"To them, it's a suicide mission because they have never been trained for the military. They don't have military training - they don't have military experience," says Bongani, whose name we have changed for his safety.

In the hidden back garden of a modest hotel in KwaZulu-Natal province, he continues: "They don't have experience of any war. They are just bodyguards who want to get a job and provide for their families. That's all."

Bongani says his brother travelled to Russia on a flight via Dubai after being told he would be receiving bodyguard training along with at least 16 other South African men. After signing a contract in Russian, their fate was sealed.

"The problems started when they were moved from Russia to Ukraine, and they asked them: 'Guys - where are we going now because we are here for training?'

"And then the Russians said: 'Training for what? We don't know anything about training - what we know is that you've signed the contract. You are under our command now - under the Russian army.'"

How is this happening?

Sky News has seen harrowing SOS video messages from South African men who describe entrapment and deployment to the frontline in Ukraine.

In one video, a man in military fatigues details the moment they signed their contracts. He claims Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, encouraged them to sign away their lives.

"We refused to sign the contract forms because it was written in Russia, which we didn't understand. We asked them for a translator - someone who can translate the language. They said there was no network," he says in fluent English.

"That is when Duduzile came with a guy by the name of Khosa. She said we must sign the contract because it is the same thing they did. Duduzile said she is doing the same course we are doing, the same training, and that unfortunately she won't be with us because she is training somewhere else."

"Yes, we agreed. We did sign the forms because we trust the lady, Duduzile."

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is accused of trafficking South African men - including eight of her own relatives - for mercenary recruitment by her half-sister Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube, who has filed police charges against her.

She denies the allegations and says she was a victim of deception, misrepresentation, and manipulation.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) say they are currently investigating the charges. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has resigned as a member of parliament and has not responded to our request for comment.

Five hours away in Johannesburg's Gauteng province, we watched as another case of suspected mercenary recruitment played out in a South African magistrate's court.

Five suspects were ushered out into a crowded courtroom in Kempton Park after being arrested on their way out of Johannesburg's Oliver R Tambo airport following a tip-off to the police that they were allegedly travelling to Russia via the United Arab Emirates.

The line-up is sullen as the three young men on one end of the stand look down at their hands. The youngest is only 21 years old.

At the other end of the stand is a 39-year-old woman called Patricia Mantuala, who stands accused of recruiting them. The five suspects were eventually granted bail by the court after a postponed hearing.

Read more from Sky News:
G20 overshadowed by Ukraine
Alleged mercenary arrested in London
Is time running out for Ukraine?

Colonel Katlego Mogale, a spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the HAWKS, told Sky News and other journalists in a news conference that they are not ruling out the possibility that more suspects will be arrested.

Amid signs of a growing recruitment drive, the families of those who say they are trapped fighting for Russia in Ukraine are advocating for their loved ones to return home - against all odds.

"You are dealing with people who are well known in South Africa and in South Africa nobody's safe and we may never know what's going to happen next to us," says Bongani.

"What's going to happen to our family?"

It coincides with the record number of flu cases in England and NHS leaders warning of a "huge strain on hospitals" and strikes causing "further disruption and delays".

Resident doctors are striking in England from 7am today until 7am on Monday 22 December.

Sir Keir Starmer called the action "irresponsible" while Health Secretary Wes Streeting has rejected the British Medical Association's (BMA) pay demands, accusing the union of a "shocking disregard for patient safety".

But the BMA insists its strike is "entirely avoidable" and has demanded a "credible offer" to avert "real-terms pay cuts".

Why are resident doctors on strike?

The government says resident doctors have already received an average pay rise of 28.9% over the past three years (2023-24 to 2025-6).

But the BMA has been demanding an additional 26% pay uplift to restore what they say amounts to erosion in their earnings, once inflation is taken into account. Although there is some dispute about the extent of the real terms fall, because of the BMA's use of the Retail Price Index (RPI) in its calculation.

Hopes that the strike could be averted were dashed on Monday when the BMA said 83% of resident doctors rejected a fresh proposal from the government.

While it did not include any extra pay, the offer included the fast expansion of specialist training posts; covering out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees; and offering to extend the union's strike mandate to enable any walkout to be rescheduled to January.

What if I need urgent medical care?

The Department of Health and Social Care says it is important people do not avoid seeking urgent care, and should use 999 if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. For everything else, there is NHS 111 or the NHS App.

It adds that patients should turn up for planned appointments unless they have been told otherwise. Any appointments that need to be rescheduled will be given priority.

During strikes, there are exemptions or special arrangements, called derogations, which allow certain essential services to continue operating. It means critical services will be maintained to ensure patient safety and prevent serious harm.

How much do resident doctors earn?

There are many different types of resident doctor in England with different levels of pay. Full Fact, which has crunched the numbers, said they currently earn between £38,831 and £73,992 a year, but that does not take into account extra pay for unsociable hours.

Full Fact states that resident doctors typically get between a quarter and a third more than their basic salary from other sources.

This takes estimated average earnings (in the year ending August 2025) to between £45,846 and £81,061 (although the government claims the figures are more like £49,000 to £97,000).

Comparisons with other countries are difficult because of how doctors are categorised. Broadly, resident doctors in England earn about the same as those in Ireland and anything between 1% less and 26% more than in New Zealand.

But doctors in Australia earn somewhere between 23% and 48% more than their counterparts in England.

What has the reaction been?

The prime minister has said the strike comes "on the back of a very substantial pay increase in the last year or so".

"I think it's irresponsible action by the BMA," he told MPs.

The health secretary called for doctors to ignore the strike and criticised what he called the "fantasy demand for another 26% pay rise," adding that "it reveals the BMA's shocking disregard for patient safety".

Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA's resident doctors' committee, said the strikes were "entirely avoidable". He added that "we should start negotiating, and the government should stop game-playing".

But organisations representing NHS trusts have been scathing about the walkouts. Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: "Trust leaders and staff will be working now to minimise the impact of the strike, but sadly it will mean further disruption and delays."

Meanwhile, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said: "These strikes come at the worst possible time, with rapidly rising flu levels putting huge strain on hospitals."

What about public support for strikes?

Public support for the strikes is low, according to a YouGov poll released last week.

The results showed 58% of those asked either somewhat or strongly opposed the industrial action, while 33% somewhat or strongly supported it.

The popular programme allowed Britons to spend a year studying at European universities as part of their degree, without paying extra fees, and vice versa for their European counterparts.

It ended for British students after Brexit on 1 January 2021 and was replaced by the Turing scheme.

But ministers could announce the UK will rejoin Erasmus from January 2027 as soon today, The Times and The Guardian have reported.

How did we get here?

Sir Keir Starmer promised a post-Brexit reset deal with Brussels and announced the government was working on rejoining the programme in May.

Negotiations have included work on "mutually agreed financial terms" for the UK and the EU.

The UK had pushed for a discount on membership fees, which are calculated on the basis of a country's gross domestic product (GDP), The Times reported.

It said the EU is understood to have offered the government a 30% reduction of fees in the first year of membership.

Labour MP Darren Frith told Sky News' Politics Hub he would "welcome" such a move.

The Guardian reported that, as well as university-based study exchanges, British students will be able to participate in vocational training placements under the scheme.

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds held talks with Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission's trade lead, in Brussels last week.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "We are not commenting on ongoing talks."

'Fantastic opportunities for students'

But the UK's universities welcomed the apparent breakthrough.

Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group of leading universities, said: "We're delighted at the UK's association to Erasmus+.

"With an even greater scope than previous programmes, Erasmus+ opens up fantastic opportunities for students, adult learners and young people to all benefit from new experiences and learning.

"It will also renew the huge contributions that EU students and staff make to life on our university campuses."

The Lib Dems, who have been campaigning to rejoin Erasmus, welcomed the news.

Leader Sir Ed Davey said: "This is a moment of real opportunity and a clear step towards repairing the disastrous Conservative Brexit deal."

We're estimated to consume 8.2kg each every year, a good chunk of it at Christmas, but the cost of that everyday luxury habit has been rising fast.

Whitakers have been making chocolate in Skipton in North Yorkshire for 135 years, but they have never experienced price pressures as extreme as those in the last five.

"We buy liquid chocolate and since 2023, the price of our chocolate has doubled," explains William Whitaker, the real-life Willy Wonka and the fourth generation of the family to run the business.

"It could have been worse. If we hadn't been contracted [with a supplier], it would have trebled.

"That represents a £5,000 per-tonne increase, and we use a thousand tonnes a year. And we only sell £12-£13m of product, so it's a massive effect."

Whitakers makes 10 million pieces of chocolate a week in a factory on the much-expanded site of the original bakery where the business began.

Automated production lines snake through the site moulding, cutting, cooling, coating and wrapping a relentless procession of fondants, cremes, crisps and pure chocolate products for customers, including own-brand retail, supermarkets, and the catering trade.

Steepest inflation in the business

All of them have faced price increases as Whitakers has grappled with some of the steepest inflation in the food business.

Cocoa prices have soared in the last two years, largely because of a succession of poor cocoa harvests in West Africa, where Ghana and the Ivory Coast produce around two-thirds of global supply.

A combination of drought and crop disease cut global output by around 14% last year, pushing consumer prices in the other direction, with chocolate inflation passing 17% in the UK in October.

Skimpflation and shrinkflation

Some major brands have responded by cutting the chocolate content of products - "skimpflation" - or charging more for less - "shrinkflation".

Household-name brands including Penguin and Club have cut the cocoa and milk solid content so far they can no longer be classified as chocolate, and are marketed instead as "chocolate-flavour".

Whitakers have stuck to their recipes and product sizes, choosing to pass price increases on to customers while adapting products to the new market conditions.

"Not only are major brands putting up prices over 20%, sometimes 40%, they've also reduced the size of their pieces and sometimes the ingredients," says William Whitaker.

"We haven't done any of that. We knew that long-term, the market will fall again, and that happier days will return.

"We've introduced new products where we've used chocolate as a coating rather than a solid chocolate because the centre, which is sugar-based, is cheaper than the chocolate.

"We've got a big product range of fondant creams, and others like gingers and Brazil nuts, where we're using that chocolate as a coating."

A deluge of price rises

Brazil nuts have enjoyed their own spike in price, more than doubling to £15,000 a tonne at one stage.

On top of commodity prices determined by markets beyond their control, Whitakers face the same inflationary pressures as other UK businesses.

"We've had the minimum wage increasing every year, we had the national insurance rise last year, and sort of hidden a little bit in this budget is a business rate increase.

"This is a small business, we turn over £12m, but our rates will go up nearly £100,000 next year before any other costs.

"If you add up all the cocoa and all the other cost increases in 2024 and 2025, it's nearly £3m of cost increases we've had to bear. Some of that is returning to a little normality. It does test the relevance of what you do."

"Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," the US president says.

"It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before…"

That's a reference to the massive US naval and Air Force presence in the Caribbean off Venezuela. It is indeed an armada, and it's been there for months now.

On the face of it, it's all part of an anti-drug mission, to counter the drug trade from Venezuela into America. At least that's the public messaging. And the missile and drone attacks on suspected drug boats in the region are all part of the play.

And that's why the second part of his post is particularly interesting, because he now appears to be saying out loud what plenty have suspected all along - that this is actually about regime change, and it is about oil far more than it is about drugs.

He says that the military will remain in place "until such time as they [Venezuela] return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us".

He continues: "The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping."

This is a reference to the fact that the US was once a huge importer of Venezuelan oil. American companies based in the country extracted the oil and refineries on the Texan coast processed it. The refineries were adapted over decades to refine the thick, heavy crude that is typical of Venezuela.

The process was big business for American firms until Venezuela, under Hugo Chavez in the 2000s, nationalised the foreign oil assets.

Read more:
The US-Venezuela crisis explained

Trump wants all that back - the oil, the revenue, the influence. So all this, it seems clear now, is about oil, and it is about spheres of influence - hemispheres. Trump is determined to assert American control over the western hemisphere.

The ultimate ambition it seems is threefold:

• To remove the Maduro regime and support a friendly, compliant government;
• To seize control of the oil, through commercial partnerships, not force;
• And to stop any drug and people smuggling into the US.

With this latest social post, Trump has now said all that out loud. Interesting days ahead are certain.