The Resurgence of Natural Gas: A Clean and Affordable Energy Solution
The concluded winter presented unusually elevated temperatures and a 'milder' heating season for thousands of Bulgarians
A giant 709-carat diamond unearthed in Sierra Leone has sold at auction in New York for $6.5m (£4.8m), BBC writes.
Laurence Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds, won the precious stone - nicknamed the "peace diamond" - in bidding on Monday.
Half of the proceeds, $3.8m, will be used to fund infrastructure projects to benefit the community of the small village where it was discovered.
The Sierra Leone government rejected a bid of $7.8m at an earlier auction.
The government is now expected to use the money raised to improve conditions in the village of Koryardu, including the introduction of a fresh supply of water, electricity, roads, medical care and the building and maintenance of schools.
"The Peace Diamond bought by Laurence Graff will change lives even though it's a shame the diamond hasn't sold for a wildly expensive price," the managing director of 77diamonds.com, Tobias Kormind, said.
The earlier bid of $7.8m was rejected by the government when the stone was initially auctioned in Freetown, after it said that the figure was too low.
The "peace diamond", said to be the 14th largest recorded diamond in the world, was handed to the Sierra Leone government in March after it was unearthed by Emmanuel Momoh, a Christian pastor.
Mr Momoh told the BBC's Newsday programme before the auction on Monday that selling the diamond to middlemen would not have "benefited the community".
"We lack a lot of things. We don't have a good road network ... or drinking water," he added.
The sale of the diamond was handled by Rapaport Group, which waived all charges.
The group's chairman, Martin Rapaport, told Newsday that the sale could bring about a "sea change in the relationship between artisanal miners and the government" if the community is seen to benefit.
"It will encourage others to work with the government," he said.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Over the next 24 hours, much of the country will experience significant cloudiness, accompanied by widespread rain in Central and Eastern Bulgaria
The National Statistical Institute (NSI) has released comprehensive data shedding light on Bulgaria's demographic dynamics in 2023, revealing both encouraging trends and persistent challenges in the nation's population structure
Today marks the commencement of Holy Week in Bulgaria as Orthodox Christians observe Holy Monday, initiating a period of profound reflection on the final days of Jesus Christ's earthly life leading up to Easter
According to the latest forecast from the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), Western Bulgaria is set to bask in sunshine today, while the eastern regions brace for clouds and rain
New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) underscores concerns over the global surge in antibiotic usage during the Covid-19 pandemic, potentially exacerbating the silent threat of antimicrobial resistance.
The Feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem, also known as Palm Sunday (Tsvetnitsa), recounts the historical events that preceded the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022