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.
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.
In exchange for Israel’s recognition, Somaliland has refuted claims that it agreed to host Israeli military installations and resettle Palestinians who had fled Gaza.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in contrast, said its cooperation with Israel was “purely diplomatic” and carried out “in full respect of international law” on Thursday.
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The president of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, made the denial in response to accusations that the country had accepted three demands from Israel, including the establishment of a military base on the Gulf of Aden coast, and adhering to the Abraham Accords, which would normalize relations with Israel.
As Hargeisa officials pressed for recognition, reports began to surface that Somaliland was interested in supporting Israel’s widely criticized goal of ethnic cleansing Palestinians.
Contrary to other nations rumored to be of interest to Israel, Somaliland’s foreign minister stated that no discussions had taken place regarding the matter but stopped short of rejecting the possibility.
Only the most recent condition has been made known in the eyes of the public.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that Somaliland would support the Abraham Accords by saying that he wanted to “support a democratic, moderate country, a Muslim country, that wants to join the Abraham Accords.”
After more than three decades of unsuccessful attempts by the breakaway region of Somalia, Israel became the first nation to grant the nation its first official statehood last week.
“A cover for Israeli objectives”
According to Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, Somaliland’s president Abdurrahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Cirro, plans an official visit to Israel in the coming weeks.
According to sources, Abdullahi’s official engagement with the Abraham Accords could start as early as January 2nd, according to sources.
During a video call to announce the mutual recognition, Netanyahu initially invited Cirro.
The president of Somalia reaffirmed that Israel’s recognition “was not just a diplomatic gesture but a cover for specific, high-stakes Israeli strategic objectives.”
He alleged that Israel would “export its problem to the Horn of Africa” and that it would “open a box of evils in the world” as a result.
Analysts point to the region’s strategic position at the entrance to the Red Sea, where Yemen’s Houthis imposed a naval blockade on Israeli-linked shipping before the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza and fired rockets at Israel, despite the country’s continued libel.
According to a report released in November by the Israeli think tank Institute for National Security Studies, “Somaliland’s territory could serve as a front base” for Houthis’ intelligence surveillance and “a platform for direct operations” against them.
According to the statement made by Somaliland’s former intelligence chief, Mostafa Hasan, earlier this week, the Houthis claimed any Israeli presence would constitute a declaration of war.
concerns and condemnation
Regional concerns were downplayed by Somaliland’s foreign minister on Wednesday, telling Israel’s i24NEWS that while some nations “feel Israel establishing a relationship will cause their downfall,” these worries were unfounded.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Mogadishu, Baidoa, Dhusamareb, Las Anod, and other cities on December 30 to demand unity and waving Somali flags.
The African Union and the European Union both criticized Israel’s decision, while more than 50 nations criticized the decision.
Despite the backlash, Somaliland’s president promised that “many more nations will soon formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland” on New Year’s Eve.
Despite maintaining its own government, currency, and military, the region declared independence from Somalia in 1991 during a civil war, but it has never received international recognition.
In a sweeping show of solidarity with Palestinians, hundreds of thousands of people are marching through Istanbul to protest Israel’s condemnation of the genocide in Gaza and refute claims that a ceasefire has had any lasting impact.
Despite freezing temperatures, protesters gathered on the city’s historic Galata Bridge on Thursday, many of whom waving Palestinian and Turkish flags.
The march, which was organized by civil society organizations in conjunction with Turkish football clubs, was held with the message “We won’t stay silent, we won’t forget Palestine.”
More than 400 organizations from the civil society took part in the rally, which highlights Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza. One of the largest pro-Palestine demonstrations Turkiye has seen since Israel’s war started was led by several major football clubs to call on their supporters to attend.
Dursun Ozbek, the president of Galatasaray Football Club, characterized Israel’s actions as a moral recompense for the world.
In a video message shared on X, Ozbek said, “We will not get used to this silence.” We stand up for humanity by standing up for the rights of oppression.
[Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu via Getty Images] An aerial view of Palestinian flag-carrying boats around Galata Bridge
A “slow-motion genocide”
From the Galata Bridge, Al Jazeera’s Turkiye correspondent Sinem Koseoglu reported that Palestine is still a subject of national consensus. She claimed that the issue involves candidates from major opposition parties, drawing together supporters of the ruling AK Party.
As people crowded the bridge and nearby streets, Koseoglu said, “Today people are trying to show their support on the first day of the new year.”
About 500,000 people participated in the march, according to police sources and the Anadolu state news agency.
Maher Zain, a born in Lebanon, performed “Free Palestine” to a crowd of raised flags during speeches and performances.
Many demonstrators also objected to Israel’s ceasefire plan during the protest.
Koseoglu said, “These people here do not believe in the ceasefire.” They posit that the genocide is being slowed down by the current ceasefire rather than a real ceasefire.
On January 1, 2026, thousands of people gathered across Istanbul to demand a stop to the genocidal war in Gaza. [Muhammed Ali Yigit/Anadolu via Getty Images]
Koseoglu claimed protesters prefer sustained international pressure over symbolic measures, despite the fact that Turkiye has restricted trade with Israel and barred its airspace and ports.
She said, “The main goal here is to show their solidarity with the Palestinian people and prevent the world from forgetting what is happening in Gaza,” adding that many people believe the ceasefire is “very fragile.”
Turkey has established itself as one of Israel’s most vehement critics and assisted in the United States’ effort to implement a ceasefire that was announced in October.
