SofiaEcho RSS feed Bulgaria abroad

Global food prices ease, but stay high, FAO says

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:04:00 +0300

The global food import bill in 2012 could decline to $1.24 trillion, down slightly from last year’s record of $1.29 trillion.

Bulgarian Olympic champion sentenced to nine years' jail in Brazil

The Sofia Echo staff — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:48:00 +0300

Boevski has been under arrest in Brazil since October, when he was arrested at Sao Paulo's international airport with nine kg of cocaine in his luggage.

Bulgarian media tinted by owners' other interests – SEEMO report

The Sofia Echo staff — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:48:00 +0300

Whereas foreign media ownership is perceived as advantageous for media outlets and journalists, Bulgarian owners are perceived as investors with short-term vision who strive for immediate profits.

Prevent violent extremism by being better at identifying people at risk of radicalisation – Malmström

The Sofia Echo staff — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:18:00 +0300

Killing spree in Norway in July 2011 and the arrests of individuals in a number of EU member states for the preparation of terrorist attacks, are proof of the continuing need for vigilance, Europol says.

On annual World Book Day, UN emphasises importance of translation

The Sofia Echo staff — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:27:00 +0300

In her message to mark the Day, Bulgaria's Bokova said that books are 'valuable tools' for knowledge-sharing, mutual understanding and openness to others and to the world.

IMF gets hundreds of billions more for emergency loans

Jim Randle, VOANews — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 07:14:00 +0300

The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said the members of the IMF have made commitments to provide as much as $430 billion for loans to help members through economic difficulties.

Continued uncertainty and recession in euro zone weaken recovery in emerging Europe and Central Asia – World Bank

The Sofia Echo staff — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 07:07:00 +0300

Effective social safety nets are critical for protecting the vulnerable; a looming demographic crisis makes reforms more urgent, the World Bank says.

Bulgarian FM Mladenov: ‘Nato should send a strong signal to the Western Balkans’

The Sofia Echo staff — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0300

The preparations for the Nato summit in Chicago should give a clear signal that Nato’s door remains open because this is a strong incentive for countries to reform, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov said at meeting in Brussels of the alliance’s foreign and defence ministers.

Bulgaria’s Parliament ratifies military co-operation agreement with Israel

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:21:00 +0300

Agreement, signed in January 2012, provides for joint military training programmes and exercises on the territory of Bulgaria and of Israel.

Bulgarian embassy in Libya to re-open soon

The Sofia Echo staff — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:38:00 +0300

Career diplomat Venelin Lazarov is to be Sofia’s new envoy in Tripoli, Bulgarian National Radio said on April 4 2012.

Bulgaria to open a consulate in Frankfurt

The Sofia Echo staff — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:00:00 +0300

The decision will enable Bulgaria to have a more dynamic economic presence in the European financial capital while continuing to provide the necessary consular services to Bulgarian citizens, Foreign Ministry says.

Borissov to push Azerbaijan – Georgia – Bulgaria gas transit project at meeting with Van Rompuy

The Sofia Echo staff — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:34:00 +0300

Bulgarian PM sees ‘real opportunity’ to diversify gas supplies to Bulgaria, after talks with Georgian leaders on liquefied gas transit project separate to Russian supplies.

Bulgarians among group charged in Czech Republic with aiding terrorism

The Sofia Echo staff — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:18:00 +0300

The group was arrested in April 2011 in connection with allegedly supplying false documents to members of a militant Islamist group in Dagestan, Shariat Jamaat.

Bulgarian arrested in Dominican Republic on cocaine allegations

The Sofia Echo staff — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:42:00 +0300

The Bulgarian, reportedly aged 54, was detained at the airport in Punta Cana while trying to catch a flight to Paris.

European Parliament calls for all EU labour markets to be opened to Bulgarians and Romanians

The Sofia Echo staff — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:31:00 +0300

EU member states and the European Commission must to do more to enforce EU citizens' basic rights, says a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on March 29. These rights include moving to and living in another Member State, standing for and voting in European Parliament and local elections, equal treatment and petitioning the European Parliament.

EU shows slower progress in reducing road deaths

The Sofia Echo staff — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:42:00 +0300

Progress in cutting road fatalities significantly slowed in 2011 (to -2 per cent) compared with a very promising EU-wide reduction throughout the past decade (on average -6 per cent)

Two years' jail for hacking IT systems, draft EU law proposes

The Sofia Echo staff — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:15:00 +0300

Possessing or distributing hacking software and tools would also be an offence, and companies would be liable for cyber attacks committed for their benefit.

EU ministers extend counter-piracy Operation Atalanta

The Sofia Echo staff — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0200

Operation Atalanta, the main tasks of which are the protection of vessels of the World Food Programme delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia and the fight against piracy off the Somali coast, extended to December 2014.

Bulgaria breached EU law in digital terrestrial broadcasting procedure, EC says

The Sofia Echo staff — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:19:00 +0200

European Commission asks Bulgaria to ensure open and non-discriminatory access to digital terrestrial broadcasting infrastructure market.

Bulgaria and Turkey sign 17 documents during Borissov’s visit to Ankara

The Sofia Echo staff — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:38:00 +0200

Energy, economy key issues in talks between Borissov and Erdogan, while the Bulgarian and Turkish governments held the first meeting of their bilateral High-Level Co-operation Council.