Odessa

Ukraine lodged an official protest on Wednesday, after Bulgaria's parliament criticised a planned reform to divide the Bolhrad region in Ukraine's southern Odessa district into five sections. The area is home to a large ethnic Bulgarian community.

April Fool's Day is an annual custom on April 1 consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April fools" at the recipient. 

Interesting fact is that the day is not a public holiday in any country except Odessa in Ukraine, where the first of April is an official city holiday.

On January 6, Bulgaria marks 172 years since the birth of the Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev. Celebrations will take place across the country, BNT reported.

Two Bulgarian ships depart for NATO missions at Atia Naval Base. They were sent out today with a solemn ritual.

With more than 140 crew, the "Verni" frigate is leaving for a month-long involvement in NATO's Mediterranean Maritime Security Operation Sea Guardian. Fleet commander of battleships and auxiliary ships is Fleet Admiral Malencho Benkov.

Five people were killed and more than 20 were injured in a shooting in the US state of Texas. The suspected attacker, whose identity has not yet been revealed, was killed in a shootout with police, the BNR reported, citing local police.

Bulgaria marks the 165 anniversary since the birth of one of the country's most important political figures, Stefan Stambolov.

Wreaths were laid at Stambolov's monuments in his native city of Veliko Tarnovo and in the capital Sofia.

Due to the declared military situation in Ukraine, the recommendations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and for the safety of the passengers, the national carrier "Bulgaria Air" stopped its flights between Sofia and Odessa until 16 December 2018 inclusive, according to the carrier's website.

Vladimir Varimez from the village of Bankovka is one of the 24 sailors who were arrested after three Ukrainian ships tried to cross the Kerch Strait, bTV reported.

The information was confirmed by the mayor of the village Viktor Genchev.

He added that Vladimir's father is still in Bankovka, but it is possible at some point to leave for Sevastopol to try to meet his son.

NATO is monitoring the situation.

The tension between Russia and Ukraine comes over the situation in the Sea of Azov. Russian Coast Guard boats (on Sunday) seized three Ukrainian military vessels in the Black Sea near Crime, as they were trying to cross the Kerch Straits.

The Russian side used weapons to force the ships to stop.

Requests for Romanian citizenship in Ukraine's Odessa region have doubled since the start of 2017, which analysts say might cause further tension with Bucharest - already angered by the adoption of language laws promoting Ukrainian in 2017.

Bucharest scrapped its consular fees for passports in 2017, which had amounted to around 300 US dollars.