Bulgaria

US Vice-President Joe Biden has condemned Israel's approval of 1 600 new homes for ultra-Orthodox Jews in East Jerusalem. Biden, in Israel as part of US attempts to kick-start the peace process, said it was "the kind of step that undermines the trust we need", the BBC reported. Israel insisted it was a procedural step not connected to the visit. ...

An Indian man, with a fake Bulgarian passport, is allegedly amongst the 3 people arrested for the theft of the corpse of Cyprus's ex-President Tassos Papadopoulos. Police said they had arrested two Greek Cypriots and a foreign national on suspicion of involvement in the theft. One of the Greek Cypriots was already serving a prison sentence for other offences, a spokesman said....

Bulgarian UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova has started her two-day visit to Haiti for talks on re-building educational and cultural elements in the country. According to local media reports Bokova will concentrate on the rebuilding of Haiti's historical cultural sites that were severely damaged after the devastating January 12 earthquake. She will meet with Haitian President Rene Preval on Wednesday and will also hold talks with Haitian Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive and Michaelle Jean, governor general of Canada, who arrived in Haiti on Monday. ...

Bulgaria's governing GERB party will require the creation of a parliamentary committee of inquiry to investigate whether President Georgi Parvanov breached the constitution in the 'transcript scandal'. This comes following a meeting between Parvanov and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov after which Parvanov published the transcript of their conversation on his website. In Bulgarian law it states that "no citizen can be recorded without his knowledge or......

More Bulgarian doctors have joined the GP strike on Wednesday over the government's health reform plans. GPs from 9 more Bulgarian towns are set to keep their cabinets locked Wednesday. Sofia GPs however called off their protest late Tuesday after a meeting with Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev. ...

The Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has confirmed that the terror suspect Dulmatin was killed in a police raid in Jakarta. Indonesian security forces said they had killed three suspected militants in two raids on Tuesday. DNA tests will now likely be used to confirm that Dulmatin is dead - he is the alleged mastermind behind the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people. ...

Bulgarian PR experts have labeled the blogging debut of Manchester United and Bulgaria star Dimitar Berbatov as a "mistake". Berbatov opened his new blog on Monday with an entry titled 'Haters', which targets his many critics at home in Bulgaria, who criticize his play and especially his performances for the national team. He ended his blog with the words "I am very high to be able to see you....

The Danish budget airline Cimber Sterling begins regular service of the Sofia-Copenhagen line on March 28. The twice-a-week flights are included in the company's summer schedule, but will be extended to a year-round service. Cimber Sterling becomes the sixth budget carrier to offer regular, year-round flights to and from Sofia....

The leader of the Bulgarian far-right nationalist Ataka party, Volen Siderov, did not have diplomatic immunity during his scandalous trip on board a "Lufthansa" flight. The news was reported Tuesday by Bulgarian internet media, citing the Prosecutor's Office in Frankfurt and Deutsche Welle. After conducting a probe and collecting evidence, the German Prosecutor has concluded that Siderov had no immunity despite being in possession of a diplomats passport because he had been on a private trip. ...

The investment community in Bulgaria has not supported the Finance Minister Simeon Djankov's plan to reform the financial supervision system in the country. This became clear at a round table held Tuesday for all the institutions involved in any way with the stock market in Bulgaria. Business representatives raised doubts about Djankov's plans and sated that they at least need careful analysis and discussion before any action is taken. ...