In the latest issue of The Sofia Echo, on sale from March 7, Alex Bivol takes a hard look at Bulgaria’s state railways after the train fire in which nine people died.

Elena Koinova assesses the prospects for the notion that Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev and his predecessor and prime minister-designate Vladimir Putin will be able to continue their close working relationship once the changes at the head of Russia’s government take effect.

In local news, The Sofia Echo outlines Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov’s plan for a new system of address registration.

The business section relates the key points that emerged from the annual banking and money conference in Plovdiv, and profiles Austrian Airlines’ manager for Bulgaria who tells the story of his pioneering work for the airline in opening up its operation in Kosovo.

The Sofia Echo opens this year’s continuing coverage of the US elections with an explanation in its Insight section of how American expatriates can vote, while Vanya Rainova explains why she is a “woman for Obama”.
In the features section, there are interview with the head of the Sofia Film Festival, and the first of a continuing series of interviews with Bulgaria’s women film directors, while elsewhere, Pavel Ivanov reviews the George Clooney movie Michael Clayton.

The Sofia Echo this week also announces its planned special feature, to be published on March 28, in honour of Greece’s national day and how advertisers can participate.