Ivan Takov

In a dramatic turn of events, the Sofia Municipal Council has finally reached an agreement on the selection of a chairman after seven previous unsuccessful attempts. The councilors have settled on Tsvetomir Petrov from the We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria-Spasi Sofia (WCC-DB-SS) coalition to temporarily fill the position.

This morning, a contentious dismantling of sections of the Monument to the Soviet Army in Sofia sparked outrage and led to a fierce protest orchestrated by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP).

"Dismantling of the Monument to the Soviet Army officially begins today", Sofia regional governor Vyara Todeva announced in front of the monument. According to her, the scaffolding around the monument is about to be completed, after which the tallest figures will be dismantled.

"Then everything will be sorted and described on the spot," she explained.

Vanya Grigorova, the candidate who fell short in Sofia's local elections runoff, is making waves by contesting the results at the Administrative Court of Sofia.

In the wake of a closely contested mayoral race in Sofia, Vanya Grigorova, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) candidate, is set to challenge the election of Vasil Terziev as the city's mayor. Despite the preliminary results indicating a narrow margin of victory for Terziev, Grigorova and her team remain resolute in their quest for a more detailed examination of the electoral process.

Vanya Grigorova will be the candidate for mayor of Sofia broadcast by the left coalition "Levitsa" and the Bulgarian Socialist Party. 24 out of 24 BSP structures supported Grigorova's candidacy, and the talks with her lasted for several months. Her candidacy is to be confirmed at the BSP city conference. The motto of her campaign will be: "Sofia for all".

Disaffected Bulgarians gathered this morning in front of the Monument to the Soviet Army. They made a "living chain" and declared that they would not allow the monument to be torn down or moved.

The protesters then headed to the building of the Metropolitan Municipality. There they chanted "Resignation", "No to war, yes to peace".

The representatives of the taxi industry have received assurances that a 15 percent increase in fares is set in a report that will be considered in the Sofia Municipal Council (SOC) on October 27.

The speakers are the chairman of the transport commission Carlos Contrera, its vice-chairman Zafir Zarkov, as well as Ivan Takov, vice-chairman of the finance and budget committee.

Three people were detained in Sofia after a long police chase of a stolen car, said the regional prosecutor's office.

Last night, the streets of the capital turned into a real action arena that ended with arrests.

On May 20th, men steal a Toyota model, Rav4. The owner reported to the police and the car was declared for a search.