It was an unexpected political attack that seemed to go to the heart of Ukraine’s existence and identity as a modern state – and how it fights for its future.
Ukraine’s popular former defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said this week that it’s time for elections in the war-torn country. The clear implication: he wants change at the top.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has been leading Ukraine through a period of intensifying Russian bombardment – 12 people were reported killed in ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv early on Thursday – but is also facing his most serious internal challenge since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
How climate change is pushing giant whales to Greenland
Giant whales are now moving into inaccessible areas in East Greenland after climate change has warmed the sea and melted ice caps.
Due to the ice blocking them whales have not normally been seen in these waters, but now a decades-long study has recorded hundreds of the species feeding in ice-free seas along the coast in summer.
Scientists describe the result of the melted ice as seasonal Arctic “feeding frenzies”.
A huge increase in whale sightings
The difference is striking – ship-based surveys did not record a single humpback whale sighting there until 2006.
Then in 2007, seven were seen and in 2024, there were 150 ship-based sightings.
An estimated 4,000 humpback whales, 6,000 fin whales and 6,000 minke whales travelled to the Greenland Sea in the summer of 2024.
3 min read
3 min read
Why the whales go to Greenland
Rising sea temperatures have meant fish have travelled to the waters of East Greenland and the whales have moved in to feast on them. Scientists estimated the three whale species would eat 800,000 tonnes of fish and krill during a summer feeding season.
- However, the relocation of the whales means they share a habitat with other whales such as narwhals and belugas, and can displace them in some instances.
Five things to know after major cancer vaccine breakthrough
Cancer vaccines given as treatment for the disease have moved a step closer after promising results in a landmark trial.
Vaccine could halve cancer recurrence
The treatment, developed by Moderna and Merck, is based on the same technology used to make Covid vaccines. It was given to patients with high-risk melanoma who remained free of cancer after surgery.
The manufacturers have not yet said exactly how much the treatment reduced cancer return, but a previous small study found the treatment halved its recurrence.
5 min read
2 min read
How it works
The vaccine works by revving up the immune system so it is better able to recognise the unique proteins made by the cancer cells’ mutated DNA. Treatment involves surgically removing the patient’s cancer, then genetically sequencing the tumour cells to make mRNA.
- The mRNA is then injected into the person’s body, and their cells start producing the cancer proteins in small amounts. This trains the person’s immune cells to react more aggressively to the cancer cells.
Potential for patients to be
cancer-free for longer
The vaccine, which is called Intismeran, is personalised to each patient’s tumour. It is used along with another cancer drug already prescribed by the NHS, Keytruda.
The combination treatment “has the potential to establish a new treatment paradigm, helping patients remain cancer-free for longer”, said Professor Georgina Long, the study’s principal investigator and medical director of Melanoma Institute Australia.
When will it be used in the UK?
- The treatment could be at least a year or two away from being used within the NHS.
- The manufacturers first need to file for approval of their treatment with the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
- Then, the financial body Nice would need to decide if the treatment could be administered on the NHS, if it determines it to be cost-effective.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to move back to Britain more than six years after relinquishing their royal duties and leaving the UK for California.
Will Harry and Meghan resume their duties?
There are currently no plans for either Harry or Meghan to return to their official working roles within the Royal Family. However, the move raises the possibility that the couple could return to their posts in the future.
- Harry and Meghan stood down from their roles as working royals in 2020. The pair, in part, made the decision to due to media intrusion and the inability to set up their “SussexRoyal” brand.
What has been the King’s reaction?
King Charles was informed of the move on Sunday and it is understood he is pleased for the opportunity to see them on a regular basis.
However, it is reported the King is clear that the Duke and Duchess’s status as non-working royals and private individuals, in keeping with their previously expressed wishes, will remain unchanged.
3 min read
What arrangements are being made?
Security arrangements for the Duke and Duchess have not yet been disclosed, but the government has so far refused to provide Harry with taxpayer-funded police protection when in the UK.
The couple will reportedly retain their homes in Montecito, California, and Portugal, while the Duchess will continue to run her lifestyle brand, As Ever, from their new base.
4 min read
3 min read
How did we get here?
- Harry and Meghan married in May 2018 and originally worked closely with Prince William and Kate as senior members of the Royal Family.
- Reports later emerged of a rift between the two couples and in March 2019, Buckingham Palace announced Harry and Meghan would set up their own, separate household.
- Around a year later, the couple said they were scaling back their involvement with the Royal Family and would split their time between the UK and US.
- Harry and Meghan then made a series of startling allegations about the family.
- The couple then formally relinquished their royal titles and took part in a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Trump threatens Iran with ‘economic D-Day’ – the latest
Donald Trump has threatened Iran with “economic D-Day” in a post on Truth Social and warned he will launch tougher economic measures on any country that does business with Tehran.
The context
The threat comes after a 60-day ceasefire – which was largely ignored when hostilities resumed around a month in – officially expired on Monday.
Trump’s latest is an attempt to ramp up the economic pressure on Iran as the war continues almost five months on from Israel and America’s first strikes, and the ensuing shocks to oil prices.
Trump’s crackdown
ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences.
Donald trump writing on truth social
Iran loses key economic stream
- The declaration by Trump comes a day after the United Arab Emirates severed all economic ties with Iran.
- This was prompted by the UAE’s defence ministry saying it detected two Iranian missiles targeting maritime traffic.
- Iranian entities have long used Dubai’s financial system to transfer money through exchange houses and shell companies.
6 min read
Designs on Hormuz
On Tuesday, the President posted a captionless image of the Strait of Hormuz, labelling it as a US territory.
It’s closure by the Iranian regime has spiked oil prices and caused global economic turmoil, something that has become a key issue for Trump himself.
The President first claimed the strait would become a “US territory” at an event last week, though America has so far been unable to guarantee safe passage for ships through the waterway.
The dog food recalled after reports of pets losing sight
A premium pet food brand has recalled all of its fresh meals following reports of suspected eye problems in dogs.
Here is everything you need to know.
What has happened?
The brand Years said owners should stop feeding its fresh meals to dogs “immediately”, and told them not to feed the meals to any other animal, or to donate or sell them. The firm runs a subscription-service delivering “personalised” gourmet meals for dogs.
3 min read
3 min read
What are the eye problems?
- Years said it had 192 customers report “potential, yet unverified, eye issues” out of roughly 40,000 customers.
- The condition is known as sudden bilateral dry eye. Dry eye occurs when a dog is unable to produce tears, making their eyes very sore.
- Affected dogs may rub at their eyes, squint or be sensitive to light.
- Some experts say the condition can require lifelong management.
3 min read
How has this happened?
Years said the recall followed reports of some dogs having a potential eye reaction to buckwheat, an ingredient in its meals.
- Buckwheat was reportedly added to the meals several months ago.
- Years told customers that their subscription will be paused for an initial period of six weeks while it makes fresh meals using quinoa instead of buckwheat.
What the company said
Further independent laboratory testing around the buckwheat supply is ongoing. Years has chosen to voluntarily recall the meals as a precautionary measure, without causation having yet been proven.
Years says on its website
How AI is threatening musicians as regulations fall behind
Musicians face being “squeezed out” and “marginalised” from their industry by AI, a study from Queen’s University Belfast has warned.
What you need to know
Dr Katherine Pittalis has examined how AI is used in music-streaming platforms, online retail for concert tickets and music-related content on social media.
She says that UK music regulations lag “woefully behind” that of the EU and US in terms of transparency around malicious actors’ use of bot technologies.
3 min read
5 min read
What else does the research investigate?
Pittalis’ research investigates “metric bots” – which can inflate metrics such as likes and follows on social media – as well as “artificial musicians”, which utilise deepfake technology to create an AI “influencer”.
- These phenomena are becoming ever-more sophisticated to circumvent rules on their platforms.
A closer look at the findings
- The research found evidence of scams where consumers bought high-demand concert tickets for inflated prices, only to find they never existed.
- Bots were also occasionally found to be moderating highly unregulated “buy and sell” groups on platforms like Facebook.
- Pittalis is also looking at AI-generated music, as musicians start to use AI in their production and sometimes whole songs are created with it.
The products that increased in price most since 2021
Inflation has risen by a cumulative 28 per cent since the cost-of-living crisis began, but the prices of some products have risen by much more than others according to research by AJ Bell.
Food and drink
Olive oil
A combination of poor harvests and higher energy costs mean the price of olive oil has risen by 116.3 per cent.
A staple of many people’s diets, egg prices have risen by 56.7 per cent.
Now seen by many as a luxury, takeaways and fast food are up by 38.1 per cent.
Energy and household items
Motor insurance
Factors similar to those that pushed up gas prices have seen the cost of electricity surge by 40.8 per cent.
The items that have fallen in price over five years
Sound and vision equipment has experienced the sharpest fall, at 30 per cent. Decades of technological advances have seen the price of computers also decrease, by 24.6 per cent. Motorcycles also dropped in price by 5 per cent.
3 min read
2 min read
Ukraine is fighting for the right not to be part of Vladimir Putin’s dream of a new Russian empire, but the Kremlin will be watching closely for any sign that discord in domestic politics weakens its will to fight on.
Fedorov’s challenge to Zelensky raises fresh questions about the kind of country Ukraine hopes to be. “The old system lives by its own rules too often,” he said in his video message.
The tech-savvy 35-year-old was credited with the vision that led to Ukraine’s increasing innovation in terms of drone warfare. He was sacked as minister in a reshuffle in July, just six months after his appointment. It brought many Ukrainians, wearied by years of war, to the streets in protest – to demand his reinstatement and other changes.
In the absence of elections – Ukrainian law does not currently allow them to be held in wartime – polls give a sense of public opinion. And they offer a mixed picture for Zelensky.
In June, a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll found that 67 per cent of Ukrainians expect the president to be replaced when the war ends. But other polling suggests that if elections were held in wartime, he would remain a strong candidate.
Fedorov was not directly critical of Zelensky and did not mention him by name. But as domestic politics continues in wartime, so do domestic problems – and it is up to the leader of the country to show he is tackling them.
In Transparency International’s Global Corruption Index for 2025, Ukraine ranked 104 out of 182 countries. War or no war, corruption is a problem that plagues the country.
Ukraine’s score has shown a gradual improvement over the last decade, but the vast sums involved in wartime procurement inevitably offer opportunities for some to take a cut for themselves. This week, Zelensky sacked a senior aide, with the move thought to be tied to ongoing investigations into money laundering.
The Ukrainian protesters demanding Federov’s return also called for the sacking of General Oleksandr Syrskyi, head of the country’s armed forces – which Zelensky did a few days later. At 61, Syrskyi was from a different generation – old enough that he started his military career in the Soviet army, when Ukraine was still part of the USSR.
Whether or not the date was chosen to reinforce his words, Fedorov put out his statement on the eve of the 35th anniversary of a hardline coup against the reforming agenda of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. That coup failed, and the Soviet Union collapsed shortly after, with Ukraine breaking away from Russia.
Fedorov was born in January 1991, the year those world-changing events unfolded. His generation has no memory of the time the country was ruled from Moscow. But I do.
In August of that year, I was in Kyiv when the country defied the dying Soviet system and declared independence. I watched from the square in front of the Ukrainian parliament building as the flag of Soviet Ukraine was hauled down, and the blue and yellow flag – so familiar today – was hoisted in its place.
It was a milestone in Ukrainian history. The country had decided its future lay beyond Moscow’s control. It is a moment that has stayed with me ever since, for what I, as a young journalist, learnt about the region that was to be such a big part of my professional life.
Ukraine’s decision was never fully accepted by the occupants of the Kremlin. The current war proves that. But as the conflict drags on, Ukraine must look to its future.
“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia,” Fedorov said in his statement. His challenge was a reminder that, even in a country at war, domestic politics must continue.
His intervention is a sign that democratic debate is possible in Ukraine – a sign that it is still the country that it has sacrificed so much to become.
Putin – so fond of giving history lessons to others – should remember 1991. The political turbulence of recent days is a reminder of how hard Ukraine will fight for its future.