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A30    world news
               Diaranson 1 December 2021

                            Inflation in 19 nations using euro hits record high of 4.9%


                                                                      tion  is  running  at  multiyear  tasked with setting policy to  on inflation.”
                                                                      highs, including in Germany,  meet a 2% inflation target.
                                                                      Europe’s  largest  economy,                               Many  economists  think  the
                                                                      where  the  annual  rate  has  However,  the  recently  dis-  inflation  spike  over  recent
                                                                      hit  6%.  Even  that  is  below  covered  omicron  variant  of  months will reverse next year
                                                                      the  6.2%  recorded  at  last  the coronavirus has prompt-  as base effects linked with the
                                                                      count in the U.S., the biggest  ed  some  uncertainty  over  sharp fall in prices during the
                                                                      12-month jump since 1990.    the  global  economic  out-  pandemic  last  year,  primar-
                                                                                                   look, and as a result, central  ily of energy, are stripped out
                                                                      The  eurozone’s  core  infla-  banks  around  the  world  are  from annual comparisons.
                                                                      tion rate, which strips out po-  expected  to  hold  back  from
                                                                      tentially  volatile  items  such  announcing  any  big  policy  Records  started  being  com-
                                                                      as  alcohol,  energy,  food  and  changes soon. Were the vari-  piled  about  the  euro  two
                                                                      tobacco, also spiked higher in  ant  to  start  affecting  growth  years before its actual launch
                                                                      November to an annual rate  levels,  then  prices,  such  as  in  1999.  For  the  first  three
            (AP)  —  Consumer  prices  keeping  began  in  1997  and  of 2.6% from 2%.             oil, would likely drift lower,  years  of  its  existence,  it  was
            across  the  19  countries  up from 4.1% in October, the                               easing  inflation  rates  world-  an  invisible  currency  that
            that use the euro currency  previous high mark.           That  points  to  the  headline  wide.                    was  traded  on  foreign  ex-
            are rising at a record rate                               rate  already  having  second-                            change  markets  and  used
            as a result of a huge spike  Like  others,  the  eurozone,  round effects, through higher  “November’s  inflation  data  for accounting purposes and
            in  energy  costs  this  year,  which is made up of 19 econ-  wages, for example.      were yet another surprise on  electronic payments. In 2002,
            official  figures  showed  omies  including  France  and                               the upside,” said Jack Allen-  euro  notes  and  coins  first
            Tuesday.                     Germany,  is  enduring  big  Under  normal  circumstanc-  Reynolds,  senior  Europe  came into circulation, replac-
                                         price hikes as a result of the  es, the increases would likely  economist  at  Capital  Eco-  ing  historic  currencies  such
            Eurostat,   the   European  economic recovery from the  pile pressure on the European  nomics.  “The  omicron  vari-  as the French franc, the Ger-
            Union’s statistics agency, said  coronavirus  pandemic  and  Central  Bank  to  start  mull-  ant has increased the level of  man  deutschmark  and  the
            the  eurozone’s  annual  infla-  blockages in supply chains.  ing the prospect of raising its  uncertainty even further, but  Italian lira.
            tion rate hit 4.9% in Novem-                              main interest rate from a re-  for  now,  we  suspect  that  it
            ber, the highest since record-  Across  the  eurozone,  infla-  cord low of zero. The bank is  will have a fairly small impact


                             MI6 spy chief says China, Russia, Iran top UK threat list


            (AP) — China, which is increasingly flexing  sponsored killing attempts, such as the poisoning  potential of artificial intelligence and other rapidly
            its  muscles  around  the  world,  is  one  of  the  of former spy Sergei Skripal in England in 2018,  developing technologies means the spy agency has
            biggest threats to Britain and its allies, and a  mounts cyberattacks and interferes in other coun-  to “become more open to stay secret” in a world of
            “miscalculation” by Beijing could lead to war,  tries’ democratic processes.                    destabilizing technological change.
            the  head  of  the  U.K.’s  foreign  intelligence
            agency said Tuesday.                            “We and our allies and partners must stand up to  “Our  adversaries  are  pouring  money  and  ambi-
                                                            and deter Russian activity which contravenes the  tion into mastering artificial intelligence, quantum
            MI6  chief  Richard  Moore  said  that  China,  Rus-  international  rules-based  system,”  the  MI6  chief  computing  and  synthetic  biology,  because  they
            sia, Iran and international terrorism make up the  said.                                        know that mastering these technologies will give
            “big four” security issues facing Britain’s spies in                                            them leverage,” Moore said. He used China as an
            an unstable world where both countries and illicit  “No country in Europe or beyond should be se-  example of a country that harvests data on a vast
            organizations  are  racing  to  exploit  fast-changing  duced  into  thinking  that  unbalanced  concessions  scale to gain information and power.
            information technology.                         to  Russia  bring  better  behavior,”  he  said,  noting
                                                            Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine  To keep up, he said British spies “are now pursuing
            In his first public speech since becoming head of  and  its  recent  buildup  of  troops  near  the  border  partnerships with the tech community to help de-
            the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6,  with Ukraine.                              velop world-class technologies to solve our biggest
            in October 2020, Moore said China is the intel-                                                 mission problems.”
            ligence  agency’s  “single  greatest  priority”  as  the  His comments are the latest warnings from senior
            Beijing leadership increasingly backs “bold and de-  British  and  NATO  officials  aimed  at  deterring  “Unlike Q in the Bond movies, we cannot do it all
            cisive action” to further its interests.        Moscow from further incursions in Ukraine.      in-house,” Moore added, referring to the fictional
                                                                                                            MI6 gadget-maker in the 007 thrillers.
            Calling China “an authoritarian state with different  Moore said Iran also poses a major threat, and uses
            values than ours,” he said Beijing conducts “large-  the  political  and  militant  group  Hezbollah  —  “a  Moore said working with the private sector is a “sea
            scale espionage operations” against the U.K. and its  state within a state” — to fuel political turmoil in  change” for an organization enmeshed in secrecy.
            allies, tries to ”distort public discourse and political  neighboring countries.                Until 1992, Britain’s government refused to con-
            decision-making” and exports technology that en-                                                firm  the  existence  of  MI6.  The  organization  has
            ables a “web of authoritarian control” around the  Turning to non-state threats, he said the fall of Af-  gradually become more open in recent years, even
            world.                                          ghanistan’s internationally backed government and  allowing  publication  of  an  authorized  history  --
                                                            the return to power of the Taliban were a “morale  though it only goes up to 1949.
            “Beijing’s growing military strength and the (Chi-  boost” to militants.
            nese Communist) party’s desire to resolve the Tai-                                              MI6 began publicly naming its chief, who uses the
            wan issue, by force if necessary, also pose a serious  “I won’t soft soap it: The threat we face will likely  code name C, in the 1990s, and Moore is the first
            challenge to global stability and peace,” Moore said.  grow now we have left Afghanistan,” Moore said  head of the service with a Twitter account.
                                                            — though he claimed it would be “overblown” to
            The self-ruled island of Taiwan split from main-  call the surprise speed of the Taliban’s takeover a
            land China in 1949, and Beijing still claims it as  Western intelligence failure.
            part of its territory.
                                                            He argued that Britain’s spies must give up some of
            “Beijing believes its own propaganda about West-  their deep-rooted secrecy and seek help from tech-
            ern frailties and under-estimates Washington’s re-  nology firms to win a cybersecurity arms race that
            solve,” Moore added. “The risk of Chinese miscal-  is  giving  hostile  countries  and  groups  ever  more
            culation through overconfidence is real.”       capacity.

            Moore  said  the  U.K.  also  continues  “to  face  an  Moore, speaking at the International Institute for
            acute  threat  from  Russia.”  He  said  Moscow  has  Strategic  Studies  in  London,  said  the  disruptive
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