Starmer opens door to rejoining EU single market

 

Sir Keir Starmer has opened the door to rejoining the EU single market after the next general election.

In an attempt to save his faltering premiership, the Labour leader pledged to put Britain at the heart of Europe and “set a new direction” for the country by renewing ties to Brussels.

Sir Keir suggested in a reset speech that a promise to join the single market or the customs union would be included in a Labour manifesto at the next national poll, expected in 2029.

Challenged on whether he could rule that out, he responded: “I strongly believe we’ve got to turn our back on the arguments of the past – not open old grievances, but look forward together to how we make this country stronger, how we make this country fairer. And so, that’s the approach that I will take.”

The Prime Minister previously said joining the single market or customs union and restoring freedom of movement were “red lines” of Brexit that he would not cross.

Sir Keir is fighting for his political life after more than 40 Labour MPs demanded his resignation in the wake of the election bloodbath in England, Scotland and Wales.

We ‘made mistakes’

Elsewhere in his speech at a London community centre on Monday, the Prime Minister said he took responsibility for Labour’s disastrous results but refused to stand down, and pledged to prove his doubters wrong.

Despite admitting that his Government had “made mistakes”, Sir Keir insisted that he had “got the big political choices right”.

He previously said that he wanted to govern for a decade and would lead his party into the next general election.

Sir Keir also criticised Nigel Farage, calling him a “grifter” and a “chancer” after Reform UK made stunning gains at the local elections, largely at the expense of Labour and the Tories.

The Prime Minister said: “I want to remind you what Nigel Farage said about Brexit. He said it would make us richer. Wrong, it made us poorer. He said it would reduce migration. Wrong, migration went through the roof. He said it would make us more secure. Wrong again, it made us weaker.

“He took Britain for a ride, and unlike the Tories, actually, who at least had to face up to it, he just fled the scene.”

Sir Keir said that he would use the UK-EU summit later this year to take a “big leap forward” in relations with the bloc, particularly on trade, defence and security.

He added: “That will then be a platform on which we can build as we go forward.”

However, Sir Keir promised in Labour’s manifesto at the 2024 general election that there would be “no return to the single market, the customs union or freedom of movement” if Labour came to power.

On Sunday, Labour MPs who were elected when Sir Keir won back dozens of Red Wall constituencies at the last general election questioned the wisdom of reviving the EU debate.

Jo Platt, the MP for Leigh and Atherton, said: “Going back to the debate of rejoining the EU just drags us back to the old arguments that split communities in half in the first place.”

Reform won scores of seats in the Red Wall at the local elections last week, including Barnsley, Wakefield, Sunderland and Gateshead. Across the country the party gained 1,300 councillors and won control of 14 authorities, from Sunderland and St Helens to Suffolk and Essex.

Writing for The Times, Mr Farage said that disillusioned voters had flocked to Reform because Labour was “led by an inane Prime Minister who constantly insists on drawing us back closer to the European Union”.

“Quite rightly, they see that as a complete betrayal of their Brexit vote in 2016,” he added.

Pressed on whether pursuing closer ties with Europe was the right approach to winning back voters from Reform, Sir Keir said Mr Farage’s Brexit promises “all proved to be false”.

“It didn’t help working people. It turned out what he said wasn’t true. That’s why he doesn’t want to talk about it now. But we have to talk about it now because we have to address the situation we’re in.”

Putin’s day of humiliation

 

For most of Vladimir Putin’s seemingly endless reign, Victory Day parades have offered a chance to showcase Russia’s military might with technicolour bravado.

But this year’s procession exposed the frailty of his regime in the starkest fashion.

The serried ranks of Russian soldiers goose-stepping beneath the Kremlin’s walls looked as splendid as ever. Yet there was little disguising the anxiety sweeping through Putin’s war machine.

The reason for the disquiet is clear. Ukraine’s campaign of deep strikes within Russia has become so effective that not even the centre of Moscow feels safe from Kyiv’s missiles and drones.

Indeed, it was only after Putin prevailed on Donald Trump to negotiate a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine that the most important event in the Russian state calendar was able to proceed at all.

Little wonder the increasingly jowly Russian leader cut such a diminished and isolated figure as he took the salute.

Previous parades allowed Putin to stoke the embers of Russian superpower nostalgia with demonstrations of raw power intended to chill neighbours and adversaries alike. As in the Cold War, tanks and nuclear missile launchers trundled across the cobblestones of Red Square every May 9, the day Russia marks victory over Nazi Germany.

The grandstanding reached a crescendo last year, the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, when 29 world leaders joined Putin to watch nearly 200 tanks, armoured vehicles and missile launchers roll through Moscow in one of the largest parades in decades.

At the time, there was some justification for the swagger. Russia was making slow but discernible progress on the battlefield in Ukraine. With Mr Trump in the White House, Washington had ended financial support for Kyiv and seemed intent on reconciliation with Moscow.

Twelve months later, however, the picture looks very different. The Russian advance has stalled. Last month, Russia lost more territory than it gained for the first time in nearly two years, according to the Institute for the Study of War in Washington.

Making matters worse, Ukraine is no longer the only side struggling with manpower shortages. Since the start of the year, Russia – often suffering casualty rates well above 1,000 a day – has been unable to recruit as many soldiers as it has lost, according to Ukrainian intelligence and Western think tanks.

But the greatest challenge for Russia has come from Ukraine’s increasingly potent long-range strike capability.

Until recently, Kyiv’s ability to hit military and economic targets inside Russia depended heavily on its Western allies, which often imposed targeting restrictions and could not keep pace with Ukrainian demand.

Now, though, Ukraine’s investment in its indigenous missile and long-range drone programme is bearing fruit, most notably with the unveiling last year of the FP-5 Flamingo, a heavy cruise missile capable of carrying a 1,150-kg payload over a range of nearly 2,000 miles.

The scale of the campaign has surged accordingly. In March last year, Ukraine carried out an estimated 7,300 long-range strikes, compared with just 110 in early 2024.

What was once sporadic and symbolic has become systematic and sustained, inflicting deep economic and military damage on the Kremlin’s war machine while preventing Russia from fully capitalising on the spike in oil prices triggered by the US war in Iran.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s former foreign minister, offered an upbeat but sober assessment of the campaign’s significance in a social media post this weekend.

“This is not a turning point in the war,” he noted. “But it is a qualitatively new instrument of pressure on Putin at a time when Trump is unwilling to bear down on him and Europeans lack the ability to do so.

“More importantly, it is a powerful example of how a nation builds its own capabilities and reduces critical dependence on partners.”

The most telling consequence, though, may be psychological. Putin himself is reportedly so concerned about the growing danger that he is spending far more of his time in underground bunkers, according to sources close to the Russian leader quoted by the Financial Times. He and his family have also stopped visiting many of their residences outside Moscow.

That growing vulnerability helps explain why this year’s parade felt so diminished. Despite the ceasefire, Russia’s leaders did not dare allow heavy armour or missiles to join the procession, fearing they could become targets. Instead, a montage of Russian military hardware was broadcast on giant screens in Red Square.

Few world leaders could be persuaded to attend either, while the event itself was cut to just 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, to the irritation of many Muscovites, an internet and communications blackout was imposed across much of the capital, a “digital iron curtain” strategy intended to reduce the accuracy of Ukrainian drones.

One drone evaded the S-400 and S-300 surface-to-air missile defences and struck a luxury apartment block just four miles from the Kremlin and less than two miles from the Russian defence ministry building last week.

Putin is not just a strongman but a showman, too. He has always understood the importance of spectacle.

He will be all too aware of the message sent out by his inability to stage the kind of chest-thumping extravaganza designed to project strength. Worse still, he was only able to hold the parade at all because he secured the acquiescence of Volodymyr Zelensky, his bitterest enemy.

Putin has now been in power for 9,770 days, if you include his bizarre four-year interlude as prime minister. Few are likely to have been as galling as this one.

Research suggests breastfeeding may reduce later depression risk

The months after having a child are often remembered as a blur of exhaustion, emotion and constant adjustment.

Many mothers focus on simply getting through each day, without thinking too far ahead.

But growing evidence suggests that some early-life decisions may quietly shape wellbeing long after nappies and night feeds are gone.

Long-term patterns emerge

A small long-term study published by the BMJ Group followed 168 women for a decade after pregnancy as part of the ROLO Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study in Ireland.

All participants were second-time mothers and were regularly assessed up to ten years after giving birth, when their average age was 42.

Researchers tracked breastfeeding behaviour alongside physical activity, diet and mental health history.

Over the ten-year period, around one in five women reported experiencing depression or anxiety at some point, while 13 percent reported symptoms a decade after pregnancy.

When researchers analysed the data, a clear pattern appeared. Women who had breastfed were less likely to report depression or anxiety years later, particularly those who breastfed for longer or exclusively.

What the data suggests

Nearly three quarters of participants had breastfed, though duration varied widely. Analysis showed that each additional week of exclusive breastfeeding was linked to a lower likelihood of later depression or anxiety, even after accounting for factors such as alcohol intake and lifestyle.

Women reporting mental health difficulties ten years on also tended to be younger, less physically active and to have lower wellbeing scores earlier in life, suggesting multiple influences at play.

Key observations included:

• lower long-term depression and anxiety among women who breastfed
• stronger associations with longer and exclusive breastfeeding
• mental health shaped by both biological and social factors

Limits and implications

The researchers, led by McNestry and colleagues, stress that the study is observational and cannot prove cause and effect. The group was relatively small and lacked broad social and ethnic diversity.

Even so, the findings add to growing evidence that breastfeeding support may have benefits extending well beyond early motherhood.

Improving access and support could play a role in reducing long-term mental health burdens, not only for individuals but for healthcare systems more broadly.

Hantavirus rises in Argentina and scientists think they know why

 

Argentine officials and experts are scrambling to determine if their country is the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has gripped Atlantic cruise, MV Hondius.

The health emergency aboard the vessel coincides with a surge of hantavirus cases in Argentina, which local public health researchers attribute to the recently accelerating effects of climate change. Argentina, the departure point for the Antarctic cruise, is consistently ranked by the World Health Organisation as having the highest incidence of this rare, rodent-borne disease in Latin America.

Experts suggest higher temperatures expand the virus’s range because, as it gets warmer and ecosystems change, hantavirus-carrying rodents can thrive in more places.

People typically contract the virus from exposure to rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. Hugo Pizzi, a prominent Argentine infectious disease specialist, stated: “Argentina has become more tropical because of climate change, and that has brought disruptions, like dengue and yellow fever, but also new tropical plants that produce seeds for mice to proliferate. There is no doubt that as time goes by, the hantavirus is spreading more and more.”

The Argentine Health Ministry on Tuesday reported 101 hantavirus infections since June 2025, roughly double the caseload recorded over the same period the previous year. The Andes virus, a hantavirus found in South America, can cause a severe and often fatal lung disease known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The disease led to death in nearly a third of cases last year, the ministry confirmed, up from an average mortality rate of 15 per cent in the five years before that.

Authorities have confirmed that passengers aboard the MV Hondius ship tested positive for the Andes virus.

Argentine officials say they’re trying to pin down where infected passengers travelled in the country before boarding the Dutch-flagged cruise liner in Ushuaia, a city in southern Argentina known as the end of the world. Once they know the itineraries, they say they will trace contacts, isolate close contacts and actively monitor to prevent further spread.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that the first death on board, a 70-year-old Dutch man, happened on April 11. His 69-year-old wife, also Dutch, died on April 26. The third passenger, a German woman, died on May 2.

The virus can incubate for between one and eight weeks. That makes it hard to know whether the passengers contracted the virus before leaving Argentina for Antarctica on 1 April; during a scheduled stop to a remote South Atlantic island; or aboard the ship.

The province of Tierra del Fuego, where the vessel docked for weeks before departing, has never seen a case of hantavirus. Before boarding, the Dutch couple went sightseeing in Ushuaia and travelled elsewhere in Argentina and Chile, WHO said.

The Argentine government’s leading hypothesis is that the couple contracted the virus during a bird-watching outing in Ushuaia, according to two investigators who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media as they sifted through still-fragmentary evidence.

Authorities are also tracing the Dutch tourists’ footsteps through the forested hillsides of Patagonia in southern Argentina, where some infections are clustered.

Because early symptoms resemble the fever and chills of a flu, “tourists might think they just have a cold and not take it seriously. That makes it particularly dangerous,” Raul González Ittig, genetics professor at the National University of Córdoba and a researcher at state science body CONICET, said.

On Tuesday, the mountain resort town of Bariloche, Patagonia’s most common northern entry point, recorded its first human hantavirus case of 2026, the government of Río Negro Province said. He was hospitalised on Wednesday.

Argentina in recent years endured a historic drought. But it also had bouts of unexpectedly intense rainfall, part of a broader pattern of wild weather that scientists attribute to climate change.

Some of this variability has created conditions that have allowed hantavirus to flourish, experts say. Dry spells drive animals out of their usual habitats in search of food and water. Huge amounts of rain lead to vegetation growth, scattering seeds that attract leaf-munching rodents.

“When precipitation increases, food availability increases, rodent populations grow, and if there are infected rodents, the chance of transmission between rodents – and eventually to humans – also increases,” Ittig said.

Although hantavirus cases once were limited to the southern reaches of Patagonia, now 83 per cent of cases are found in Argentina’s far north, according to the Health Ministry. In January, the ministry issued an alert on several fatal hantavirus outbreaks, including in the most populous province of Buenos Aires.

“With the climate changing, the epidemiological picture has completely changed,” said Pizzi. “The ship may be an isolated case. But this virus isn’t going anywhere.”

What is hantavirus?

Hantavirus is mainly spread by contact with rodents or their urine, saliva or droppings, particularly when the material is disturbed and becomes airborne, posing a risk of inhalation.

People are typically exposed to hantavirus around their homes, cabins or sheds, especially when cleaning out enclosed spaces with little ventilation or going into areas where there are mouse droppings.

WHO says that while rare, hantaviruses may spread between people.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking the virus after a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region – the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet.

It was a doctor with the Indian Health Service who first noticed a pattern of deaths among young patients, said Michelle Harkins, a pulmonologist with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Centre, who for years has been studying the disease and helping patients.

Most US cases are in Western states. New Mexico and Arizona are hotspots, Dr Harkins said, likely because the odds are greater for mouse-human encounters in rural areas.

Symptoms of hantavirus

An infection can rapidly progress and become life-threatening. Experts say it can start with symptoms that can include:

fever

chills

muscle aches

headache

“Early in the illness, you really may not be able to tell the difference between hantavirus and having the flu,” said Dr Sonja Bartolome of UT Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas.

Symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome usually show between one to eight weeks after contact with an infected rodent. As the infection progresses, patients might experience tightness in the chest, as the lungs fill with fluid.

The other syndrome caused by hantavirus – hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome – usually develops within a week or two after exposure.

Death rates vary depending on which hantavirus causes the illness. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is fatal in nearly 40 per cent of people infected, while the death rate for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome varies from 1 per cent to 15 per cent of patients, according to the CDC.

13 Traits That Prove You’re Exceptionally Mentally Tough

 

Being mentally tough doesn’t mean you never struggle, of course.

Instead, it means you know how to keep going even when things are messy, unpredictable, or emotionally heavy. It’s not even all that obvious on the surface. That’s because it tends to show itself in the small choices you make every day that help you stay grounded, focused, and self-respecting. These are some of the traits that don’t always get noticed, but absolutely point to real mental strength.

1. You sit with uncomfortable emotions instead of escaping them.

When things get overwhelming, a lot of people numb out, scrolling, drinking, overworking, anything to avoid what they’re really feeling. But mental toughness shows up when you choose to feel what’s real, even when it hurts. You know the only way out is through.

You might not have all the answers, and you definitely don’t enjoy the discomfort, but you’ve learned to let it exist without trying to shut it down straight away. That kind of emotional honesty takes real strength, and not everyone is built for it.

2. You don’t take everything personally.

Mentally tough people don’t spiral every time someone’s rude or distant. You understand that most of the time, people’s behaviour has more to do with them than with you. That perspective protects your peace. It doesn’t mean you’re immune to hurt, but you know when to let something go and when to stand your ground. You don’t waste energy twisting yourself into knots over someone else’s moods.

3. You show up even when motivation’s gone.

You know how to keep going without waiting for the perfect mood or mindset. Whether it’s a project, a workout, or just getting out of bed on a hard day, you do it because it matters, not because you feel like it. Mental toughness is about discipline, not just drive. You’ve built habits that help you stay consistent, even on the days when everything feels heavy or pointless.

4. You’re comfortable with people not liking you.

It’s not that you enjoy conflict, but you’ve stopped bending yourself out of shape to keep everyone happy. You know that being respected matters more than being liked by everyone. This trait frees you. You can be clear, honest, and boundaried without carrying guilt. That kind of self-trust takes time to develop, but once you have it, it’s one of your strongest assets.

5. You bounce back after failure instead of staying stuck.

Failure doesn’t define you, it teaches you. Mentally tough people expect setbacks, but they don’t let them become permanent roadblocks. You’ve learned how to regroup, reframe, and try again with more clarity. That doesn’t mean it’s painless, but you don’t let disappointment stop you from growing. You know your worth isn’t tied to whether something works out on the first try.

6. You handle criticism without falling apart.

Not all feedback feels good, but you don’t crumble every time someone points something out. You’ve got enough internal stability to take what’s helpful and leave what’s not. It’s a rare skill. Most people either get defensive or shut down. You stay present, ask questions, and let criticism make you better, not smaller.

7. You know when to rest, not quit.

Pushing through burnout isn’t strength, it’s denial. You understand the difference between hitting pause and giving up completely. You know how to take a breather without letting yourself off the hook. That kind of pacing is key. Mental toughness doesn’t mean charging forward endlessly. It means knowing when to step back so you can come back stronger.

8. You respond instead of reacting.

When someone tries to provoke you or when a situation gets tense, you don’t explode. You take a beat. You think. You choose your words instead of firing off the first thing that comes to mind. Such a high level of self-control doesn’t mean bottling things up. Instead, you’re protecting your integrity. You’d rather handle things with clarity than regret your reaction later.

9. You set boundaries and actually stick to them.

It’s one thing to say, “I won’t tolerate that.” It’s another to follow through when someone tests it. You’ve learned how to draw the line and hold it, even if it makes people uncomfortable. That kind of mental strength doesn’t always feel empowering in the moment; it can feel shaky, even scary. However, you do it anyway because you’ve seen how much peace it brings in the long run.

10. You can sit in silence without needing constant distraction.

You’re not afraid of your own thoughts. You don’t need to fill every quiet moment with noise or entertainment. You’re comfortable in stillness, and that’s rare. This doesn’t mean you never feel restless, but you’re not afraid to be with yourself. That inner calm is a sign of someone who’s worked hard to build self-trust.

11. You don’t need to prove yourself all the time.

You’re not constantly chasing validation or trying to impress everyone. You know your strengths and flaws, and you don’t base your self-worth on whether people notice your effort. That inner confidence makes you steady. You let your work speak for itself. And you’re okay walking away from people who can’t see your value because you already do.

12. You ask for help when you need it.

There’s real strength in admitting you can’t do it all alone. You know that asking for help isn’t weakness, it’s smart. It means you value progress over pride. Mentally tough people don’t isolate themselves out of shame. They know when to reach out, when to delegate, and when to lean on someone else’s support. That takes courage most people don’t give enough credit to.

13. You choose long-term growth over short-term comfort.

You’ve got the patience to stick with things that won’t give instant results, whether it’s therapy, fitness, career goals, or healing emotional wounds. You play the long game, even when it’s hard. That mindset is rare in a world obsessed with quick fixes. You’ve learned that the best changes take time, and you’re willing to keep showing up for yourself even when it’s slow, boring, or uncertain.

Putin fears a coup or assassination - with his humiliated defence minister a potential actor

 

Vladimir Putin fears a coup or an assassination attempt, with a former defence minister identified as a 'potential destabilising actor', according to a report from a European intelligence agency.

The Kremlin has in turn dramatically increased personal security surrounding the president, installing surveillance systems in the homes of close staffers, following a wave of assassinations of top Russian military figures.

The report describes 'high alert' in the government since the beginning of March 2026, about 'the risk of a plot or coup attempt against the Russian president'.

Putin 'fears the use of drones for a possible assassination attempt by members of the Russian political elite,' it reads.

The most striking conclusion concerns erstwhile Putin confidante, Sergei Shoigu, Russia's former defence minister and current secretary of the Security Council.

He 'is associated with the risk of a coup, as he retains significant influence within the military high command', the report says.

According to the dossier, cooks, bodyguards and photographers who work with Putin are prohibited from traveling on public transport, visitors to the dictator must be screened twice, and those working close to him can only use phones without internet access.

The 'Kremlin and Vladimir Putin himself have been concerned about potential leaks of sensitive information,' the report says. 

Some of the security measures were put in place in recent months following the December killing of Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, who served as head of the general staff’s army operational training directorate.

He died after an explosive device detonated beneath his car, in what Moscow described as a likely assassination carried out by Ukraine.

The alleged assassination of Sarvarov sparked uproar in the top ranks of Russia’s security establishment, the report says, with Putin summoning key personnel three days later for an urgent meeting.

During the gathering, chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, attacked Federal Security Service (FSB) head Alexander Bortnikov for failing to protect his officers, who in turn complained of a lack of resources and personnel to carry out his duties.

'Emphasising the fear and demoralisation this has caused among (military) personnel, Valery Gerasimov strongly criticised his counterparts in the special services for their lack of foresight', the report says.

'At the end of this tense meeting, Vladimir Putin called for calm, proposing an alternative working format and instructing participants to present concrete solutions to the issue within one week,' it added.

The Russian leader subsequently extended the reach of his own Federal Protection Service (FSO) – which at that time only shielded Gerasimov in the military top brass - to provide security to 10 more senior commanders.

As well as the assassinations, unease is growing in the Kremlin due to increasing signs of public dissent amid the downfall of the economy and the Russian army's faltering military campaign in Ukraine. 

In response, Russian security officials have dramatically cut the number of locations that Putin regularly visits, and he and his family have stopped attending their usual residences in the Moscow region and at Valdai - the dictator's heavily fortified summer retreat which lies between St. Petersburg and the capital. 

The Kremlin leader has not visited a military facility this year so far, according to the dossier, in contrast to regular trips throughout 2025. 

To get around these new restrictions, the government releases pre-recorded images of him to the public, it adds.

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin also spends weeks upon weeks hiding in upgraded bunkers, often in Krasnodar, a coastal region bordering the Black Sea hours away from the capital, the report says.

Suspicions grew around Shoigu, Russia's former defence minister, following the arrest of his former deputy and close associate, Ruslan Tsalikov, on March 5, according to the report.

Tsalikov's detainment is considered 'a breach of the tacit protection agreements among elites, weakening Shoigu and increasing the likelihood that he himself could become the target of a judicial investigation'. 

Tsalikov was arrested on charges related to embezzlement, money laundering and bribery. 

While reports of corruption in the military elite are frequent, they have multiplied since the invasion of Ukraine.

The dossier does not provide evidence to support the claims against Shoigu, however, who was formerly seen as very loyal to the Russian president.

The report comes as Putin's approval ratings have plummeted to 65.6 per cent - the lowest level since the start of the war - and a drop of 12.2 percentage points since the beginning of the year.

Amid rising taxes, an inflation rate of 5.9 per cent and a central bank interest rate of 14.5 per cent - nearly three times the pre-war level - the cost of living is pinching ordinary Russians, who are increasingly fatigued by the unpopular conflict.

After over four years of fighting, the Russian army has suffered perhaps the worst losses any major power has seen in a conflict since World War II.

Up to one in 25 Russian men between the ages of 18 and 49 have been killed or seriously wounded since the war began, with total fatalities potentially exceeding 430,000.

And to make matters worse, the Kremlin has imposed heavy-handed restrictions on the internet, including its attempt to block Telegram, the country’s most popular messaging app used by more than 100 million Russians a month. 

Now, Russian influencers such as Victoria Bonya and television presenters such as Ekaterina Gordon are speaking publicly against Putin's policies - indicating the growth of public dissatisfaction.

Because of the increased threat of Ukrainian attacks, Moscow will host a slimmed-down version of its annual parade to ​celebrate victory in World War II, without the usual display of weaponry.

The May 9 parade on Moscow's Red Square is usually the highlight of the Russian calendar, commemorating victory over Nazi Germany in a conflict in which the Soviet Union - of which both Russia and Ukraine were part - lost 27 million people.

On recent anniversaries, Russia has shown off weapons including intercontinental ballistic missiles, and  Putin has used the occasion to rally the nation behind the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year. 

This year, however, ​the defence ministry said there would be no military equipment on display because of what it called 'the current operational ⁠situation'. 

It's not just Sarvarov who has been targeted in recent months. February saw the shooting of Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, deputy head of the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency.

He was hospitalised after an attacker shot him in the back inside a building in the north of Moscow.

Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, one of the most prominent Russian generals to have been attacked, was killed in December 2024 after an explosive hidden in a scooter detonated as he left his home in the capital.

And in spring last year, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik of the Russian army’s general staff was killed in a car explosion outside his residence.

The 5 signs your mental health is dipping, according to a counsellor

 While mental health awareness is improving, many people still suffer in silence.

According to mental health statistics UK 2025, conducted by Priory, one in four adults in England will experience a mental health problem each year.

These numbers give indication as to why the conversation surrounding mental health should be ongoing and also highlights the importance of knowing what it is and the signs to look out for.

We spoke with registered counsellor at BetterHelp, Brian Back about some telltale signs your mental health may be suffering, and solutions to help people feel better and get back on track.

Changes in sleep

“If people start to really struggle with their sleep, such as not getting enough hours of sleep, or if it seems like however much they sleep, it just doesn’t feel like it’s enough – all of those could be signs they are having difficulty relaxing and switching off their minds,” Back says.

“Not getting enough sleep can be an issue that drags us down in many ways – physically, emotionally and mentally.”

A struggle to focus or concentrate

“When struggling with mental health, people often find it hard to focus because their mind is going everywhere. They can also feel a little shaky feeling in their stomach, which further increases the difficulty to focus on anything,” Back says.

“This is a really important sign that something may be going on.”

Mood swings and becoming irritable easily

“All of these signs are connected. A lack of sleep can lead to mood swings and getting irritated really easily. As soon as our sleep starts to suffer, our mood starts to suffer and is much more likely to make us become irritable,” says Back.

“Of course, if this does happen and we become snappy it can become a problem that not only impacts us individually, but also our relationships or work.”

Changes in appetite

“Very often, if we’re feeling anxious it can make it hard to want to eat. If we’re feeling shaky and our minds are constantly racing, it can be hard to even notice that we’re feeling hungry and that we need to eat,” Back says.

“On the other side, we might start to eat more. Often people comfort eat when they aren’t feeling great – particularly carbs – which can lead to them feeling a little bit slow and stodgy and even gaining weight, which could exacerbate these feelings.”

Social isolation

“I believe everyone noticed isolation in particular as we went through and came out the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Back says. “A noticeable sign that’s connected to low mood is when people become more isolated.

“Very often, the way we deal with feeling like this is to isolate from people. We start to tell ourselves that people wouldn’t want to hear from us again, and so often you hear people saying they don’t want to be a burden. However, it is at these times what we actually need is the opposite of what we believe.”

Back explains that we all have trackers for our physical health through watches, apps and many other metrics. He says that keeping on top of these signs and being aware of them can be a way to track our mental health.

“I always advise my clients to have regular, at least daily, check-ins and to do the three W’s as a journal or conversation prompt,” he explains.

The Three W’s

“The first is to ask ourselves – what am I feeling? This is the most important and the best way to start getting in touch with our feelings and know that we need to listen to them – which very often people don’t,” Back says.

“We have such a tendency to lock our feelings away,” he says. “But it’s really important to check in and ask ourselves this question.

“From there, once we have maybe noticed we are feeling something, the next question is – why might I be feeling like this? This could be because of an argument with a partner that didn’t go that well or perhaps your boss asked to see you and you’re worried. Whatever it might be, we need to recognise we’re feeling it and where it came from.

“The final step is – what might I need to do about it? Maybe you need to check in with your partner and say you’re not sure how the last conversation went and ask how they are feeling, perhaps getting more exercise or focusing on your sleep routine could help. Whatever the situation is, going to face our fears rather than sitting with anxiety or low feelings is often such an important strategy.”