Bulgaria

EU: Bulgarian Greens leader ‘violently arrested’ during peaceful demonstration

Borislav Sandov, co-chair of Zeleno dvizhenie (Bulgarian Greens), was “violently arrested” while taking part in a peaceful demonstration in front of the Bulgarian parliament, the European Greens said. Three other members…

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Scuffles during anti-government protests in Bulgaria

Thousands of Bulgarians rallied in front of the parliament in Sofia on Wednesday in one of the biggest protests so far in two months of demonstrations calling for the resignation…

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Borissov to face new pressure from Bulgarians

Boyko Borissov’s premiership faces a major test on Wednesday when mass protests are planned across Bulgaria amid a corruption crisis that is starting to trigger concern in Berlin and Brussels.…

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Bulgarian Justice minister resigns as anti-government protests continue

Bulgarian Justice Minister Danail Kirilov has tendered his resignation after "a conversation" with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the Bulgarian government said in a statement on August 26.The reshuffle was expected…

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Bulgaria’s PM says ready to resign

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Friday he would resign if parliament approves his plans to call elections for a grand national assembly to change the constitution. Borissov says…

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Bulgarians block central Sofia in anti-government protest

Protesters set up tents on a major crossroad and in front of the government building on Thursday, vowing to keep the center of the Bulgarian capital blocked until the government…

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UPDATED: Pipeline rupture halts gas flows from Bulgaria to Greece

A rupture in a pipeline in southwest Bulgaria on Monday halted the transit of Russian natural gas through Bulgaria to Greece, the head state gas company Bulgartransgaz said. Vladimir Malinov…

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Italy adds Romania and Bulgaria to quarantine list

Italy has added Romania and Bulgaria to quarantine list. On declaring the decision, Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said "I have just signed a new ordinance ordering quarantine for citizens…

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Photo Story: COVID-19 testing amid rising cases in Bulgaria

People wait in line to be tested for COVID-19 at Pirogov hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria, 24 July 2020. Bulgaria’s Chief State Health Inspector declared on 24 July that the country…

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UPDATED: Bulgaria says top official who attended EU summit tested positive for COVID-19

The head of the political office of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Denitsa Zheleva, who had tested positive for coronavirus late on Thursday, was on the Balkan country's team at…

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Bulgaria parliament approves govt reshuffle amid protests

Bulgaria's parliament on Friday appointed Kiril Ananiev as the new finance minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, in a reshuffle following a wave of anti-corruption protests in…

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Bulgarian PM overhauls government to quell protests

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov replaced his finance and other ministers on Thursday in a reshuffle designed to quell a wave of anti-corruption protests that have called for his resignation.…

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Bulgaria signs concession deal for Sofia Airport

Bulgaria's transport ministry on Wednesday signed a deal with a consortium led by asset manager Meridiam to run and operate Sofia Airport, the Balkan country's main air transport hub, for…

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ECB calls on Croatia, Bulgaria to do more before joining euro

Bulgaria and Croatia still have work to do in fixing their economies and improving their institutions before joining the euro, European Central Bank board member Fabio Panetta said today. The reforms undertaken…

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Lithuania bans arrivals from Bulgaria and Romania

Lithuania has banned arrivals from Bulgaria and Romania in its updated ‘safe travel’ list, the Lithuanian Health Ministry announced. The two countries were previously added to a travel blacklist of…

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Bulgaria’s president calls on ‘mafia’-style government to resign

Bulgarian President Ruman Radev urged for the country's center-right government to step down on Saturday, accusing them of corruption and of having a "mafia character." In a nationally televised speech,…

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Bulgaria and Croatia enter last phase pre-Euro zone membership

Bulgaria and Croatia took a big step toward adopting the euro currency, potentially becoming the newest members to the bloc after years of economic crises and shocks. The European Central…

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Bulgaria introduces restrictions as coronavirus cases surge

Bulgarian night clubs and indoor discos will close, spectators will be banned at all sports events and public gatherings will be limited to 30 people as new cases of the…

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Bulgaria to extend coronavirus state of emergency until mid-July

Bulgaria will extend a state of emergency declared in response to the coronavirus outbreak until July 15 after another jump in new registered cases, Health Minister Kiril Ananiev said on…

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Spain’s Repsol transfers its exploration rights for oil and gas off Bulgarian coast

Bulgaria has granted Spain's Repsol permission to transfer 30% of the rights to explore a block off its Black Sea coastline for gas and oil to the other two rights…

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Bulgaria reduces VAT for restaurants and catering services

Bulgaria's parliament on Wednesday approved government plans to cut value added tax (VAT) on food provided by restaurants and catering services to 9% from 20% from July to help an…

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Bulgaria extends epidemic emergency until end of June

Bulgaria will extend an epidemic emergency until the end of June to fight the spread of the coronavirus after an increase in new registered cases, mainly in the south, Prime…

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Bulgaria to end quarantine on travel from most of EU but not Malta

Bulgaria will lift an obligatory 14-day quarantine from June 1 for travellers from most European Union countries, but not those states with the biggest coronavirus outbreaks, the government announced on…

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Bulgaria to reopen restaurants, bars and cafes on June 1

Bulgaria will allow restaurants, bars and cafes to reopen at full capacity on Monday as the Balkan country further eased restrictions imposed in mid-March to stop the spread of the…

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Bulgaria to allow entry of citizens from EU, Schengen countries

Bulgaria, which has started to ease its lockdown, has scrapped a ban on the entry of visitors from the European Union and Schengen visa zone countries, the health ministry said…

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Bulgaria declares coronavirus emergency until June 14

Bulgaria’s government on Wednesday declared an epidemic emergency until June 14, allowing the health minister to extend restrictions aimed at containing the coronavirus outbreak. The measure replaces a state of…

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Malta amongst European countries wanting EU to suspend refunds for cancelled flights law

France, Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Poland and Portugal are calling on Brussels to temporarily suspend a European law granting refunds for cancelled flights. France and…

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Dramatic increase in cases in Bulgaria

Bulgaria said on Wednesday it had 1,015 confirmed cases of Covid-19, up from 975 the day before. Although cases have been gradually increasing for more than a month, the health…

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Bulgarian capital Sofia sealed off

The Bulgarian capital Sofia will be sealed off from Friday to contain the spread of the new coronavirus after the number of confirmed cases jumped in the past two days,…

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Major European operation against fraud gang based in Bulgaria and Serbia

A large criminal network involved in fraud, money laundering and social engineering was dismantled in an international investigation. Europol and Eurojust supported the investigation which involved law enforcement and judicial…

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Truckers blocked on border between Bulgaria and Turkey

A column of waiting trucks wanting to cross the border between Bulgaria and Turkey, in the village of Kapitan Andreevo, Bulgaria, 25 March 2020. A record number of drivers and…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Sofia, Bulgaria

A woman clears her car from the snow in Sofia, Bulgaria. Bulgarian authorities have declared a ban on intercity travel around the country in an effort to slow down the…

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Bulgaria approves amended state of emergency law after President’s veto

Bulgaria’s parliament agreed on Monday to cancel some parts of a law that establishes a state of emergency to limit the spread of the coronavirus after the president wielded his veto…

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Bulgaria declares state of emergency over coronavirus

The Bulgarian parliament voted unanimously on Friday to declare a state of emergency until April 13 to contain the spread of coronavirus after the number of confirmed cases in the…

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Total number of countries reporting Co-Vid19 reaches 100

8 new countries/territories/areas (Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Faroe Islands, French Guiana, Maldives, Malta, Martinique, and Republic of Moldova) have reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total…

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Erdogan says EU and world is not understanding Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that "millions" of migrants would soon head for Europe, drawing accusations from EU leaders that he is trying to pressure them into backing his…

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Bulgarian PM denies links to suspected money-laundering scheme in Barcelona

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has denied links to a suspected money-laundering scheme based in Barcelona. He issued the denial after a Barcelona-based newspaper published a front-page report on Friday…

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Photo Story: Traditional Honey Day mass in Bulgaria

Bulgarian Orthodox faithful light candles attached to jars of honey during a holy mass for the 'sanctification of honey' at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin church in the town…

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Huge operation against illegal IPTV distributors in Bulgaria

Europol supported a massive crackdown on illegal IPTV distributors in an operation executed by the Cybercrime Unit of the Bulgarian General Directorate Combating Organised Crime of the Ministry of Interior…

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Photo story: Icy river dip in Bulgaria for Epiphany celebrations

People perform the national dance 'Horo' holding national flags in the icy waters of the river in the town of during celebrations of the Epiphany day in Kalofer, Bulgaria, on…

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Photo Story: Bulgarian Vespa Club Christmas gathering

Motorcyclists wearing Santa Claus outfits ride their 'Vespa' mopeds past the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral during a Bulgarian Vespa Club gathering in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 21 December 2109. Photos: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV…

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Cartoon exhibition on Brexit opens in Bulgaria

A picture shows art works from the cartoon exhibition 'Brexit Forever' organized by the Union of Bulgarian Artists, in Sofia, Bulgaria. In addition to works by Bulgarian authors, the exhibition…

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Bulgaria and Ukraine issue formal protest over Macron’s migration remarks

Bulgaria and Ukraine issued diplomatic protests over remarks by Emmanuel Macron about migrants coming to France from those countries. In an interview published Thursday in conservative weekly magazine Valeurs Actuelles the…

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Bulgaria prepares to vote in run-off local elections

A woman passes in front of campaign posters of Sofia's major candidate of Bulgaria's centre right ruling GERB party, Yordanka Fandakova (R), in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Saturday 02 November 2019.…

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Bulgaria ordered to play two matches behind closed doors, fined €75,000

Bulgaria have been ordered to play two matches behind closed doors, one suspended for two years, and fined €75,000 (£64,640) over the racist behaviour of fans during the European Qualifier…

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Bulgaria’s Ruling Party Leads In Major Cities For Local Elections

Exit polls in Bulgaria indicate that the ruling center-right GERB party will maintain its nationwide dominance but with less support than four years ago, following the October 27 municipal and…

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EU criticises Romania for not tackling corruption

The European Commission released its report on Bulgaria and Romania on Tuesday. The annual studies, done to measure how far the two countries have progressed with required judicial reforms, the…

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Over 300 potential victims of labour exploitation in the agricultural sector identified in pan-European action

Between 16 and 20 September 2019, Europol supported the first Europe-wide Joint Action Days against human trafficking for labour exploitation focusing specifically on the agricultural sector. The operation, led by…

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Bulgaria’s FA President resigns after fans Nazi salutes and racist chants in match against England

The President of the Bulgarian Football Association resigned after being asked to do so by the country's prime Minister. Mihaylov’s letter of resignation will be presented to members of the…

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England vs Bulgaria match suspended twice after racist abuse from stands

England's 6-0 win against Bulgaria in a Euro 2020 qualifier on Thursday evening was overshadowed by reports of racist abuse that forced two brief suspensions of the game. Euronews reports…

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Photo Story: International Sofia Motor Show 2019

A Jeep Renegade (L) and a Jeep Wrangler are on display during the media day of the International Sofia Motor Show 2019 in Sofia, Bulgaria, 11 October 2019. The Sofia…

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Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria expected to highlight to EU that the migration problem isn’t just about Italy and Malta

The EU's migration plans should focus on the Eastern Mediterranean, not just Italy and Malta, three EU countries will say this week. In a document, seen by POLITICO, that will be…

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Photo Story: Bulgarian President Rumen Radev visits Austria

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (L) and Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen (R) arrive ahead of a meeting at the Presidential residence of the Hofburg Palace, in Vienna, Austria.…

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IMF recommends scrapping age limit for Georgieva

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said its executive board recommended the removal of the age limit for its managing director, a move needed for European nominee, the Bulgarian Kristalina…

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EU worried by spread of African swine fever in Bulgaria

The spread of African swine fever in Bulgaria, which threatens the Balkan country’s pig breeding industry is worrying, an EU Commission spokeswoman said on Thursday. Bulgaria has reported more than…

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130,000 pigs slaughtered in Bulgaria, in an attempt to limit swine fever

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said the Balkan state’s government will compensate owners who voluntarily cull their domestic pigs, as the country works to stamp out an outbreak of the…

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Two charged with terrorism over Bulgaria’s biggest data breach

Prosecutors have charged two workers at a cybersecurity company with terrorism as part of an investigation into Bulgaria's biggest-ever data breach, a lawyer for the defendants said on Wednesday. Georgi…

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