Property prices in Bulgaria continue to fall. On the first quarter of 2011, the average cost per square meter equal to 923.7 BGN. 1 euro = 1.95583 BGN.

Bulgarian real estate prices, BGN

Prices for apartments in Burgas (one of the Black Sea resorts) started to grow.

Property prices in Burgas region and Varna region

German Health Minister Daniel Bahr said 26 people have now died since the start of May — 25 in Germany and one in Sweden.

Germany’s national disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, reported 300 more E. coli cases Wednesday, raising the total to 2,648. Almost 700 of these people are hospitalized with a serious complication that can cause kidney failure. Another 100 E. coli cases are in other European countries and the United States.

German consumers are avoiding fruit and vegetables - supermarkets have reported losses between 30 per cent and 40 per cent in fresh produce.

In China, authorities have ordered stricter health inspections for travellers arriving from Germany to prevent the super-toxic strain from getting into the country.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Investigation and Quarantine said that authorities should strengthen temperature and medical checks of travellers from Germany.

The agency added that those experiencing nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or fever should declare themselves to authorities or if already in China, seek medical attention immediately.

Russia banned the import of fresh vegetables from EU.

In Octomber major poker tournaments will be in several european countries.

IPT, San Remo (Italy), 14-18 October
14-18.10 - Main, € 2200
14.10 - Ladies Event, € 170
16-17.10 - Side, € 1100
17.10 - Side, € 550

Betfair Poker Live!, Prague (Czech), 20-24 October
21-23.10 - Main, € 900
20.10 - Freezeout, 6-max, € 440
22.10 - PLO Freezeout, € 330
22.10 - Ladies Only NLHE Freezeout, € 110
23-24.10 - NLHE High-Rollers, € 2750
24.10 - Freezeout, € 220

EPT, Vienna (Austria), 25-31 October
26-29.10 - Main, 5300
25.10 - Side 2, turbo, € 220
26.10 - Side 5, turbo bounty, € 430
27.10 - Side 6, turbo random bounty, € 1100
28-29.10 - Side 8, PLO 1R1A, € 1100+
29-30.10 - Side 9, Heads Up, € 3200
29-30.10 - Side 10, € 1100
29-30.10 - Side 11, 8-game, € 1100
29.10 - Side 12, turbo, € 330
30.10 - Side 15, Ladies only, € 330
30-31.10 - Side 16, HORSE, € 1100
30.10 - Side 17, turbo bounty, € 430
31.10 - Side 18, turbo random bounty, € 1100
31.10 - Side 20, turbo, € 330

House prices up 0.9% in March.

The society’s monthly snapshot of the market showed the average price of a property in the UK increased to £150,946.

The rise follows 16 months of falls, and reverses some of the 1.9% drop recorded in February, but the society said it was a “surprise bounce” and it was too early to talk of house price recovery.

Rival lender the Halifax surprised commentators when it reported a 1.9% increase in prices in January, but this was more than offset by a fall in February. However, this week the Bank of England said the number of loans taken out by homebuyers had risen by 19% in February, with 37,937 loans approved during the month, leading to suggestions that activity in the market may have bottomed out.

Nationwide’s regional breakdown of house prices, also published today, showed a continued fall in all parts of the UK in the first quarter of the year.

Northern Ireland continued to see the biggest drop, with prices down by almost a third (29%) on the same period last year, while in Scotland prices dropped by just 12.6%.

However, the quarterly rate of falls halved in Northern Ireland, from 8% in the last three months of 2008 to 4.1%, and for the first time it did not record the largest quarterly fall in the UK – this was in Wales where prices fell 8.3%.

GDP of EU (27 countries)

data, 2008 year (for some countries predicted values)

The German economy is largest in EU. 19.4 % of EU’s GDP accounts for Germany. 15.2 % of the GDP of EU gives France, 14.1 % - United Kingdom, 12.3 % - Italy, 8.5 % - Spain.

Top 50 European Universities

1. University of CAMBRIDGE (United Kingdom)
2. University of OXFORD (United Kingdom)
3. IMPERIAL College London (United Kingdom)
4. UCL or University College London (United Kingdom)
5. KING’S College London (United Kingdom)
6. University of EDINBURGH (United Kingdom)
7. ETH Zürich or Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Switzerland)
8. École Normale Supérieure, PARIS (France)
9. University of MANCHESTER (United Kingdom)
10. University of BRISTOL (United Kingdom)
11.  ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUE (France)
12. University of COPENHAGEN (Denmark)
13. TRINITY College Dublin (Ireland)
14. EPFL or Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de LAUSANNE (Switzerland)
15. University of AMSTERDAM (Netherlands)
16. HEIDELBERG Universität (Germany)
17. UPPSALA University (Sweden)
18. LEIDEN University (Netherlands)
19. LONDON School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom)
20. UTRECHT University (Netherlands)
21. University of GENEVA (Switzerland)
22. University of WARWICK (United Kingdom)
23. Katholieke Universiteit LEUVEN (Belgium)
24. University of GLASGOW (United Kingdom)
25. University of BIRMINGHAM (United Kingdom)
26. University of SHEFFIELD (United Kingdom)
27. DELFT University of Technology (Netherlands)
27. Technische Universität MÜNCHEN (Germany)
29. University of AARHUS (Denmark)
29. University of YORK (United Kingdom)
31. University of ST ANDREWS (United Kingdom)
32. University of NOTTINGHAM (United Kingdom)
33. LUND University (Sweden)
34. University of HELSINKI (Finland)
35. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Germany)
36. University of SOUTHAMPTON (United Kingdom)
37. University of LEEDS (United Kingdom)
38. University of ZURICH (Switzerland)
39. University College DUBLIN (Ireland)
40. MAASTRICHT University (Netherlands)
41. University of VIENNA (Austria)
42. UCL or Université catholique de LOUVAIN (Belgium)
43. DURHAM University (United Kingdom)
44. ERASMUS University Rotterdam (Netherlands)
45. EINDHOVEN University of Technology (Netherlands)
46. University of SUSSEX (United Kingdom)
47. University of BASEL (Switzerland)
48. CARDIFF University (United Kingdom)
48. University of LIVERPOOL (United Kingdom)
48. Technical University of DENMARK (Denmark)

The Russian currency has ceased to decline in relation to leading world currencies. Since the beginning of the year the ruble dropped by 17%.

Now € - 46.6 roubles, $ - 36.1 roubles, £ - 53.2 roubles.

U.K. mortgage approvals fell to the lowest in 14 years in November as the contracting economy discouraged buyers and financial institutions declined to pass on the central bank’s interest-rate cuts, the British Bankers’ Association said.

Banks granted 17,773 loans for house purchase, down 61 percent from the same month in 2007, the London-based BBA, which represents the U.K.’s biggest banks, said today in a statement. The number of home loans was 20,767 in October.

The British economy shrank 0.6 percent in the third quarter, more than previously estimated, the statistics office said today. While the Bank of England has reduced the benchmark interest rate to the lowest since 1951, banks that have been stung by the global financial crisis are reluctant to lend against houses as their value declines, and potential buyers are concerned about losing their jobs in the slump.

Perfect day for Russia!
Today men and women russian teams win relays.

Men. 4 x 7.5 km. Relay
1. Russia (Tcherezov, Tchoudov, Maksimov, Kruglov) - 1:24:22.97 (1+9)
2. Austria (Mesotitsch, Pinter, Landertinger, Sumann) - +1:48.1 (2+9)
3. Ukraine (Derkach, Deryzemlya, Berezhnoy, Sednev) - +2:38.6 (3+13)

Women. 4 x 6 km. Relay
1. Russia (Sleptsova, Medvedtseva, Iourieva, Akhatova) - 1:10:49.58 (0+6)
2. Norway (Rogstad, Bonnevie-Svendsen, Flatland, Berger) - +1:54.8 (1+8)
3. France (Brunet, Becaert, Carraz-Collin, Bailly) - +1.56.9 (0+9)