Bulgarian National Radio

Bulgarian Transport Minister Danail Papazov has turned the first on a new coastal station at Port Varna.

Papazov, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), informed that the investment in the construction of the two coastal stations at Port Varna and Port Burgas amounted to over BGN 4 M.

Bulgaria's Health Insurance Fund reserve of BGN 1.4B has been spent on pensions during GERB's office, according to Deputy Health Minister Dr. Boyko Penkov.

The answer came from GERB MPs, members of the parliamentary Budget Committee, after many requests from the Healthcare Committee, Bulgarian National Radio informs.

Turkey's energy enterprise Botas has kicked off the construction of a planned gas link with Bulgaria.

The interconnection grid is to be finished in 2015 and will supply Bulgaria with energy from the Blue Stream, a Russian pipeline delivering gas to Turkey.

The European Parliament is due to vote a resolution aimed at halting construction of the South Stream gas pipeline project.

EP's move will come as a response to the ongoing destabilization in Ukraine, in which Kiev and the West argue Russia has a role, the Bulgarian National Radio has reported.

The European Commission has not suspended rural development payments to Bulgaria, according to Roger Waite, EC Spokesman for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Some 46 % of Bulgarians lack information as to how interest rates on their mortgage loans are calculated, according to expert Ivan Stoykov.

Loan frauds are common, however in some cases consumers are the ones to be blamed as they are not interested enough in the credit terms, Stoykov told Bulgarian National Radio.

Six Bulgarian citizens have been arrested in Greece with 50 kg of heroin, part of an alleged drug traffic channel between Turkey and Greece.

The six Bulgarians were taken into custody in the eastern city of Alexandroupoli, near the border with Turkey, the Bulgarian National Radio reported.

Israeli citizens prefer to spend the Passover festival in Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria, according to Turkish tour operators, Bulgarian National Radio reported.

Turkey is the destination of choice for some 6,300 Israeli citizens celebrating the eight-day festival of Passover, also known as Pesach, beginning on 15 April, Turkish Haberler informed.

Center-right party GERB has demanded the resignation of Bulgarian Education Minister Aneliya Klisarova over incompetent and recklessness.

The GERB party (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) insisted that Klisarova's failure to implement reforms in the sector made it likely for Bulgaria to lose EU funding.

The Chair of Bulgaria's Supreme Court of Cassation has called for a discussion on the end date for the co-operation and verification mechanism (CVM) of the European Commission.