News archive of February 2020

The new online platform for state debtors to have their dues arranged for settlement in 24 to 48 monthly installments will open on February 26.

As of that date, taxpayers who meet the requirements can join the new arrangement program that provides for twice as many tranches as the previous one, known as the standard settlement.

European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected the request to ban Montenegro from implementing its Law on Freedom of Religion until the Constitutional Court decides on the law's constitutionality or until a deal with the Serbian Orthodox Church is concluded, the Montenegrin Government said.

The stable and sustainable development of bilateral relations with Turkey is an important element of Bulgaria's foreign policy, said PM Boyko Borissov at a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Sofia, BNR reported.

Bulgaria has received a certificate for the export of heat-treated poultry products to Argentina. The certification procedure was launched in 2019.

The Septemvri-Dobrinishte railway ranked among the top ten of the best scenic rail journeys in Europe by the prestigious British newspaper The Guardian, trip.dir.bg reported.

Several other countries such as Finland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland are also included in the ranking.

Narrow gauge in Bulgaria

Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias says Greece's health system is ready to cope with an outbreak of the coronavirus in Greece.

"We cannot exclude a coronavirus case in our country; howevwe, we are ready to cope with such a case and break the transmission chain," Kikilias told TV station Skai Sunday.

Djokovic went through a dramatic match and, after losing the third set, fought back, beating his Austrian opponent in five sets -- 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Djokovic, who remains unbeaten in finals on Rod Laver Arena, now has 17 slam titles, only three short of record holder Roger Federer, and will reclaim the world No 1 ranking from Nadal on Monday.

The Marghera Industrial Port in Venice's lagoon was evacuated as a 225 kg World War II-era bomb was defused and set to be exploded in the sea., the French press and DPA reported.

Some 3500 people living in the area were also evacuated.

The movement of ships, trains and buses was temporarily halted, and Venice International Airport stopped all flights for several hours.

Novak Djokovic endured a fierce challenge to his Melbourne Park reign before overhauling Dominic Thiem 3-2 on Feb. 2 to clinch an eighth Australian Open crown and reclaim the world number one ranking.

Turkey's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector rose to 51.3 in January, according to a business survey on Feb. 2.