News archive of December 2016

We learn to swear before we learn to talk properly - a habit that goes on for life. If you are a politician in the modern age, you have even more chance to perfect the skill thanks to your inner instincts of competitiveness and the not-so-silent majority ready to applaud or retweet your nastiness.

We learn to swear before we learn to talk properly -- a habit that goes on for life. If you are a modern-age politician, you have even more chances of perfecting the skill, thanks to your inner instincts of competitiveness and the not-so-silent majority who applaud or re-tweet your nastiness.

Fitch ratings has announced it affirms Bulgaria's Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at BBB-.

Outlook is confirmed as Stable.

The Country Ceiling has been affirmed at 'BBB+' and the Short-Term Foreign and Local Currency IDRs at 'F3', according to a Fitch statement published Friday.

Bulgarian lawmakers voted on Friday to introduce tougher requirements for long-term visa applicants who represent foreign entities.

Under the new amendments, foreign nationals will be allowed to extend their stay in the country if they cannot leave it for a reason not depending on them. The change means a restoration of the previous regime which included such an option.

Bulgaria's outgoing Interior Ministry Rumyana Bachvarova has said authorities are preparing to restrict the movement of migrants within Bulgaria's territory.

The decision, which matches earlier plans, follows the riots in the Harmanli reception center at the end of November.

BELGRADE - The 10th Rakija Fest, under the title of "Balkan Urban Experience", will be held at Belgrade's Mixer House on December 3.

Visitors will get warmed by rakija, many Serbian delicacies, as well as specialty sweets, the Tourism Organization of Belgrade said in a statement.

BELGRADE - Partizan Belgrade lost 88-87 (23-19, 15-27, 22-17, 19-16, 9-8) in overtime to Italy's Dinamo Sassari in late Tuesday's Group E, Round 7 game of the FIBA Basketball Champions League.

William Hatcher led Partizan with 23 pts, followed by Branislav Ratkovica with 13 and Stefan Bircevic with 10.

MOSCOW - Russian FM Sergey Lavrov will be on a working visit to Serbia on December 12-13, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, confirmed on Wednesday.

He will be received in Belgrade by the president, the prime minister and the foreign minister, Zakharova told a briefing.

PRAGUE/BELGRADE - Serbia has greatly contributed to improvement of regional relations, Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka said during a meeting with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic Wednesday, adding that the Czech Republic would always be on Serbia's side as regards opening new chapters in its EU accession talks.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's has retained the sovereign rating of Bulgaria as BB+/B, with a stable perspective, the Finance Ministry has said.