The government of Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has resigned after protesters took to the streets in cities across the country and filled the centre of the capital, Sofia, on Wednesday night.

Zhelyazkov’s dramatic move came ahead of a vote of no confidence in parliament and 20 days before Bulgaria joins the euro.

Protesters had accused his minority centre-right government, in power since January, of widespread corruption. The government had already scrapped a controversial budget plan for next year in response to the demonstrations last week.

“We hear the voice of citizens protesting against the government,” Zhelyazkov said in a TV address.

“Both young and old have raised their voices for [our resignation],” he added. “This civic energy must be supported and encouraged.” A statement on the government website said ministers would continue in their roles until a new cabinet was elected.

Between 50,000 and 100,000 people turned out in Sofia’s central Triangle of Power and Independence Square on Wednesday evening, calling for the government to go. The words “Resignation” and “Mafia Out” were projected onto the parliament building.

President Rumen Radev, who had also called for the government’s resignation, backed them last week.

Zhelyazkov’s government had already survived five votes of no confidence and was expected to get through a sixth on Thursday.

Many of the protesters have been angered by the roles of two figures, oligarch Delyan Peevski and ex-prime minister Boyko Borissov, and Wednesday’s rally was organised under the slogan “Resignation! Peevski and Borissov Out of Power,” Bulgaria’s BTA news agency reported.

Peevski has been sanctioned by the US and UK for alleged corruption and his party has helped prop up the government.

Borissov is part of Zhelyazkov’s GERB party, which came first in the October 2024 elections, and he was reported to have said on Wednesday that the coalition parties had agreed to remain in power until Bulgaria joined the eurozone on 1 January.

Borissov was prime minister when anti-corruption protests brought down his government in 2020 and there have been seven elections since.

Despite the political drama in Sofia, Bulgaria’s move to join the euro is not seen as under threat.

Bulgarian faced a major challenge.

In his resignation statement, the outgoing prime minister said Bulgaria faced a major challenge and its citizens would need to produce “authentic proposals” on what the next government should look like.

Bulgaria ranks among the lowest in Europe in Transparency International’s index for public sector corruption, between Hungary and Romania.

The government has denied claims from Argentina’s president that the two countries are in talks about lifting an arms export ban that has been in place since the Falklands War.

A spokesman said there are “no specific talks” taking place, after Javier Milei told The Daily Telegraph negotiations with Britain were under way to lift weapons export restrictions.

The government’s policy since the Falklands War, more than 40 years ago, has been that weapons with British parts are not allowed to be exported to Argentina if they are judged to “enhance Argentine military capability.”

“There are no world powers without military power,” Mr Milei told the newspaper, adding, “There is no country that counts in the international context if they can’t defend their borders.”

He also said he wanted to see the Falklands handed to Argentina via diplomatic means after previously saying he would maintain the claim to sovereignty over the islands and would avoid conflict with the UK.

A government spokesman rebutted this, too, saying, “Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is not up for negotiation, and we will defend its right to self-determination.

“In 2013, the islanders held a referendum on their future, with an overwhelming majority choosing to remain part of the UK.”

But he added: “More broadly, we look forward to deepening our co-operation with Argentina across areas including trade, science, and culture to deliver growth for the British people.”

Milei wants Starmer meeting

Mr Milei said he plans to come to Britain in April or May next year and would like to meet with Sir Keir Starmer and Reform’s Nigel Farage.

Argentina’s cost-cutting agenda has gone down well with Mr Farage and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and helped inspire the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk.

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Next week’s strike by resident doctors in England may be averted after ministers offered the British Medical Association a fresh deal.

The doctors’ union has agreed to put the offer to members over the coming days – if they support it, the five-day walkout starting on Wednesday 17 December could be called off.

The offer includes a rapid expansion of specialist training posts as well as covering out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees.

But it does not include any promises of extra pay. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has been adamant he will not negotiate on that, given that resident doctors – the new name for junior doctors – have had pay rises of nearly 30% over the past three years.

The deal also includes emergency legislation being introduced so that the NHS can prioritise doctors who have studied and worked in the UK for speciality training posts that resident doctors move into in year three of their training.

This year there was intense competition for these roles, with 30,000 applicants going for 10,000 posts. Under current rules, we must judge doctors from abroad on the same basis as UK doctors.

The number of speciality posts will also increase by 4,000 by 2028, with the first 1,000 available starting next year. Previously, the government had promised an increase of 2,000.

The BMA will now consult resident doctor members on whether this offer is sufficient to call off next week’s strike. A survey of members will run online, closing on Monday 15 December, just two days before the strike is due to begin.

This move prompted anger from Streeting, who had wanted the union to call off next week’s strike.

Ministers fear that by Monday hospitals will have already had to cancel a significant number of treatments as part of their preparations to get ready for the strike.

Streeting said he had offered to allow the BMA to extend its mandate, which runs out in the first week of January, so they could still stage a five-day strike if members did not back the deal.

Streeting said he was “astounded” the BMA had not agreed to this given the difficulties hospitals are facing from flu and other winter pressures, which he said meant “the spectre of strikes next week still looms”.

“I cannot understand the wilful casualness with which the BMA’s leadership has chosen to inflict this pain on patients, other staff, and the NHS itself,” he said.

“It is one of the most shameful episodes in the long history of the BMA.”

He added, “The NHS leaders are going to have to start cancelling other doctors’ leave now to cover potential strikes, and patients will also experience unnecessary and avoidable disruption through some cancelled appointments and operations. That’s on the BMA.”

Doctors have requested that I fulfil my responsibilities regarding job delivery.

On the offer, he said, “Doctors asked me to deliver on jobs, especially unfair competition from overseas, and this comprehensive offer will deliver.”

BMA resident doctors committee chairman, Dr Jack Fletcher, said, “This offer is the result of thousands of resident doctors showing that they are prepared to stand up for their profession and its future.

“It should not have taken strike action, but make no mistake: it was strike action that got us this far.

“We have forced the government to recognise the scale of the problems and to respond with measures on training numbers and prioritisation.

“However, this offer does nothing to restore pay for doctors, which remains well within the government’s power to do.”

Streeting later said in the Commons he would retract the government’s offer if the BMA rejected it, so as not to “incentivise” further strikes.

Shadow Health Secretary Stuart Andrew said the strike was “unacceptable” and welcomed the government’s offer.

But he said the Conservatives had warned that providing “inflation-busting pay rises without any conditions at all” meant unions would “come back for more”.

“If they reject this, what’s going to happen? I’m not sure the government is ready for this winter.”

The BMA argues that despite the pay rises of the last few years, pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008 once inflation is taken into account.

If members indicate in the online survey the offer is enough to call off next week’s strikes, a formal referendum of resident doctors would follow. This would give members time to consider the details of the offer and whether to accept it and end the current dispute, the BMA said.

If the survey of members decides it is not enough to call off strikes, they will go ahead as planned next week, the union added.

Reuters

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The price of silver has hit a record high ahead of an expected US Federal Reserve interest rate cut and demand from the technology industry for the precious metal remains high.

On Tuesday, the spot market, where the precious metal is bought and sold for immediate delivery, saw the price of silver cross $60 (£45.10) an ounce for the first time.

Gold, which hit record highs earlier this year as concerns grew about the impact of US tariffs and the global economic outlook, also made gains this week.

Investors tend to move money into precious metals like gold and silver as interest rates come down and the US dollar weakens.

The US central bank is widely expected to cut its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday.

When interest rates are cut, traders typically buy assets like silver because the benefits of keeping cash in the bank or buying short-term bonds fall, said Yeow Hee Chua from the Nanyang Technological University.

“This naturally causes a shift in demand towards assets perceived as value stores, such as silver,” he explained.

The move into so-called “safe-haven” assets was also a key reason for gold hitting new record highs recently, as it crossed $4,000 an ounce for the first time.

Silver’s rally could also be seen as a “spillover effect” from the jump in the value of gold as investors look for cheaper alternatives, said OCBC bank analyst Christopher Wong.

Central banks’ major purchases have contributed to gold’s more than 50% gain this year. The prices of platinum and palladium have also climbed this year.

Experts assert that strong demand from the technology industry pushed up the value of silver, outstripping supply.

That has helped more than double the value of silver this year, as it outperformed other precious metals, including gold.

“Silver is not only an investment asset but also a physical resource,” and more manufacturers are finding a need for the material, said Kosmas Marinakis from the Singapore Management University.

The precious metal, which conducts electricity better than gold or copper, is used to produce goods like electric vehicles (EVs) and solar panels.

Experts predict that rising sales of EVs will further push up demand for silver, while advanced batteries for the cars will require even more of the metal.

difficult to quickly increase silver supplies,

But it is difficult to quickly increase silver supplies, as the majority of global output is a by-product from mines that mainly extract other metals like lead, copper or gold.

The price of silver is also being boosted by concerns that the US may impose tariffs on it as part of President Trump’s trade strategy.

Fears of potential tariffs have also prompted the US to stockpile silver, leading to shortages globally.

The US imports about two-thirds of its silver, which is used for manufacturing as well as jewellery and investments.

Manufacturers have been racing to secure supplies to ensure their operations are not interrupted by shortages, which has helped to push up prices on global markets, said Prof Marinakis.

He added that he expects the price of silver to remain high in the coming months.

Leon has announced it will close several of its restaurants and cut jobs as part of a major restructure of the High Street food chain.

The company has appointed Quantuma as administrators after Leon’s original co-founder, John Vincent, reacquired the company last month from Asda.

The move places the future of the worst-performing of its 71 stores at risk, but so far no closures have been confirmed and all stores remain open.

The company employs about 1,000 staff and Leon has not said how many workers will be affected but added it would try to find jobs in the stores that remain open in the first instance.

Mr Vincent said that after an initial review of the company, the “immediate priority” was to close “the most unprofitable restaurants”.

“In many cases we have found other brands to replace us, and in others we will be asking the landlords to take the leases back and find better-suited operators themselves,” he said.

Leon has also developed a programme with Pret A Manger to help staff that cannot take jobs in other Leon outlets, through which affected staff can apply for jobs with the coffee chain.

The company’s plan is to work with Quantuma over the coming weeks to discuss the plans with landlords and work out the options for Leon’s future.

Mr Vincent said he believed the company had drifted from its core values under EG and Asda’s leadership, but he was also sympathetic to the challenges they faced running the “healthier” fast food chain.

“In the last two years, Asda had bigger fish to fry, and Leon was always a business they didn’t feel fitted their strategy,” he said.

“If you look at the performance of Leon’s peers, you will see that everyone is facing challenges – companies are reporting significant losses due to working patterns and increasingly unsustainable taxes.”

Asda has previously said selling Leon back to Mr Vincent would allow it to refocus on its core retail operations, covering everything from its supermarkets to petrol forecourts.

Asda has been contacted for comment.

Leon also blamed,

Leon also blamed its current issues on internal challenges, changing work patterns driven by the Covid pandemic and tax increases – all of which have affected the broader hospitality sector.

Mr Vincent said the government needed to review the tax burden it had placed on the hospitality industry.

“Today for every pound we receive from the customer, around 36p goes to the government in tax, and about 2p ends up in the hands of the company. It’s why most players are reporting big losses,” he said.

Known for serving its meals in a cardboard box with brown rice and fresh herbs, Leon has said its mission is to prove that it’s possible to serve fast food that “tastes good but does you good too”.

It opened its first branch in London in 2004 and at the time stood out against the fried chicken, burger and chips menus of its rival fast food chains.

Leon’s administration process comes after Pizza Hut’s UK operator DC London Pie announced it was closing 68 restaurants and 11 delivery sites in October, making more than 1,200 workers redundant.

Administrators said DC London Pie had been hit by a combination of “challenging trading conditions and increased costs”, including “tax-related obligations”.