all sides indicate an agreement is closer than ever. there are fears over rising wind speeds in los angeles which threaten to stoke multiple wildfires. three, two, one, ignition. two rivatel three, two, one, ignition. two privately built _ three, two, one, ignition. two privately built lunar _ three, two, one, ignition. two privately built lunar lenders three, two, one, ignition. two privately built lunar landers blast off from florida, heading for the moon. hello, i'm kasia madera. we are about to find out the latest uk inflation figure, the rate at which prices are rising by. it is 2.5%, down from 2.6%. with me is our buisiness

presenter, tadhg enright. you have just finished you havejust finished presenting and you are staying on to talk about this. so, it is down, a little bit of movement.— this. so, it is down, a little bit of movement. , ., , ., of movement. there will be a sigh of relief to a degree _ of movement. there will be a sigh of relief to a degree in _ of movement. there will be a sigh of relief to a degree in the _ of movement. there will be a sigh of relief to a degree in the treasury, i relief to a degree in the treasury, in the bank of england as well. expectations were that it could be around 2.6%, fears that it would be higher than that. the fact that it is lower suggests that inflation is going on the right direction. that's the figure for december, the figure for november was 2.6%. that doesn't suggest that inflation is coming back down towards its target. but —— that does suggest inflation is coming back towards its target. bigger picture, it is more difficult to come under control, energy prices have been falling but not in the same way as they were, and concerns about the impact of the government's increase on employer tax. they were announced in the budget last year but will not come into effect until april this year. some retailers have told us already that they are passing on the impact of these tax

increases to their customers in the here and now, to cushion for where they will have to pay them. so what does this mean for the interest rate, the cost of borrowing and servicing our mortgages? currently the base rate is 4.5 —— 4.75%. the bank of england will make its next decision at the beginning in february. most people expect them to cut another quarter of a percent after two cuts last year, but the bigger picture, the problem of getting inflation under control, there was a point in time last year where we thought the bank of england could be cutting by as many as five times in this year. the expectation is they will only be able to do so twice because it is getting much more difficult to get inflation back down towards its 2% target. 50. more difficult to get inflation back down towards its 2% target. so, “ust for down towards its 296 target. so, “ust for viewers joining i down towards its 296 target. so, “ust for viewersjoining us, i down towards its 296 target. so, “ust for viewers joining us, the i for viewersjoining us, the inflation rate for december, the uk

inflation rate for december, the uk inflation rate for december, the uk inflation rate has been broken and it is down by 0.1% to two point 5%. but it is that bigger picture as you were saying, we have been seeing an awful lot of turbulence where it comes to the uk economy, the value of the pound has dropped sharply, the cost of government borrowing has increased but a bit of a breather for the treasury. fix, increased but a bit of a breather for the treasury.— for the treasury. a bit of a breather — for the treasury. a bit of a breather but _ for the treasury. a bit of a breather but there - for the treasury. a bit of a breather but there has - for the treasury. a bit of a l breather but there has been for the treasury. a bit of a i breather but there has been a for the treasury. a bit of a - breather but there has been a lot of focus particularly on the chancellor rachel reeves and how her management of the economy, she is in a difficult position, she has set herself the school rules ahead of the election saying that she would not borrow —— for school rules say she would not borrow to fund day—to—day spending. she is relying on relaxing regulation, stimulating industry and the private sector, because she does not want to borrow any more money. she does not want to cut any more from public spending,

that was a pre—election pledge. along with not raising taxes any further. the next few months are going to be very much decisive. yesterday the element issued new bonds, borrowed effectively from the international markets, £1 billion were sold yesterday at their most expensive interest rate since 200a. that underlines the precarious nature of the situation. this is an international story, government borrowing costs are going up all over the world. and a lot of it has to do with america and president trump's incoming economic policies. they are driving the bond market into a tailspin because people are worried about what they will mean for the us balancing its books. later today we will get the latest gauge of inflation from the united states and that could be influential on the market today. it is states and that could be influential on the market today.— on the market today. it is going to be a busy day _

on the market today. it is going to be a busy day for _ on the market today. it is going to be a busy day for you _ on the market today. it is going to be a busy day for you tadhg. - on the market today. it is going to be a busy day for you tadhg. i - on the market today. it is going to be a busy day for you tadhg. i am| be a busy day for you tadhg. i am clockin: be a busy day for you tadhg. i am clocking off _ be a busy day for you tadhg. i am clocking off in _ be a busy day for you tadhg. i am clocking off in an _ be a busy day for you tadhg. i am clocking off in an hour, _ be a busy day for you tadhg. i —n clocking off in an hour, actually! well thank you for staying with us! you are back with more business news in 25 minutes. thank you, tadhg. breaking news, the uk level of inflation has dipped slightly to 2.5%, this is december, as tadhg was saying, it remains above the bank of england target of 2% but it is down from 2.6% from november, and that's from 2.6% from november, and that's from the office for national statistics. we will bring you more reaction and as i say tadhg will be back here in about 25 minutes' time. another breaking story from ukraine. ukraine introduced emergency power cuts in six regions amid what authorities described as a "massive" russian missile strike, the national grid operator has said.

there are few details at present but ukraine's air force warned of russian bomber planes in the sky around 4am local time followed by the launch of multiple "guided aerial bombs". we will continue to monitor that here at the bbc, the ongoing situation in ukraine. south korea's impeached president, yoon suk yeol has been arrested over his failed attempt to impose martial law last month. it's the first time in the country's history that a sitting president has been detained. in a pre—recorded statement before his arrest, mr yoon said he was handing himself in to avoid any bloodshed. anti—corruption investigators forced their way into the presidential compound this morning. it was their second attempt to arrest yoon after they were previously thwarted by his security team. these are live pictures from outside the corruption investigation office. that's where president yoon has been

taken for questioning by investigators, who say he is refusing to talk. in a pre—recorded statement before his arrest, mr yoon said he was handing himself in to avoid any bloodshed. translation: today, upon witnessing these individuals invading _ the security zone using firefighting equipment, i decided to comply with the corruption investigation office's request for a voluntary appearance, despite it being an illegal investigation, in order to prevent any unfortunate and violent incident. however, i do not acknowledge the legitimacy of this investigation. as the president, who is sworn to uphold the constitution and the legal system of the republic of korea, my compliance with such illegal and invalid procedures does not signify my acceptance of them.

it is solely a measure to prevent any unfortunate bloodshed. that was a pre—recorded statement from president yoon just before that was a pre—recorded statement from president yoonjust before his arrest. he is right now, investigators are attempting to question him, but we know he is refusing to speak. joon hyung kim is a member of the korean national assembly for the rebuilding korea party. welcome, you are a sitting opposition mp, and you have been pretty vocal against yoon suk yeol, are you surprised that he is refusing to, it appears he is refusing to, it appears he is refusing to, it appears he is refusing to comply with the investigators, he is refusing to speak? investigators, he is refusing to seak? , , ., investigators, he is refusing to seak? , l, 4' ., investigators, he is refusing to seak? , ~ ., , , investigators, he is refusing to seak? , 4' ., , investigators, he is refusing to seak? , ~ ., , speak? yes, you know, this is a sad moment for— speak? yes, you know, this is a sad moment for korean _ speak? yes, you know, this is a sad moment for korean history, - speak? yes, you know, this is a sad moment for korean history, but - speak? yes, you know, this is a sad moment for korean history, but i i moment for korean history, but i thinkjustice has been served. it's kind of expected, because at least he is consistent to deny this

legitimate court order and constitutional order, because as he said, the law is all broken in this country. but that's not true. it is uuite a country. but that's not true. it is quite a moment _ country. but that's not true. it is quite a moment for— country. but that's not true. it is quite a moment for south korea, a country that we normally think about as being pretty stable. when you are talking to your constituents, what are people saying to you? they must be incredibly alarmed, not least we are seeing the strength of feeling outside the court.— outside the court. yeah, the last martial law _ outside the court. yeah, the last martial law before _ outside the court. yeah, the last martial law before this _ outside the court. yeah, the last martial law before this was i outside the court. yeah, the last martial law before this was 45 i outside the court. yeah, the last i martial law before this was 45 years ago, i was a high school student. this is an anachronistic moment. more than 60 or 70% of people said this is the right thing to do, this impeachment. even though his fervent supporters are a lot more vocal to deny that, that is not the main trend here. he deny that, that is not the main trend here-— deny that, that is not the main trend here. , , .., , , trend here. he says he is complying with what he _

trend here. he says he is complying with what he says _ trend here. he says he is complying with what he says is _ trend here. he says he is complying with what he says is an _ trend here. he says he is complying with what he says is an illegal i with what he says is an illegal investigation in order to prevent any unsavoury bloodshed. do you think he is stoking the situation there? . ., �* , ., think he is stoking the situation there? . . �* , ., , think he is stoking the situation there? . ., �*, ., , ., , there? yeah, that's what his words are, ou there? yeah, that's what his words are. you know. _ there? yeah, that's what his words are. you know. it _ there? yeah, that's what his words are, you know, it his— there? yeah, that's what his words are, you know, it his last _ there? yeah, that's what his words are, you know, it his last hope. i there? yeah, that's what his wordsj are, you know, it his last hope. his only hope, to have his supporters unite to defend him. but think about the constitution, he is facing a constitutional court decision. maybe this kind of action is a disadvantage to him. but he is still in his own world, i think.- in his own world, i think. going forward, in his own world, i think. going forward. he _ in his own world, i think. going forward, he can _ in his own world, i think. going forward, he can be _ in his own world, i think. going forward, he can be held - in his own world, i think. going forward, he can be held for- in his own world, i think. going forward, he can be held for 48| forward, he can be held for 48 hours, but unless the investigators get this fresh detention warrant, he could in theory be released. realistically, what do you see the situation going forward for south korea at this precarious time? let me explain our legal system. as you

said, there are two words. the rhetoric is 48 hours, —— arrest warrant is 48 hours, if they get the detention warrant in that 48 hours, they can get 20 days. at the moment there are two agencies taking care of this, one is the prosecution and one is the anti corruption investigator. so they have ten days for investigators but they need to deal with the insurrection, the prosecutors. so we have 20 days. that prosecutors. so we have 20 days. at the moment while he is refusing to speak, it is going to be quite a fascinating watch, as to what is happening within that corruption investigation office. the time being, joon hyung kim, member of the one of the opposition parties in south korea, thank you for speaking to us on bbc news. we will monitor

the live shut outside the corruption investigation office where protesters and sympathisers with the president are making their voices felt. we will monitor the developing story in ukraine as well and the uk inflation figure, a slight dip to 2.5% in the uk. a lot happening on bbc news. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

welcome back to bbc news. reminding you of that breaking news from the uk, the uk inflation figure for december has dipped slightly to 2.5%. obviously still above the bank of england's target rate of 2%. given the economic turmoil across the uk recently, it given the economic turmoil across the u