These are some of the top stories in Bulgarian newspapers on November 13 2008. The Sofia Echo has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy.

Politics

Dnevnik daily, among others, leads on the Prosecutor-General's Office's investigation into tax fraud launched against energy tycoon Hristo Kovachki. Kovachki was released on a record-high bail of 300 000 leva. He has denied the accusations and promised full co-operation with authorities. Some papers suggest that he knew about the investigation in advance.

Most dailies report the words of US ambassador to Bulgaria Nancy McEldowney that, in order for Bulgaria to become an attractive place for investments, oligarchs who think that they are above the law should be sent to prison. McEldowney talked at a business lunch organised by AmCham in Sofia on November 12.

24 Chassa daily reports that tax authorities have started checking the income and real estate of 267 Bulgarians. Sources cited in the paper said that the people in question could be separated into three groups: politicians who have stated participation in the management of companies; entrepreneurs in the construction, tourism, real estate and/or banking sectors; and businessmen with controversial reputations from the underground world.

Sega daily reports on Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev's decision to form his own advisory board of foreign counsellors. The board members will be former top office-bearers from Western Europe, with France's former prime minister Dominique de Villepin as its chairperson, Spain's former foreign minister Josep Piqué, former European justice commissioner Antonio Vitorino, a former member of the European Court of Auditors, Aunus Salmi; and the president of the College of Europe in Bruges, Paul Demaret. The board will help Bulgaria achieve faster integration into the European Union.

Economy

More than four billion leva cash in salaries is handed out annually by companies, thus foregoing banks, Monitor daily quotes Kolyo Kolev from the Mediana polling agency as saying. He took part in a roundtable on the black labour market.

Sega reports on the Government's idea to give the State Water and Energy Regulatory Commission the right to change the price of heating energy each time that the prices of natural gas increase substantially. Until now, the price of heating can be changed only once a year.

The free daily Gradski Vetsnik leads on story of how the financial crisis has put a hold on the plans for building 20 skyscrapers in Sofia.

Social

Standart daily reports on the meeting that the two largest trade unions, Podkrepa and CITUB, had on November 12, at which they decided to adopt a policy of nation-wide protest against the 2009 draft budget. Trade unions will no longer take part in joint consultancy meetings with the state. The unions claim the draft budget had no provisions against the global economic crisis' implications on Bulgaria and Bulgarian workers.