These are some of the top headlines in Bulgarian newspapers on September 18 2008. The Sofia Echo has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy.

Politics

- The European Commission (EC) would most probably start the first court case against Bulgaria because of lack of infrastructure for the emergency number 112, Dnevnik daily said.

- None of the branch organisations in the dairy sector had approved the new state financial aid plan negotiated between Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Plougchieva, Agriculture and Food Minister Valeri Tsvetanov and EC Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel at the beginning of September, Dnevnik said.
 
Social

- The owner of Sofia's cleaning companies, Equest investment fund, was negotiating with a strategic partner for the sale of part of its refuse collecting business, Dnevnik daily said. Equest was disappointed with the financial results of the companies.
 
- The number of visa permits issued to Russian and Ukrainian citizens had doubled over the past two years, Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin said, as quoted by Sega daily.

Economy

- While petrol prices on the international markets had been decreasing for three months, Bulgaria was to face the biggest gas price increase for the year, Dnevnik said. State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission was considering a price increase of 15 per cent, starting October 1 2008. However, the increase could turn out to be 18 per cent, Dnevnik said.

- Although the financial crisis in the US would not affect directly Bulgaria, it was best for Bulgarians to restrain from taking loans, Sega quoted economists and bankers as saying. The main reason was that the loan interest rates would increase.

- The supply of two-bedroom apartments available for rent in Sofia's better neighbourhoods was increasing, Monitor daily said. Correspondingly, the number of offers for one-bedroom apartments was decreasing.