Bulgaria

As of 1 January 2025, the minimum wage will be increased to at least BGN 1.080 (€552), a 15,7% increase from the current BGN 933 (€477)

Google has allocated $1m in scholarships for young scientists working at the Bulgarian Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology, one of the world's largest contributions from the technology giant in 2024

The country has updated its vaccination calendar, granting general practitioners permission to administer the pertussis vaccine to infants two weeks earlier than before, starting six weeks after birth

Bulgaria's long-awaited entry into the Eurozone may be delayed, as the country is unlikely to meet the inflation criterion required for the introduction of the euro on 1 January 2025

Famed actor and Nobu Hospitality co-founder Robert De Niro is to open two Nobu-branded luxury hotels in Bulgaria, one in Sofia in the city center and the other in Varna on the Black Sea coast

Bulgarians over 65 currently make up 23,5% of the country's population; they are expected to rise to 27,6% by 2034 and 31% by the end of 2060, according to data on the share of people of retirement age published by the National Institute of Statistics

Over €295 million will be invested by the country in the so-called "Vertical Corridor," a key initiative among gas transmission operators from seven Balkan countries to reduce dependence on Russian gas

Human Rights Watch urged the country not to deport Saudi activist Abdulrahman al-Khalid, as deportation would expose him to the risk of torture

At Bulgaria Open 2024 international taekwondo tournament, the Bulgarian team scored a total of 750 points, winning the first place and the cup; more than 450 participants took part in the competition, making the tournament the largest in Europe this year

Balkan Climbing, the largest climbing gym in the Balkans, was inaugurated in Sofia at an official ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel

An atlas of immovable cultural heritage in Bulgaria is now available on the website of the National Institute for Immovable Cultural Heritage and includes all Bulgarian sites on the World Heritage List and the Register of Archaeological Reserves

A memorial ceremony was held on board the Bulgarian naval research and survey ship Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) for the Argentinian researchers who lost their lives in Antarctica in 1976

The construction of two crucial motorways is about to begin; they will connect the city of Varna to Durankulak, in north-east Bulgaria, and to Silistra, on the Danube