Protests in Ukraine as Defence Minister Resigns

Protests in Ukraine as Defence Minister Resigns

Mykhailo Fedorov stands down after only 6 months. Critics of President Zelensky say that he looks weak after accepting the loss of his innovative Defence Minister. Also in the programme: wildfires in Scotland's Cairngorm Mountains and Christina Kahlo on her famous great aunt, Frida.

Zelensky dismisses Ukraine’s defence minister

Protests have been taking place in several Ukrainian cities against President Volodymyr Zelensky's surprise dismissal of popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. We get reaction from an opposition Ukrainian MP. Also on the programme: a court in Italy has given a 12-year sentence to the former motorway boss blamed for the fatal collapse of a bridge in Genoa in 2018; and we hear from Nasa's head of science about its new super-powerful telescope. (Photo: Ukraine's Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, after a meeting of Nato Defence Ministers at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, 12 February, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

Ukraine increases attacks on the Sea of Azov

Ukraine's military has intensified its attacks near Russian-annexed Crimea, following up strikes on Russia's land corridor to the peninsula by targeting maritime supply routes as well, as it tries to heap pressure on the Kremlin to end the war. Also in the programme: The United States says it's carried out another wave of strikes against Iran, aimed at degrading its ability to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz; Turkey marks 10th anniversary of July 15 failed coup; and the actor Andy Serkis on why he's giving Animal Farm a makeover! (Photo: A cyclist uses a flashlight in a dark street during a temporary power outage, after local authorities limited electricity supplies to households to avoid overloading the strained network, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Black Sea resort city of Yevpatoriya, Crimea, July 5, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Alexey Pavlishak)

Would Iraq-Syria pipeline solve Hormuz problem?

The US State Department has said it's supporting efforts by Iraq and Syria to restore a crude oil pipeline between them, in an attempt to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Also in the programme: Australia has announced wide-ranging plans to regulate AI, including enhanced copyright and restrictions on data centres; and as England and Argentina prepare for their World Cup semi-final, we'll explore a fraught relationship between the two countries that goes back many decades. (Photo: US President Donald Trump meets with Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi at the White House - 14 Jul 2026 Credit: Photo by GRAEME SLOAN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)

Trump threatens to re-impose naval blockade on Iran

President Trump has repeated his intention to re-impose a naval blockade on Iran, as the battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz continues.  Also on the programme, Spain’s Supreme Court has ruled that those with a particularly close connection to the person wanting to die may have the right to contest that death wish; and one of the world's most important political cartoonists, Pat Oliphant, has died. (Photo: US President Donald Trump meets with Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi at the White House, Washington, USA - 14 Jul 2026. GRAEME SLOAN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)