Bulgaria

The mining industry generates 5% of Bulgaria's GDP and provides jobs for over 24 000 people, according to Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova.

Petkova attended Saturday the 50th anniversary celebration of Bulgarian mining company Asarel-Medet AD.

She noted that around 300 companies operated in the sector.

Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov has argued that Bulgarian legislation must be amended so as to include harsh penalties for human smuggling instead of the current fine of BGN 1000 - 8000.

In a Saturday interview for Nova TV, Mitov made clear that Penal Code amendments envisaging much harsher penalties for human smuggling had passed first reading in Parliament on Friday.

Bulgarian Parliament Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva is leaving for the US on Saturday to take part in the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament.

The forum, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), will take place on August 31 - September 2, 2015 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, according to a media statement of Bulgaria's Parliament.

Bulgaria's Ivet lalova-Collio finished 7th in the women's 200m finals at the Beijing 2015 IAAF World Athletics Championships on Friday.

Lalova-Collio covered the distance in 22.41 seconds, ahead of Jamaica's Sherone Simpson (22.50) and behind Jeneba Tarmoh of the USA (22.31). The Bulgarian athlete;s time was 0.09 seconds slower than her result in Thursday's semi-finals.

Bulgaria's business climate climate indicator has advanced by 1.3 percentage points in August  compared to July, mainly due to improved managers' opinions in industry and retail trade, the country's statistical office announced on Friday.

Six Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jets will have their engines overhauled in Poland under an intergovernmental letter of intent signed in Sofia on Friday.

An aircraft of Turkey's Pegasus Airlines safely made an emergency landing at Sofia Airport, Bulgaria on Friday afternoon, BGNES reported.

Britain's Conservative government is facing political heavy weather over the sharp rise in immigration recorded over the last year, including a major spike in the numbers of Romanians and Bulgarians coming to the UK.

Police in Bulgaria's Plovdiv have uncovered a printing facility for fake documents, including ID cards, diplomas and drivers' licenses and control cards.

The printing facility was located in Rozova Dolina Street, according to the Bulgarian National Radio.

Police are to announce details about the operation at a press conference later on Friday.

The number of troops dispatched to Bulgaria's borders will increase, according to Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev.

In a Friday interview for bTV, Nenchev made clear that the military presence at the border was set to increase due to the unprecedented migration pressure.