These are some of the top stories in Bulgarian newspapers on October 2 2008. The Sofia Echo has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy.

Politics

- Most dailies lead on the scandal that erupted after Members of Parliament visited the State Agency for National Security on October 1 2008. On they way out they said that journalist have been put under surveillance by SANS in relation to an investigation into leaks of classified information. According to Dnevnik daily the name of the investigation was “Gallery”.

- Monitor daily says that all media in Bulgaria were on SANS' list with the exception of Trud daily.

Social

- The tri-partite ruling coalition has been debating on lifting the security thresholds on which pensions are calculated, Sega daily reports. The senior partner in the coalition, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, is against the idea, while the other two partners, The National Movement for Stability and Progress and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, are in favour.

- Two magistrates from the regional courts in Targovishte and Varna are to be dismissed on grounds of damaging the judiciary, Trud daily writes. The paper applauds the success of the investigation.

Economy

- Bulgaria's property market is in panic over investors' inability to cover their loans and fears of bankruptcy, was the story Standard daily's led with. Shopping malls, holiday and residential complexes have been put up for a sale, say real estate brokers.

- The grey economy is clearly protected in Bulgaria, according to Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev, as quoted 24 Chasa daily. The prosecutor went on to say that he did not know whether that protection was political or not. 

- The price of heating should be increased by 35 per cent as of January 1 2009 following the increase of natural gas prices in Bulgaria as of October 1 2008, says Valentin Terzijski, head of the Heating utilities' associations, as reported by Trud daily.