Bulgaria

Cases of physical violence in Bulgarian schools almost tripled in the school year 2014-2015 as compared to the previous year, the children's rights group, National Network for the Children, said on Tuesday.

Croatia's Ministry of Defence told BIRN on Tuesday that the Military Security and Intelligence Agency, VSOA, and military police were probing a deal to repair and buy military jets from the Ukrainian state-owned arms company Ukrspecexport.

Large-scale anti-terror training, which had been planned two months ago, began in the Bulgarian capital late on Tuesday.

The training was aimed at assessing the capacity of state institutions to react in the event of crisis situations.

Natural gas exploration drills in Bulgaria's Khan Asparuh block in the Black Sea are expected to begin in April.

This was stated by the chairperson of the parliamentary energy committee Delyan Dobrev on Tuesday, Darik radio quotes him as saying.

The Commission for Protection of Competition (KZK) carried on Tuesday out a sudden inspection of the Bulgarian Petroleum and Gas Association based in Sofia.

The association is a non-governmental organisation protecting the interests of producers, distributors and retailers of oil and gas products.

Controlled explosions of suspicious packages and evacuations are taking place across Brussels after the deadly terrorist attacks in the Belgian capital on Tuesday.

Bulgaria responded to Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels by heightening security measures across the country.

A large-scale anti-terrorism training, which has been planned two months ago, will be held in Sofia in the late hours on Tuesday in order to assess the capacity of different state structures to react in the event of crises.

Bulgaria's foreign ministry has advised citizens planning a trip to Belgium to postpone their journey in the wake of Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels, which claimed the lives of at least 26 people and left scores of others injured.

Those already in Belgium are advised to regularly follow the official statements and instructions of the local authorities.

Bulgarian Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski has said no flights scheduled from Sofia to Brussels are to take place as of the moment.

Speaking to reporters, he has added a en emergency meeting presided by Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova on Tuesday afternoon will be held to establish whether the level of security alert should be raised.

President Rosen Plevneliev has said Bulgaria strongly condemns the "acts of violence" that rocked Brussels on Tuesday morning.