Krastev

The offices of several Members of the European Parliament have confirmed to BIRN that they have received a mysterious book for free, named "The Bulgarian Oligarchy. They Plundered the State".

It is published by the Bulgarian newspaper Telegraf, which is part of the Balkan Media Company, linked to the controversial media mogul Delyan Peevski.

'After Europe' by Ivan Krastev (University of Pennsylvania Press, 120 pages, $19.95)

In his thought-provoking new book on the state of the European project, Bulgarian writer Ivan Krastev quotes the poet Rilke: "Who speaks of victory? To endure is all." With a view to the European Union's prospects, Krastev adds, "But even enduring will not be easy." Seen from Athens, this will certainly resonate - and for good reasons.

The competition watchdog of Bulgaria has given the green light for a Dubai-registered offshore company to acquire consumer electronics retailer Technomarket.

TGI Middle East FZE is also the entity which several months ago bought a stake in Bulgarian tobacco holding Bulgartabac, purchasing shares from controversial MP Delyan Peevski and Italian businessman Edoardo Miroglio.

Like nobody else in Bulgaria MP Delyan Peevski "embodies the oligarchic system of clientelism," Der Spiegel says in a recent article.

Peevski is "the most flamboyant" Bulgarian politician, with supporters calling him "a child prodigy" and critics tying his success to close relations with the "political mafia," Der Spiegel writes [DE].

The Administrative Court Sofia City has suspended the implementation of the license withdrawal of Ruse-based military plant Dunarit.

The court announced the decision on Friday without presenting motives, according to reports of Sega daily.

Bulgaria has now an opportunity to call to account those responsible for the developments at Corpbank, with "prosecutions and jail sentences where appropriate", an article on Forbes magazine's website reads.

Nikolay Rusinov has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 28-year-old Yana Krasteva in Sofia in 2011.

The sentence was issued by the Sofia City Court on Monday.

The prosecuting authority had demanded a penalty of life imprisonment due to the brutality of the murder, according to reports of the BGNES news agency.

Bulgaria's wood exports currently stand at slightly over 329 thousand tonnes, compared to around 166 thousand tonnes for the entire 2013, according to Customs Agency data for exports to Turkey and Macedonia.

Toni Krastev has been appointed the new executive director of Bulgaria's Executive Forest Agency.

Krastev is to replace former head of the Agency Grigor Gogov who was dismissed in the first days after the caretaker government took office because of poor control and vitiated procedures for the appointment of natural parks directors, Bulgaria's national radio informs.