Bulgaria

Bulgaria's mountain resort Bansko is in The Telegraph's World's top 20 places for the good life, ahead of Paris and Tuscany.

According to the newspaper, it is in the number three spot, below Andalusia in Spain and Gascony in France. 

Bulgaria's Parliament will hold a first-reading discussion of a set of amendments to the Energy Act concerning the South Stream gas pipeline project.

The registration of parties for the European Parliament elections on May 25 with Bulgaria's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) starts Thursday.

The deadline for the registration of parties and coalitions is April 9, including, according to reports of Sega daily.

Three power distributors operating in Bularia have demanded an increase in prices starting July 2014.

Czech-based CEZ and Energo-Pro have insisted that prices go up 13-14%, while Austrian EVN requested an 8% hike, BGNES news agency has reported, citing Bulgarian energy watchdog DKEVR's head Boyan Boev.

Bulgaria will receive EUR 133 M from the European Union, which will subsidize vine-growing and wine production under a new operational program.

Krasimir Koev, who heads Bulgaria's Vine and Wine Agency, said that the new program was signed Wednesday, the website Expert.bg reported.

Upon receiving EU funds, new vines are to be planted across Bulgaria.

Attacks on journalists are a direct threat to the whole society, Bulgaria's bTV channel said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement comes after bTV journalist Genka Shikerova's automobile was set on fire Tuesday night. She was victim to a similar case of arson back in September, but the perpetrator was not found.

Bulgaria will cooperate with China in the prevention of and fight against crime, after a draft agreement between the two countries' governments has been approved, Wednesday.

Bulgaria's Customs Agency formed a new directorate for corruption prevention and counteraction, Wednesday.

The Professional Standards and Control structure is the result of changes in the Customs Agency regulations adopted by the government in mid-March, Dnevnik reports.

President Rosen Plevneliev discussed the situation of Syrian refugees in Bulgaria at a meeting with EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy in Brussels.

Bulgaria's toy market has seen BGN 20 M growth in 2013.

A Bulgarian family tends to spend BGN 120 on toys ahead of festive days, meaning more money is being put aside for them now than a few years ago, the website Investor.bg has revealed.