Good evening. An investigation has found that Russian spy ships are mapping wind farms and communication cables in the North Sea as part of plans to sabotage Europe’s energy infrastructure. And scroll down for the latest news from Scotland, after Colin Beattie stepped back from his role as SNP treasurer.
Russian spy ships in ‘plot to sabotage Europe’s energy’
A number of European intelligence agencies are closely monitoring the threat posed by the fleet of Russian boats, often disguised as fishing trawlers or research vessels, operating in the area. Possible targets are believed to include internet cables, offshore wind farms and connectors carrying electricity and gas pipelines – infrastructure often shared with Britain.
Joe Barnes has more details on the investigation. On the ground in Ukraine, it has been claimed that Kyiv has tried to break Russian lines using "new night-time" equipment in Zaporizhzhia - you can follow all today's developments in the war on our live blog.
Liz Cookman also has a report from Kyiv about Ukraine’s 10,000 amputees and the struggle for artificial limbs. Meanwhile, South Korea's president said that Seoul might extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack.
And Hamish de Bretton-Gordon writes that Vladimir Putin’s Russia is headed for a military dictatorship – and total collapse.
Credit Suisse accused of covering up Nazi gold links
Credit Suisse has been accused of hampering an investigation into its links to the Nazis that revealed dozens of previously undisclosed accounts.
A review launched by the Swiss lender has an “unnecessarily rigid and narrow scope”, according to the Budget Committee of the US Senate, which added that an independent ombudsman brought in to oversee the investigation had been “inexplicably terminated”.
James Warrington reports that the bank launched the review in 2020 following allegations by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group, that thousands of Nazis fleeing justice after World War II had used it to hide money.
Credit Suisse denied the accusations made of its investigation and said the findings of the investigation did not support key claims made by the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
UK price rises are permanent, shoppers warned
Stubbornly high inflation will mean shoppers will "pay permanently more" in the future for household goods, analysts have warned. Inflation unexpectedly remained in double digits last month.
Economists had expected the consumer prices index to fall to 9.8pc but soaring food and non-alcoholic drink prices continued to weigh hard on household budgets. Follow all today's business developments on our live blog.
Evening Briefing: Today's essential headlines
SNP | Colin Beattie announced this afternoon he has stepped back as treasurer of the SNP. Mr Beattie, 71, was arrested on Tuesday as part of Operation Branchform, an inquiry into the nationalists' finances. He has since been released without charge pending further investigation. Follow our politics live blog for the latest developments.
- Barry Humphries | Dame Edna star taken to hospital in ‘serious condition’
- New Zealand | Children’s cat killing competition cancelled after outcry
- Mortgages | Three million homeowners face £1,000 mortgage hit
- Birmingham | Six people mauled by dogs in 'vicious' attack near primary school
- Joasia Zakrzewski | British ultramarathon runner disqualified for using a car
Comment and analysis
- Allison Pearson | Britain’s rental market is broken – and it’s destroying our children’s futures
- Tom Harris | I’m starting to think this is the end for the SNP
- Madeline Grant | Just Stop Oil are just spoilt, narcissistic show-offs
- Jeremy Warner | The West has so much to gain from a Cold War with China
- Ben Marlow | What could go wrong with Elon Musk's AI? Well, everyone could die
World news: US pop star Aaron Carter ‘drowned in bath after taking drugs’
American pop star Aaron Carter accidentally drowned in his bathtub after taking drugs, a post-mortem examination has found. The 34-year-old brother of Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter was found dead at his home in Lancaster, California, on November 5 last year.
Interview of the day
Britain’s top padel player Tia Norton: People refer to me as poker face – I don’t show much emotion
Tia Norton is one of the biggest names in British padel – the racket sport that is rapidly growing in popularity around the world.
Business news: ‘Delusional’ Brexiteers will die soon, says Ryanair chief
The chief executive of Ryanair has claimed Britain will be forced to rejoin the EU single market by a generation of pro-Europeans as Brexiteers die out. Michael O’Leary, the boss of Europe’s largest airline, claimed the British people had been sold a “tissue of lies” over the benefits of quitting the EU. Matthew Field has more on what Mr O’Leary had to say about Boris Johnson.
Editor's choice
SNP | Inside a dream £110,000 SNP battle bus that became a nightmare for Sturgeon
Money | The eleven savings accounts with the best interest rates for 2023
Health | What it’s really like to use the ‘miracle’ weight-loss jab
Sport news: Chelsea cut next manager shortlist
Chelsea have not placed Luis Enrique among their leading candidates for the permanent head coach job, as the club start to cut down their shortlist and prepare for a new round of talks. Matt Law reveals which other coach is no longer a frontrunner.
Three things for you
- TV | Painting Birds With Jim and Nancy Moir, Sky Arts, 9pm
- Politics | Is your local council boss earning up to £600k? Use our tool to find out
- Review | The Mandalorian, finale, review: too little, too late for Disney+’s Star Wars spin-off
And finally... for this evening's downtime
The luxury Thai hotels where the next season of The White Lotus could be filmed | Thailand is rumoured to be the country for the hit show's next instalment – our destination expert considers some potential settings
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