Bulgaria's Jeleva Is New EU Commissioner for International Cooperation

Bulgaria's Foreign Minister, Rumiana Jeleva, has been named the new EU Commissioner on International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.

The portfolios of each of the 27 new members of the European Commission were announced Friday by EC President, Jose Manuel Barroso.

Detailed up-to-date information on new Bulgarian EU Commissioner Rumiana Jeleva is READ HERE

Jeleva had announced earlier on Friday that she was expecting to get to be in charge of a foreign policy portfolio.

The Bulgarian government and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov had bidden for the EU Commission on energy or enlargement job.

Who Is Who: Rumiana Jeleva, Bulgarian EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response

Biography

Rumiana Ruseva Jeleva was born on April 18, 1969, in the town of Nova Zagora, Southeast Bulgaria.

In 1988, Jeleva graduated from the German Language High School in the city of Burgas. In 1994, she earned a Master's degree in social pedagogy from Sofia University "St. Kliment of Ohrid".

In 1995, Jeleva completed a second Master's degree in sociology at the same university. In 2003, Jeleva earned her Ph. D. in sociology from the Otto-von-Guericke University in Germany. She has additional specializations in social sciences and economic sociology at other German universities.

In 2005, Jeleva became a Scientific Associate, I-st Grade, Ph. D. in Sociology at the Sociology Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Section "Sociology of Labor and Social Policy". Since 2007, she has been a visiting professor of European Studies at the University of Magdeburg, Germany.

In 2004-2007, Manager, National Center "New Social Practices", NGO - development and management of social projects. In 2001-2003; 2006-2007 Manager, Global Consult Ltd., consulting services - preparation, implementation, management and monitoring of social and infrastructural projects

Jeleva has held a number of positions on governing boards: member of the Supervisory Board of Privatization Board "Labor and Capital" JSC - privatization and asset management (1996-1998); Member of the Board of Directors of Eztour JSC, Pravets - tourism (1997-1998); Member of the Board of Directors of Plastimo JSC, Samokov - chemistry (1997-1998); Executive Member of the Board of Directors of National Investment Fund "Labor" JSC - asset management (1995-1998).

In 1997-2006, Jeleva held various teaching jobs in sociology, economic sociology, corporate PR and communications, labor legislation, and human resources development at various Bulgarian universities including Sofia University St. Kliment of Ohrid, New Bulgarian University, Burgas Free University, and Plovdiv University "Paisiy Hilendarski"

Jeleva has managed and has participated in various research and social projects including UNDP and PHARE program projects. She has attended numerous international conferences and seminars on sociology and social issues presenting papers.

In May 2007, Jeleva was elected Member of the European Parliament from the GERB party. She was fifth on the GERB European Parliament ticket, and GERB got 5 MEP seats winning 21,69% of the votes.

In May 2009, Jeleva was placed as No. 1 on the GERB party European Parliament ticket. She was reelected to the EU Parliament in the June 2009 Elections.

In July 2009, Jeleva was became the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of the GERB party and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Public Service Record

May 2007 - July 2009 - Member of the European Parliament, GERB party, and a Member of the EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament

July 2009 - November 2009 - Foreign Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria

Elections Record

May 2007 - elected Member of the European Parliament, GERB party, She was fifth on the GERB European Parliament ticket, and GERB got 5 MEP seats winning 21,69% of the votes.

June 2009 - reelected Member of the European Parliament, GERB party. She was first on the GERB European Parliament ticket.

RUSSIAN INVESTIGATORS CONFIRM TERROR BOMB ATTACK ON ELITE TRAIN

Russian officials investigating the Friday train crash that killed at least 26 people, have confirmed that an improvised bomb caused the fatal derailment.

The head of Russia’s counter-terrorism services announced that the bomb, hidden on the railway line between Moscow and St Petersburg, contained about 7 kg of TNT explosive.

Two large cranes were deployed on Sunday to move wreckage, as rescue workers continued to search for 18 missing passengers. Almost 100 people were being treated in hospital, many with severe injuries.

The elite Nevsky Express was carrying 682 passengers and 29 crew from Moscow to Russia's second city St Petersburg. It was derailed at 9 30 pm on Friday, close to the village of Uglovka, 250 miles north west of Moscow.

Witnesses from among the passengers have described the crash.

One survivor told Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy; “We heard an almighty smack. It seemed to me as if we had lost a wheel or smashed through some kind of obstacle. I didn't hear any explosion.”

Many passengers were unaware that the train had broken up, with the last three wagons of the 14-carriage train flying off the rails.

"The first wagon was 1,5-2 kms away from the rest of the train. The second had completely flipped over. The third had come off the rails, but was near the main part of the train and was still standing vertically. As far as I know nobody from this wagon was seriously hurt," the witness said.

Among the declared dead so far were several senior Kremlin bureaucrats, including the head of Russia's Federal Reserve Agency, and a deputy head in the Federal Fishing Agency. A former St Petersburg senator also died.

There seems little doubt that the Kremlin will point the finger of blame at Islamist insurgents currently waging a guerrilla campaign across the north Caucasus. Rebel fighters have carried out numerous attacks in recent months, including suicide bombings.

"As far as theories go… our main version is that this was an explosion of an unknown device, by unknown individuals. Put simply, it was an act of terror," Vladimir Yakunin, Russia's Railways Minister, said yesterday.

Yakunin said the incident was "analogous" to another derailment on the same line three years ago, also involving the Nevsky Express, in which 19 people were injured. Russian prosecutors blamed that derailment directly on Chechen rebels.

EMPLOYEES SICK AT INDIAN NUCLEAR PLANT, SABOTAGE SUSPECTED

Workers at the Kaiga nuclear plant in the southern Indian state of Karnakata have been massively exposed to radiation in contaminated drinking water.

Site officials suspect sabotage, India's Atomic Energy Commission chief Anil Kakodkar has announced on Sunday.

The Kaiga plant director added that "mischief is not ruled out. Investigations are ongoing", commenting that the sabotage might have been carried out by a disgruntled employee.

An initial probe had failed to reveal any violation of operating procedures or “radioactivity releases” or any security breach, according to official statements.

Fifty-five workers at the nuclear plant needed medical treatment for excessive exposure to radiation after tritium contaminated a water cooler.

Tritium, also known as Hydrogen-3, is used in research, fusion reactors and neutron generators.

The water cooler has now been "isolated and put out of use," according to the company’s web site.

India has a total of 11 nuclear reactors across the country. The Kaiga plant went into commission in September 1999. A new reactor on the same site is due to begin production in 2010.

FRENCH POLICE BUSTS BULGARIAN ID FORGERS

The French authorities raided a lab specializing in the fabrication of fake Bulgarian, Romanian, Portuguese, and former Yugoslav Republics’ IDs, the French Le Figaro informs.

The criminal network operated in the departments of Val-de-Marne, l'Essonne and la Seine-Saint-Denis, near Paris.

French police believes that the skillfully made fake IDs were used by many Eastern European emigrants in the Paris region to illegally receive social assistance and live on welfare.

On Friday, 8 of the forgers faced the judge in Créteil, southeast of Paris, and were charged with the manufacturing and use of fake IDs and assisting the illegal entry and stay of foreigners in France.

The illegal lab was discovered by authorities Wednesday in an apartment in Vitry-sur-Seine, near Paris. The criminals are said to be mostly Romanian and Moldavian citizens, who also made fake university diplomas, labor contracts, insurance policies and invoices.

In addition, the criminal network dealt with theft of alcoholic beverages with a supermarket security guard as accomplice.

The group is alleged to have been managed by Eastern European mafia structures, Le Figaro writes.

ITALIAN POLICE ARREST SUSPECT IN BULGARIAN WOMAN PADUA MURDER

The police in the Italian city of Padua have arrested the alleged killer of the Bulgarian woman, Albena Petrova Birdi.

The news was reported Saturday by the Italian daily Corriere del Veneto.

The woman’s body was found in an advanced stage of decay in a drainage channel in Padua on the morning of October 20. A post-mortem examination of the body, conducted by Padua’s police forensic doctor revealed that the woman had died as a result of blows inflicted to the left side of her skull.

54-year-old Antonio Prandato, who lived in a trailer in the small town Galzignano Terme was detained over suspicions he killed the 35-year-old Bulgarian in his car.

Italian police say the woman was a prostitute and this is how she ended in Prandato’s car. The man hit her with an unidentified heavy object and then threw the body in the drainage channel. The murder happened in September, Italian authorities inform.

Prandato tried to conceal the evidence, but was unable to completely clean the car seat soaked with the victim’s blood. A DNA probe of the woman matched the blood in the car.

The motives for the crime remain unclear, ranging between an arguement over illegal drugs gone bad, a ritual murder of a prostitute or jealousy over the fact Albena Birdi was seeing other men than Prandato.

KIDNAPPERS RELEASE SON OF BULGARIAN BUSINESSMAN

The 22-year-old student Rumen Guninski has been released by his kidnappers late Sunday night.

This has been reported by the bTV channel citing Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, who said that Guninski Jr was in good health.

The son of wealthy businessman Rumen Guninski Sr was kidnapped in public in the Studentski Grad Quarter in Sofia exactly 40 days ago.

"I can only confirm this information, and ask you to leave to work," the Chief Interior Secretary Kalin Georgiev told the bTV channel later Sunday night.

It is still unclear whether the young man’s family paid a ransom for his release.