Bulgarian cinema a hit at Bangkok festival

Five Bulgarian films screened at the World Film Festival in Bangkok.

Energy shakedown

Focus on Bulgaria’s nuclear stations as ‘big broom’ sweeps through the energy sector

Bidding for cabinet

Borissov wants Parliamentary support, not coalition agreement, for his cabinet

Inheritance dispute

Management contracts handed to Bulgarian Energy Holding directors spark controversy even before new Cabinet is sworn in

US report highlights human rights problems in Bulgaria

Annual assessment says Bulgaria 'generally respects' human rights but finds problems in several areas

No surprises

The line-up of the new board of directors at Bulgarian Energy Holding raised no eyebrows

The names announced by Bulgaria's Economy Ministry as the five appointees to the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) board of directors on January 20 came as no surprise. So predictable was the outcome that one opposition MP had "guessed" four of the names almost a month earlier.

Macedonia 'name dispute' negotiator named

Skopje will on December 1 2008 notify the United Nations mediator in the name dispute with Greece, Matthew Nimetz, that it has appointed its ambassador to the United States, Zoran Jolevski, as the new chief negotiator in the dispute.

Kremikovtzi steel workers demand resignation of Economy Minister

Workers from Bulgaria's steel giant Kremikovtzi are resuming the week with organised protests in Sofia on Monday, November 10 2008. A rally was scheduled to begin at 10am at Alexander Nevski Square. Union demands for compensation amid the massive financial woes facing the steel plant have not been met, and the unions today will demand the resignation of Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov.

Kremikovtzi mess gets worse

Bulgaria's Economy Minister Petar Dimitrov said on November 7 that Bulgaria's largest steel mill Kremikovtzi appeared to be not salvageable. Cabinet-led talks to find a company willing to operate the steelworks reached a dead-end, while decision-making at Kremikovtzi was made impossible because one of its two receivers was removed by court order earlier in the week, Dnevnik daily reported.

Press review: Headlines in Bulgarian papers on September 16 2008

These are some of the top headlines in Bulgarian newspapers on September 16 2008. The Sofia Echo has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy.

Exhibition offers pieces of Sofia's history

Would you like to return to the time when Sofia's streets were dotted with carriages and swaying crinolines and a tsar ruled over the recently liberated and peaceful country? An exhibition at the Sofia city gallery - Gardens of Memory - presents artefacts gathered by four institutions that have kept pieces of the capital's history and are now jointly presenting them to the wider public. Sofia History Museum, the City

Bulgarian films get wide international recognition in 2008

It seems that the year 2008 has been one of the most successful in modern Bulgarian cinema to date. The Ministry of Culture made a special announcement to this effect on July 8, in which it highlighted some of the notable films and directors that have been given recognition worldwide. At the Berlin International Film Festival, held annually in February, two Bulgarian films were selected for screening - the first time that the country has had representation at the event in six years. Boris Despodov's documentary Corridor # 8 won the prize for a film from the Forum, awarded by the Ecumenical Jury. The other Bulgarian film shown at the Berlinale was The Air Ace, a nine-minute animation by Svilen Dimitrov.

Press review: Headlines in Bulgarian papers on June 5 2008

These are some of the top headlines in Bulgarian newspapers on June 5 2008. The Sofia Echo has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy.

Interior Ministry's staff shortage

Vesselin Petrov, head of Interior Ministry's National Police Service (NPS), has resigned from office on May 19 2008, the ministry said in a statement on its website. Petrov is due to meet Interior Minister Mihail Mikov to discuss the resignation, according to the statement. Other than that, no other information was given to the media and Petrov reportedly did not return phone calls. Until the meeting takes place, Petrov will continue to exercise his duties.

Dimitrov tips off Prosecutor-General over irregularities at Kremikovtzi

Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov asked Prosecutor General Boris Velchev to investigate alleged irregularities in the management of Kremikovtzi steel mill, the Ministry of Economy and Energy said in a statement on March 13. The alleged crimes are punishable under articles 219, 220 and 227b of the Penal Code and refer to economic crime, deliberate signing of disadvantageous deals and failure to meet the conditions for filing bankruptcy.

Sofia Film Fest 2008 Programme

Bulgarian "greens" want Kremikovtzi shut down

Bulgaria's "green" politicians have lent their voices on February 25 to the calls to shut down Kremikovtzi steel works in the outskirts of Sofia. Green Bulgaria, Green Party and the Green Alliance all participated in the "Kremikovtzi - the environmental consequences for the region" round table discussion at the Sofia Press club. Scientific research regarding the impact of the steel mill on the environment should top the agenda, with the protests of the plant's employees taking a back seat, Vassil Yotov from the Green Alliance said, opening the discussions.

Police brutality lawsuit goes to re-trial

On February 20, Sofia Military Court of Appeals (SMCA) returned for re-trial the case of five police officers that had been sentenced to a total of 91 years imprisonment for the death of Angel Dimitrov for reviewing. The SMCA said that the Sofia Military Court, which sentenced the policemen, had not been entirely objective. The five policemen were found guilty of causing the death of Dimitrov, dubbed Chorata, in Blagoevgrad in 2005.

Zhevago still in the running for Bulgaria's Kremikovtzi

Оn the morning of January 31, Bulgarian news agency BTA quoted Kremikovtzi Spokesman Roumen Zankov as saying that Ukrainian investor Metinvest has withdrawn from the negotiations, but that negotiations were underway with two investors. Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said that on January 30, Ukrainian investor Konstantin Zhevago, sent a letter confirming his commitments to the company's modernisation and development plans, as well as its ecological and social investments. Zhevago confirmed he would provide 80 million euro as working capital through his own sources and through the financial and lending group he heads, BTA said.

Court in Sofia refuses a review of police brutality victim case

Sofia Military Court of Appeals will pass judgement in a month on the appeal of the five police officers from Blagoevgrad, who had been sentenced for the death of Angel Dimitrov. On January 21 the magistrates denied a request from the defence to bring the case to first instance for review, mediapool.bg said. The defence of the police officers claimed that considerable breaches of procedure had been made during the hearing of the case by the district military court. In November 2006 the head of the Blagoevgrad regional anti-organised crime unit major Miroslav Pissov, captain Ivo Ivanov, senior lieutenant Boris Mehandzhiiski and sergeants Yanko Grahovski and Georgi Kalinov were sentenced to a total of 91 years in prison for causing the death of Angel Dimitrov, mediapool.bg said.

National Briefs

`DRAMATIC' MONEY MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS IN MUNICIPAL COMPANIES, SAYS PROSECUTOR-GENERAL

Bulgaria's Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev said that a second trial would be launched in connection with embezzlement from municipal tram and trolley bus repair company Tramcar. On December 12 2007, the prosecutors' office announced that it would put Tramcar director Hristisko Vretenarov on trial for embezzlement. The second trial would be of municipal company Electrotransport

BULGARIA'S UNIVERSITY OF NATIONAL AND WORLD ECONOMY ORGANISES FINANCIAL CRIMES CONFERENCE

Sofia's University of National and World Economy (UNSS) organised a 2-day international scientific conference with the title Theory and Practise of Financial Crimes, the press office of the University said as reported by the Bulgarian News Agency BTA. The conference would take place on November 29 and 30 and was organised by the University's Finance and Accounting Faculty, on the occasion of its 55th anniversary. The conference would be held under the patronage of Bulgaria's Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski and Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank Ivan Iskrov, BTA said.

Marginal cost*

The outcome of three separate cases, each happening in the past week and a half, showed all the controversy that surrounds the Bulgarian judiciary and has made it the usual suspect when it comes to European Commission criticism.

One of the most scandalous decisions by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which is meant to exercise control over senior members of the Bench, happened on November 14. By just two votes against, the SJC decided to reinstate Delyan Peevski as an investigator at the Sofia Investigative Service. The name Peevski became known around Bulgaria on May 5, when Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev fired him from

READING ROOM: Ideology, poetry, tragedy

To mark the world war commemoration on November 11, Clive Leviev-Sawyer relates the story of Major Frank Thompson, a British communist, poet and World War 2 officer, memorialised in Sofia's war graves cemetery.

In our contemporary world, all who have studied history and are impeded neither by stupidity nor by ill-born revisionism view the eras of imperialism, communism and fascism with revulsion. At least part of this revulsion wells up from the sheer human cost of each of these. And yet, our same humanity makes us intrigued by the stories of individuals who were inspired by the choices they made against the background of

National Briefs

NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE SUBMITS MISAPPROPRIATION SIGNALS TO BULGARIA'S PROSECUTION

The Bulgarian National Audit Office (BNAO) submitted five misappropriation signals to the Prosecution. All of the signals concern violations that occurred in 2006. The exchange of information is part of the agreement for co-operation between the two institutions. According to the BNAO information, misuse of funds occurred in one ministry, several municipalities and a justice institution.

National Briefs

FURTHER CHARGES AGAINST TOPLOFIKATSIA'S HEAD TO BE BROUGHT UP IN BULGARIA

Prosecution will present by the end of the month further fund diversion charges in the trial of former Toplofikatsia head Valentin Dimitrov. Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev said that the investigation has been nearly finalised and the trial should begin by the end of the month. Dimitrov was charged with malfeasance, fund diversion and tax evasion. The pace of court proceedings depended on Dimitrov's

Russian `liberators' ?

Making sense of Russian landmarks in Sofia

Sofia's centre is dotted with gold domes and towering statues and structures, many of which tell the story of Russian influence in Bulgaria. As Russians prepare to celebrate their independence day this June 12, it is interesting to reflect on how Russia has historically influenced Bulgaria. To help illustrate these questions, the Sofia Echo looks at the background of some of the most visible Russian landmarks seen around