More than 1,200 residents of Pernik’s Teva borough have petitioned the municipality against a plan by a mining company to mine brown coal at the nearby Stara Teva site The concession area lies close to the boroughs of Rudnichar Mayor Stanislav Vladimirov has sent a formal objection to the Sofia Regional Environment and Water Inspectorate warning that the project poses serious environmental and health risks The municipality said it had received many similar submissions opposing the investment proposal Vladimirov’s letter argues that new mining would raise fine-particulate pollution undermining Pernik’s forthcoming programme to replace household heating appliances with cleaner alternatives The mayor also warns of potential landslides extra noise and cumulative pollution from existing sources such as the Sedmi Septemvri and Kudin Dol slag heaps and the Republic thermal power plant Contacts +359 2 9262 210 This website uses cookies. By accepting cookies you can enjoy a better experience while browsing pages. 17 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Nesebar won 2–0 over Minyor Pernik on Thu This is 32 of the Second Professional League Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are Nesebar 0 win(s) Have scored 3 goals in their last 5 matches Who won between Nesebar and Minyor Pernik on Thu 17 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT?Nesebar won 2–0 over Minyor Pernik on Thu 17 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 3 goals in their last 5 matches Nesebar is playing home against Minyor Pernik on Thu HOT: » What kind of news would you like to see more of? the obstetrics and gynecology department at the "Rahila Angelova" Multi-Profile Hospital in Pernik will be shut down due to a significant shortage of medical staff which is supposed to employ 15 full-time midwives Many of the midwives are at retirement age explained that while some of them plan to return in September they are taking a break to recover their health has worked overtime for more than 120 hours and has not taken leave since 2023 The situation reflects a broader issue facing not only the Pernik hospital but also many provincial hospitals across Bulgaria shared that the department is currently operating with 12 midwives on long-term sick leave Only six midwives remain to cover the 24-hour shifts making it increasingly difficult to maintain the necessary level of care Lazov emphasized that the state of healthcare is in crisis citing the separation of hospital care from pre-hospital care as one of the key issues doctors worked in both outpatient and inpatient settings allowing them to monitor all stages of pregnancy healthcare professionals are losing their skills due to lack of experience Lazov also expressed frustration with the government's focus on international issues while neglecting domestic problems like healthcare A recent meeting between the hospital director and Pernik’s mayor during which the hospital director assured that efforts would be made to address the staff shortage and secure new personnel We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria Bulgaria commemorates one of its most significant national holidays – the Day of Saint George the Victorious and the official Day of the Bulgarian Army all retailers in Bulgaria will be required to display prices in both leva and euros Employers in Bulgaria are legally required to implement all necessary measures to prevent and minimize workplace accidents a major British tour operator specializing in holidays to Bulgaria has halted all its operations effective April 24 Wage growth in Bulgaria is projected at 9.3 percent for 2025 a 15.4 percent rise in the minimum wage since January The World Bank has revised down its forecast for Bulgaria’s economic growth in 2025 A Romanian family paid 3,084.60 leva (1,500 euros) for medical treatment at the Burgas University Hospital following a serious road accident Todor Kantardzhiev warned that Sofia's sewer system should be cleared of rats They highlighted that health security cannot be fully achieved without robust vaccination programs former director of the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases which can sense human breathing from up to 20 meters away Cases of acute gastrointestinal illness continue to be reported in Bansko The Sofia Emergency Care Center has received a fully equipped ambulance as a donation Google Street View Cars Return to Bulgaria for Major Mapping Update Housing Prices Soar in Bulgaria’s Major Cities as Demand and Supply Strain Increase The firm has inaugurated a PV plant with a storage facility on a former industrial waste site in Pernik 0 The hybrid park consists of a photovoltaic plant with a peak capacity of 32 MW and an electricity storage unit of 61 MWh Solaris Holding is a joint venture of Bulgarian-German solar power plant installer Sunotec and the main shareholders of energy firm Eurohold Bulgaria The park was built on an old landfill site of the local steel industry in line with the highest environmental standards The Pernik photovoltaic plant can supply 10,200 households with an average annual consumption of 3.272 MWh per household The storage allows long-term contracts for electricity trading at a fixed price the Bulgarian subsidiary of Hungarian OTP Bank and Hamburg-based Varengold Bank The produced electricity will be managed by energy trader Electrohold Trade the battery energy storage system allows the produced green energy to be used during peak consumption hours and smoothly distributed according to demand It provides new opportunities in the sector and long-term contracts for electricity trading at a fixed price Solaris Holding intends to install solar power facilities with an overall capacity of 600 MW and storage systems totaling 1,000 MWh the site was similar to the lunar landscape One million cubic meters of soil was removed to prepare the location Sunotec will soon open a second hybrid park The firms are currently developing 23 projects but the partners have decided to take the risk without waiting for subsidies because energy doesn’t wait representative of the main shareholders of Eurohold According to Electrohold’s Chief Commercial Officer Vladimir Dichev projects like the hybrid park in Pernik allow them to offer competitive energy at a fixed price in the long term Be the first one to comment on this article 02 May 2025 - The project is located in Constanța county recognized for its superior yields in green energy production 02 May 2025 - The Sunčana (Sunny) Vipava project envisages installing solar power plants with a combined capacity of 20 MW 30 April 2025 - OMV put into operation its 10 MW green hydrogen plant at the Schwechat refinery 30 April 2025 - It is the second time this year that MVM contracted gas-fueled and hydrogen-ready power plants at sites of former fossil fuel facilities © CENTER FOR PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2008-2020 website developed by ogitive Bulgaria's town of Pernik is situated only 35 km southwest of Sofia and everyone knows it as the "town of ‎black gold" or "the town of miners". In recent years, however, the appearance of ‎Pernik has been changing and we increasingly associate the town with its noisy, ‎colorful and multifaceted festival "Surva", which took its name from an ancient ‎folk tradition of chasing away winter with a lot of noise and scary animal ‎masks in the first and coldest month of the New Year ‎men in this part of Bulgaria have paraded in the streets masked in scary costumes known as mummers (called in Bulgarian ‎"kukeri whose ritual ‎procession has the important role of driving away devils and starting life from scratch in the new year.‎ so that everyone can show the ‎tradition of their region to the audience "Every year the festival has a different vision and we try to make it different every time but the motto of these masquerade games remains unchanged This is also the invitation - so come to Pernik on January 24 so that we can all rejoice and have fun together at this most colorful noisiest and largest carnival in our country You can watch the live footage from the first day of Surva Festival at the link below: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=964894482243715 You can see more photos from earlier editions of the festival in the gallery below If you are looking for a destination for a pleasant walk in the heart of the mountain you can choose the Lakatitsa section of the Rila Mountain We suggest you start from the village of Govedartsi near Samokov the village of Dobarsko attracts tourists from all corners of the country year-round A legend has it that some of the first settlers in the area of today's village were the blinded soldiers of Tsar Samuel The 31 st edition of the international mummer festival Surva has asserted its standing as the biggest masquerade festival in Europe There were more than 12,000 participants in the festival this year english@bnr.bg with measures in place from January 30 to February 5 This brings the total number of Bulgarian regions with temporary anti-epidemic restrictions to 14 the restrictions include the suspension of routine medical check-ups mandatory vaccinations and re-vaccinations and scheduled consultations for healthy pregnant women and children Visits to hospitals and specialized social care facilities for both children and adults have also been halted Authorities have implemented stricter screening in schools and childcare centers to prevent children with flu symptoms or acute respiratory infections from attending Increased disinfection protocols have also been introduced Similar measures have been enforced in Vidin Municipality and the districts of Vratsa consultations for healthy pregnant women and children continue but are restricted to designated time slots—from 8:30 to 10:00 and 14:00 to 15:30 these services are further limited to specific days—Tuesdays and Thursdays There is no threat of a second flu wave in Bulgaria but there has been a slowdown in the decline of cases reported that the peak of the flu season has passed with the last two regions where restrictions were in place—Veliko Tarnovo and Sliven—lifting their anti-epidemic measures which will be in effect from February 3 to 11 The peak of the flu season in Bulgaria has yet to be reached who expressed hope that it would happen in the coming days won the Grand Prix at the 19th International Young Classical Musical Instrument Performers Competition in Pernik the organizers of the event said on Monday who attends the Dobrin Petkov National School of Music and Dance earned the honour for her performances in Spanish Symphony (Part 5) by Edouard Lalo and Five Pieces from Cinderella: No consisting of a statuette and a BGN 1,000 cash award is an acknowledgement for the winner’s “extraordinary talent.” A total of 180 young musicians from Bulgaria and North Macedonia participated in the competition They were divided into three groups according to the type of their instrument: piano The Education Section of the Spanish Embassy in Bulgaria awarded Bozhidara Karakicheva (piano) and Anton Velichkov (oboe) for presenting works by Spanish and Ibero-American composers Instituto Cervantes awarded Alisa Gritsan (piano) and Magdalena Goranova (guitar) The Teachers’ High Achievement Awards went to Olga Mladenova (piano) Milko Todorov guitar) and Iva Lyubomirova (flute) was held on the sidelines of the main event It was won by eight-year-old Nikol Rasheva The International Young Classical Musical Instrument Performers Competition is organized by Pernik Municipality the local Palace of Culture and its School of Arts the competition has established itself as one of the most prestigious musical events in Bulgaria 04 Mar 2025 13:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}CSKA 1948 II won 3–1 over Minyor Pernik on Tue This is 24 of the Second Professional League The current head to head record for the teams are CSKA 1948 II 1 win(s) Have scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches Who won between CSKA 1948 II and Minyor Pernik on Tue 04 Mar 2025 13:30:00 GMT?CSKA 1948 II won 3–1 over Minyor Pernik on Tue 04 Mar 2025 13:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches CSKA 1948 II is playing home against Minyor Pernik on Tue 06 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}PFC CSKA-Sofia II won 5–1 over Minyor Pernik on Sun This is 30 of the Second Professional League The current head to head record for the teams are PFC CSKA-Sofia II 1 win(s) Haven't scored in their last 3 matches Have scored 5 goals in their last 5 matches Haven't scored in their last 2 matches Who won between PFC CSKA-Sofia II and Minyor Pernik on Sun 06 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT?PFC CSKA-Sofia II won 5–1 over Minyor Pernik on Sun 06 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 2 goals in their last 5 matches PFC CSKA-Sofia II is playing home against Minyor Pernik on Sun The European Parliament's Intergroup for Animal Welfare has responded swiftly to the disturbing case in Pernik where animals have been subjected to torture and filmed for profit over an extended period revealed that a letter from the Intergroup has been sent to Bulgaria's Prime Minister Radev is scheduled to meet with them today to discuss the urgent need for a thorough investigation appropriate punishments for those responsible and improvements to national legislation to prevent such crimes from occurring again Radev noted that the European Commission had been alerted to the issue earlier in the week while there has been a repeated call for the Commission to introduce animal welfare legislation significant progress has been delayed in previous terms he highlighted that the issue is now a priority for the new European Commission and the Commissioner responsible for health has indicated their commitment to working on the matter Radev has also submitted a parliamentary question that will require a response within a month urging the European Commission to outline the measures it plans to take at the EU level The MEP emphasized the cross-border nature of the problem explaining that the individuals paying for these brutal videos are not limited to Bulgaria He also expressed concern that current legislation is lagging behind technological advancements such as the fight against online pedophilia as examples of tools that could be adapted to combat this issue Radev stressed the importance of prioritizing this issue citing studies that show a correlation between animal cruelty and violence towards humans He argued that tackling these crimes is crucial for the safety of both animals and people alike Gabriela Sashova (26) and Krasimir Georgiev (34) who have sparked outrage in Bulgaria for their involvement in disturbing animal abuse videos have not filed any complaints or objections regarding their detention arrested for filming cruelty for a paid audience with a fetish for such acts allegedly received payments ranging from 50 to 700 euros via platforms like "Revolut" or cryptocurrency The gruesome footage includes acts of murder Despite the end of their three-day detention period there are no signs that the detainees or their lawyers are seeking release Sashova's lawyer has withdrawn from the case The case has triggered protests and prompted calls for harsher penalties as the current law only provides a maximum sentence of four years The mayor of Pernik has also stated that the pair are not welcome in the city The European Commission is proposing significant changes to EU regulations concerning road safety and vehicle registration According to preliminary data from Eurostat the eurozone economy grew by 0.4% in the first quarter of the year compared to the previous three months doubling the 0.2% increase recorded at the end of 2024 The European Commission has announced a €910 million investment under the European Defence Fund (EDF) to enhance defence manufacturing capabilities across the European Union Friedrich Merz is poised to become Germany's next chancellor following the approval of a coalition agreement between his CDU/CSU bloc At least five people have died as a result of a large-scale power outage that affected the Iberian Peninsula on Monday The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has instructed Bulgarian authorities to provide suitable alternative housing for the fourteen individuals affected by the demolition The 31st Surva International Festival of Masquerade Games opened in Pernik on Friday with a parade in the central part of the town and a show featuring 250 mummers The opening was attended by Bulgaria's Vice President Iliana Iotova who has provided her auspices for the festival Federation of European Carnival Cities President Lars Algell Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev The opening act was a group from the village of Stefanovo who won the festival's Golden Mask Award in 2024 They walked into Pernik's central square with burning torches Vice President Iotova said in a greetings address: "Surva is magic all of you who have come to this festival have brought your energy and all the good that you want to do The festival rests on an old tradition showcasing the Bulgarian spirit for generations and families to come together and to teach children how to tell right from wrong to help one another and to stand together in the battle against evil." Pernik Mayor Stanislav Vladimirov said the town lives for this festival He said the thousands of mummers "have put their souls into the making of their huge because we need to chase evil away and bring good in." Lars Algell officially declared Pernik a global centre of masquerade traditions The Surva International Festival of Masquerade Games in Pernik is organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism It is Europe's biggest event for popular games and rites with masks elements of the folklore tradition of the Bulgarians By accepting cookies you can enjoy a better experience while browsing pages The Magic of Busintsi Ceramics exhibition will open at the Regional History Museum in Pernik on Wednesday The exhibition is dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the birth of Petar Gigov the master potter from the village of Busintsi in Tran Municipality Gigov championed the preservation of this craft in the village and took part in national and international exhibitions of artistic and applied crafts in Plovdiv His vessels are featured in the Bulgarian section of the Museum of Man in Paris The village of Busintsi is also home to the Museum of Busin Ceramics which is among the most visited tourist sites in the region Its collection contains over 1,300 objects made of clay by more than a thousand craftsmen from the village and the surrounding area A Spanish citizen has been detained for the theft of a taxi in Pernik the Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry said on Friday The police operation to search for the stolen car began on March 5 who has a criminal record and has been convicted of crimes abroad The citizen was detained during an operation by police officers of the Pernik Regional Directorate the Sofia Airport Border Police Department and the Sofia First Police Precinct.  Pernik Mayor Stanislav Vladimirov on Saturday met with delegations from twin cities the board of the Federation of European Carnival Cities (FECC) and the heads of the foreign masquerade groups participating in the 31st International Festival of Masquerade Games Surva 2025.  Surva is developing and you can see that more and more participants are applying to present their customs and traditions here in Pernik much of their soul to make these colourful masks," said Mayor Stanislav Vladimirov and chairman of the organizing committee of the Surva festival He thanked his team for their diligence and great desire to make the festival even bigger Vladimirov also offered his admiration to the foreign groups because the increase in their number makes Surva a more specific The Mayor said that the Surova custom is recognized by UNESCO and since Friday the city was also declared a global center of masquerade traditions which is a great recognition for the joint work of the local administration and volunteers "I was in Pernik for the first time 25 years ago With every visit I see the growth of the festival The improvement from last year is really impressive Yesterday we enjoyed a wonderful opening and today we continue to enjoy the tradition," said FECG President Lars Algell He highlighted the good partnership established between the organization's board and the Municipality of Pernik On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Pernik joining FECG The baker says, “Sorry, we just ran out of bread, but we’ve got plenty of politicians who’ll promise to bring some tomorrow!”... read The Bulgarian replied, "Simple, we just put everything in a pot, add a little rakia, and let the flavors fight it out!" It’s a recipe for success… and possibly a ... read While speaking briefly with the media, Trump took a question on the stock market drop following the tariffs and said, "I think it's going very well," and added that the United States will "have six or seven trillion dollars coming into our country."He further said, "The markets are going ... read 'This is not the time to go it alone,' Rutte warns, as he says 'no alternative to NATO'Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte is speaking again, giving a lecture at the Warsaw School of Economics in which he strongly backs the role of the alliance and tells both Europe and the ... read Capturing spring in Bulgaria: A blooming season through our lens Spring in Bulgaria is a time of vibrant renewal marked by blooming flowers and milder weather the countryside transforms with colorful wildflowers such as snowdrops Cities and villages alike celebrate the season » See all photos A Pigeon Show was held in Pernik over the weekend Poultry owners from across Bulgaria presented a variety of pigeon breeds the annual competitive event took place in the gym of Saints Cyril and Methodius School No Stefan Evgeniev of the Krakra Pernishki Poultry Breeders and Nature Lovers Club told BTA that blood tests had been performed on each bird and they were certified as healthy They were also examined by experts from the Pernik Regional Food Safety Directorate Participants from poultry breeders clubs said this was a historic moment as the show was organized under the auspices of the Federation of Pigeon Breeders and Nature Lovers in the Republic of Bulgaria (FPN) FPN President Venelin Stefanov said the young organization will hold its first meeting shortly It plans to organize many shows and assist the improvement of pigeon breeds “We put a lot of love into raising our birds and we work for the sake of the pigeons,” Stefanov said The FPN leadership finds it essential to recruit more judges willing to receive additional training Shows of specific pigeon breeds will be organized The idea is to use the method of direct observation to see whether a given breed is developing and to set new selective breeding goals consisting of a photovoltaic plant and a battery energy storage station We are talking about Solaris Park in Pernik which includes solar panels with a capacity of 32 MWp and an electricity storage facility with a capacity of 61 MWh The energy project was built on an old industrial waste dump belonging to a local steel company There are now 30 BESS containers and 56,889 solar panels The plant connection has a voltage of 20 kV The operation of the plant will save 16 thousand tons of carbon emissions per year The Pernik solar power plant can supply 10,200 households with energy (at an average annual consumption per household of 3,272 MWh) The main project investor is Solaris Holding - a joint venture between the Bulgarian-German Sunotec and the main shareholders in Eurohold Bulgaria The value of the investment is about 37 million euros It is financed by DSK Bank and the German Varengold The payback period of the investment in the solar components of the project should be 15 years Electrohold Trade will be responsible for the distribution of the electricity produced by this energy project The plant does not yet have a signed PPA contract The battery station will also be used for balancing services to the ESO as well as for optimizing the balances of the photovoltaic plant Although the Battery Funding Recovery Plan scheme is already taking off the project investors have decided they won’t wait for the measure every lost day has a negative impact in the future,” said Kiril Boshov Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eurohold it will not be the last project of the Solaris Holding joint venture a similar hybrid energy project will be launched in Ihtiman "Investing in this type of project is part of the Eurohold group's strategy to enter the manufacturing sector This will allow us to better close the natural supply chain - from manufacturing through electricity transmission wholesale trade and delivery to the end customer," said Vladimir Dichev Chief Commercial Director of Electrohold Bulgaria at the opening ceremony of the Pernik solar power plant He added that this project significantly increases the size of the power-generating capacity of the Electrohold portfolio Such projects allow the company to offer its customers green energy at a fixed price for long periods" The importance of the energy project for Pernik was highlighted by its mayor so the local government has the ambition to build a large industrial zone near the solar park Pernik will host the seventh concert of Bulgarian pop diva Lili Ivanova’s 2025 national tour on October 11 The show will take place at the Boris Gyuderov Sports Hall where Ivanova performed to a packed audience nearly a year ago Moved by what she described as "a killer audience" Ivanova’s tour kicks off at Sofia’s Joy Station on February 14 with two additional concerts in the capital – at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre on May 19 and in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture on December 12 Other tour stops include Varna’s Summer Theatre on July 13 and Plovdiv’s Antique Theatre on September 13 Ivanova will be accompanied by the Grand LI Orchestra Pernik is hosting the XXXI International Festival of Masquerade Games "Surva" 2025 This is the oldest and largest masquerade festival in our country who has been a choreographer at the District Council for Art and Culture in Pernik since 1960 and an inspector in the "Education and Culture" department at the District People's Council in Pernik since 1963 He proposed that the city become the center of the masquerade games 1965 The Executive Committee of the Pernik District Council adopted a decision to create a festival "Pernik Winter" with the participation of all survakar masquerade groups from the then Pernik District Foreign groups demonstrated lavish costumes and recreated typical customs of their countries More news from Culture The Council of Ministers has approved and submitted to Parliament for debate amendments to the Criminal Code that increase the penalties for torturing animals and add new more severe punishments if what is done is filmed for distribution If the offence is committed for personal gain it is proposed that the penalty will be between 3 and 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of between 2,500 and 10,000 euros the punishment would be imprisonment from 3 to 12 years and a fine from 5,000 to 15,000 euros The amendments are proposed in the wake of the infamous Pernik case filmed herself torturing and killing hundreds of small animals for fetishist clients outside Bulgaria This case of monstrous violence sparked widespread protests in many cities across Bulgaria Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev has left for Washington where he will participate in the Munich Leaders Meeting (May 5-7 The forum is organised by the Munich Security Conference The foundation Unity- Kočani has sent an open letter to key Bulgarian institutions expressing gratitude for the support and humanitarian assistance provided by Bulgaria after the tragedy of the fire at a nightclub in Kočani The foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Greece Georg Georgiev and Giorgos Gerapetritis signed a joint declaration on the use of the waters of the river Arda on 2 May the BNR reports citing an announcement published by the Greek Foreign Ministry.. people will be able to withdraw money  from ATMs only in the new currency according to the website of the Bulgarian. helicopters of the Bulgarian Air Force will fly at low altitude over Sofia in preparation for a military parade marking the Day. The Bulgarian student teams that participated in the European Olympiad of Experimental Sciences EOES 2025 in Zagreb have returned with. The Palace of Culture in Pernik is not just a building but a symbol of the cultural life in this Bulgarian city the Palace has been the scene of countless theater productions concerts and cultural events that have shaped Pernik's cultural identity The building is thus one of the most recognizable architectural jewels in the city in order to preserve its functionality and function as a cultural hub the municipality of Pernik began a large-scale renovation of the Palace last year The structural elements had become old and obsolete a state of affairs that did not suit the Palace of Culture" during the latest episode of the "Transition of Opportunities" podcast series Part of the renovation activities were financed with European funds under the "Regions in Growth" Operational Program The remainder was provided through loan financing from the Sustainable Cities Fund The municipality also has financial participation Although in our country the grant-in-aid tends to be small I believe that if there was no motivation and opportunity to use this (European) funding such a project would really have been difficult to implement The European Union's support for cultural life is robust," the deputy mayor pointed out energy efficiency activities were carried out the old wooden windows installed in 1957 were replaced with wooden glazing all electrical installations were replaced the sanitary facilities were renewed and an accessible environment with ramps for people with mobility difficulties was provided Europe recognizes the importance of such historic buildings and promotes their restoration to stimulate the development of local communities." such buildings enliven the city with various cultural events and have the potential to support the economic development of local communities the Palace has been the setting for a number of Hollywood productions The renovation of the Palace shows how European funds can be used effectively to improve the cultural infrastructure in Bulgaria.  You can hear more about the challenges faced during the implementation of the project and how it will contribute to the development of the city in the next episode of the "Transition Opportunities" podcast, part of the project with the same name Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Managing Authority Neither the European Union nor the Managing Authority can be held responsible for them The 31st Surva International Festival of Masquerade Games has brought together over 12,000 participants in Pernik the Pernik Municipality’s press center said on Sunday last year’s festival attracted 10,000 attendees The festival kicked off on Friday morning with a masquerade procession featuring more than 1,500 children The previous edition saw 500 fewer pupils participating in the procession A scientific conference titled "Masquerade: Tradition Modernity," organized by the Regional History Museum in Pernik This year saw an increase in international participation compared to 2024 with 22 groups from countries such as Greece The festival was closed by Pernik Deputy Mayor Stefan Krastev on Sunday evening it is thanks to you that Surva has become the largest masquerade festival in Europe," he addressed the attendees at the closing ceremony Krastev added that this year’s event exceeded the expectations of both guests and participants the Surova folk feast from the Pernik region was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity The event celebrates and revives old rituals and elements of the folklore tradition of Bulgaria The Surva International Festival of Masquerade Games is organized with the support of the Culture Ministry and the Tourism Ministry with BTA being one of the media partners for the event The Municipality of Pernik is competing for the European Youth Capital 2028 title in competition with eleven other European cities on the initiative of the Pernik of the Young Youth Advisory Council youth worker Alexander Yordanov told BTA's Maya Kostadinova The application was submitted on behalf of the administration together with the Advisory Council adding that a total of 12 European cities have applied for 2028 has passed the first and the second level of evaluation and a competent jury will soon examine the application at the third level Yordanov described the application as a success for youth organisations in Pernik and for the municipality "The application is the result of good work between young people The title of European Youth Capital is an example of the good work between youth organisations and the local government" Pernik should present a detailed programme of events and planned activities as well as to declare its willingness to develop in this direction adding that among the basic events that are included in the programme are the International Festival of Masquerade Games the celebration of International Youth Day a UNICEF pilot programme called UPSHIFT was launched in Pernik This is a socially innovative programme aimed at young people with the idea that people between the ages of 15 and 18 will get a chance to develop projects related to improving the environment around them as well as solving various social problems The programme will also help build the vision of the city's candidacy for European Youth Capital The last time a Bulgarian city won the European Youth Capital title was Varna (on the Black Sea) back in 2018 A protest was held in the city of Pernik against animal abuse and for maximum sentences for two residents of the city who killed animals in a particularly cruel way They filmed their actions on videos that they sold to clients outside Bulgaria Activists have been collecting evidence of the crimes for months with the help of the informal organization BG ELVES The collected materials have been handed over to the investigating authorities The protesters are demanding increased control and investigation of reports of animal abuse legislative changes and stricter effective punishments for all such cases Similar protests have already taken place in Sofia and other cities in the country the two detainees could receive up to 8 years in prison Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev proposed introducing new harsher penalties for extreme cruelty to animals The Krakra Art Gallery in Penik is playing host to an exhibition by Turkish artist Ayse Sezer It is entitled Me in You III and features 29 acrylic female portraits This is not Sezer's first exhibition in Pernik she contributed to a group show of Turkish artists in the Bulgarian town Sezer has 11 solo exhibitions and four awards in the field of painting on her record The current exhibition will be on until September 5 She completed her undergraduate education in 1992 at Eskisehir Anadolu University she worked as an art teacher at Anadolu University ICEM Sezer received the title of associate professor in 2021 Performers take part in a parade during the "Surva" International Festival of Masquerade Games in Pernik Masquerade rituals in Bulgaria are believed to be dating back to pagan times when people tried to chase away winter's evil spirits by putting on scary-looking ritual masks and making as much noise as possible with rattles and bells 27 (Xinhua) -- Over 10,000 people wearing masks took part in Bulgaria's traditional masquerade festival on Friday in Pernik a town located 30 km west of Bulgaria's capital city of Sofia the "Surva" International Festival of Masquerade Games attracted 105 masquerade groups from Bulgaria and 20 from other countries including Greece kicked off Friday with a youth masquerade parade Surva is part of "our cultural heritage and we value it greatly," Nikolay Nenov There are different roles played in Bulgarian masquerade groups such as commander the festival in Pernik is a powerful stimulus for the formation of local identity "which is especially important in today's globalized world." who is leading a group of 70 tradition-loving people from Kolarovo a village near the Bulgarian border with Greece has always been fascinated with past beliefs and rituals the Surva embodies "I have been playing masquerade games since I was little We continue the tradition," Karagogushev said A group from a foreign language high school in Pernik also took part in the youth masquerade parade they are waiting for the festival impatiently Performers take part in a parade during the "Surva" International Festival of Masquerade Games in Pernik supply and construction company Solaris Holding AD - a joint venture of the Bulgarian-German SUNOTEC and the main shareholders of Eurohold Bulgaria AD officially opened today in Pernik a hybrid plant for the production and storage of green energy The hybrid park includes a photovoltaic plant with a capacity of 32 MWp and an electricity storage facility with a capacity of 61 MWh The park was built on an old landfill site of the local steel industry in compliance with the highest environmental standards which will save 15,847 tons of harmful emissions per year The Pernik FPP can supply 10,200 households with energy (at an average annual consumption per household of 3,272 MWh) The project was financed by DSK Bank and the German Varengold bank AG Green electricity storage batteries are from one of the world's leading manufacturers in this segment - Huawei The produced electricity will be managed by the licensed trader Electrohold Trade EAD The storage system allows the produced green energy to be used during peak hours of consumption and to be smoothly distributed according to demand so as not to burden the country's electricity system It provides completely new possibilities for the realization of energy and allows conclusion of long-term contracts for purchase and sale at a fixed price The most difficult part of the project was the design after which in five months our colleagues managed to move 1 million cubic meters of earth layers and build this park Together with the same partners from Eurohold and Electrohold we will very soon open a second hybrid park in the municipality of Ihtiman We ourselves are in the process of building another 23 projects some of which are for independent energy storage," said Kaloyan Velichkov one of the largest companies in the construction of photovoltaic plants in Europe "Pernik FPP fully meets the latest requirements for maximum efficient production and utilization of renewable clean energy according to EU recommendations and policies the support of the state is also important but we decided to take the risk without waiting for recovery plans and projects we strive to close the natural cycle from production through distribution to supply and sale of electrical energy to end customers we get the opportunity to offer competitive energy at a fixed price in the long term in line with the green transition," said Vladimir Dichev Chief Commercial Director of Elektrohold Bulgaria Solaris Holding plans to build solar power with a capacity of 600 MW and electricity storage systems of 1,000 MWh Eurohold Bulgaria AD is a leading energy and financial group operating in the region of Central Its shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Sofia and Warsaw Eurohold is the owner of Electrohold - the leading electricity group in Bulgaria supplier and trader of electricity in the country with over 3,000 employees and almost 3 million consumers Eurohold is also the owner of Euroins Insurance Group AD (EIG) one of the largest insurance groups in the region EIG provides a full range of insurance services serves more than 4 million customers and has over 3,000 employees SUNOTEC is a Bulgarian-German company with a 12% market share and the construction of industrial photovoltaic plants in Europe and with more than 600 solar projects with a capacity of over 8.2 gigawatts worldwide The company employs over 1,500 employees and owns the largest fleet of its own construction equipment in the sector in Europe SUNOTEC provides the full range of services related to the construction of photovoltaic parks maintenance and equipment to re-powering installations and solutions for the sector based on artificial intelligence Electrohold Trade EAD is part of the Electrohold group The company is the first licensed electricity trader in Bulgaria From its establishment in 2005 until the end of 2023 it has supplied nearly 49 billion KWh of electricity to business customers The company trades on the wholesale market provides solutions for industrial and corporate customers and operates a leading balancing group The project was implemented with the financial support of the Agency for People with Disabilities Contract 6 - StN / 10/06/21 анд Contract № 2 - StN / 23.05.2023 г 3E-news.net by Dir.bg © 2025 All rights reserved An earthquake measuring 2.1 on the Richter scale was registered in Pernik This is according to data from the Geophysical Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences The epicenter is 2.4 km east of Pernik and 24 km from Sofia two weak earthquakes were registered near Petrich One had a magnitude of 2.4 on the Richter scale More news from Bulgaria For travel to the United States on a temporary basis For foreign citizens who want to live permanently in the United States Outside of Bulgaria: 1-888-407-4747 or 202-647-5225 Learn more about quality higher-education opportunities in the U.S that you will not find anywhere else in the world Find the closest American Space in Bulgaria where you can connect with the U.S the International Festival of Masquerade Games in the town of Pernik This event is one of the most emblematic folklore festivals in Bulgaria Every year thousands of visitors from all around the world enjoy the magic of this unique festival whose main goal is to celebrate tradition and cultural diversity We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience Protests demanding the harshest punishments for torturing and killing animals will be held today in Sofia and Burgas filmed and sold by a 26-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man from Pernik nearly 50 thousand signatures have been collected in the online petition demanding that they receive life imprisonment The protest today in Sofia is scheduled for 11 a.m Mayor Stanislav Vladimirov wrote earlier on Facebook in reference to the two animal abusers Pernice residents will organize a protest in front of the city's Courthouse demanding the harshest sentences for Gabriela and Krasimir the Czech artist and folklorist Ludvík Kuba travelled to Bulgaria with one goal in mind: to explore the country's rich song heritage The melodies he collected were published in a separate volume of his Slavic Song. the feasts of Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday are related holidays From Lazarus Saturday  (Lazarovden in Bulgaria) which is performed on the morning of Palm Sunday In April and May the visitors of the Strelcha Historical Museum will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the traditions connected with the Easter holiday cycle through the exhibition A Fine Easter The town of Pernik (Southwest Bulgaria) was declared European Capital of Masquerade Tradition on June 26 Pernik deserves such a title because of the Surva International Festival of Masquerade Games which is the largest masquerade event in the Balkans and boasts a 57-year-long history the annual festival was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Following is a story in BTA's English-language Daily News: Pernik Declared European Capital of Masquerade Tradition June 26 (BTA) - The International President of the Federation of European Carnival Cities Henk Ferdinand van der Kroon declared Friday Pernik European Capital of Masquerade Tradition Van der Kroon presented Mayor Rossitsa Yanakieva with a medal which will be handed down to every subsequent mayor of the municipality Pernik deserves such a title because of the International Festival of Masquerade Games which has been held in January every even year since 1966 The festival acquired international status in 1985 and Pernik was accepted as a member of the Federation of European Carnival Cities in 1995 As of 2009 the festival will be held every year called "Surva" after the local custom of well-wishing for the new year has been recognized as the most authoritative in Bulgaria and the Balkans event for traditional folk games and masquerade customs your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt Severe water shortages in the Bulgarian city of Pernik brought protesters out on to the streets on Saturday Hundreds of residents gathered in front of the government headquarters to demand urgent action be taken to stop what they call a looming humanitarian crisis Residents in Pernik have been struggling to meet their basic water needs for months and say that bribery and incompetence are behind the shortages They also warned that the city’s only water supply resigned after he was charged with deliberate mismanagement of water supplies There are concerns he allowed water to go to industrial facilities despite knowing it would affect the drinking water of up to 100 000 people he could spend up to eight years in prison Bulgaria’s opposition has filed a motion accusing the government of being responsible for the water crisis the motion will likely fail as the government has a small majority in parliament Saturday’s protest is also fuelled by the city mayor’s decision to cancel a big international dance festival there due to the crisis The festival attracts thousands of visitors It is a major source of revenue for many locals and it has not been cancelled in 60 years BTA is publishing the names of the top-of-the-list candidates of every party for all constituencies for the June 9 parliamentary elections The information about the candidates was provided by the respective party/coalition A total of 31 candidates' lists of 20 parties and 11 coalitions have been registered by the Pernik Constituency Election Commission The order follows the sequential numbers on the ballots as drawn by the Central Election Commission: There Is Such a People (TISP) Party: Petya Dimitrova Graduated in Economy from New Bulgarian University Licensed coach and referee in sports dance; Glas Naroden [People's Voice] Party: Martin Iliev Blue Bulgaria Coalition (nine parties: Conservative Alliance of the Right (KOD); Bulgarian Democratic Forum; Democratic Action Movement; National Movement for Stability and Upsurge; Bulgaria of the Citizens Movement; Conservative Bulgaria Party; Radical Democratic Party in Bulgaria; Bulgarian New Democracy Party; Agrarian People's Union): Valentin Pavlov Graduated in Stomatology in Sofia Medical University We the Citizens Coalition (three parties: Bulgarian Spring; Competence Responsibility and Truth (KOI); Bulgarian Workers'-Peasants' Party): Nikolina Chakarova-Valkova Has published seven collections of poetry dedicated to Bulgaria; Graduated in Law from South-West University Neofit Rilski Rose Coalition (three parties: Bulgarian Social Democracy - EuroLeft; United Labour Bloc Bulgarian Labourists; Rodolyubie 2000): Ekaterina Atanasova Holds a master’s degree in economy from Higher Institute of Economics Karl Marx Graduated in Economic Journalism from the same Institute Deals with projects in the NGO sector related to working people Centre Coalition (two parties: Svoboda [Freedom]; Bulgarian Agrarian Party): Rositsa Karmidzhanova Bulgarian Solidarity Coalition: Valentin Ivanov Graduated in Industrial Design from the University of Ruse Chief artistic director of the Northern ensemble for folk songs and dances “Ivan Valev” Pleven Lecturer at the Panayot Pipkov National School of Arts; Bulgarian National Alliance (BNO) Party: Viktoriya Bachvarova Graduated in Dental Engineering from the Medical University in Sofia Currently studying Dental Medicine at the Medical University in Varna; Former member of parliamentary committees on budget and finance and citizens' rights and interaction with civil society; Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria Coalition (four parties: Continue the Change; VOLT; Democrats for Strong Bulgaria; Yes Former prime minister (December 2021 – August 2022) Co-founder of the Center for Economic Strategy and Competitiveness at Sofia University Develops projects in the field of innovation as well as business in the development of probiotics and biotechnology; The Truth and Nothing but the Truth People's Party: Silviya Markova Graduated in Psychology from South-West University Neofit Rilski Graduated in Accounting and Control from the University of National and World Economy Postgraduate qualification in scientific and information activity acquired in Moscow Financial Controller at Pernik Municipality; Civic Bloc Coalition (Radicals Bulgarian Democratic Union Bulgarian Women's Party): Aleksandar Aleksandrov Former Pernik regional governor (November 2015 – February 2017); Society for New Bulgaria Party: Kalin Krulev; Coalition (ABV (Alternative for Bulgarian Revival) National Movement for Salvation of the Fatherland Social Democrats Political Movement): Petar Parvanov Graduated in Geology of Mineral Resources from the University of Mining and Geology in Sofia President of Volleyball Club Minyor Pernik; Higher education degree in finance from New Bulgarian University Long-standing work experience in banking and politics Top-of-the-list candidate in Ruse as well; GERB-UDF Coalition (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) and Union of Democratic Forces (UDF)): Georg Georgiev Holds master’s degree in political science Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Vice President Former MP and deputy foreign minister (May 2017 – May 2021).  Bulgarian National Union New Democracy Party: Boyan Rassate 24 BSP for Bulgaria Coalition (Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP); Ecoglasnost Political Club; Trakia Political Club): Boris Tsvetkov Municipal councillor in Sofia between 2015 and 2019; Velichie [Grandeur] Party: Yuliyan Atanasov Graduated in Economic Logistics from the University of National and World Economy Holds a masters’s degree in International Economic Relations from the same university; VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement Party: Ivaylo Shopski Graduated in International Relations and Finance Founder of the Bashtino Ognishte travelling chitalishte;  Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Party: Iskra Mihaylova-Koparova Former environment minister and deputy minister Renew Europe Group Vice-Chair in the European Parliament;  Former member of the parliamentary committees on environment and water Party for Great Bulgaria: Valeri Grigorov; Bulgarian Union for Direct Democracy (BSDD): Ivan Manov Graduated from University of Food Technologies Plovdiv Served in the Interior Ministry until 2006 Ran a transport company with heavy equipment and mechanization; Neutral Bulgaria Coalition (4 parties: Communist Party of Bulgaria; Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP); Party of Bulgarian Communists; Russophiles for the Revival of the Fatherland): Stanislav Asenov Green energy is already an active participant in the electricity supply in one of the symbols of heavy industry in Bulgaria - Pernik A large hybrid project with a photovoltaic plant (PV) and a storage battery park was inaugurated in Bulgaria This is "Solaris Park" (Solaris Park) in Pernik a power plant with a capacity of 32 MWp and an electricity storage facility with a capacity of 61 MWh pointed out that the new energy capacity opens up new opportunities for the development of the city The plans include a project to build a large industrial area near the park This will give Pernik opportunities to attract new investors FEC Pernik (Solaris Park) can supply energy to 10,200 households with an average annual consumption per household of 3,272 MWh This became possible after the investment of Solaris Holding AD which is a joint venture of the Bulgarian-German SUNOTEC and the main shareholders in "Eurohold Bulgaria" It has 56,889 photovoltaic panels installed Together with the energy storage batteries The environmental footprint is that the Pernik FPP will save 15,847 tons of harmful emissions per year the batteries will also have a balancing role towards the ESO as well as to optimize the balances of the photovoltaic plant The batteries are from the world's leading manufacturer in this segment - Huawei They are the latest development and guarantee a long service life and reliability in their operation the company will be able to offer its customers green energy at a fixed price for a long period" revealed the Chief Commercial Director of “Electrohold Bulgaria” Vladimir Dichev He pointed out that the company seeks to close the natural cycle from production through distribution to delivery and sale Pernik FPP significantly increases generating capacities in the portfolio of “Electrohold” the executive director of Sunotec Kaloyan Velichkov specified to FAKTI He specified that Sunotec together with "Eurohold" and "Electrohold" are working on a second hybrid park The plans also include the construction of 23 more projects Some of them will be for independent energy storage SUNOTEC is one of the largest companies in the construction of photovoltaic plants in Europe Note from Lefteast editors: This articles is published in cooperation with the Croatian portal Bilten, published originally on 10.01.2020 Pernik, a declining industrial city in Western Bulgaria that’s the home of over 100,000 people, is in the grips of a water crisis. On November 18th, 2019 the city government introduced severe water restrictions, only to tighten them further a month later. At the time of writing, Pernik has water for 6 hours a day but locals complain that the schedule is not observed leaving them to scramble for little water at unpredictable times The purpose of these restrictions was to stop the dangerous emptying the nearby Studena dam which supplies the city and the neighboring villages with water but the ongoing dry autumn and winter ensured it could not be stopped Soon enough the water in the dam reached the dead storage level near the bottom where mud and sediment make it undrinkable Emergency bottled water distribution was immediately organized The city initiated the refurbishment of the old purification station and the rehabilitation of parts of the network including by 2km of pipes away from their current position The last measure was necessitated after meters installed at the two ends of the main pipe connecting Studena and the purification station revealed inexplicable losses what sits atop this pipe is the city’s industrial zone maintaining the usual supply to Stomana and the city In addition to the minister’s role in the disaster, media investigations speculate that the 2018 refurbishment of the dam’s wall was done by private contractors cheaply by releasing a lot of water instead of by engaging divers for much more costly “wet” works Angry citizens called protests and even a public prayer for rain divine intervention is exactly what state officials also hope for revealing the extent to which the state has abdicated from its habitual function of planning ahead for the basic life-sustaining infrastructures and how to avoid the likely disasters that can befall it Take the deputy minister for regional development he said there is enough water for 25 days and immediately contradicted himself by stating that he hopes the water crisis will be resolved in spring (presumably when the snow melts) Jana Tsoneva is a PhD student in Sociology at CEU Her research interests focus on the history of ideas Sofia and of the New Left Perspectives collective She also co-authors Hysterical Parrhesia (a Lacanian-Marxist blog) We're sorry but the page you're looking for is not on our website 12-year-old Alexander was found alive and well in a deep and impassable ravine in the "Restova Glava" area next to the former "Chervena Mogila" factory The child was discovered by volunteers from the paragliding club: Veselin Georgiev and Milko Mihailov at 2:27 p.m I watched him for 5 seconds and I couldn't believe it From his appearance it is clear that he was mobile - dirty His father is also with him at the medical facility stated the Minister of Health Asen Medzhidiev "I want to reassure everyone that the final result is very positive as an adult I don't know if he would have lasted 9 days," said Health Minister Asen Medzhidiev Nikolay Gabrovski stated that Alexander will stay in the hospital for several days for observation Sashko (Alexander) had been missing for 9 days after disappearing on November 11. Yesterday his father announced a reward for his son of BGN 100,000 there is no data indicating that someone sheltered Sashko during the days he was missing or that he was held somewhere against his will an investigation has been launched to show where the boy has been during the past few days and whether he was held somewhere in force and brought out after the prize money was announced The volunteers who found the boy said that they did not want the money and that they participated in the search from the first day without expecting a reward for it The director of the local police directorate thanked everyone who participated in the search for him All who participated in the rescue operation are unanimous that surviving on such a terrain for so many days and under such weather conditions is extremely difficult and indicated that the happy ending is due only to the abilities and strong spirit of the boy pointed out that the terrain in which the child was found is extremely difficult to pass There are over 20 ravines from the southern part alone We showed that we can live as a society and have causes unite us Everyone was here with the sole purpose of finding Sashko It's rare that such good moments happen when we are all together we are happy," said Stanislav Vladimirov Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev commented that the finding of little Sashko shows that Bulgarians can still unite around common causes "I am happy with the civic energy and that the child is alive and well," he said commented on BNT that the prosecutor's office found it surprising how the child survived so many days in such a place and therefore initiated a pre-trial proceeding to establish what happened to the boy during the past 9 days and whether he was abducted and taken after the announced reward Follow Novinite.com on Twitter and Facebook Write to us at editors@novinite.com Информирайте се на Български - Novinite.bg a woman was tragically killed after being struck on the head first with a glass bottle and then with a kitchen cutting board A 56-year-old woman was killed in Radomir last night and her partner has been detained in connection with the crime A 43-year-old seasonal worker was killed in the Pernik village of Rasnik during the night Israel has turned to Bulgaria for assistance in battling the rapidly advancing wildfires in areas near Jerusalem The Bulgarian mobile operator A1 has confirmed that it is experiencing technical difficulties affecting both calls and text messages across its network A series of minor earthquakes were recorded in the Nessebar area with the strongest tremor measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale A woman sustained serious injuries after being attacked with pepper spray and an electroshock device and subsequently set on fire inside a hospital in the Bulgarian town of Botevgrad A 25-year-old man is in critical condition following an accident at the amusement park in Yambol A serious traffic accident in the Bulgarian town of Harmanli has left a 13-year-old child in critical condition after he was struck by a car while riding an electric scooter The police in Pernik detained a 41-year-old man from Pernik suspected of having caused the death of his wife a report was received that a 43-year-old woman was found dead in an apartment on Yu Police officers responded immediately and pre-trial proceedings were initiated The victim's husband was detained as a suspect for a crime committed under Art 115 of the Criminal Code - intentional murder The woman's body was taken to Forensic Medicine for an autopsy The man was initially given a 24-hour police remand after which he was brought in as an accused and detained for up to 72 hours by a prosecutor's decree The prosecution is about to request his permanent arrest Actions on the investigation continue under the supervision of the District Prosecutor's Office - Pernik An 18-year-old girl who had been reported missing in Haskovo has been found dead the director of the Plovdiv Customs Office was arrested earlier today for allegedly facilitating a new smuggling route for cigarettes opened fire with a gas pistol near a kindergarten in Sofia's Lyulin district Bulgarian Interior Minister Daniel Mitov has described the case of the man who died in police custody in Kazanlak as “a disgrace” to the Ministry of Interior A 33-year-old man from the village of Semchinovo has been taken into custody by the police for physically assaulting a 10-year-old child A 12-year-old boy from Lukovit has been hospitalized with two broken arms and head injuries after reportedly being assaulted and thrown from a bridge The Sofia Police has launched a targeted operation against drivers of electric scooters and electric motorbikes who engage in reckless behavior in the city's central areas