Sofia

Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev has declared the industrial, energy and social policy of the European Union "a total failure."

Speaking Friday in Sofia at a conference entitled "Social Alternative for Europe", he said the collapse had happened after approximately two terms in office of the rightwing European People's Party (EPP).

Bulgarian sports journalist Vladimir Zarkov was attacked by an unknown man, using a spray substance.

The incident happened Thursday night, as Zarkov was leaving from his work, near Sofia's Universiada Hall. The man allegedly followed the journalist and attacked him from behind, spraying him in the eyes, Standartnews reports.

Bilateral relations between Bulgaria and the State of Israel have deepened over the past years, according to Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin.

"Our friendship lies on deep historic roots, which we are now further developing for the people of our nations", Vigenin commented.

A 3.1-magnitude earthquake was reported in western Bulgaria on Friday morning.

The quake struck at 6.41 am, its epicenter was 60km south of Sofia and 16km south of Samokov and its depth was 2km, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre, as cited by Sega daily.

The construction of Sofia Tech Park will start in May or June and will finish by end of 2015 or beginning of 2016, said its executive director Elitsa Panayotova. 

Bulgaria's Ministry of Investment Planning has approved the project for the repair of Sofia Central Railway Station worth BGN 55.9M, Thursday.

Some EUR 20M of the total funding will be allocated under the Operational Program Transport, the Ministry announced.

Cécilia Attias, ex-wife of former French President Sarkozy, met Thursday in Sofia with the Bulgarian medics who spent 8 years in prison in Libya over a HIV trial.

Cecilia Attias, then-wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, had a major contribution to the release of the medics.

Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetlin Yovchev and Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman have highlighted security as an essential aspect of bilateral cooperation.

Liberman is on a visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of Yovchev from November 2013, according to the press office of Bulgaria's Interior Ministry.

Thousands of people joined marches in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, and other cities this week, denouncing a project to redevelop part of the Black Sea coast and calling on the government to resign.

“Dirty interests related to offshore companies are trying to destroy one of last remaining untouched places on the coast,” Borislav Sandov, a leader of the green movement, said.

Ivan Balev, head of the Demographic and Social Statistics unit of Bulgaria's National Statistical Institute (NSI), has insisted that the 2011 census was deeply flawed.

Balev, as cited by Darik radio, claimed that the shortcomings of the 2011 census were due to mistakes of census workers and statisticians.