Latest news with #Georgiev
Middle East
23-05-2025
- Business
- Middle East
OPEN// Bulgarian FM praises Egypt's strategic ties with EU and strong role in regional stability
CAIRO, May 23 (MENA) - Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev lauded Egypt's enduring role as a cornerstone of regional stability, citing its balanced diplomacy, wise crisis management, and pivotal contributions amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. In an exclusive interview with the Middle East News Agency (MENA) before departing Cairo, Georgiev commended Egypt's relentless efforts toward achieving peace, its mediation to de-escalate tensions, prevent regional spillover, secure a Gaza ceasefire—in coordination with Qatar and the United States—and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. Also, he expressed gratitude for Egypt's role in securing the release of hostages, including Bulgarian nationals held in Gaza and Yemen. Georgiev emphasized Egypt's importance not only to Bulgaria but to the European Union, highlighting the upgrade of Egypt-EU ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024 and the launch of a Joint Cooperation Committee in February. These developments, he said, marked the beginning of an enhanced cooperation roadmap spanning defense, trade, innovation, and connectivity. He commended the consistent communication and positive relations between the Egyptian and Bulgarian presidents, noting that they lay a solid foundation for President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's anticipated visit to Sofia. He noted his two recent conversations with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty and pointed out that his current visit to Egypt is further testament to the importance both countries place on maintaining a close and constructive political dialogue. As an EU member, Bulgaria actively supports the bloc's foreign policy tools and seeks to deepen cooperation with Egypt across key sectors—energy, security, migration, food security, and research and development, Georgiev said. He described Egypt as a vital partner in shaping a strategic EU-Arab vision for the region. Regarding EU financial support for Egypt, Georgiev noted that the €4 billion in assistance is part of a broader package under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, totaling €7.4 billion. This includes a short-term €1 billion macro-financial assistance—already disbursed—and a longer-term €4 billion assistance program. He clarified that the initiative aims to support macroeconomic stability in Egypt while backing a domestic reform agenda in coordination with the ongoing IMF program. The €4 billion in concessional loans is expected to be disbursed in three tranches, each contingent on satisfactory progress in IMF-backed reforms. Georgiev expressed full confidence in the outcome of this joint institutional process and looked forward to the successful disbursement of the financial aid. On bilateral trade, Georgiev confirmed Bulgaria's interest in exploring new opportunities and expanding existing partnerships. He reported that bilateral trade reached a record $1.81 billion last year—an increase of approximately 41% over the previous year—including $378 million in Egyptian exports to Sofia. He voiced optimism about the growing presence of Bulgarian IT and outsourcing companies in Egypt and the rising interest in investment and production in sectors such as food manufacturing, agriculture, and textiles. He noted that Bulgaria has solidified its position as the fourth-largest exporter of high-quality wheat to Egypt, with a nearly 60% increase in exports—from 285,000 tons to nearly 452,000 tons—valued at over $110 million. According to him, Bulgaria is also actively participating in the 'Solidarity Lanes' initiative to facilitate grain exports through alternative routes. In coordination with Romania and Turkey, Bulgaria supports efforts to clear mines, secure Black Sea corridors, and ensure vital food supplies reach Africa, including Egypt, at fair prices. Georgiev reaffirmed Bulgaria's solidarity with Gaza, citing a €200,000 donation through the Egyptian Red Crescent and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization. He said that during the Cairo Ministerial Conference on Humanitarian Response in Gaza, Bulgaria announced its readiness to provide further assistance, including voluntary contributions to the World Health Organization and other humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza in 2025. The Bulgarian minister affirmed support for the Arab plan to reconstruct Gaza and expressed sincere hope for its successful implementation. He reiterated Bulgaria's full commitment to backing all international efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace, security and stability in the region. (MENA) R E E/
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How bad was Jeremy Swayman in '24-25? Can Morgan Geekie sustain his scoring? Inside Bruins analytics
When it comes to Jeremy Swayman's $8.25 million average annual value, the Boston Bruins goalie only looks up to Sergei Bobrovsky ($10 million), Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5 million) and Connor Hellebuyck ($8.5 million) in his peer group. It is an impressive cohort. Bobrovsky has won the Vezina Trophy twice and backstopped the Florida Panthers to last year's Stanley Cup. Vasilevskiy has one Vezina, two Cups and one Conn Smythe. Hellebuyck is the favorite to win his third Vezina this season. Advertisement When it comes to Swayman's minus-18.26 goals saved above expected in 2024-25, his company changes. Among the 49 goalies who faced at least 629 chances, according to Clear Sight Analytics, only Alexandar Georgiev (minus-27.23) performed worse than Swayman. The Colorado Avalanche traded Georgiev to the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 9, 2024. His three-year, $10.2 million contract is expiring. The other goalies in Swayman's and Georgiev's neighborhood were Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen (minus-14.81), David Rittich (minus-14.82) and Vitek Vanecek (minus-15.60). This is not a group the Bruins signed Swayman to join. The Bruins fell flat on their faces in 2024-25. Clear Sight Analytics data points to multiple shortcomings for their 76-point total. Swayman's collapse could be the biggest reason. You could make the case that Swayman played behind a diminished roster. That is true. In the 62 games the Bruins played under Joe Sacco following Jim Montgomery's dismissal, they were No. 31 in net-front defense measured by expected goals against per 60 minutes of play. They were 26th below the tops of the circles in their end. No goalie would enjoy playing without Charlie McAvoy (50 games) and Hampus Lindholm (17), the team's top two defensemen. By the end, the Bruins were a one-line team. Swayman's expected save percentage was .893. For context, Linus Ullmark had the same number with the Ottawa Senators, which measures the environments within which both goalies played. But where the ex-Bruin had an actual save percentage of .900 (plus-0.7 percent), Swayman was at .880 (minus-1.2 percent), showing how the former partners diverged in performance. One year ago, the Bruins made all the right decisions. Swayman deserved to be the go-to postseason goalie against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Panthers. As Swayman entered restricted free agency and Ullmark had one year left on his deal, the Bruins identified the latter as the goalie who had to be moved. They got a good return from the Senators: a 2024 first-round pick (Dean Letourneau), Joonas Korpisalo and Mark Kastelic. Swayman's past performance indicated he was ready to be the No. 1 and to be paid as such. Advertisement It just didn't work out. 'It wasn't, 'Is Jeremy good enough to be our starter?' The answer in all of our data would say yes,' said Clear Sight Analytics chief operating officer John Healy. 'It's that he's never proven himself to be a starter at this level, where you have to take the shoulder, the burden of being a Bruins starting goalie or any major-market starting goalie. That was the one unknown going into it. Now the question is, 'He got the contract. Is he going to bounce back?'' Defensively, Sacco oversaw a club that excelled at defending against the rush. The problem was how the Bruins let opponents run over them once they settled into their attack. Even with the addition of Nikita Zadorov and his close-quarters physicality, the Bruins were porous in net-front defending. They also struggled with puck recoveries off shots (No. 25), perhaps a function of slower foot speed. Defense should improve with McAvoy and Lindholm at full health. But they still need to replace Brandon Carlo. Offensively, Clear Sight Analytics identifies three critical components that drive every team's results: power play, five-on-five settled offense and five-on-five odd-man rushes. The Bruins were No. 29 on the power play (15.2 percent). Under Sacco, they were 21st in net-front offense and 22nd in offense below the tops of the circles. The cause for all this was clear: little production beyond David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie, both of whom exceeded their expected goals. Elias Lindholm did not perform at a first-line level. Pavel Zacha, Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic were off their 2023-24 paces. Coyle and Frederic were moved because of their underperformance. Exchanging Coyle, Frederic, Brad Marchand and Justin Brazeau for Casey Mittelstadt, Marat Khusnutdinov and Jakub Lauko helped the Bruins achieve their post-deadline objective: bottom out and improve their chances of netting what will be a top-seven 2025 selection. Advertisement One of the issues will be whether Pastrnak and Geekie are enough of an up-front foundation. There is no discussion with Pastrnak. The No. 1 right wing's history says he will be a superstar producer in 2025-26. Geekie is another matter. He scored a career-best 33 goals off a 22.0 percent shooting percentage in 2024-25 and will cash in this summer. The trick will be whether the Bruins are paying for a career year or reliable future performance. Clear Sight Analytics' data says it could be sustainable. Healy highlights an important conversion: Geekie scored on 13 of 28 slot-line sequences. Those are high-danger scoring chances, repeatable because of the quality of the opportunities. Geekie, then, could be in the 30-goal neighborhood again with one variable: he does not leave Pastrnak's side because of how slick No. 88 is at executing east-west plays. Geekie on another line, in other words, would not, in all likelihood, produce similar fireworks. 'Is this a career year? Potentially,' Healy said of Geekie's 33-goal output. 'But it should be somewhat sustainable in this range if he continues to play with Pastrnak and Zacha. Or someone of that caliber.' General manager Don Sweeney's task, then, will be to fill out the forwards underneath Pastrnak and Geekie. It would help if Fabian Lysell, Fraser Minten or Matt Poitras could be internal promotions. That is not guaranteed. Sweeney's most likely play, then, is via free agency. The GM has identified wing as the position most in need of upgrades. They will have money to spend. With one or two more scoring threats on the second and third lines, opponents could not train their defensive sights on Pastrnak and Geekie. If Sweeney can fulfill his objectives, the Bruins could be back in the playoffs. But Sweeney will not be acting in isolation. The Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and Panthers finished 2024-25 atop the Atlantic Division. The Senators and Montreal Canadiens are rising. Advertisement 'I think they could be contending for those spots,' Healy said of the Bruins. 'The same question is teams like Montreal and Ottawa, who have been trending up with their younger cores, you're going to have to continue to play catch-up. Because they should also continue to get better.' There is one non-negotiable: Swayman has to return to his level. (Photo of Jeremy Swayman: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Shafaq News
17-04-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Iraqi FM invited to visit Bulgaria to deepen dialogue
Shafaq News/ Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein spoke with his Bulgarian counterpart, Georgi Georgiev, on Thursday to explore avenues for deepening bilateral cooperation and chart prospects, according to a statement from Iraq's Foreign Ministry. Georgiev expressed Bulgaria's willingness to contribute to the 'Development Road' project, while Hussein confirmed he would accept Georgiev's invitation to visit Bulgaria at the earliest possible opportunity. The statement noted that the two ministers focused on strengthening economic partnership. Hussein pledged to follow up on Bulgarian proposals related to the Development Road project, reaffirming Iraq's commitment to deepening economic ties with Bulgaria and continuing dialogue with international partners to serve shared interests.
Reuters
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Sharks break late tie, extend Bruins' skid
March 23 - Lucas Carlsson scored the game-winning goal with 3:23 left in regulation and added an assist as the San Jose Sharks topped the visiting Boston Bruins 3-1 on Saturday night. In his San Jose debut, Carlsson broke a late 1-1 tie when he slotted a backhander past Boston goaltender Joonas Korpisalo off Will Smith's shot. Boston elected not to challenge the eventual game-winner for a potential offsides call. The Sharks (19-42-9, 47 points) had lost 14 consecutive games in the head-to-head series. Of late, the win broke a two-game skid. William Eklund matched Carlsson with a goal and an assist, Barclay Goodrow also scored and Macklin Celebrini assisted on each of San Jose's first two goals. Celebrini, the 18-year-old reigning Hobey Baker Award winner from Boston University and No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, became the fastest player in Sharks history to reach 30 career assists. San Jose's Alexander Georgiev made 22 saves, including eight in the third period. Casey Mittlestadt scored the lone goal for Boston (30-32-9, 69 points), which is 0-4-1 in its last five games. Korpisalo made 18 stops. A scoreless first period included empty power plays for both sides. Korpisalo made a key save just after Boston's second penalty expired in the opening minute of the second, stretching out to save a try from Alexander Wennberg as he drove down the right wing and cut toward the net. Shortly thereafter, at 2:13, Eklund scored first when he took a crisp cross-ice pass from Celebrini in transition and beat Korpisalo five-hole from the bottom of the left circle. Defenseman Luca Cagnoni, who made his NHL debut earlier this week, had the secondary assist for his first career point in his second game. Boston's push finally resulted in a game-tying goal with 3:10 left in the middle period, as Cole Koepke's forecheck forced an offensive-zone turnover after Georgiev tried to start a puck clearance. Mittlestadt jumped on a loose puck just outside the crease and slammed it home. Shortly before Boston's tying goal, Georgiev saved David Pastrnak's turnaround shot with less than six minutes to go in the second. Georgiev's post-to-post save on the star Bruins winger's one-timer also helped keep the game tied early in the third. The hosts, meanwhile, recorded just one shot on net entering the final five minutes.
Reuters
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Jean-Gabriel Pageau posts 3 points in Islanders' win over Sharks
March 9 - Jean-Gabriel Pageau had a goal and two assists Saturday night for the retooled New York Islanders, who beat the host San Jose Sharks 4-2. Anthony Duclair scored in the first to give the Islanders a lead they'd never relinquish in their first game without Brock Nelson, who spent his entire 12-year career with New York before he was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. Anders Lee and Adam Boqvist scored in the third for the Islanders, who have won four of five (4-1-0) to move within three points of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Goalie Ilya Sorokin made 38 saves. Nikolai Kovalenko scored in the second and Will Smith had a goal late in the third for the Sharks, who lost for the 19th time in 23 games (4-16-3). San Jose has 43 points, the fewest in the NHL Goalie Alexander Georgiev recorded 24 saves. The Sharks collected 17 of the first 18 shots, including 12 in a row before Duclair's power-play goal just beyond the midway point of the period. The left winger was credited with just his third goal in the last 24 games when his shot from the right faceoff circle glanced off the stick of San Jose defenseman Mario Ferraro and fluttered past Georgiev with 9:17 left. Pageau doubled the lead with 38.4 seconds left, when he took a pass from Noah Dobson in the left faceoff circle and fired a shot over Georgiev's glove. The Sharks cut the lead in half with a power-play goal 6:27 into the second, when Shakir Mukhamadullin's shot glanced off the stick of Kovalenko and went past Sorokin as he was screened by San Jose center Klim Kostin. The Islanders added insurance goals within the first four minutes of the third. Pageau won a faceoff deep in the Sharks' zone and the puck bounced to Simon Holmstrom and then Lee, who whirled and fired a shot under Georgiev's glove at the 1:13 mark. The Islanders scored again on the power play just 2:38 later, when Boqvist's shot from the high slot sailed past Georgiev's stick as he was screened by Lee. Smith scored with 1:27 left after Georgiev was pulled for the extra attacker.
