Europe Bulgaria Moscow's embassy in Sofia has stopped issuing tourist visas for Bulgarians and will only allow travel to the country to people who have direct relatives in Russia; the country expelled 70 Russian diplomats last week
Europe Bulgaria In the historic town of Koprivshtitsa, 591 songbirds of a protected species died due to stress caused by fireworks on New Year's Eve, environmentalists from 'Green Balkans' reported
Europe Bulgaria In the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union the last vote took place for Bulgaria's full entry into the Schengen area; the vote established the abolition of land controls as of 1 January 2025
Europe Bulgaria The draft budget for 2025 foresees an increase in funds for education from 4,1% to 4,8% of the country's gross domestic product, +0,7% compared to last year
Europe Bulgaria Foreign direct investment recorded a positive net inflow of €1,24bn in the first nine months of 2024, equivalent to 1,2% of the GDP, according to data from the Bulgarian National Bank, a decrease of 63,3% compared to the same period in 2023