The former Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was kicked out of No10 at last year’s General Election, was Chancellor as the virus swept the country in March 2020

Rishi Sunak leaving the Covid Inquiry hearing on Monday(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Rishi Sunak has claimed ministers were told not to go “too early” with Covid restrictions due to fears over “public acceptance”.

The former Tory PM, who was kicked out of No10 at last year’s General Election, was Chancellor as the virus swept the country in March 2020. His comments came after the Covid inquiry chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett published a damning report last month into government decision making during the crisis.

It branded government inaction “inexcusable” and said it was repeatedly slow to bring in restrictions, costing thousands of lives and making full lockdowns necessary. But speaking to the Covid inquiry under oath yesterday, Mr Sunak said the initial advice Treasury officials were given was not to intervene too early.

He said: “Especially in those early conversations, a lot of what the medical and scientific community were advising us at that time was not to go too early with the various interventions, because they were worried about public acceptance of them. Even at that point, there was a belief that voluntary social distancing together with school closures… would be sufficient to manage the virus.

READ MORE: Four things UK could’ve done differently after Covid delays cost 23,000 Brit lives

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He added: “Two or three days after, it was decided that wasn’t going to be achievable, which is why we had to move to a full mandatory lockdown.” In his second appearance at the inquiry on Monday, Mr Sunak also offered his condolences to relatives of people who lost their lives as the virus struck.

He said: “I would like to extend my condolences to all those families who lost their loved ones during Covid, remembering those we lost and all those who suffered.” Mr Sunak said there was an “enormous amount of uncertainty” about the virus, having been appointed Chancellor in February 2020.

He addded: “There wasn’t a toolkit – there was not a playbook that you could pull off the shelf to say this is how you tend to deal with pandemics, in the same way you somewhat have with other economic or financial shocks.”

Giving evidence on the government’s economic response, the ex-PM said not all jobs could be saved during the crisis but insisted ministers wanted to prevent “mass unemployment”. He said: It wasn’t going to be possible to save every person’s job and people were going to experience economic hardship as a result of what was happening.

“I thought it was important to be honest with people about that up front. As it turned out, the impact on living standards, particularly for the most vulnerable in society… were stronger than I would have perhaps anticipated going into this and I’m very proud of that.”

Mr Sunak said the government was “successful in preventing mass unemployment” and that the impact on jobs was “considerably better than what anyone had forecast at the early stages of the pandemic”. The coronavirus job retention scheme – known as furlough – was announced by Mr Sunak in March 2020. Around 11.7 million employee jobs were furloughed through the scheme, which applied from March 1 2020 to September 30 2021, and cost around £70 billion.

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Russia is trying to “bully, fearmonger and manipulate” the UK and its allies with attacks under the threshold of all-out war, the new head of MI6 has said.

Blaise Metreweli, the first female chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), said Britain was “operating in a space between peace and war” and that everyone has a responsibility to understand the dangers because “the frontline is everywhere”.

In her first big speech on Monday, she also focused on Vladimir Putin’s devastating war in Ukraine, accusing him of “dragging out negotiations” on a peace deal and warning that Kyiv’s fate is “fundamental not just to European sovereignty and security but to global security”.

Offering her view on the evolution of global security threats, Ms Metreweli underlined the transformative role of technology, from artificial intelligence to quantum computing.

She said control over such advanced technologies is shifting from states to corporations and even individuals, making the balance of global power more “diffuse, more unpredictable”.

The spymaster did not name anyone.

Image:
Blaise Metreweli. Pic: PA

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2:12

Is time running out for peace plan?

However, innovators such as Elon Musk are becoming increasingly influential, with their technologies such as his Starlink satellites and his social media site X.

The boss of MI6 was speaking at her agency’s headquarters in London, though she said that the main work of her spies was carried “many miles away from this place – out of sight, hidden from the world, undercover, recruiting and running agents who choose to place their trust in us, sharing secrets to make the UK and the world safer”.

She warned the world was “more dangerous and contested now than it has been for decades”.

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The spy chief said: “Conflict is evolving and trust eroding, just as new technologies spur both competition and dependence.

“We are being contested from sea to space – from the battlefield to the boardroom. And even our brains as disinformation manipulates our understanding of each other and ourselves… We are now operating in a space between peace and war.

“This is not a temporary state or a gradual evolution. Our world is being actively remade with profound implications for national and international security.”

Breaking with a tradition by previous chiefs of offering a view on a range of threats when speaking publicly, Ms Metreweli said she was choosing to focus on Russia.

“We all continue to face the menace of an aggressive, expansionist and revisionist Russia, seeking to subjugate Ukraine and harass NATO,” she said.

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10:57

Ukrainian MP: Who will stop Putin?

On the conflict, she said Putin was “dragging out negotiations and shifting the cost of war on to his own population”.

Her comments come as Donald Trump is attempting to broker a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, told Sky News in an interview earlier this month that he believed Putin was using the US push for negotiations as “cover” while Russian troops attempted to seize more land by force.

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1:35

The Wargame returns with new episodes

The MI6 boss said the UK’s support for Ukraine would endure regardless of Moscow’s stalling actions.

She also flagged a growing wave of “grey zone” hostilities – deliberately carried out under the threshold of conventional armed conflict – that she attributed to Moscow.

“It’s important to understand their [Russia’s] attempts to bully, fearmonger and manipulate because it affects us all,” she said.

“I am talking about cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. Drones buzzing airports and bases. Aggressive activity in our seas, above and below the waves. State-sponsored arson and sabotage. Propaganda and influence operations that crack open and exploit fractures within societies.”

Image:
Germany’s President Steinmeier with President Zelenskyy in Berlin on Monday. Pic: Reuters

While she did not specify any particular incidents, there have been a spate of mysterious drone sightings in Denmark, Germany and Sweden; while a Russian spy ship was spotted off the coast of Scotland and acts of arson and sabotage have been carried out in the UK, such as a blaze at a warehouse in east London that was providing aid to Ukraine.

Drawing attention to another method to attack a country and its people, Ms Metreweli underlined how information is being weaponised, with falsehoods spread online that are designed to erode trust in a society and amplify divisions.

“The export of chaos is a feature not a bug in this Russian approach to international engagement and we should be ready for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his calculus,” she said.

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1:38

NATO boss: ‘Conflict is at our door’

MI6, she said, is adapting to respond to the evolving threats.

But unusually Ms Metroweli also said the wider British public had a role to play, such as with schools helping to educate children to spot disinformation on social media and to check sources of news “and be alive to those algorithms that trigger intense reactions like fear”.

She added: “It also means everyone in society really understanding the world we are in – a world where… the frontline is everywhere. Online, on our streets, in our supply chains, in the minds and on the screens of our citizens.”

Building on the success of the highly acclaimed podcast The Wargame, Sky News presents The Wargame: Decoded – a one-off live event that takes you deep inside the minds of the wargame’s participants. Discover how they tackled the toughest challenges, the decisions they made under intense pressure, and even experience key moments of the game for yourself.

Click here to get tickets.

Sky News’ Deborah Haynes will guide the conversation with Sir Ben Wallace, Robert Johnson, Jack Straw, Amber Rudd, Keir Giles and General Sir Richard Barrons – real-life military chiefs, former government officials and leading experts. Together, they will unpack their experiences inside The Wargame, revealing the uncertainty, moral dilemmas and real-world pressures faced by those who must make decisions when the nation is under threat.

Join us for this unique event exploring how the UK might respond in a moment of national crisis and get a rare, unfiltered glimpse into how prepared the country truly is for war.

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Satellite images show ongoing demolitions behind the ‘yellow line’; experts warn actions likely violate Geneva Convention.

Satellite images reviewed by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency show that the Israeli military has continued to demolish buildings in areas of Gaza it has occupied since a ceasefire with Hamas went into effect.

The Palestinian group has decried such demolitions as a violation of the ceasefire deal, which went into force on October 10. Legal experts and United Nations officials have said throughout the war that the destruction of civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime.

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The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Al Jazeera, but officials have previously said such actions have been done within the ceasefire’s framework and were in response to active threats.

Israel has remained in control of about 58 percent of Gaza since the ceasefire began, withdrawing behind the so-called “yellow line” that divides coastal Gaza from its border regions.

Satellite images showed the latest demolitions took place between November 5 and December 13, with most concentrated in the Shujayea and the Tuffah neighbourhood in Gaza City.

The images also appeared to show demolitions in the southern city of Rafah as well as the apparent destruction of agricultural facilities east of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

In an email to Al Jazeera, Adil Haque, a professor of law and armed conflict at Rutgers Law School, explained that under the Fourth Geneva Convention, “any destruction by an Occupying Power of private property is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations”.

“The exception is extremely narrow. The destruction must be absolutely necessary, not merely convenient or advantageous,” Haque said. “And the absolute necessity must arise from military operations, that is, from combat or direct preparations for combat.”

“With a general ceasefire in place, and only a few sporadic exchanges of fire, it is not plausible that such significant destruction of civilian property has been rendered absolutely necessary by military operations,” he added.

Violations continue

The Sanad analysis further found that Israel appears to have created a new advanced military outpost in Tal al-Za’atar in northern Gaza, with new tents and equipment added between November 5 and December 13.

Before its creation, there were 39 active Israeli military points inside the enclave, according to Sanad.

Israeli military operations have devastated Gaza throughout the war, with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reporting last month that 282,000 housing units have been destroyed in the enclave, where about 1.5 million Palestinians remain displaced.

About 93 percent of schools have been destroyed or damaged throughout the war, with 63 percent of hospitals remaining out of commission as of December 9.

A UN Human Rights Council independent commission in September repeatedly cited attacks on civilian infrastructure, particularly medical facilities, in finding that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry has said that 391 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the enclave since the ceasefire went into effect.

All told, at least 70,663 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed at least 1,139 people.

Last week, Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badram decried a reported statement by Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir in which the military official described the “yellow line” as the “new borderline” with Gaza.

At the time, Badran said that Hamas viewed Israeli demolitions in the area as a continuation of military operations.

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Zelenskyy says talks with US side ‘not easy’ but ‘productive’

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has delivered an address to mark the end of the talks in Berlin. He just spoke at the German-Ukrainian Business Forum.

He says after two days in Berlin, the talks on the US side were “not easy” but they were productive.

He also went on to say Russia is using its relentless strikes as leverage in negotiations – noting not a single power station in Ukraine has been exempt from attack.

Still no detail yet on any tangible compromises made. The two sides are hashing out the US plan presented several weeks ago that has been amended since in other rounds of negotiations in Geneva and Florida.

The exact details aren’t public but Zelenskyy has said Kyiv will not accept any territorial concessions – which the plan purportedly suggests.

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Updated at 17.10 CET

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Despite positive US rhetoric, sounds like Ukraine, US are still quite far from comprehensive deal — snap analysis

Andrew Roth

in Washington

I’m just off a call with US officials on Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s discussions with the Ukrainians and European delegations in Berlin, which included nearly 8 hours of meetings with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

German chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomes US negotiator Jared Kushner and US special envoy Steve Witkoff at the Chancellery for talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photograph: Bundesregierung/Getty Images

While the discussions were described as constructive in particular concerning future US-brokered security guarantees for Ukraine, it sounds like the sides are quite far from a comprehensive peace deal, with significant differences remaining on the future status of the occupied Ukrainian territory, as well as key issues like the future operations of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The US delegation was upbeat. The officials claimed that they are “90%” of the way toward a deal between Ukraine and Russia — in particular, the US delegation claimed that they had developed “Article 5-like” security guarantees for Ukraine that had satisfied both Kyiv and the Europeans (we’ll see what the Europeans brief about that).

The US officials said they wouldn’t release details of the security guarantees yet, but that it included “very strong safeguards” to prevent the war from restarting if a deal is reached. That said, the US won’t be putting boots on the ground in Ukraine according to the officials, so they’ll have to release more details to convince skeptics that Russia will respect those “Article 5-like” guarantees in the future.

A lot of questions remain.

The main one is territory. It was clear from the call that there is not an agreement yet on who would control what territory after a peace deal and how that territory would be recognised. One US official said they had “brainstormed” on turning the occupied Ukrainian territory into an “economic free zone” and they had spent “a lot of time trying to define what that would mean, how it operates.”

So there’s a long way to go in those discussions as well, and the US officials admitted that they may not be able to get that issue across the line: “Ultimately, if we can get that defined, then it will really get to [Russia and Ukraine] to work out the final issues of sovereignty and to see if there’s a deal that can be done between them.”

The US officials said they’ll go back to working groups in the US this weekend, but that they’re ready to travel to Russia or Ukraine in the future if the deal can get done.

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Updated at 18.24 CET

Merz suggests EU plan on frozen Russian assets is only one possible under voting rules

Interestingly, when asked about the use of frozen Russian assets which continues to be opposed by some member states, Germany’s Merz suggestions that it’s the only option that the EU can actually pass, as alternative proposals – including new borrowing – would require unanimity and be effectively blocked by dissenters, such as Slovakia or Hungary.

At a separate appearance alongside Zelenskyy earlier today, Merz said that the EU’s credibility was at stake if the member states fail to agree on a way forward on this issue at this week’s European Council.

He warned that “the European Union’s ability to act will be severely damaged for years, if not longer, and we will show the world that we are incapable of standing together and acting at such a crucial moment in our history.”

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Ukraine needs clarity on guarantees before it can consider territorial asks, Zelenskyy says

In his comments, Zelenskyy says that Ukraine wants to make sure its interests are respected and he says that he feels “that our partners hear Ukraine and are ready to help” and willing to “bring the real end of the war closer.”

But he repeatedly says that security guarantees must be workable for any peace deal to work, and Ukraine needs clear understanding on what they are and how they will be monitored before it can take any decisions on frontlines and territories.

He also stresses that territorial issues are “painful” for Ukraine, and the sides are still apart with “different positions” on ceding territory.

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Updated at 18.18 CET

Merz hails new momentum in Ukraine talks, US security guarantees, with ‘chance for real peace process’

In his opening remarks, Germany’s Merz welcomes “productive discussions” in Berlin, and “a great deal of diplomatic momemtum” to end the war.

German chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) attend a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA

He says there is “a chance for a real peace process for Ukraine,” even if the talks are still in “early stages.” But he says that “perhaps for the first time” since the outbreak of the full-scale war, reaching a ceasefire appears actually possible.

He pointedly praises US president Trump, saying that without his “tireless efforts” and “commitment,” the new momentum would not have emerged.

Merz also says that while Russia keeps playing for time with maximalist demands, the European side of the table is determined to progress the talks.

He particularly welcomes the US proposals on “legal and material” guarantees for Ukraine, which he calls “remarkable.” “We won’t repeat the mistakes of Minsk,” he said.

On the thorny issue of territory, he says “it is the Ukrainian people who have defended their territory for almost four years,” and only they can decide on any changes here.

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Updated at 18.21 CET

German chancellor Merz and Ukrainian president Zelenskyy are now giving a joint press conference to update the press on the talks so far.

I will bring you the key lines.

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US officials briefing on talks with Ukraine — summary

Jakub Krupa

So, if you’re joining us now, let’s recap the key lines coming out from Berlin this afternoon after we have heard briefings from both the US and Ukraine.

• US and Ukrainian delegations hailed “real progress” in peace negotiations during “really, really positive” talks “in almost every aspect,” with the US delegation claiming that “90%” of the issues between the two sides have been resolved.

• The eight hours talks over Sunday and Monday involved a number of European representatives, including German chancellor Friedrich Merz and national security advisers from France, Germany, and the UK.

• In sharp contrast to last week’s comments by Trump, the European participants was described as “outstanding” and constructive during the talks.

• The talks included discussions of “Article 5-like” security guarantees for Ukraine to protect it against any future Russian aggression, after Kyiv dropped its longstanding ask to be admitted to Nato alliance.

• Russia would also be open to Ukraine joining the European Union, US negotiators claimed.

• US president Donald Trump is believed to be “pleased” with the progress made in talks.

• Some further work has been delegated to working groups to refine existing proposals, with some differences remaining on territory and sovereignty issues.

• Russia said it expected to be updated on the talks by the US side later today.

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Russia open to Ukraine joining EU, say US officials

US officials say they expect Russia will accept the deal that’s been negotiated with Ukraine this weekend.

As reported earlier, the US officials say they expect Russia would be open to Ukraine joining the EU and “90%” of the issues between the two sides has been solved.

However, there is still a “final decision on territory” which will “be up to Ukraine”.

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Updated at 17.40 CET

Some other key points from this US officials briefing:

• Russia could be open to Ukraine joining the European Union as part of peace deal to end war

• “90%” of the issues have been resolved

• Trump will call in to the meeting being held tonight with Zelenskyy and European leaders

• Any package would have strong Nato-like security guarantees for Ukraine

• Appears territory and sovereignty lines are still the “final” issue

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Updated at 17.40 CET

We’re just getting some lines now too from a US official on the talks and what was discussed.

Overall, the negotiations were “very positive”, Reuters reports the official saying, but ultimately there still needs to be an agreement on territorial lines.

Security guarantees, that is protection for Ukraine after the war, were also a major topic discussed as well as the use of frozen funds for reconstruction.

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Zelenskyy says talks with US side ‘not easy’ but ‘productive’

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has delivered an address to mark the end of the talks in Berlin. He just spoke at the German-Ukrainian Business Forum.

He says after two days in Berlin, the talks on the US side were “not easy” but they were productive.

He also went on to say Russia is using its relentless strikes as leverage in negotiations – noting not a single power station in Ukraine has been exempt from attack.

Still no detail yet on any tangible compromises made. The two sides are hashing out the US plan presented several weeks ago that has been amended since in other rounds of negotiations in Geneva and Florida.

The exact details aren’t public but Zelenskyy has said Kyiv will not accept any territorial concessions – which the plan purportedly suggests.

Share

Updated at 17.10 CET

The White House has now withdrawn that alert about a press call- saying it was sent in error.

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The White House will be holding a press call shortly on the Ukraine war peace talks that have taken place in Berlin.

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Updated at 16.31 CET

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Berlin for talks with Germany’s Friedrich Merz and other European allies. Meanwhile, Brussels continues a debate on reparations loans to Kyiv. Follow DW for more.



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Chile delivered its sharpest political shift in decades as José Antonio Kast, a hard-right former lawmaker who campaigned on restoring public order and tightening the country’s borders, won the presidency in a decisive vote Sunday. 

Kast, who captured 58% of the vote, enters office with a platform centered almost entirely on security and immigration, promising what he describes as the most aggressive public-order campaign in a generation.

The 59-year-old father of nine was born to a German immigrant family in Santiago. He spent years in Chile’s congress and previously ran for president in 2017 and 2021 before breaking through in 2025. His long political trajectory and established conservative identity made him a familiar figure to voters even as he framed this campaign as a mandate for sweeping security reform.

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In a message that echoes that of U.S. President Donald Trump, Kast has pledged mass deportations of undocumented migrants, expanded policing and the deployment of the military to confront drug trafficking and organized crime. He argues that rising homicides and cartel activity demand extraordinary measures, including deadlines for irregular migrants to leave the country before facing enforced removal. 

His victory reflects a broader regional trend in which voters are turning to candidates who promise crime control rather than ideological transformation.

Chile elected rightwing leader José Kast as president.  (Juan Gonzalez/Reuters)

Kast defeated left-wing candidate Jeannette Jara, a former labor minister who campaigned on expanding social programs, strengthening workers’ rights and raising taxes on high earners to pay for new public benefits. Jara also backed a more lenient immigration policy and emphasized protections for women and LGBTQ Chileans — a clear contrast to Kast’s security-first agenda.

“Here, no individual won, no party won — Chile won, and hope won,” Kast said in a victory speech. “The hope of living without fear. That fear that torments families.” 

He added: “When we tell an irregular migrant that they are breaking the law and must leave our country if they ever want the chance to return, we mean it … We must show great firmness against crime, organised crime, impunity and disorder.”

Kast had predicted his own victory on Chilean radio after Trump won the U.S. election in 2024. 

“We are going to win, too,” he said at the time. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quick to praise Kast’s win. 

“Under his leadership, we are confident Chile will advance shared priorities to include strengthening public security, ending illegal immigration and revitalizing our commercial relationship,” he said. 

Chile, long considered one of Latin America’s safest countries, has seen a sharp rise in violent crime in the past several years, driven in part by the spread of transnational criminal groups and a surge in drug trafficking. Homicide rates have climbed to their highest levels in decades, and police say organizations such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua have expanded extortion, kidnapping and narcotics operations inside the country. 

The spike in violence has unsettled a population accustomed to relative stability and has turned public security into Chile’s top political issue. 

Although he has long held staunchly conservative positions on abortion, gender policy and same-sex marriage, Kast downplayed those issues during the campaign as he sought to broaden his appeal. Instead, he emphasized structural changes he says are necessary to confront the security crisis, including shrinking parts of the bureaucracy, tightening Chile’s asylum system and giving the presidency greater authority to respond to organized crime.

BOLIVIA PIVOTS TO US AS IT BREAKS FROM CHINA, MADURO AND YEARS OF LEFTIST RULE

Kast also intends to steer Chile toward a more market-oriented economic model, with tax cuts, deregulation and expanded mining development — particularly in lithium and copper, two of the country’s most important exports. He has signaled interest in strengthening ties with the United States and other Western partners, even as China remains Chile’s largest trading partner and a major buyer of its mineral output.

President-elect Kast has promised to crack down on crime and immigration.  (Pablo Sanhueza/Reuters)

Chile’s rightward turn follows a similar shift in neighboring Argentina, which elected libertarian firebrand Javier Milei, right, on a platform of radical economic reform and political disruption. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Chile’s rightward turn follows a similar shift in neighboring Argentina, which elected libertarian firebrand Javier Milei on a platform of radical economic reform and political disruption. 

But the two leaders represent distinct strains of the right: Milei is an anti-establishment libertarian who thrives on theatrical confrontation and sweeping proposals to remake Argentina’s economy, while Kast is a more traditional conservative focused on order, border enforcement and institutional authority. Their wins stem from similar voter frustrations, but they offer sharply different governing styles.

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Kast is also one of South America’s most outspoken critics of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, frequently citing Venezuela’s economic collapse and mass migration as warnings for Chile. He has accused Maduro of allowing criminal networks to flourish and has linked Venezuela’s crisis directly to Chile’s migration and security challenges.

His party’s lack of a congressional majority could slow or dilute parts of his agenda, but Kast’s decisive margin suggests Chilean voters are prepared to test his hard-edged security strategy after years of political gridlock and rising public anxiety.

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Russia would accept Ukraine’s ascension to the European Union as part of a U.S.-brokered agreement to end the bloody and protracted war it started nearly four years ago, U.S. officials said Monday following talks with Ukrainian representatives in Berlin.

The surprising revelation came as officials were briefing reporters after several days of negotiations between U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and a delegation from Kyiv that included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his National Security and Defense Council head, Rustem Umerov.

One of the U.S. officials involved in the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters that the proposed 20-point agreement would include “a very, very strong security package” that would provide Ukraine with “Article Five-like security guarantees” from the U.S. and other allies akin to those enjoyed by NATO members, without Kyiv becoming a part of the 32-member defensive alliance.

The official called the security guarantees “the biggest win” in the talks for Ukraine and Europe and said Moscow would accept those and other provisions that would provide for “a strong and free Ukraine” following implementation of the proposed agreement.

He also said Russia is “open to Ukraine joining the E.U.” and suggested that the development would be the largest expansion of the 27-member common market since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

A second U.S. official said the “right framework” in an agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine war could create a “new path forward” under which “Europe and Russia can finally have an arrangement and understanding that can lead to a more peaceful and prosperous future for everyone.”

News of Moscow’s potential willingness to accept Ukraine joining the E.U. as part of a deal with strong security guarantees from the U.S. and others comes less than a day after Zelensky offered to drop Kyiv’s longstanding desire for NATO membership at the outset of the talks between himself, Witkoff and Kushner.

In a WhatsApp chat with reporters, Zelensky noted that “some partners from the U.S. and Europe did not support this direction” of NATO membership for his country.

“Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the U.S., Article 5-like guarantees for us from the U.S., and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries — Canada, Japan — are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion,” he added.

More follows…

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In a clip from the next episode of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s podcast Music Makes Us, which PEOPLE can exclusively premiere, the “Vampire” artist opens up to host Kathleen Hanna about the one record she always returns to when she needs to feel inspired.

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RockHall/YouTube

“Honestly, I listen to [Alanis Morissette’s] Jagged Little Pill when I’m feeling, like, I don’t know what to say or like, who am I?” says Rodrigo. “For some reason that album, just like, every part of what makes a human being a human being, it feels like it’s encapsulated in that record.”

The “good 4 u” singer notes that “there’s so much anger and spite and jealousy but also so much joy and hope, all like intertwined into each other in such a beautiful way.”

“I f—ing love that album as everyone on the planet does but I just think, it reminds me what I’m trying to go after,” says Rodrigo.

Olivia Rodrigo; Kathleen Hanna.

Courtesy of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; Rachel Bright

What she admires about Morissette’s 1995 record is that it’s “her being herself and letting it all pour out.”

“As a writer that’s always like the most inspiring thing when you just feel like someone just needed to say something,” adds Rodrigo. “They’re not just writing a song to make it go big or make people like it.”

The “Jealousy, Jealousy” artist says that the album felt like the singer-songwriter’s “diary in the best way.”

Rodrigo has long-been a fan of Morissette, 51.

In 2021, the pair were featured in a joint Rolling Stone Musicians on Musicians cover story, and the following year, Rodrigo inducted Morissette into the 2022 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

“I remember hearing Alanis for the first time when I was about 13. I was in the car with my parents when Jagged Little Pill came on,” the three-time Grammy winner said in a statement to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at the time.

She added, “I heard ‘Perfect,’ [and] I was like, ‘Oh, my God… You can write songs like that?’ I just looked at music and songwriting in a completely different way.”

Alanis Morissette and Olivia Rodrigo in September 2022 in Toronto.

Jeremy Chan/Getty

Rodrigo also surprised fans in May 2022 and brought out the “Ironic” hitmaker as a guest on stage, where they performed Morissette’s 1995 classic “You Oughta Know.”

The Music Makes Us podcast, which is produced in partnership with Radiotopia from PRX and Talkhouse, premiered on Nov. 18 and features Hanna having “unforgettable conversations with artists across generations and genres including Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Chaka Khan and Nancy Wilson of Heart and Laufey; Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers; Towa Bird; and Paramore’s Hayley Williams.

‘Music Makes Us’ podcast artwork.

Radiotopia

New episodes drop each week and are free across all major podcast platforms.

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By MARK DUELL, SENIOR REPORTER

Published: 03:31 EST, 15 December 2025 | Updated: 11:27 EST, 15 December 2025

Britain is back on flood watch today as a new amber warning for heavy downpours was imposed after half a month’s worth of rain fell over the weekend.

Rail operators issued ‘do not travel’ alerts after flooding blocked lines across the UK and a slow-moving weather front brings persistent rain throughout the day.

South Wales will be worst hit by the continuing wet weather today while the 18-hour ‘danger to life’ amber warning is in place until 9pm with up to 100mm (4in) set to fall.

Yellow rain warnings have also been activated by the Met Office for South West and North West England, areas of the North East and parts of South and West Wales.

Some 150 flood alerts or warnings were issued, including seven Environment Agency warnings and 78 alerts for England – mostly in western parts of the country.

Elsewhere, Natural Resources Wales activated eight warnings and 41 alerts and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency imposed six warnings and ten alerts.

The Met Office said there was a ‘good chance’ that some communities in South Wales within the amber warning area ‘will be cut off by flooded roads’.

Forecasters added that homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings; while disruption to train and bus services is expected.

Flood water on Hunter Street in Briton Ferry in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, this afternoon

Flood water on Hunter Street in Briton Ferry in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, this afternoon

Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, while ‘power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses likely’.

Fast flowing or deep floodwater was also ‘likely, causing danger to life’ – with the ‘likelihood of impacts’ increased given recent wet weather and saturated ground.

Northern told all rail passengers that it was ‘strongly advising customers not to travel in Cumbria today’ due to severe rainfall over the weekend, which had resulted in seven routes being blocked with no trains or replacement buses running.

The impacted routes were between Carlisle and Whitehaven; Carlisle and Skipton; Corkickle and Barrow-in-Furness; Barrow-in-Furness and Preston; Windermere and Oxenholme; Carnforth and Skipton’ and Lancaster and Morecambe.

Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express both said services north of Preston were likely to be disrupted – including to Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Haymarket, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The heavy rain also caused major rail disruption in Wales, with flooding blocking lines between North Llanrwst and Blaenau Ffestiniog, and between Bridgend and Pyle.

ScotRail said speed restrictions had been imposed due to heavy rain between Glasgow Central and Largs, Androssan Harbour, Carlisle, Kilmarnock, Ayr and Stranraer; between Glasgow Queen Street and Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness; and between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh.

The Environment Agency urged motorists not to drive through flood water, saying it is ‘often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.’

Floods minister Emma Hardy said she was ‘co-ordinating with local authorities and emergency services to keep communities safe’.

The Met Office said yesterday that parts of Cumbria had seen more than 200mm of rain since midday on Saturday, which was around half a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.

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Flood and ‘do not travel’ alerts issued after half a month’s rain falls in just 24 hours – with more yellow and amber warnings in place

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An expert has shed some light on the twisted dynamic of Bondi Beach killers Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram – a father son duo who appear to have hidden their dark intentions behind a ‘normal’ facade

16:10, 15 Dec 2025Updated 16:15, 15 Dec 2025

Father and son crimes of this nature are understood to be rare

On the evening of December 14, hell came to Sydney’s Bondi Beach, in the form of a murderous father-son duo. Now an expert has shed some light on the twisted pair’s “lethal” dynamic, and potential “power imbalance”.

In a horrific attack on Australia’s Jewish community, Sajid Akram, 50, and unemployed bricklayer Naveed Akram, 24, opened fire on what should have been a joyful celebration held to mark the start of Hannukah. At least 16 people died in the antisemitic bloodbath, which has been declared a terrorist incident, while dozens more have required hospital treatment.

Police shot Sajid dead at the scene, while Naveed was arrested by New South Wales Police. At a press conference, police commissioner Mal Lanyon stated that the younger assailant, who reportedly remains hospitalised with critical injuries, is expected to live to face criminal charges.

Many questions remain in this case, which has shocked people of all faiths across the world. While little is known so far about the Akrams, the notion of two violent killers, parent and child, attacking together is a startling one. So how could such a terrible thing come to pass?

READ MORE: Bondi Beach shooting: Alleged gunman ‘likely to live’ after 16 killedThe Akrams slaughtered at least 16 people(Image: COURTESY OF TIMOTHY BRANT-COLES/)

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a woman who identified herself as the younger Akram’s mum said her son spoke to family just hours before the rampage, telling the paper: “He rings me up [on Sunday] and said, Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving. We’re going … to eat now, and then this morning, and we’re going to stay home now because it’s very hot,”

She added: “He doesn’t have a firearm. He doesn’t even go out. He doesn’t mix around with friends. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t go to bad places … he goes to work, he comes home, he goes to exercise, and that’s it,” she said. “Anyone would wish to have a son like my son … he’s a good boy.”

The Mirror spoke with psychotherapist Shelly Dar from Therapy Health, who has extensive experience in recognising the psychological patterns behind criminal behaviour.

Ms Dar told the Mirror: “From a psychological perspective, it is quite rare to see a father and son carry out a violent attack together. Most serious violent acts are committed either by individuals acting alone or by peers of a similar age who fuel and reinforce each other’s views. A parent and child acting together is much less common and raises particular concerns about power, influence and identity.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has now confirmed that the younger Akram, who is an Australian-born citizen, had previously come to the attention of the Australian intelligence agency (ASIO) back in 2019. The PM revealed: “He was examined on the basis of being associated with others and the assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence.”

Police shot Sajid dead at the scene, while injured Naveed was arrested (Image: @ConservativeeAu/X)

Mr Albanese asserted that, while the men had acted alone and not part of a wider group, they had “clearly” been driven by “extremist ideology”. At the time concerns were initially raised, the younger killer would have still been a teenager. So how was it that his worldview became so warped at such an early age? Furthermore, how was it that the elder Akram was apparently content with his own child being involved with such an atrocity?

Offering some insight into the potential dynamics within the Akram household, Ms Dar suggested: “In any family, parents play a central role in shaping a young person’s values and moral compass. When a parent is involved in planning or leading violence, the child is not a free and equal participant. There is a strong power imbalance, especially if the young person has grown up with rigid beliefs at home, emotional dependence, fear or a strong pressure to be loyal to the parent. This can make it very hard to step back and question what is happening.”

She continued: “In father and son cases, there can be a potent mix of admiration, fear and a wish to prove oneself. Younger people in these situations are often driven less by ideology and more by attachment, obedience and a deep need for approval. If the parent frames violence as justified, necessary or even protective, that message can cut through a young person’s natural hesitation and sense that something is not right.

While the pair had acted alone, it’s said they were ‘clearly’ driven by ‘extremist ideology’

“What stands out in a situation like this is the collapse of the usual protective boundary in parenting. Involving a child in lethal violence is a profound failure of care. It suggests that a parent’s beliefs, grievances or need for control have been placed far above their child’s wellbeing and future.”

Meanwhile, neighbours who thought they knew the “normal” Akrams have been left “shocked” by the recent harrowing events. Lemanatua Fatu, who lived on the same street as the 24-year-old n Bonnyrigg, Sydney, told ABC how she’d seen a large police presence out on the street and outside his home, right throughout the night.

According to Lemanatua: “That’s how we knew. We couldn’t sleep, watching everything – it was so scary.” She added: “They just come and go every day. And they never say hello or anything. They’re just … normal. We thought they were normal people.”

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

READ MORE: Bondi Beach hero gives four word explanation why he risked life to stop killer gunman



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