Consumer prices in Britain jumped by 9% to hit a 40-year high last month, with the biggest price increases seen in food and energy, official figures from the UK’s Office for National Statistics revealed on Wednesday.

The Russian currency has grown stronger as European energy importers switch to ruble payments Russia’s currency has hit its strongest level against the euro since June 2015 as more European companies appear to be complying with Moscow’s demand that natural gas imports should be paid for in rubles.

The UK’s cost-of-living crisis is fueling a record surge in shoplifting as people increasingly turn to the black market for food, The Guardian has reported, citing official data. Estimates by the British Retail Consortium show that retail thefts cost the industry £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in 2023, the newspaper said. Meanwhile, Home Office data shows…