Bulgarian former spy chief gets 15 years in jail

Sofia A Bulgarian court sentenced on Tuesday a former head of the intelligence agency to 15 years in jail and ordered the confiscation of half his assets after finding him guilty of embezzlement. Convictions of high-ranking officials are rare in Bulgaria, the poorest nation in the EU and according to Transparency International its most corrupt. Kircho Kirov worked for the communist-era secret services and then headed the National Intelligence Service from 2003-2012. (AFP)