Ivaylo Moskovski

Bulgarian Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski told Bulgarian national television on Tuesday that the row between Bulgaria and Libya over a detained Libyan vessel is merely a "private legal matter" after Libya threatened to seize all Bulgarian ships that enter its waters.

Sofia. The Bulgarian Parliament has voted to elect three new ministers today, Focus News Agency reports. 

Bulgaria's ruling coalition was seriously shaken and came close to collapse following the resignation of three ministers as Valeri Simeonov, one of the leaders of the junior coalition partner, strongly objected to Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's decision to order the ministers to step down, and threatened to quit.

The Minister of Transport Ivaylo Moskovski, the Minister of Regional Development Nikolay Nankov and the Interior Minister Valentin Radev have deposited their resignations. Nikolay Nankov said at a briefing in the Council of Ministers. In the words of Interior Minister Radev, they will thus bear the political responsibility for the tragic incident near Svoge.

GMR Infrastructure is evaluating options to bid for a €3.9-billion, or about Rs 32,370-crore, project to develop and manage Sofia airport, Bulgaria's largest, two people familiar with the matter said. Bulgaria had in June last year invited bids for a 35-year concession agreement that included building a new terminal and an upfront payment of €281million, or about Rs 2,332 crore. 

Only eco-cars will have access to the center of Sofia, and air polluters will not be allowed to enter. This measure is according to a regulation of the transport ministry. Eco cars will feature a sticker and a built-in chip, which will be obtained with a successful technical inspection.

Dozens of protesters gathered in support of the hunger strike of Nikolay Kolev - Bosia in front of the National Assembly in Sofia. They chained to the service entrance and demanded that the MPs meet him. After brief clash with the police, the chain of protesters was moved and citizens passed through the blockade, bTV reported.

The swift and extensive roll-out of 5G and other next-generation technologies throughout Europe, stronger consumer protection and a capped rate for international calls within the EU - all these are covered by the comprehensive set of new rules for the electronic communications sector that EU countries' ambassadors approved today on behalf of the Council.

The Council today adopted updated aviation safety rules, which include a revised mandate for the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the first ever EU-wide rules for civil drones of all sizes. The reform introduces proportionate and risk-based rules designed to enable the EU aviation sector to grow, make it more competitive and encourage innovation.

The EU is to enhance its cyber resilience by setting up an EU-wide certification framework for information and communication technology (ICT) products, services and processes. The industry could use the new mechanism to certify products such as connected cars and smart medical devices. The Council today agreed its general approach on the proposal, known as the Cybersecurity Act.