Plovdiv

Ex-journalist Nikolay Barekov, who heads the Bulgaria without Censorship-led coalition that came sixth in Sunday's early elections, has renounced his lawmaker seat, the party said in a statement.

He has taken the step to retain his seat in the European Parliament.

The new zoo in Bulgaria's Plovdiv located near the city's Rowing Channel will cost BGN 4.5M, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reports.

Within two weeks, the Municipality of Plovdiv is expected to sign a contract with the sole bidder in the tender and then to launch the construction works.

Bulgaria's State Railway Company (BDZ) added six more train routes to the pilot online ticketing system, which was launched in the end of 2013.

Customers can now also buy tickets for rapid and express trains and sleeper cars travelling along the routes Sofia-Blagoevrgad-Sofia, Plovdiv-Varna-Plovdiv and Sofia-Varna-Sofia.

Bulgaria's caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva will launch the 70th edition of the International Fair in the city of Plovdiv, Monday.

Bulgaria's city of Plovdiv is planning to exhibit almost 2 000 sq. m. of mosaics from the large V c. bishop basilica, said city mayor Ivan Totev.

The mosaics, which are in very good condition, will be placed in a special building, due to be ready by summer of 2017.

Bulgarian environment protection activists protested on Wednesday against prospecting for shale and coal gas and their extraction in Bulgaria's northeastern Dobrudzha region.

This year's edition of the European Researchers' Night will take place on September 26 in six Bulgarian cities from the early afternoon till around midnight.

Bulgaria's caretaker government will allocate BGN 8 M for the completion of the last metro station of the extension of the second metro line in Sofia,Wednesday.

Another BGN 5.6M will be allocated for the construction of a sports complex in the city of Plovdiv, the government press office informed.

The procedure coincides with the celebration of the St. Sofia day, September 17.

On Saturday, September 6, Bulgaria celebrates the 129-th anniversary of the unification of  Principality of Bulgaria and the then-Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia in the autumn of 1885.

The city of Plovdiv will be Bulgaria's choice to become European Capital of Culture 2019.

At a ceremony broadcast live on the Bulgarian National Television, a jury recommended Plovdiv as Capital of Culture alongside another venue in Italy.

Steve Green, who chaired the jury, described all four bids, offered by Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Veliko Tarnovo, as "strong".