Ukraine: Trouble at the Top? Adieu Keir, Alright Andy

This week, Ukraine experienced rare wartime demonstrations protesting the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov after just six months in office. Fedorov was credited with making a difference on the battlefield and in anti-corruption efforts, but reportedly clashed with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi over war strategy. President Zelensky said he had to choose a side for the sake of unity, and the dismissal is part of a broader government reshuffle. The timing is awkward for Ukraine's war effort, as it continues its '40-day influence operation' of relentlessly striking Russian refineries and, in recent days, hitting ships in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

Meanwhile, attention is also focused on the Strait of Hormuz, where tensions between Iran and the US are rising. It has been a month since the Memorandum of Understanding was signed, with President Trump proclaiming, 'Ships of the world, start your engines, let the oil flow!' He later said the deal was over, but paradoxically stated he would let the teams keep talking. Oil prices have gone back up, and petrol prices worldwide have spiked again. Familiar rhetoric is heard: Trump threatens to knock out Iran's power plants and bridges, while Tehran claims it will crush every US interest still intact in the Middle East.

In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer bowed out this week, along with the England football team, both receiving similar exit feedback: lacking creativity, boldness, and positivity. In comes Andy Burnham, the son of a toolmaker who himself did not have the tools to fix Labour's chaos in government. Burnham is a guitar-playing Stone Roses superfan who, he says, dabbles daily with Wordle. A new face, a new Labour? Or is the party overvaluing appearance without scrutinizing substance?