Toluu

The Sofia Echo

Latest news, analysis and features from The Sofia Echo, Bulgaria's national English-language newspaper

Russia could resume natural gas supplies for Europe on January 9Today

The supplies of Russian natural gas to Europe could be restored as early as January 9 2009, Russian news agency rbc.ru reported on January 8 2009.

Bulgarian convicted for women trafficking in BelgiumToday

The correctional court in Brussels sentenced a 36yearold Bulgarian to four years in jail and a fine of 22 000 euro for pimping and trafficking women. The man was also found guilty for participating in an international criminal organisation, Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws said on January 7 2009.

Two more EU countries lift labour restrictions on BulgariansToday

The number of European Union countries without restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians has risen to 14 after Hungary and Portugal opened their labour markets to nationals of the two Balkan countries, a media statement from the European Commission said on January 8 2009.

Picture bleaker in euro area as unemployment creeps up and GDP fallsToday

European statistical office Eurostat says that unemployment in the euro area in November 2008 was 7.8 per cent, a figure worse than the previous month and that of November 2007, while gross domestic product GDP declined by 0.2 per cent in both the euro area and in the European Union overall during the third quarter of 2008, compared with the previous quarter.

Countries grapple with gas cuts as Russia Ukraine talks stallToday

Hopes for an early resolution to the Russian Ukrainian dispute that has led to supplies of natural gas to several European countries were snuffed out on January 8 2009 as international news agencies reported that talks between representatives of the European Union and of Moscow and Kiev had ended with no progress and no plans to resume negotiations.