Mediapool

Bulgaria may halt the transit of Russian gas to Serbia via the TurkStream pipeline starting in the new year if Gazprom fails to ensure payment compliance with U.S. sanctions against Gazprombank.

In 2023, approximately 2,400 Bulgarians earned monthly incomes exceeding 50,000 leva (around 25,000 euros), according to data requested by Mediapool. Of these high earners, around two-thirds received between 50,000 leva and 100,000 leva per month, while the highest earners saw annual incomes of up to 6 million leva, derived from salaries and management fees.

Boyko Borissov, leader of Bulgaria's GERB party, speaks at a press conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, 4 October 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

The European Commission wants a clear plan from Bulgaria to close its coal-fired power plants and ensure that European funding for the regions does not go only to the capital, Sofia. These are the two conditions set by Brussels for consideration of the Bulgarian Recovery Plan and the Partnership Agreement for the 2021-2027 period.

Bulgaria is starting to consume US liquefied gas, which is a first step towards diversifying supplies and reducing dependence on imports of Russian natural gas only. On Thursday evening, at the Greek LNG Revituse, the first tanker arrived with 90 million cubic meters of raw material for Bulgargaz, the unloading of which will start today,  June 1st.

Vandals have written on the walls of the Magura cave in Northwestern Bulgaria, where there are prehistoric drawings of 7000 years. The news was published on Facebook by Andrey Shurelov. His picture shows that the prehistoric drawings have the inscription "Radi, Pavcho, Antov 2019".

The Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office has instituted an investigation following media reports about misappropriation of EU funds by the deputy minister of economy, said the Prosecutor's Office. 

The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) ended 2018 with a surplus of BGN 14 million, the shorthand from the first meeting of the Supervisory Board reveals. The reason is that in the last days of the year more than planned health insurance has been collected and so 14 million leva have been left unused, which are returned back to the state budget, reports Mediapool. 

More and more men are taking paternity leave, according to an analysis by the National Social Security Institute, reports Mediapool. 

Their number has increased by about 20% over the period from 2014 to 2017 and the latest figures are over 21,000.

Costs for pregnancy and childbirth benefits increased by nearly 28% over the same period. The total amount reaches BGN 368 million.

Sofia Municipality is about to retreat from the strict rules on movable objects and ads, which voted only four months ago. The reason is that the text of the ordinance for this area is now seen on part of the municipal councilors too restrictive. That is why they have introduced new changes to the text in the Sofia Municipal Council, reports Mediapool.