The price of negligence
Demonstrations have continued following the tragic death of 12-year-old Siyana Popova on 31st of March in a car crash near the village of Telish while traveling with her grandparents. The vehicle was struck by a truck, leaving her grandfather critically injured and her grandmother with minor injuries.
The road where the accident occurred had long been criticized by locals for its poor condition, yet previous warnings and requests from police to the Road Infrastructure Agency (API) for improved signage and speed limits were ignored.
Siyana's father, Nikolay Popov, emerged as a vocal advocate for accountability, decrying the state's "criminal negligence" and helping spark nationwide protests demanding safer roads and real reform.
Following the incident and mounting public pressure, authorities finally installed road signs and initiated an internal investigation, while Regional Minister Ivan Ivanov ordered the dismissal of API's regional leadership in Pleven.
Third request for Rangelov's immunity
Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov has requested the parliamentary immunity of MP Mario Rangelov from the MRF-MRF party for a third time, this time in connection with an investigation into bribery and pressure on a public official.
Rangelov is suspected of being involved in manipulating two public tenders for school renovations in Cherven Bryag and Koynare between March 2024 and April 2025, with contract values exceeding 1.6 million levs.
The prosecution says he allegedly solicited and received bribes of 10,000 levs on two occasions in exchange for influencing decisions by school officials tied to a national sports facilities program worth 240 million levs. The case file includes search and seizure records, witness testimonies, and material evidence linking Rangelov to the scheme.
BulgAIria to put itself on the IT map
In mid-March, Bulgaria was announced as one of six countries approved and partially funded by the EU to build an artificial intelligence factory, a project led by the state-owned Sofia Tech Park. While nations worldwide race to construct larger "gigafactories" for AI, Bulgaria stands out as one of the few European countries able to offer suitable land, energy access, and water resources-key factors in this new industrial wave.
According to IT sector leaders, this could be Bulgaria's first real chance to participate equally in a global industrial revolution-the fifth-after historically missing out on previous ones due to late starts or political circumstances. However, despite formal support from business and local leaders at a recent roundtable under President Rumen Radev's patronage, the central government's lukewarm presence left doubts about its true commitment to seizing this opportunity.
The price of negligence
Demonstrations have continued following the tragic death of 12-year-old Siyana Popova on 31st of March in a car crash near the village of Telish while traveling with her grandparents. The vehicle was struck by a truck, leaving her grandfather critically injured and her grandmother with minor injuries.
