Getty Images

What is inflation?

How is the UK’s inflation rate measured?

What is happening to UK inflation?

Why are prices still rising?

Why does raising interest rates help lower inflation?

What is happening to UK interest rates and when will they go down again?

Are wages keeping up with inflation?

What is happening to inflation and interest rates in Europe and the US?

The government has halted all testing of Ajax armoured vehicles after another soldier was injured during safety tests.

Three separate investigations are currently being conducted after about 30 soldiers became ill from noise and vibration during a training exercise in November.

Twenty-three vehicles used in practice had already been suspended for use due to injuries; the results of their inspections will be published in the new year.

In a written statement to parliament, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the latest report of a soldier becoming ill from vibrations came during additional safety tests aimed at providing more information for the investigation.

The defence minister said the soldier did not require hospitalisation, and the vehicle they were in – which is not one of the 23 already suspended – is undergoing a “thorough investigation”.

He said, “This additional report of injury is a serious concern to me, so out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety of our personnel, I have directed a pause on all Ajax testing.”

“This is in addition to ongoing breaks for training and exercise.”

He said he would assess whether testing could be resumed in the new year.

The minister said investigation teams should be “given the necessary time and space to consider all information and evidence” and that he had met with the vehicle’s manufacturer, General Dynamics, last week.

Responding to the announcement, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens told the BBC that the most important thing is to ensure that “the equipment that is being supplied is safe”.

“The government has conducted a review,” he said.

“There are several ongoing reviews addressing the reported problems.

“While these reviews are ongoing, I can’t really comment, but I am very conscious that General Dynamics is a very significant employer in Wales and particularly in the Merthyr Tydfil constituency.

“So we’ll wait and see what happens with the review. But the most important thing is that the device provided is safe to use.”

The multi-million-pound Ajax vehicles,

The multi-million-pound Ajax vehicles, manufactured in Merthyr Tydfil by General Dynamics, were originally scheduled to enter service in 2017, with 589 vehicles delivered.

The £6.3 billion programme has been beset by problems and repeated delays, as noise and vibration have injured soldiers who have tested the vehicles.

tree stump Earlier he said he was “disgusted” that soldiers were injured even though he had been assured that the armoured vehicles were safe.

There are currently three investigations underway, by the Defence Accident Investigation Branch, the Army Safety Investigation Team and a ministerial review.

According to the statement, regular meetings have also been held between the minister, the Chief of General Staff, the army and officials.

General Dynamics representatives have also met with backbench MPs in recent days, as the BBC understands.

MPs have previously raised concerns about the program’s uncertainty, which would impact jobs in their constituencies.

Pollard said the findings of the investigation into the Ajax vehicles would impact UK government defence investment planning decisions.

Earlier this week Defence Secretary John Healey said “programmes beset by deep failings such as Ajax” had delayed the publication of the plan, which was due to take place in the autumn.

It was supposed to outline the spending needed to overhaul the armed forces, but it will now be delayed to 2026.

• The Prime Minister targeted extremist preachers and visas linked to hatred.
• Plan to list organisations associated with hate speech.
• Race-based serious insults would become a federal crime.

Sydney: Australia’s prime minister vowed to end extremism on Thursday, as the country mourned the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach shooting, a 10-year-old girl who was remembered as “our little ray of sunshine.”

Father-son gunmen are accused of opening fire into a crowd at a beachside Jewish festival on Sunday evening, killing 15 people in an attack by officers linked to “Daesh ideology.”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised sweeping action to root out “the scourge of anti-Semitism from our society”.

“Australians are shocked and frustrated. I’m angry. It’s clear we need to do more to deal with this wicked crisis,” he told reporters.

This included new powers to target extremist propagandists and refuse or cancel visas for those spreading “hatred and division.”

Australia will develop a system for listing organisations.

Australia will develop a system to list organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech, he said.

“Serious insult” based on race would become a federal crime.

As the Prime Minister spoke, mourners gathered for the funeral of 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest victim killed in the attack.

“Matilda is our little ray of sunshine,” the rabbi leading the service said, reading a message from her school.

“She is truly the most kind, caring and compassionate young girl who brightens everyone’s day with her bright smile and infectious laugh.”

Mourners dressed in black hold bouquets of lilies as they walk to a funeral at Chevra Kadisha in Sydney, a Jewish society responsible for customary burial rites.

Others held balloons decorated with pictures of bumblebees—a reference to the young girl’s nickname, “Matilda Bee.”

Hours before the first shots fired, photos captured a young girl petting animals at the zoo and smiling after having her face painted.

Before the Russian invasion, Matilda’s family left Ukraine to settle in Australia.

“I couldn’t imagine that I would lose my daughter here. It’s a nightmare,” Mother Valentina told reporters before the funeral.

“It just lives here and here, and I can’t get it out,” she said, pointing to her head and heart.

Her father, Michael, said he chose her name as a nod to Australia, where the beloved folk song “Waltzing Matilda” is sung as an unofficial national anthem.

“We came here from Ukraine and Matilda was our first child in Australia,” he said earlier this week.

“And I thought Matilda was the most Australian name that could ever exist.

“So just remember. Remember his name.”

extremist ideology

Sajid Akram and his son Navid have been accused of carrying out the firing on the Jewish Hanukkah festival in an anti-Semitic attack.

 

Father Sajid, 50, died in an encounter with police, but Naved, 24, survived.

Naveed, reportedly an unemployed mason, was charged on Wednesday with 15 murders, terrorist acts and dozens of other serious crimes.

Authorities believe the pair was radicalised by “Daesh ideology.”

Australian police are investigating whether the pair met with extremists during a trip to the Philippines weeks before the shootings.

On Wednesday, the Philippines stated that they found no evidence of using the country for “terrorist training”.

Questions are being raised over whether authorities could have acted earlier to thwart the gunmen.

Naved came to the attention of Australia’s intelligence agency in 2019.

But at that time he was not considered an imminent threat.

The attack has also reignited accusations that Australia is neglecting its efforts to combat anti-Semitism.

“We stand at a very critical moment,” government envoy Jillian Segal said Thursday on anti-Semitism.

“This moment is crucial not only for our community but also for the global fight against anti-Semitism.”

Australia’s leaders have agreed to tighten the laws that allow Sajid Akram to own six guns.

The Bondi Beach attack is the deadliest mass shooting since 35 people were killed in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

Australia’s gun laws underwent sweeping reforms as a result of that shooting.

However, there has been a steady increase in privately owned firearms in recent years.

“Abramovich is holding on to $2.5 billion.

Rob Reiner’s son Nick appeared in court for the first time Wednesday on two counts of first-degree murder in the murders of his parents.

Wearing a suicide prevention smock and handcuffs, the 32-year-old man did not enter a plea as he was revealed from behind the glass wall of a detention area.

His next court appearance will be 7th January.

As it happened: Nick Renner appears in court for the first time

Nick Reiner acknowledged the date with a simple “Yes, your honour.”

It was charged on Tuesday. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the murders of 78-year-old actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle Singer Reiner, at a press conference.

Nick Renner is being held without bail and may face the death penalty.

Renner’s lawyer told the public, ‘Don’t be hasty in making decisions.’

In addition to the two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors have included a special circumstance of multiple murders and allegations that Renner personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, specifically a knife.

Speaking outside court, Nick Renner’s lawyer, Alan Jackson, called on the public to “not rush judgement.”

Mr Jackson emphasised the need for a thorough and meticulous investigation into the “complex and serious issues involved in this matter”.

He described the Renner family’s situation as a “devastating tragedy”.

‘Unimaginable pain’

Nick Reiner’s siblings, Jake and Romy, released a statement saying, “Words cannot describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day.”

Rob and Michelle Renner is something that no one should have to endure.

“The terrible and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michelle Renner, is something no one should have to experience,” he said.

They were not only our parents, but also our closest friends. “We are grateful for the compassion, kindness, and support we received, not only from family and friends but also from people from all walks of life.”

Both sought to be treated with “respect and privacy,” while also wanting speculation to be approached with “compassion and humanity.”

Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the killings.

Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner were found dead of apparent stab wounds in their homes in the posh Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

Read more from Sky News:
In a moment Nick Renner was arrested for the murder of his parents
Could Reiner really face the death penalty?

When Nick Renner was arrested a few hours later, near the University of Southern California, about 14 miles (22.5 kilometres) from the crime scene, he did not resist, according to police.

Rob Reiner was a renowned director whose work included some of the most memorable films of the 1980s and 1990s, including This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and A Few Good Men.

While directing Harry Met Sally in 1989, he met photographer, filmmaker and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Michelle Singer.

Nick Renner’s lawyer says case involves “complex and serious issues”

reuters

getty images

Scientists record large marine predators thriving inside an active underwater volcano that is thought hostile to complex life. Image: National Geographic Youtube

In 2015, a scientific expedition to one of the most volatile underwater volcanoes on Earth produced a finding few researchers expected to see on their monitors: sharks swimming calmly inside the crater.

Researchers made the discovery at Kavachi, a submarine volcano near the Solomon Islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

Kavachi is known for frequent eruptions that eject lava, ash, and highly acidic water. It is widely regarded as an environment where complex marine life should not be able to survive.

Yet footage captured during the expedition showed hammerhead sharks, silky sharks and a stingray moving through the volcano’s interior, apparently unaffected by conditions considered hostile to most fish.

A routine mission, and an unexpected sight

The expedition was led by ocean engineer Brennan Phillips, who travelled to Kavachi with a team to investigate hydrothermal activity.

At the time of their visit, the volcano was not actively erupting, allowing researchers to deploy instruments directly into the crater.

Among those instruments was a deep-sea camera, lowered into the volcano to record conditions below the surface. After roughly an hour, the camera was retrieved and its footage reviewed.

What the team saw surprised them immediately. “Not only were silky sharks spotted in the area, but hammerheads too,”

Phillips said, adding that the animals appeared “completely unfazed” by the hot, acidic waters inside the volcano.

The footage also captured a stingray, which the researchers speculated may have been sheltering inside a small cave-like feature within the caldera.

A stingray glides through Kavachi’s volcanic crater, filmed amid hot, acidic waters by deep-sea camera/National Geographic Youtube

“This volcano conflicts with what we know.”

Kavachi’s crater is a caldera, a large depression formed when a volcano’s magma chamber empties. During eruptions, the site releases superheated, acidic water, volcanic gases and rock fragments into the surrounding ocean.

For Phillips, the presence of large marine predators inside such an environment ran counter to established assumptions. “

The idea of there being large animals like sharks hanging out and living inside the caldera of this volcano conflicts with what we know about Kavachi,” he said. “Which is that it erupts, but when it’s erupting, there’s no way anything could live in there.”

Hammerhead and silky sharks were found in Kavachi’s caldera, seemingly unfazed by heat, acidity, and eruptive risk. Image: National Geographic Youtube

He added, “So to see large animals like these sharks that are living and could potentially die at any moment, it brings up lots of questions.

Do they leave? Do they have some sort of sign that it’s about to erupt? Do they blow up sky-high in little bits?”

A volcano nicknamed ‘Sharkcano’

National Geographic later released the footage, quickly garnering global attention. Kavachi became informally known as “Sharkcano”, a nickname that reflected both the surprise of the discovery and the extreme nature of the environment.

Seven years after the original expedition, NASA’s satellite imagery captured Kavachi erupting again, showing the volcano sending lava, ash, sulphur, and acidic water into the surrounding sea.

The eruption followed earlier documented events in 2007 and 2014. It remains unknown whether the sharks and other animals seen in the crater survived these eruptions.

Returning with robots

Because of the danger posed by Kavachi’s eruptions, follow-up research relied on robotic equipment rather than human divers.

Phillips later returned to the site with Alistair Grinham of the University of Queensland and Matthew Dunbabin of the Queensland University of Technology, using low-cost robotic systems designed to withstand—and be sacrificed for—extreme conditions.

Dunbabin said, “Your systems probably won’t survive an explosion, no matter how well-built or costly.”

The robots, small enough to fit into carry-on luggage, were treated as expendable. Sensors recorded surface pH drops, water temperatures up to ten degrees higher than normal, and confirmed that Kavachi is a strong greenhouse gas emitter.

“One unexpected result was that the eruption forced fresh material from the vent to be embedded in the robot itself,” Dunbabin said. “This means we have a unique way of collecting physical rock samples.”

Why sharks can survive, for now

Phillips acknowledged that, based on known biology, Kavachi should not support animal life beyond microorganisms. “

There are several reasons why there shouldn’t be anything living in there except maybe bacteria,” he said. “It’s scorching and acidic. It’s very turbid. None of these things are good for fish.”

Yet the sharks were observed “darting in and out between the clouds of the plume” during periods between eruptions.

Whether the animals possess behavioural adaptations, heightened sensitivity to volcanic activity, or physiological tolerance for extreme conditions remains unresolved.

Experts have suggested that studying these sharks could help scientists understand how marine species respond to extreme environmental stress, including rising ocean temperatures.

Some researchers have proposed that the sharks may have developed physiological adaptations that allow them to tolerate Kavachi’s hot, acidic conditions.

though no definitive conclusions have yet been reached,. As Phillips put it, “That’s a lingering question mark.”