Martin Petrov To Spurs? Don't Do It Martin

Don’t do it Martin, Tottenham are a losers’ side, ask any Arsenal fan, stay with Manchester City and the excellent pay packet they give you. You can retire with the whole of your family back in Bulgaria in a couple of years. Martin Petrov is Bulgarian who has done well in the UK. I can’t see him staying there when his football career is over though. He’s only there for the money and high profile football of course.

Manchester City are interested in Tottenham winger David Bentley and could bid GBP 8 M for the 25-year-old in a deal that will include Bulgarian Martin Petrov, British media reported.
Winger Martin Petrov was agonisingly close to becoming a Spurs player in the summer after being consistenyly left on the substitutes' bench by Mark Hughes. The two clubs started negotiations on the last day of the transfer window, but failed to reach an agreement.
Now the Bulgarian is believed to be used as a sweetener for the deal, which is widely viewed as a good one for both clubs as it will be a chance to freshen up the two players who have fallen out of favour at their current homes.
The reports come a week after Manchester City boss Mark Hughes confirmed the club is in talks with Martin Petrov about a new deal, with the Bulgaria winger's current contract expiring at the end of this season.
"We've sat down and talked about a new deal. Martin's in the last year of his contract and I'm sure we're going to do something there," Hughes said.
The manager is expected to offer the new contract at the beginning of January.

Source: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=110111

German Supermarket Creates Jobs - But How Many Will Be Lost In The Long Term

Another supermarket making a spread in Bulgarian towns up and down the country. Good to see employment being created, but this is a fasle economy and as well as the cost of supermarket sterile environments. It will be the demise of personal friendly service from ‘local’ grocer shops that are owned run and employ their own Bulgarian staff. The job losses in this area will far outweigh the jobs created. What a crying shame this is happening in Bulgaria right now.

The German "Plus" chain will officially open its eighth Bulgarian retail outlet on Wednesday evening, in the town of Radnevo, close to Stara Zagora.

The new store will be open to customers on Thursday. The retailer has already opened stores in Bulgarian towns such as Pernik, Sevlievo, Silistra and Vratsa.

The company plans to expand to another 15 Bulgarian towns by the end of 2009. They have already invested BGN 150 M in Bulgaria, and this is set to increase to BGN 210 M, along with the creation of over 300 new jobs.

"Plus" is a chain of discount retail stores, typically of 1 000 – 1 200 square meters, offering a wide range of own-label goods specially produced in Bulgaria and other European countries, and specifically targeted at the fast turnover market sector.

Source: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=110084

New Sofia Mayor Is A woman But Has A Man Behind Her

An overwhelming vote for this woman from the Education department, event though the turnout for voting for Sofia's Mayor was just over 15%! Boyko Borisov and the popular GERB party I feel had everything to do with her being elected. Time will tell as always with newly elected people in power.

The new Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova has stated that she realizes the responsibility she has taken on and hopes that Sofia’s citizens will be patient as “things do not happen by magic.”

Fandakova, from the ruling center-right party GERB, received exactly 66,23% of the votes in Sunday’s Elections. She stated Monday in an interview for bTV that she already know part of her team and intends to impose her style quickly. She also spoke of her relationship with Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov; “I will always pick up the phone to the Prime Minister and will call him whenever needed.”

“We will ask for money from the state for specific projects, we will not seek general funds but will concentrate on these projects. I think Sofia will receive all the funds it requires,” Fandakova added.

Regarding the problem areas in Sofia the former Education Minister Fandakova said; “We will be working to open more nurseries and to sort out the problem with stray dogs…we will also make a long-term strategy to sort out traffic congestion in the city.”

Fandakova concluded that the problem of Roma ghettos in Sofia would not be sorted out over 1-2 years but instead required a strategy for overcoming them gradually. She also said that a clear register of Sofia residents would be created but there would be no restrictions on people in the form of ‘Sofia citizenship’.

Source: www.bulgariagazette.com

More Wind Powered Electricity In Bulgaria - Never Cheaper Though

This is good new all round for Bulgaria on an energy source that is plentiful in this country that is a wind tunnel with the plains in the middle of two sets of mountain in the north and south. It makes so much sense to take this route in capturing the renewable energy source. We do hope that is will reduce the massive tariffs on electricity paid by Bulgarians. Currently, (excuse the pun) 25% of my income is taken up paying electric bills in our home. We all know reduce electricity bills will never happen.

Bulgaria will take on an ambitious plan to expand its power capacity from 330 megawatts at present to over 3,000 megawatts by 2020.
According to a European Union directive establishing mandatory targets for renewable energy in member states, Bulgaria is required to increase its renewable energy mix to 16 percent by 2020. Currently, renewable energy makes up 9.4 percent of Bulgaria’s supply.
Kostadinka Todorova, director for energy efficiency and environmental protection at the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy noted that not only is the administration on track to submit their action plan to the European Commission, but they are also working on a new renewable energy law to attract even more investment in the sector.
A workshop on integrating wind power organized by the European Wind Energy Association in cooperation with the Bulgarian Association of Producers of Ecological Energy pooled industry leaders, government representatives and national electricity companies to discuss the potential for wind power development in the country.
Bulgaria is expected to submit a national action plan to boost renewable energy by June 2010.

Source: www.ecoseed.org

Bulgarians Not Interested Voting In Sofia's New Major

Less than 15% turn out in the capital to vote for their new mayor! Just shows you how isolated the people feel in Bulgaria with politicians of whom they have no confidence in. ‘Puppets on a string’ is how one of my Bulgarian friends described all politicians in Bulgaria. I think he could draw that tag on politicians worldwide!

Citizens are showing little interest in the six mayoral by-elections, which are held in Bulgaria on Sunday, including the capital Sofia, leading to a record-low turnout, official data shows.
Four hours before the voting day ends at 7 pm, less than 15% of the eligible voters in the capital, have cast a ballot for the race that will pick the successor of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. The same turnout was registered in the northwestern city of Vratsa.
The village of Beglezh, located close to the northern city of Pleven, currently tops the turnout ranking with 50% of the voters having already cast a ballot. Next comes the southwestern region of Razlog, where the turnout reached 39,52% and the town of Pravetz (30,19%).
Representatives of the Central Electoral Commission have called on the citizens to cast a ballot in the elections, saying time is running out.

Source: www.novinite.com