Bulgaria has officially adopted the euro, becoming the 21st country to join the single currency nearly two decades after entering the European Union, a move that has led to both celebration and anxiety.
At midnight on Wednesday (22: 00 GMT), the Balkan country abandoned the lev, its national currency since the late 19th century.
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Images of Bulgarian euro coins lit up the central bank’s headquarters in Sofia as crowds gathered in freezing temperatures to mark the new year.
“I warmly welcome Bulgaria to the euro family”, said Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank.
Some residents welcomed the change with optimism. “Great! It works”! said Dimitar, 43, speaking to The Associated Press after withdrawing 100 euros from a cash machine shortly after midnight.
Successive Bulgarian governments have backed euro adoption, arguing it would strengthen the country’s fragile economy, anchor it more firmly within Western institutions and shield it from what officials describe as Russian influence. Bulgaria, with a population of about 6.4 million, remains the poorest member of the EU.
Commuters walk past an advertisement promoting Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone in Sofia’s subway on December 31, 2025, ahead of the country’s adoption of the euro on January 1, 2026]Nikolay Doychinov/AFP]
Divided public
Yet public opinion has long remained split. Many Bulgarians fear the euro will drive up prices while wages stagnate, worsening living standards in a country already struggling with political instability.
In a televised address before midnight, President Rumen Radev described the euro as the “final step” in Bulgaria’s integration into the EU.
However, he criticised the absence of a public referendum on the decision.
“This refusal was one of the dramatic symptoms of the deep divide between the political class and the people, confirmed by mass demonstrations across the country”, Radev said.
Bulgaria recently experienced an additional level of uncertainty as a result of anticorruption protests that led to the country’s eighth election in five years.
A 40-year-old woman told the Sofia-based AFP news agency that “people are afraid that prices will go up while salaries will stay the same.”
Vendors at city markets listed prices in both levs and euros. Not everyone was concerned.
The Palestine Action group, which has been designated a terrorist organization in the UK, is holding regular hunger strikes in various prisons throughout the nation.
Four more Palestine Action members have put an end to their hunger strikes, some of which came after being hospitalized.
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What are the four hunger strikers’ current statistics?
Why are Palestine Action protesters on a hunger strike?
For more than 50 days, prisoners who are imprisoned for Palestine Action have been conducting hunger strikes in UK prisons.
The members of Palestine Action are currently serving time in prison for their alleged involvement in break-ins, including those at the UK subsidiary of Elbit Systems in Filton, near Bristol, where reportedly equipment was damaged, and at an Oxfordshire Royal Air Force base where two military aircraft were sprayed with red paint.
The prisoners deny the charges brought against them, including violent disorder and burglary.
Three of the four who are still on hunger strikes were imprisoned in November 2024 for allegedly engaging in break-ins at the UK subsidiary of Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems in Filton, near Bristol, where reportedly equipment was harmed. One person has been imprisoned since July 2025 after allegedly causing damage to two military aircraft with red paint at a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire.
Palestine Action, a protest group founded in July 2020, describes itself as a “movement committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.”
On July 2, 2025, the UK parliament approved a proscription of the organization, putting it under the same umbrella as armed organizations like al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS). Critics decried the action, contending that while group members have damaged property, they have not carried out violent acts that constitute terrorism.
In the three months following the introduction of the ban, more than 1,600 people were arrested in connection with Palestine Action. The court has ruled against the ban.
The hunger strikers want immediate bail, the right to a fair trial, the release of documents related to “the ongoing witch-hunt of activists and campaigners,” ending censorship of their communications, “de-proscribing” Palestine Action, and shutting down Elbit Systems, which runs several UK factories.
According to pro-Palestine activist Audrey Corno, “the UK government has forced their bodies to a breaking point.”
The prisoners’ and people’s’ resistance to the genocide in Gaza, as well as Israel’s genocide, will not be ended, according to a promise to the government.
Who are the hunger strikers still active?
The four people who are continuing their hunger strikes are Heba Muraisi, Ahmed, Kamran, Teuta Hoxha, and Chiaramello, Lewie, all between the ages of 20 and 31.
Heba Muraisi
On Thursday, Muraisi, 31, was on her hunger strike’s day 60. She is a prisoner in Wakefield, a prison in West Yorkshire, about 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of London, in the HMP [His Majesty’s Prison].
Muraisi was detained in November 2024 for her alleged involvement in a Bristol, Israel-based company’s alleged involvement in an August 2024 raid that is thought to have cost the Israeli weapons manufacturer more than $ 1.34 million.
Muraisi is reportedly of Yemeni descent, according to reports on social media. Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify this, however.
She left HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, which is located about 18 miles from the UK capital, and was transferred to the West Yorkshire prison in October 2025.
Heba wants to return to HMP Bronzefield, according to reports. She was abruptly and far from her entire family, which is based in London, when she was transferred. She has been the victim of repeated medical error. Her body is becoming increasingly weak, according to Corno.
Muraisi stated in a statement to Al Jazeera on December 29 that he had been “force-fed repression and stuffed with rage,” and that is why he is doing what he does now. After a year of imprisonment and human rights violations, I’m raising awareness of the unjust application of UK laws by our government. “Keep fighting, keep going.”
According to the protest group Prisoners For Palestine, Muraisi’s trial is scheduled for June 2026.
Heba Muraisi [Patenters for Palestine] Courtesy of Prisoners for Palestine.
Ahmed, Kamran
Ahmed, 28, is being detained in HMP Pentonville in north London along with him in November 2024. He was also detained for allegedly helping to raid Elbit Systems in Bristol. Ahmad has been on a hunger strike for more than 50 days.
Ahmed is a mechanic, according to a report from Middle East Eye.
Ahmed refused to eat and was taken to the hospital for a third time on December 20, according to his sister Shahmina Alam.
In late December, Alam told Al Jazeera, “We know that he’s been losing weight quickly, losing up to half a kilogramme [1.1 lbs] per day.”
Ahmed, who is 180cm (5′11′), entered prison at a healthy 74kg (163lbs), but his last recorded weight was 60kg (132lbs).
Corno reported that Kamran had recently been in a fourth hospital.
Ahmed, Kamran [Courtesy of Prisoners for Palestine]
Teuta Hoxha
Hoxha, 29, was on Thursday’s day 54 of her hunger strike. At HMP Peterborough, she is being held. She was also detained in November 2024 on suspicion of part in the Elbit Systems raid.
On the day UK parliamentarians approved propping up Palestine Action – July 2, 2025, Hoxha was moved, according to Prisoners for Palestine, from HMP Bronzefield.
Corno revealed to Al Jazeera that she has been experiencing heart palpitations and that she regularly communicates with Hoxha. She has been unable to sleep for weeks straight at night. Her memory seems to be starting to deteriorate.
Hoxha said in a statement posted on the Prisoners for Palestine website that “this is a witch hunt, not a fair fight, and that the palpably desperate attempt to force us all under the imperial boot of submission” is behind the arrests of dissenting voices under counterterrorism powers, holding us on remand without trial for nearly two years, and targeting protesters who condemn Palestinian suffering.
Courtesy of Prisoners for Palestine, Teuta Hoxha.
Chiaramello, Lewie
Because of his type 1 diabetes, Chiaramello, 22, has been fasting each day. He is currently on his hunger strike’s 28th day.
According to Prisoners for Palestine, he has been detained in HMP Bristol since July 2025 in connection with a RAF Brize Norton incident and is accused of conspiring to enter a restricted area for purposes defaming the UK’s safety and interests as well as conspiring to commit criminal damage. His trial is set for January 18, 2027.
A group of Palestine Action activists reportedly caused $ 9.4 million worth of damage by sprayed red paint on two military aircraft at the largest Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire on June 20 when they broke into RAF Brize Norton.
Corno explained that he has been relying on his own, without the aid of any medical advice.
Chiaramello, Lewie [Courtesy of Prisoners for Palestine]
Who else has been on a hunger strike?
Four more Palestine Action prisoners have resumed their hunger strikes, the majority of which have taken place after being hospitalized.
At Bronzefield prison in Surrey are Qesser Zuhrah, 20, and Amu Gib, 30, both of whom are detained. The pair began their hunger strikes on November 2 to coincide with Britain’s commitment to Palestine as a Jewish nation in the Balfour Declaration of 1917.
Chelsea currently sits fifth in the Premier League, with Enzo Maresca leaving his position as manager.
The 45-year-old Italian won the Club World Cup at the conclusion of his first season at Stamford Bridge and will now retire in less than six months.
Chelsea stated that the club and Enzo believe a change has the best chance of getting the season back on track because there are still important goals to be met across four competitions, including Champions League football, to play for.
In December, the Blues fell 15 points clear of leaders Arsenal, who have won just one of their previous seven league games.
The story’s scope is only limited by the outcomes, though.
Maresca led Chelsea to a top-four finish and won the Uefa Conference League and Club World Cup last year, and his contract was set to expire in 2029, delighted key figures at Stamford Bridge, including influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali and sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.
When Maresca claimed that “many people” had made it his “worst 48 hours” since joining the club after beating Everton 2-0 to claim Chelsea’s sole Premier League victory in December, he stunned even members of his own staff.
The club staff and senior management would have preferred any discussions to be kept private because of the comments made without any prior notice.
However, conflict had already begun to arise in the months prior.
Maresca had hoped to gain more recognition as a result of his Blues’ successes outside the organization. Before being blocked, he planned to publish a book and spoke at an Italian festival hosted by La Gazzetta dello Sport without the club’s permission.
He also revealed in public that he disagreed with the club’s decision to sign a central defender after Levi Colwill injured his anterior cruciate ligament in the pre-season. The club’s hierarchy explained that doing so might lead Maresca to decline as academy prospect Josh Acheampong demanded a transfer, which the club ultimately rejected.
The former Leicester manager has also switched agents, moving from the Wasserman agency to Jorge Mendes, and has been referred to as a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, which Maresca has resigned.
Additionally, he has switched to his own clothing and has increasingly opted to avoid wearing club tracksuits.
Assistant manager Willy Caballero claimed Maresca felt too unwell to handle his post-game media duties, but it is thought that he was doing it because he was considering his next steps after his most recent appearance with Chelsea, which was a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on December 30.
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The Italian, on the other hand, thought that the pressure on him was unfair given the difficult working conditions, and that attempts to influence his team selection had been made illegal.
Even though he was not angry about leading a young squad, he felt that supporters’ expectations needed to be managed in light of what was possible, particularly given Colwill and Cole Palmer’s significant injuries.
What does Chelsea want next?
Without a manager, the Blues will face Manchester City on Sunday, as it stands, and it is unknown who will take over training prior.
Caballero, who immigrated from Leicester in 2024 along with Maresca, deputized when the Italian was serving touchline suspensions and was unsure of his options at the time.
Roberto de Zerbi, who is currently a manager at Marseille, has been a top admirer at Chelsea. Before appointing Maresca, they also spoke with Tottenham manager Thomas Frank and Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna.
More than a month after the floods, Indonesia’s survivors are still residing in complete ruin and frantically trying to survive. Jessica Washington from Aceh uploaded this update to Al Jazeera.
His wife and daughters are heartbroken as his family navigates grief and daily difficulties as his 70-year-old family navigates frontotemporal dementia in a separate home with 24/7 care.
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Bruce Willis and his family are still dealing with his agonizing dementia diagnosis.
As his family battles the agonizing truth of his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, Bruce Willis is residing in a separate, one-story home with round-the-clock caregivers.
The Hollywood star, now 70, was diagnosed with the condition in February 2023, and has largely withdrawn from public life as his health declines. In recent months, his loved ones have shared rare but emotional insights into how the disease is affecting both Willis and his children.
On December 30 he celebrated his 18th anniversary with wife Emma Hemin Willis, who is 23 years his junior. Marking the occasion, the model and author said: “18 years ago, he became my boyfriend. With one kiss on the top of my head, time stood still. She included a throwback photo of herself and her “Perfect Stranger” co-star on Instagram. “I’m so lucky to know this kind of love.”
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His eldest daughter, Rumer Willis, recently spoke candidly during an Instagram Q&A, revealing that her father does not always recognise her since his diagnosis.
“People always ask me this question and I think it’s a hard one to answer,’ she said tearfully. “The truth is that anybody with FTD is not doing great, but he’s doing okay in terms of somebody who is dealing with frontotemporal dementia.” Rumer explained that the usual ways people measure wellbeing no longer apply. She added: “The only way that I feel like I can answer that in a way that was like “he’s doing great” is like, those parameters don’t really work anymore in my mind.”
She claimed that despite the confusion caused by the illness, she still finds comfort in the moments she spend with him. I’m so happy that he can feel the love I’ve shown him and that I can get it back when I go over there and give him a hug, regardless of whether he recognizes me or not. He can feel the love I’m expressing, and that’s really nice because I still see a spark in him.
She added that she enjoys spending time with her daughter Louetta and spending time with the actor as a family. Williams was married to Demi Moore from 1987 to 2000, but he now lives with Rumer, Scout, 34, and Tallulah, Tallulah, 31. He later wed Emma Heming Willis in 2009, and the couple have two daughters named Evelyn and Mabel.
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Emma has spoken openly about the impact of Willis’ illness on their younger children. “I think they’re doing well, all things considered, but it’s hard,” she told Vogue Australia. She added: “They grieve, they miss their dad so much. He’s missing important milestones, that’s tough for them – but kids are resilient, [although] I used to hate hearing that because people didn’t understand what we were walking through. I don’t know if my kids will ever bounce back, but they’re learning and so am I.”
Emma has also evoked her grief. She said, “I’ve had to learn to walk alongside the grief,” in a heartbreaking confession. It stays with me forever. I’m going to be sad, and I’m going to experience all of those feelings and emotions, but I’m also not going to allow it to just be that.
Willis was recently seen walking along the beachfront in Los Angeles while holding his caregiver’s hand in a rare public outing. The Die Hard star occasionally appeared sluggish, reaching for a railing for support, but he smiled while taking a stroll. The incident occurred one day after Moore had attended a New York charity event in his honor. Gillis was not present, and he has largely remained a distant relative since receiving his diagnosis.
Emma has previously confirmed that a full-time care team has moved into a separate one-story home. She claimed that the family needed to make the decision when she spoke about it. According to her, “It was one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make.” However, it was the right choice for him, for our girls, and for me among the sadness and discomfort. I may return to being his wife in the end. And that’s a gift in itself.”
She explained that Willis has also gained more independence and made frequented friends and family visits easier.
“It’s made a difference for more friends and family to experience him without having to leave it at home, without hovering, or having to deal with my anxiety about managing the guest and their expectations, and then having to watch their reactions – their dejection,” said one of the authors.
Continue reading the article.
Areas of the brain that are related to behavior, personality, and language are affected by frontotemporal dementia. Memory loss is not always the first sign, in contrast to Alzheimer’s disease. Emmemma has described the strain of caring for others, forcing her to make changes.
She claimed that Willis’ neurologist warned her that about 30% of caregivers pass away before the people they are caring for, according to a statement on the HealSquad podcast. She remarked, “I really needed that to wake up. Everyone is being handled and doing this, and we are making appointments. We are making a lot of progress. Caregivers must be aware that you must care for yourself, that it is self-preserving, and that it is not selfish.
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