Latest News from Bulgaria
Bulgarian Nationalist Leader Calls for Stripping President of Immunity
Volen Siderov, leader of Bulgarian nationalist party Ataka, has called for stripping President Rosen Plevneliev of immunity from prosecution.
Siderov announced Friday in Parliament that a petition had been launched for establishing an ad-hoc inquiry committee which would be tasked with investigating "unauthorized" meetings of President Plevneliev.
Gas Prices to Go Down 3 to 15% in Bulgaria, Says Energy Watchdog
Natural gas prices in Bulgaria will decrease by 3 to 15%, the country's energy watchod DKEVR announced Friday.
Boyan Boev, head of the State Commisison for Energy and Water Regulation (what DKEVR stands for), said he hoped the move would push more Bulgarians to use gas, the website Expert.bg reports.
Bulgarian Minister: EU Failed in its Industrial, Energy, Social Policy
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).
Bulgaria 2nd Most Preferred Destination Among Turkish Tourists
Bulgaria ranks second after Georgia as the most preferred destination among Turkish residents, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute data.
A total of 7.5 million Turkish citizens traveled abroad in 2013, where they spent USD 5.3M, the statistics showed, cited by the Turkish Haberler.
Bulgaria's Construction and Retail Trade Stay Strong in March
Bulgaria's total business climate indicator has increased by 1.2% in March due to the improved business climate in construction and retail trade.
Bulgaria to Take Part in Project for Floating LNG Terminal near Kavala
Bulgaria will participate in the construction of a floating liquefied natural gas terminal near the Greek city of Kavala in a bid to secure constant access to natural gas.
Talks on the project are to be wrapped up by end-2014, according to the authorities in Athens, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).
Bulgarians Show Growing Pessimism over Political Progress - Poll
Public confidence in Bulgaria's institutions and the political elite has further declined in March, a new nationally representative survey by pollster Alpha Research shows.
Governments Demanded of Google Information On 42 000 Accounts
The number of government demands for personal data in Google accounts has risen by 120% in the last four years.
In the second half of 2013 governments across the world made 27 000 requests for 42 000 accounts, according to the Google Transparency Report, which the company releases each six months since 2009.
Bulgaria To Set Up Mega-Authority in charge of Antitrust Supervision
After boosting consumer protection laws, Bulgaria's government will focus on strengthening regulatory bodies, according to Yordan Tsonev, MP from liberal party DPS.
In a Friday interview for Nova TV, Tsonev explained that the first step would be to increase the capacity of the Commission for Protection of Competition and make it more powerful.
Outgoing Bulgaria's Security Service Head to Work at South Stream
Gen. Todor Kodzheykov, Bulgaria's outgoing chief of the National Security Service, is to work for South Stream Bulgaria.
Gen. Kodzheykov will reportedly head the security department at the company, according to Bulgarian newspaper Presa, which cites MPs from the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party as well as from its partner Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS).
Power Distributor EVN 'Will Not Pay' Debt to Bulgaria's NEK
Power distributor EVN declared it will not make any payments to Bulgaria's National Electricity Company (NEK) on Friday.
Bulgaria PM:Southern Gas Corridor Essential for Energy Diversification
The Southern Gas Corridor is an important step towards energy diversification in the entire southeastern European region, according to Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski.
Freight Train Derails Near Bulgaria’s Plovdiv
Five carriages of a freight train have derailed at Todor Kableshkov station near Bulgaria's city of Plovdiv Friday morning.
The incident happened at 8:25 Friday morning, Standartnews reports. The railway segment between Plovdiv and Stamboliyski has been temporarily closed, and passengers are being transported by buses instead.
Bulgarian Expert:Internet Advertising Switches to Facebook, Google Ads
Net advertising revenue in Bulgaria amounted to BGN 303 M in 2013, according to Krasimir Gergov, Chair of the Bulgarian Association of Communication Agencies (BACA).
Bulgaria, Israel to Further Foster Close Ties
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.