Grand Reopening: Central Halls in Sofia Set to Welcome Visitors
The Central Halls in Sofia (Tsentralni Hali) are set to reopen on May 23 following extensive renovations and restoration efforts led by Kaufland Bulgaria
Protesters have blocked the doors of Bulgaria's parliament amid mass daily rallies against government corruption.
More than 100 politicians, journalists and staff have been trapped inside the building, local media said. One report said they had been there for five hours.
Demonstrators clashed with riot police in Sofia, the capital, on the 40th day of anti-government rallies.
Earlier the EU's Justice Commissioner said she backed the protesters.
Viviane Reding, who was in the country for a live question and answer session, said on Twitter: "Here in Sofia today, my sympathy is with the Bulgarian citizens who are protesting against corruption."
Turmoil
Tensions rose outside the parliament on Tuesday after ministers discussed budgetary changes.
Crowds surrounded the building shouting "Mafia!" and "Resign!" and prevented a heavily guarded bus from leaving with MPs on board, local media said.
Several protesters and at least one police officer have reportedly been injured.
Bulgaria - the poorest EU member state - has been in political turmoil for months. The current government took office after a snap election in May.
For five weeks it has seen big protests against the coalition government, with thousands of people taking to the streets in Sofia and other cities.
The demonstrations erupted over the controversial appointment of a media mogul, Delyan Peevski, as head of the national security agency.
Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski, who heads a Socialist-led coalition, later revoked the appointment and apologised, but the protests continued.
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Brazen Bulgarian gangs "terrorise the elderly and rob them over their life savings with increasingly aggressive phone scams nettling millions of euros," according to an AFP story.
The prospect of US President Donald Trump's moving closer to Russia has scrambled the strategy of "balancing East and West" used for decades by countries like Bulgaria, the New York Times says.
Bulgarians have benefited a lot from their EU membership, with incomes rising and Brussels overseeing politicians, according to a New York Times piece.
German businesses prefer to trade with Bulgaria rather than invest into the country, an article on DW Bulgaria's website argues.
The truth about Bulgaria and Moldova's presidential elections is "more complicated" and should not be reduced to pro-Russian candidates winning, the Economist says.
President-elect Rumen Radev "struck a chord with voters by attacking the status quo and stressing issues like national security and migration," AFP agency writes after the presidential vote on Sunday.
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