Sofia

Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov assured on Friday that there will be no shale gas extraction in the country until a new eco-friendly method is invented.

His statement was made at the annual forum of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev announced during parliamentary control on Friday that NATO is to station a command centre in the capital Sofia.

Nenchev dismissed the speculations that have arisen, following last week's visit of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, that the Aliance is to station a military base near the Bulgarian seaside town of Shabla.

Zhelyu Zhelev, the former President of Bulgaria from 1990 to 1997, has died, the press office of President Rosen Plevneliev announced.

The worst economic crisis in Russia in a decade coupled with the devaluation of the rouble have affected Bulgarian companies in a negative way, as sales decrease and orders are being suspended.

Bulgarian company M & S Hydraulic, which makes machine parts, mainly power steering components for tractors, lost half of its sales in the region, Deutsche Welle reports.

Bulgaria might opt to send its old MiG-29s to Poland for refurbishment, a defense news website has suggested.

In a text on Bulgaria, Defense Industry Daily points to the fact that carrying out hardware updates of MiGs in Russia is "awkward" nowadays for Eastern Europe with NATO's moves in the region.

Bulgaria is to extradite Thursday a French citizen suspected of having been in close contact with the Kouachi brothers, who killed 12 people at the Paris Office of Charlie Hebdo weekly.

Real estate prices in Bulgaria's capital Sofia saw a nominal annual increase of 2.9% in 2014, a real estate consultant has said.

This is well below an average nominal increase of 0.5% registered across the country.

Bulgaria will take measures to address all issues pointed in the EU Commission's latest report on the country's progress in judicial reform and fighting corruption and organized crime, Deputy PM Meglena Kuneva said on Wednesday.

BELGRADE - The band Kultur Shock will perform at Mikser House in Belgrade on March 3 as part of their great 2015 European tour.

The band comes from Seattle and has impressed audiences from over 15 years with their sound, which is a mix od punk, metal and traditional Balkan songs. They have given close to 1,000 concerts so far.

The Festival of Contemporary Chinese Cinema will take place in Bulgaria's capital between 6 and 13 February.

Everyone interested in the Chinese culture and arts will have the opportunity to watch all nine movies for free. The predominant genre of the selection is drama, but several thrillers and comedies can also be seen.