrovgrad (Central Russia) the penitentiary administration requested that the court impose a three-year probation period on him Conditions include obligatory biweekly registration at the local police station and a curfew between 10 pm and 6 am; Sidorov would also be banned from leaving his native Krasnodar region and banned from attending or participating in any mass events The Dimitrovgrad City Court will hear this case on 29 October the penal colony authorities accused Yan Sidorov of violation of the prison regime regulations – allegedly for not attending morning workout – and placed him in a punishment cell for seven days Yan Sidorov and his friend Vladislav Mordasov who spent almost two years in pre-trial detention were found guilty of “attempted organization of mass disturbances” and each sentenced to more than six years imprisonment for organizing a peaceful protest in November 2017 The protest was in support of dozens of people in Rostov-on-Don (Southern Russia) who had lost their homes in mass fires Their sentences were subsequently reduced to four years on cassation Vladislav Mordasov serving his sentence in IK-9 penal colony in Shakhty (Rostov-on-Don region) is due to be released on 3 November as well Together we can fight for human rights everywhere Your donation can transform the lives of millions If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you The plant is closed for exceeding the amount of SO2 and will remain closed until it meets the norms and standards 0 Officials temporarily shut down thermal power plant (TPP) Maritsa 3 in Dimitrovgrad due to violations of air pollution norms for sulfur dioxide Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova and Minister of Energy Rossen Hristov announced the urgent move The automatic measuring station in Dimitrovgrad has recorded breaches of SO2 levels eight times in less than 12 hours “If the colleagues there fail to cope with the task They are closed to find a way to work within the norms they should remain closed,” Hristov said Despite massive air pollution with SO2 from the lignite-fired Maritsa 3 plant the population of Dimitrovgrad will not be evacuated TPP Maritsa 3 is located in the Stara Zagora area in southern Bulgaria the largest energy complex in Southeastern Europe It consists of three lignite-fired thermal power plants (TPP Brikel which is the successor of TPP Maritsa Iztok 1 TPP Brikel is another coal plant in the area that recently received a closure order Very high exceedings of SO2 limits were recorded but the facility then remained in operation due to a court ruling Daily inspections are running in TPP Brikel and other coal plants in the country The moment is critical as Bulgaria is the target of two lawsuits for air pollution One case relates to a breach of standards for SO2 and the other for particulate matter (PM) pollution In May, the European Union Court of Justice found Bulgaria guilty of systematically exceeding the permitted SO2 levels between 2007 and 2018 “None of us wants to close the plants but there are complex permits that define the conditions under which each of them must work,” Karamfilova noted Coal-fired power plants in Bulgaria operate under the European Commission’s derogation the country has limited numbers of exceedances of the norms that can be committed There is a possibility that the derogation could be revoked for the SO2 standards in the entire Maritsa Iztok coal basin “We are currently at 23 average violations per hour which would lead to the closure of all coal-fired power plants in the country,” Hristov said He points out that thermal power plants in the Bulgarian lignite basin have a capacity of over 3,000 MW and are crucial for its energy system and the entire region The operation of all coal plants is at risk and the country could lose 30% of its electricity production This is not just another closure of the coal plant that can be appealed and reopened It is worth mentioning that Bulgaria’s state-owned coal-fired TPP Maritsa Iztok 2 tripled production in the first half of 2022 The company’s net profit in the first six months of 2022 amounted to EUR 173.1 million, Capital.bg reported State-owned Maritsa 2 operated until the beginning of the energy crisis with only 20% of capacity because of high costs The latest data shows that it sold more than 4.3 TWh in the first six months of 2022 Be the first one to comment on this article 02 May 2025 - The project is located in Constanța county recognized for its superior yields in green energy production 02 May 2025 - The Sunčana (Sunny) Vipava project envisages installing solar power plants with a combined capacity of 20 MW 30 April 2025 - OMV put into operation its 10 MW green hydrogen plant at the Schwechat refinery 30 April 2025 - It is the second time this year that MVM contracted gas-fueled and hydrogen-ready power plants at sites of former fossil fuel facilities © CENTER FOR PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2008-2020 website developed by ogitive Passengers on the Plovdiv to Dimitrovgrad train had to take matters into their own hands when the locomotive experienced a malfunction The incident was shared by writer and blogger Yordanka Nikolova on her Facebook page the driver informed the passengers that they were stuck because the pantograph had become locked The pantograph is a crucial component that connects the train to the overhead electrical lines a suggestion to push the train to resolve the issue was embraced by both the driver and the passengers the passengers pushed the train for about twenty meters Their efforts paid off as the pantograph reactivated allowing the train to continue its journey the train arrived in Dimitrovgrad only nine minutes behind schedule Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) indicated that they are investigating the incident the director of the Plovdiv Customs Office was arrested earlier today for allegedly facilitating a new smuggling route for cigarettes Parking in central Plovdiv is set to become significantly more expensive Plovdiv will host a historic event at HILLS OF ROCK 2025 where fans will witness the union of legendary rock and metal bands with the new generation of artists shaping the future of the scene a private railway company affiliated with the bus carrier "Union Ivkoni" has officially received a license to operate rail passenger transport in Bulgaria A locomotive caught fire this morning at a railway crossing near the Bulgarian village of Elenino a locomotive collided with passenger train No located on the Burgas - Karnobat - Varna route Israel has turned to Bulgaria for assistance in battling the rapidly advancing wildfires in areas near Jerusalem The Bulgarian mobile operator A1 has confirmed that it is experiencing technical difficulties affecting both calls and text messages across its network A series of minor earthquakes were recorded in the Nessebar area with the strongest tremor measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale A woman sustained serious injuries after being attacked with pepper spray and an electroshock device and subsequently set on fire inside a hospital in the Bulgarian town of Botevgrad A 25-year-old man is in critical condition following an accident at the amusement park in Yambol A serious traffic accident in the Bulgarian town of Harmanli has left a 13-year-old child in critical condition after he was struck by a car while riding an electric scooter Reacting to the news Dimitrovgrad City Court today dismissed a request by prison authorities to subject human rights activist Yan Sidorov to three years of harsh probation conditions upon his release today Amnesty International’s Moscow Office Director Natalia Zviagina said:“This is a huge and undeniable victory for Yan Sidorov and for all those who have supported him through four years of politically motivated detention We welcome the court’s decision to dismiss the deplorable attempt to impose further restrictions on Yan’s freedom – this must spell the end of the string of injustices he has been subjected to “Yan Sidorov should never have been imprisoned in the first place He is a prisoner of conscience who has endured years of punishment simply for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression and assembly.” Dimitrovgrad City Court dismissed a request by authorities at penal colony IK-10 – where Yan Sidorov served two years of his sentence – to impose a three-year probation period on him Yan Sidorov and his friend Vladislav Mordasov were found guilty of “attempted organization of mass disturbances” Both had spent almost two years in pre-trial detention They were each sentenced to more than six years imprisonment for organizing a peaceful protest in November 2017 in support of dozens of people in Rostov-on-Don (Southern Russia) who had lost their homes in mass fires Their sentences were subsequently reduced to four years on cassation.Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov were released today Jugoistok Srbije će imati koristi od brze i pouzdane železnice Ova poboljšana veza proširiće se dalje u Bugarsku Očekuje se da će modernizacija ove užurbane teretne linije pokrenuti ekonomski razvoj i na regionalnom i na nacionalnom nivou Predsednik Srbije Aleksandar Vučić i ambasador EU u Republici Srbiji Emanuele Žiofre obišli su radove na rekonstrukciji pruge Niš – Dimitrovgrad Ukupno renoviranje skoro 104 km duge železničke pruge Niš – Dimitrovgrad obuhvata rekonstrukciju i modernizaciju postojeće neelektrifikovane jednokolosečne pruge od Sićeva do Dimitrovgrada To podrazumeva izgradnju železničke obilaznice Sever oko grada Niša kao i elektrifikaciju i signalizaciju kako postojeće železničke pruge od Sićeva do Dimitrovgrada Projekat ne samo da će unaprediti železnički saobraćaj od grada Niša do granice sa Bugarskom već će zbog novouvedene obilaznice izvesti vozove iz centra grada Niša i na taj način doprineti rasterećenju saobraćaja u urbanoj zoni grada Vidimo da ovaj projekat Srbiju dalje stavlja na evropski kolosek Bolje povezivanje Niša sa Dimitrovgradom i šire treba da dodatno doprinese regionalnom razvoju i povećanju konkurentnosti ovog prelepog regiona jugoistočne Srbije Poboljšana infrastruktura će omogućiti povećanje brzina sa sadašnjeg proseka od 50 km/č na brzinu do 120km/č i pozitivno uticati na navike putovanja povećanjem godišnjeg broja putnika sa oko 170,000 na 550,000 kao i ukupnog teretnog saobraćaja sa 3,2 na oko 6,2 miliona tona godišnje jer će ljudi moći da čuju i vide šta radimo ovde Kao što je bilo nezamislivo da uradimo auto-put do bugarske granice Hoću posebno da se danas zahvalimo ambasadoru Žiofreu predsednici Ursuli Fon der Lajen i Evropskoj uniji Mi ovo ne bismo mogli bez njih i hoću da to ljudi znaju Ovaj novac koji smo dobili za ove projekte je nešto izuzetno Poseti su prisustvovali ministar građevinarstva ministarka za evropske integracije Tanja Miščević predstavnici javnih preduzeća železnica Srbije predstavnici ‘Trace Group Hold’ kao i predstavnici Pirotskog upravnog okruga Modernizacija železničke pruge realizuje se zahvaljujući projektu koji finansiraju Evropska unija (108,6 miliona evra bespovratnih sredstava) i Evropska investiciona banka (134 miliona evra zajma) koja je deo Ekonomsko-investicionog plana za Zapadni Balkan je ključni prioritetni projekat koji doprinosi održivom transportu i povezanosti predviđena su i bespovratna sredstva za finansiranje tehničke pomoći u pripremi projekta u iznosu od 3,7 miliona evra kao i bespovratna sredstva u iznosu od 1,5 miliona evra za izradu projekta za izgradnju obilaznice oko grada Niša EU i Srbija aktivno pripremaju investicije u vrednosti od blizu 5 milijardi evra za modernizaciju železnice u Srbiji Ovaj poduhvat uključuje modernizaciju železničkih pruga Beograd – Niš kao centralnog dela srpske železničke mreže kao i Stalać – Kraljevo – Rudnica (Priština) Investicije u železničku infrastrukturu omogućavaju veze sa brzim vozovima koji se kreću brzinom do 200 km/č kao i poboljšanu bezbednost i interoperabilnost u skladu sa standardima EU Ove investicije takođe će omogućiti brži protok robe i usluga doprinoseći brzoj integraciji u železničke mreže EU Železnički Koridor 10 je jedan od panevropskih koridora koji povezuje centralnu Evropu sa Solunom Projekti koje je finansirala EU i njena banka EIB značajno su doprineli procesu reforme železnice uvođenju modernih i najisplativijih praksi održavanja infrastrukture drumskog saobraćaja i uvođenju rečnog informacionog sistema u cilju poboljšanja plovnosti na unutrašnjim plovnim putevima Srbije podrška EU sektoru transporta u Srbiji dostigla je više od 550 miliona evra bespovratnih sredstava izdvojeno je više od 50 miliona evra bespovratnih sredstava EU za pripremu prioritetnih strateških investicija u oblasti saobraćaja koje će u budućnosti biti realizovane kao kombinacija bespovratnih sredstava EU i povoljnih zajmova Od Beograda do Niša za 100 minuta brzinom do 200 km na sat Inovacije u zelenom transportu u Srbiji Otvorena prva deonica autoputa mira Više o EU podršci sektoru saobraćaja Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London He also covers other areas of geopolitics including China Brendan joined Newsweek in 2018 from the International Business Times and well as English You can get in touch with Brendan by emailing b.cole@newsweek.com or follow on him on his X account @brendanmarkcole either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Russia's Baltic Fleet has conducted exercises in the body of water dubbed a "NATO Lake" amid heightened tensions with the alliance which is conducting its own drills in the region Regional tensions caused by Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have been followed by the NATO accession of Finland and Sweden meaning that the Baltic Sea is now surrounded by alliance members Russia's Baltic Fleet is headquartered in the exclave of Kaliningrad whose location between NATO members Poland and Lithuania would make it a front line in any conflict between Moscow and the alliance Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry and NATO for comment The Russian fleet's missile boat Dimitrovgrad carried out simulated electronic launches against a detachment of enemy ships "All designated targets were successfully hit," the fleet press service said according to state news agency RIA Novosti The fleet also practiced repelling drones and electronic jamming in exercises There have been numerous incidents of GPS jamming in the region and these have been blamed on Moscow as a hybrid war technique that has affected aircraft traffic control The drills were the second by the Russian Navy this month the submarine Mozhaisk practiced torpedo firing at a simulated enemy submarine two Russian submarines from the Baltic Fleet rehearsed an underwater battle The latest drills coincide with the military exercises named Baltops, which are being carried out by around 9,000 troops from 20 NATO countries in the Baltic Sea region. Sweden took part in the drills for the first time, after joining the alliance in March They come ahead of the NATO summit in Washington which marks the 75th anniversary of the alliance Denmark has said it might restrict the movement of tankers that are part of Russia's so-called "Shadow Fleet." They transport oil to get around Western sanctions imposed because of the war As well as circumventing the measures intended to choke off the financing of Russia's war effort the shadow fleet's older vessels pose an environmental risk to the waters prompting concerns among European countries Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told Reuters last week that Moscow's shadow fleet is "an international problem and that international solutions are required." Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter. Newsletters in your inbox See all You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience The team events at the second tournament of the Europe Youth Series the 2023 Serbia Open concluded today At the Sports Complex in Dimitrovgrad champions were crowned after three days of play: Montenegro 1 and England in the boys’ categories and Hungary in the girls’ categories In the final of the Under 15 Boys’ Event Montenegro’s Stefan RADONJIC Milan VUCETIC and Jaksa KRIVOKAPIC overcame Denmark’s Erik HOEIER and Adam NOTTELMAN dominantly with a 3-0 score Under 15 Hungary’s first team composed of Sophie BARCSAI and Nora DOHOCZKI triumphed over the second team with Johanna PETERY and Rebeka NAGY after a closely contested five-match battle In the Under 13 Boys’ Teams final Kacper PIWOWAR and Abraham SELLADO of England defeated Romania’s Alexandru POP and David TORO with a score of 3-1 In the Under 13 Girls’ Team Event Hungary’s Lizett FAZEKAS and Szonja SZÖGI overcame the Swiss duo of Akhyata PATRA and Enya HU They needed all five matches to secure their victory FAZEKAS remained unbeaten in singles but she lost in doubles and PATRA overcame SZÖGI in singles The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe and is the only authority recognized for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations and the organization of continental table tennis competitions The Nis-Dimitrovgrad railway line rehabilitation will upgrade the infrastructure of the existing line in Serbia Railway line reconstruction and modernisation The Nis-Dimitrovgrad railway line in Serbia is being reconstructed and modernised to improve passenger and freight transportation It will enable better integration between Serbia and the European Union (EU) railway network The project will involve the electrification and installation of new signalling and telecommunications systems The total cost of the Nis-Dimitrovgrad railway rehabilitation project is estimated to be €268m ($315m) which includes €59m ($66.2m) for the electrification of the entire line The tender for the reconstruction and electrification works of the 82km-long Sicevo-Dimitrovgrad section of the line was issued in September 2021 The construction of the rehabilitation project is scheduled to start in the first quarter (Q1) of 2022 The existing railway line connecting Nis to the Bulgarian border has a total length of 104km while the section between Nis and Dimitrovgrad is approximately 97km long The Nis-Dimitrovgrad railway line is part of the Xc branch of the core network of the South East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO) Corridor X, a pan-European corridor passing through Serbia The Xc branch connects the Nis city with Dimitrovgrad and the Bulgarian border The railway line between Nis and Dimitrovgrad is also part of a corridor that links Central Europe to Bulgaria and Turkey through Croatia and Serbia It is considered an alternative to the Rhine-Danube core network corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) The TEN-T is an initiative for the development of a new network of roads Furthermore, the line is part of the Orient/East Mediterranean corridor which connects Salzburg in Austria to Thessaloniki in Greece Approximately 872km of the corridor is located in Serbia accounting for an estimated 23% of the country’s total railway network The Nis-Dimitrovgrad line is the only section of the Corridor X that is not electrified Non-electrification and category D3 weight limits are the main causes of bottlenecks in this section The ageing signalling and rail control system was commissioned more than 50 years ago and requires replacement as it limits travel speeds to 30km/h to 50km/h The reconstruction and modernisation of the Nis-Dimitrovgrad railway line will be implemented in four stages The first component will involve the reconstruction and preparatory works for the electrification of the Sievo-Stanienje-Dimitrovgrad section It will cover the reconstruction and upgrade of the railway substructure and superstructure A 22km-long single-track railway line will be built to the north of Nis for passenger and freight transport under component two The new bypass railway will redirect traffic away from the city centre and reduce congestion The third component will involve the electrification and installation of signalling and safety (SS) and telephone and telecommunication (TT) devices The power supply lines will be constructed and upgraded as part of component three The fourth component will include the supervision of works and assistance to the project implementation unit The length of the siding tracks will be increased to 750m for all the stations along the route to enhance the efficiency of freight trains The railway upgrade project received a loan of €134m ($159m) from the European investment bank (EIB) and a €73.04m ($87m) grant from the Western Balkan investment framework a blending facility established to support key infrastructure projects to promote the socio-economic development of Western Balkan countries The Serbian government will fund at least 10% of the overall cost of the project Serbia is also seeking an additional grant of €34.4m ($41m) for the construction of the single-track bypass railway The Nis-Dimitrovgrad railway rehabilitation project is expected to generate approximately 250 new jobs during the construction The project will increase travel speed to 120km/h and reduce journey time by two hours upon completion The annual freight volume of the line is estimated to increase by 30% to reach 2.2 million tonnes a year The improvements delivered as part of the project will help to cut railway operational and maintenance costs The modernisation will upgrade the railway line to the D4 weight limits category which will enable axle loads of 22.5t and increase the permissible load to 8t/m from the current 7.2t/m in the D3 category The project is expected to encourage a modal shift from road to rail transportation. The electrification of the line will decrease the current levels of air and noise pollution generated by the diesel-powered fleet Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network A lease agreement has been signed for land on which the pilot heavy metal-cooled SVBR-100 reactor will be built in Dimitrovgrad in Russia's Ulyanovsk region AKME-Engineering - a joint stock company set up by Rosatom in 2009 to develop and commercialise the SVBR-100 - has agreed to lease of 15-hectare plot of land adjacent to the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors' (RIAR's) site in Dimitrovgrad The lease agreement is only valid for ten years head of the Federal Agency for State Property Management in the Ulyanovsk region commented: "When the power unit and all the infrastructure facilities are built and registered under the project customer's ownership we will have to conclude a new lease agreement for the same site with AKME-Engineering." AKME-Engineering director general Vladimir Petrochenko said we will require a site to deploy a construction base which will be used for the engineering of the facilities for the designated pilot power generating plant I am sure that when the project enters the commercial stage we will be able to streamline the land area occupied with SVBR-100 nuclear power plants." Governor of the Ulyanovsk region Sergei Morozov noted the social and economic benefits that hosting the pilot SVBR-100 unit will have In addition to the jobs that it will create in both its construction and operational phases AKME-Engineering will need to provide adequate housing and infrastructure for the workers Morozov said that the company has already committed to build a 3 kilometre access road to the site and to construct two automated concrete plants The 100 MWe SVBR-100 is an integral reactor design in which all the primary circuit - the reactor core itself as well as steam generators and associated equipment such as main circulating pumps - sits inside a pool of lead-bismuth coolant in a single vessel The factory-built module could be shipped by rail road or water to its destination where it could be used to supply heat industrial steam and water desalination as well as electricity Several modules could be co-located to provide a larger power station The reactor concept has already been used on seven Russian Alfa-class nuclear submarines as well as in experimental installations on land which was issued with a licence last month to provide construction services for nuclear power plants the pilot unit is scheduled to start up in late 2018 Researched and writtenby World Nuclear News Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations The Bulgarian minority in Serbia should be “a bridge of friendship between Serbia and Bulgaria,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said in Dimitrovgrad in southeastern Serbia on Sunday “I told [Bulgarian] President [Rumen] Radev and the Bulgarians who live in Serbia… “I want to believe that the future of the Western Balkans indeed lies in the EU to object to us wanting to live and survive,” he told reporters [EPA-EFE/MARTIN DIVISEK] celebrates its anniversary with a new logo and a rich cultural and music programme The first exciting event takes place on Saturday Iconic car models typical of the Former Socialist Block Vartburg and Trabant will be displayed within the frameworks of the local exhibition of retro cars from the former Socialist Block cinema fans will be able to recall iconic titles during a concert named “Music in Cinema” which will feature favourite tunes of Bulgarian and foreign blockbusters The films “From Earth to the Universe”, “The Sun”, “Space Search”, etc, will be shown in the Astronomical Observatory and Planetarium “Jordano Bruno”. The concert programme will begin with Nina Nikolina’s show “”JAZZ & TRADITIONS VOL.2 which will take place on August 31 The next evening is dedicated to Bulgarian folk dances The professional Folklore Ensemble Strandzha from the coastal city of Burgas is to perform on stage Lubo Kirov who is among the most popular Bulgarian singers will take part at the festive programme on September 2 Only on the Day of Bravery and Holiday of the Bulgarian Army (May 6) we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three of perhaps the most interesting machines from our outdoor exhibition Dozens of enthusiasts and nature lovers will kick off the 44th edition of the Move and Win campaign with a spring hike to Bozhur Hut The meeting point will be the Vladishki Bridge in Veliko Tarnovo The third edition of the Samardala Festival will be held on 3 May in the central square of Nova Zagora is used as a spice and is harvested at the peak of its flowering in May we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three. english@bnr.bg Argophilia The page you are looking for no longer exists. Perhaps you can return back to the homepage and see if you can find what you are looking for you can try finding it by using the search form below 2025-04-23 By a paradise for sun-seekers and selfie enthusiasts has become the battleground for Greece’s latest episode of “Who can break the law while admiring nature.” For those who skipped the fanfare the region’s Monitoring and Implementation Committee held their fourth meeting on April 15 To check if the Elafonisi environmental protection plan—announced […] 2025-04-23 By Tourists visiting Crete find Ierapetra struggling with mounting recycled waste from farm chemicals and recycling companies face gridlock due to government delays 2025-04-23 By VOAK completion on Crete inches forward as the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure discusses the latest hurdles and plans for the island’s major highway After the Samaria Gorge accident on April 22 a 28-year-old Belgian hiker survived a 25-meter fall thanks to the efforts of fellow hikers and Chania rescue teams 2025-04-22 By A young Dutch tourist was hospitalized after falling 25 meters in Samaria Gorge He is in stable condition at Chania Hospital’s Neurosurgery Clinic More Crete travel news COPYRIGHT © 2025 · ARGOPHILIA TRAVEL NEWS Photo: Presidency of Serbia / Dimitrije Goll You can send your questions by mail to the address given below: GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC please provide the following contact information (name Maritsa-Iztok 3 coal-fired power plant in Dimitrovgrad has been functioning since last night BNR’s correspondent Dora Atanassova reports The thermal power plant was closed down at the end of April over air pollution which triggered protests by the TPPs staff Two days ago the court annulled the suspension of its operation but yesterday Minister of Environment and Water Borislav Sandov updated Maritsa-Iztok 3’s integrated permit enhancing the requirements in accordance with European legislation Minister Sandov pointed out that the operator has only partially fulfilled the requirements For Maritsa-Iztok 3 to be made operational it has to meet the requirements set down Activists from the movement “Breathe Dimitrovgrad!” got together last night in front of the TPP building when they saw it was operational “We are not against the TPP working but it must work according to the rules,” they said “The power plant has been made operational in accordance with the court decision,” said Maritsa 3’s chief legal officer Julian Semerdjiev Foreign Minister Georgi Georgiev has left for Washington where he will participate in the Munich Leaders Meeting (May 5-7 The forum is organised by the Munich Security Conference The foundation Unity- Kočani has sent an open letter to key Bulgarian institutions expressing gratitude for the support and humanitarian assistance provided by Bulgaria after the tragedy of the fire at a nightclub in Kočani The foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Greece Georg Georgiev and Giorgos Gerapetritis signed a joint declaration on the use of the waters of the river Arda on 2 May the BNR reports citing an announcement published by the Greek Foreign Ministry.. people will be able to withdraw money  from ATMs only in the new currency according to the website of the Bulgarian. helicopters of the Bulgarian Air Force will fly at low altitude over Sofia in preparation for a military parade marking the Day. The Bulgarian student teams that participated in the European Olympiad of Experimental Sciences EOES 2025 in Zagreb have returned with. The first millions of euros from the Just Transition Fund destined for the most affected coal region in Bulgaria - Stara Zagora gave more details about the funding programs specifying that the Stara Zagora region was expanded with 10 more adjacent municipalities from 3 neighbouring provinces there are a total of 21 municipalities that can benefit from the European funds The first program that will open by the end of June is the Energy Efficiency Program also known as the 'energy renovation of buildings' program with 60 million euros planned for the Stara Zagora Province and its adjacent municipalities Its beneficiaries will receive 100% free financing is whether workers directly affected by the energy transition live in the building people who work in the mining and energy sector can apply to have their apartment buildings renovated with support from the European program More specifically: a maximum of 15 points will be given if there are more than 5% of residents in the building who work in the sector It was very important for us to set this criterion," commented Todorov Municipal and state institutions also have the right to participate in the program The initiative is critical to reducing energy consumption and addressing energy poverty in the three coal regions of Bulgaria The Governor of Stara Zagora Iva Radeva added that the other criteria for approving the buildings remain unchanged which is also expected to launch in the third quarter of this year is that of training and retraining of workers in the coal sector and its beneficiaries are only the thermal power plants: the state-owned "Maritsa-Iztok 2" as well as the private "AES Maritsa-Iztok 1" as well as the "Mini Maritsa-Iztok" coal mines The goal of this program is to retain the full staff of these companies as long as possible The training and retraining will be carried out by the trade unions (KNSB KT "Podkrepa" and employers' organizations (KRIB "If there is a reduction in the production output at some point under a system where half of the day the people will work and the other half they will undergo some kind of training," the provincial governor pointed out the procedure for the creation of industrial parks and zones is expected to launch - with 70 million euros planned for the region The City of Stara Zagora will apply for two industrial zones: the first is "Golesh" which Todorov explained that the municipality has been trying to develop for years but it still has no available infrastructure [In that zone] there are large municipal lots and there are also private developments that will also be able to benefit," said the mayor The other zone is in the area of ​​the former Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant (ATZ) "We have applied for "Elenino" to the Ministry of Innovation and expect funding from there Only in this way can we offer an alternative and attract investors" The municipalities of Galabovo and Radnevo intend to create a joint industrial zone and will probably benefit from these funds The municipality of Chirpan is also planning its own industrial zone but the goal is not to make it too large so it can work constructively Among these 25 members are the mayors of 9 municipalities representatives of 4 employers' organizations Trakia University of Stara Zagora and other state institutions The composition of the sub-committee is public it can be seen on the website of the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications The first meeting of the Stara Zagora Subcommittee was held online the next one will be held in person and will be announced in advance on the website of the Stara Zagora Provincial Administration as well as on the website of the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Planning and Development are entirely those of their author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Commission Neither the European Union nor the European Commission is responsible for them Employers in Bulgaria are legally required to implement all necessary measures to prevent and minimize workplace accidents with 45.2% of those aged 16–74 having bought goods or services via the internet in the past year The fourth edition of the LUNAR Festival of Lights in Sofia will illuminate 10,000 square meters of art across some of the city's most iconic buildings and public spaces from May 8 to May 11 a trend that has persisted for over 30 years A Romanian family paid 3,084.60 leva (1,500 euros) for medical treatment at the Burgas University Hospital following a serious road accident Bulgaria's Stara Zagora wants to get rid of a monument of Soviet leader Lenin by bestowing it to another Bulgarian town The idea belongs to the Stara Zagora Mayor Svetlin Tanchev who says the Lenin monument must be donated The monument in question used to be located at the entrance of the Ayazmoto Park in Stara Zagora after the collapse of the communist regime in Bulgaria Back then the park was named after Vladimir Ilich Lenin whose town council recently decided to create an "Alley of Monumental Art," displaying sculptures from the communist period (1944-1989) Stara Zagora's Lenin monument was built in the 1960s by sculptor Mara Georgieva at the request of the municipal authorities The town of Dimitrovgrad itself was literally built in the 1950s by the communist regime and was named after the Bulgarian communist leader Georgi Dimitrov A 37-year-old man from Stara Zagora has been detained after physically assaulting his two daughters The Stara Zagora Prosecutor's Office has arrested and charged a man with sexual assault A remarkable discovery has emerged in Varna where construction work uncovered a well-preserved ancient statue Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica announced the discovery of a head believed to belong to a recently unearthed headless male statue Archaeologists in Bulgaria have discovered a second marble statue in the great canal of the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica also known as the "Bulgarian Icarus," stands out as a unique global attraction A monument to the Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski was unveiled in Dimitrovgard Bulgarian PM Plamen Oresharski and Serbian PM Ivica Dacic attended the ceremony Plamen Oresharski said that the monument was there to symbolize understanding between the two brotherly nations that had been challenged over time Serbia’s PM thanked Bulgaria for its support to Serbia’s EU accession Dacic said he had discussed with his Bulgarian counterpart a joint economic forum of the two governments that should be held in the near future opinion leaders and business people attended the Vasil Levski monument’s unveiling The Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water (RIEW) - Haskovo suspended the activities of TPP “Maritsa 3” AD in Dimitrovgrad due to violations of air quality standards Today the inspectorate issued a coercive administrative measure to stop the work of the combustion installation of the TPP The decision came after a series of violations of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) and noncompliance with the conditions of the complex permit of the company for which a number of administrative acts and penal decrees have been imposed in recent months the violations are stopped and the immediate danger from air pollution is prevented “TPP Maritsa 3” AD must stop working immediately The fuel installation will be stopped today by forcible decommissioning and sealing of the fuel supply points (coal and biomass) to the OP 380v boiler for electricity production with 370 MWth capacity The operator has not complied with the condition in its complex permit for emissions of waste gases and the sulfur dioxide emissions have exceeded the norms for content of harmful substances in the air of Dimitrovgrad after the resumption of the operator’s work on May 25 30 values ​​of sulfur dioxide were registered which exceed the maximum average hourly rate of 350 µg/m3 (with a statutory permission for 24  such values ​​per calendar year) The data was provided by the automatic measuring station “Rakovski” in Dimitrovgrad During one of the last inspections in February the inspection also found the release of visible unorganized emissions of harmful substances in gray-black color from the compromised sections of the boiler room building The ratio for combined combustion of coal and biomass has not been observed which is also set as a condition within the complex permit - this violation has been established by the RIEW every month since June 2021 unorganized emissions of coal dust were found due to the lack of sheet metal cladding which had been damaged by corrosion and strong winds which has not been acted upon by the company so far In the period May to December 2021 in RIEW - Haskovo 25 signals in connection with irregularities in the activities of TPP “Maritsa 3” AD – Dimitrovgrad have been registered and this year in less than four months 20 more signals have been submitted The term of validity of the coercive measure holds until the combustion installation is brought into such a condition as not to present an immediate danger of environmental pollution by a component of atmospheric air within the meaning of Art as well as of unorganized emissions of harmful substances ascertained by the control body under the EPA and the control body under the Spatial Planning Act We also remind you that the exceedances of the norms for sulfur dioxide are subject of a case by the European Commission against Bulgaria whereby a decision by the Court of Justice of the EU is expected to impose sanctions on our country The suspected number one smuggler - Nikola Nikolov - Pascal will be declared a national wanted man The charge against him was brought in absentia the role of father and son Marin and Stefan Dimitrovi was that of mediators between Pascal and customs chiefs the prosecutor's office will request the determination of a permanent measure of "detention in custody" for the head of the "Customs" Agency Petya Bankova the Sofia City Court approved all 30 protocols from the searches in the "Customs" Agency Nikola Nikolov - Pascal is called the "king of cigarettes" It is said to hold the largest channel for the trafficking of tobacco products There are data that the amount of cigarettes passed through this channel in the last 3 years has increased several times "Smuggled cigarettes in Bulgaria are currently at a very low level It is very possible that something we are missing is that these smuggled cigarettes were transiting through Bulgaria this is the exploitation of a mythological figure from the past in order to make some kind of visual scheme to convince the public that there is something else behind these arrests," said Iovo Nikolov he started working as a customs officer in Svilengrad but his workplace was the "Captain Andreevo" border crossing There are claims that he then became an associate of "State Security" and has mastered the ins and outs of state-controlled smuggling he left customs and then began his development in the smuggling business first as a partner of Ivan Todorov - Doctor "I wrote about this man in 1998 - 25 years ago "His name appeared 10 years ago again as the leader of a channel for the trafficking of contraband cigarettes," comments Yovo Nikolov They say that Nikola Nikolov learned something else from his old services - how not to attract attention and this distinguished him from Ivan Todorov - the Doctor with whom they had parted ways in business back in 2001 The strength of Ivan Todorov - Doctor was precisely in the transit smuggling of cigarettes abroad I think Pascal was a more local player," said Yovo Nikolov for the last more than 15 years Nikola Nikolov - Pascal has been living near Kavala in Greece It is even claimed that he lived for a long time in a lorry converted into a caravan on the coast of the White Sea he returned to our country and even registered his only company in Bulgaria "H-6" Ltd. but with an impressive capital of 100 thousand BGN for the native practice he rented an entire floor of a large metropolitan hotel next to Borisova Garden he unexpectedly closed the office and left the country again