Kostinbrod

A house explosion in Kostinbrod, Bulgaria, has left a 78-year-old woman injured with second-degree burns on her head, arms, and legs, according to the Center for Emergency Medical Assistance in Sofia. Emergency services responded promptly after being alerted at 9:39 AM this morning, transporting the victim to "Pirogov" hospital for treatment.

The European Commission has given approval for the construction of nearly 33 km of the new "Europa" highway in the section connecting the Kalotina checkpoint on the border with Serbia and the ring road of Sofia. The investment of over 183 million euros from the EU Cohesion Fund will contributed to the better integration of the Bulgarian road system into the European transport network.

SOFIA  - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday in Kostinbrod, Bulgaria, he hoped the construction of a Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector would be completed by October and that gas would start flowing by the end of the year.

The specialized prosecutor's office has initiated pre-trial proceedings for illegal receipt of funds from European Union mainly under measures administered by the State Fund "Agriculture".

More than 100 residential areas in the northwestern regions of Bulgaria were left without power last night owing to the damage caused by the heavy rains. Energy company crews are making repairs and work will continue until power supply is restored.

The situation is most severe in western Bulgaria.

The Special Prosecutor's Office has charged ten persons with participating in an organised crime group involved in smuggling individuals and groups of migrants across the country, said the Appellate Special Prosecutor's Office.

NFSB Party Coordinator in Kostinbrod Anelia Veleva, who was arrested for trafficking of illegal immigrants, left the party. A day after the court released her on suspicion of being part of the scheme, she filed an application to leave her post.

Activist from the party of Valery Simeonov is arrested for trafficking of migrants. She was detained on the ''Trakia'' highway three days ago.

Her name is Anelia Veleva - candidate for a member of the National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB) in 2014. A year later she also ran for mayor of Kostinbrod but was not elected.

The Sofia City Court has postponed the trial against Rosen Zhelyazkov, the sole defendant in the case for the illegal ballot papers discovered on the eve of the early elections on May 12, 2013.

The next hearing was scheduled for 9:30 am on March 19, according to reports of the Focus news agency.

Rosen Zhelyazkov, the sole defendant in the case for the illegal ballot papers discovered on the eve of the early elections on May 12, 2013, is likely to return to a post at Bulgaria's Council of Ministers.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Rumyana Bachvarova, as cited by the BGNES news agency, Zhelyazkov may work with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.