People aged over 75 are being excluded from health research due to arbitrary age cut-offs, potentially stalling the development of life-saving treatments, leading charities and research institutes have warned.
Some clinical studies restrict participation for older people due to concerns about the potential frailty of participants and a belief that age may reduce the effect of the drug or device being studied.
Such restrictions are contributing to health inequity by excluding an important demographic from medical research, according to more than 40 charities and leading research funders, including the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, and the Medical Research Council.
Their joint statement warned that these age restrictions are unethical and lead to “research not being representative of the groups who have [the] most disease”.
The statement added: “[These restrictions] can result in treatments that are less effective for the very people who most need support … These exclusions are rarely justified and fail to align with the principles of equity and scientific excellence.”
One example of this exclusion is dementia research, where only one in 10 people living with the disease are offered the opportunity to take part, with participation one of the biggest barriers to progress in this area, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, has warned that older adults are being “frequently left out of research that directly affects their care”, despite “often having the highest levels of need”.
“This exclusion can lead to gaps in evidence, less effective treatments, and care that isn’t properly tailored to those who use services the most. As the population ages, it’s essential that research reflects the people it aims to serve,” he said.
Some clinical studies have imposed age restrictions out of a misconception that older people with multiple morbidities could skew research results, while some studies are not designed in a way to accommodate older people, for example by requiring frequent visits to test centres that may be far away from where the participants live.
The NIHR, which is the biggest health funder in the UK, said that the low proportion of older adults participating in research is both a scientific and ethical concern.
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“We should not assume that treatments that work in healthy, younger people will have the same effect in older adults,” said Prof Terry Quinn, the ageing lead at the NIHR. “So excluding the predominant users of health and social care from research is at best inefficient, and at worst may produce misleading results.”
The health minister Karin Smyth said: “We know that older people are more likely to face long-term health conditions like cancer and dementia – yet recent data shows that only one in seven people taking part in vital medical research studies are over 75.
“If we want tomorrow’s treatments to work for everyone today, older people must be part of the research that creates them. Through our 10-year health plan, we’re turbocharging research and clinical trials – including by the NIHR launching a UK-wide recruitment drive for participants to get involved in research.”
For anyone who’s ever tried to make a movie, really make one, you know the drill. Before a single shot is framed, you’re already knee-deep in budgeting spreadsheets, calendar clashes, and a hundred tiny decisions about tools and workflows. Somewhere along the way, the creativity that started it all gets buried.
But what if the process could start differently? What if, instead of waiting for funding, locations, or crew availability, you could open a browser and start visualising your film today?
That’s the promise behind Spark, the new collaborative filmmaking platform from Lightcraft Technology, which is making its debut at SIGGRAPH 2025. It’s not just another cloud tool or AI platform; Spark is a rethink of how stories get off the ground.
Built as a browser-based hub, Spark brings together preproduction, virtual cinematography, team communication, asset management, and post-production prep, all in one connected space. Instead of wrestling with disconnected apps and file formats, Spark invites creators into a single digital studio, where story and shot design lead the way.
(Image credit: Lightcraft)
A place to ‘spark’ ideas
The heart of Spark is something called Spark Shot, an interactive scene builder that works like a virtual set, but entirely in your browser. Using 3D models in the USD format, photogrammetry scans, audio clips, and AI-generated assists, filmmakers can sketch out scenes visually, experimenting with framing, lighting, and camera movement long before anyone arrives on set and yells ‘action’.
It’s part previs tool, part director’s sandbox, and crucially, it’s accessible; you can use it on a laptop, wherever you happen to be. Suddenly, building a shot isn’t something that only happens in the heat of production; it’s part of the creative writing process. As a I watch a demo with CEO Eliot Mack I’m struck by how this is ideal not just for new Spielbergs but the next Charlie Kaufman or Aaron Sorkin – writers are going to love planning scenes using Spark.
Naturally, there’s an AI angle in here. But Spark’s AI is not a gimmick, but a thoughtful collaborator. Spark is designed to let creators use as much or as little AI as they want, from camera framing suggestions to full 3D scene assembly.
Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.
“You can have a 3D artist build your scene, or let the system rough it out for you,” says Lightcraft CEO Eliot Mack. “We’re using AI to generate proxy sets, fill in detail, and help frame ideas. It’s about supporting creativity, not replacing it.”
Spark is a watershed moment
The core philosophy behind Spark isn’t just technological, it’s practical. Eliot tells me how he spent years helping major productions solve problems on set with earlier Lightcraft tools. But eventually, he realised they were starting too late.
“The real magic of filmmaking happens much earlier, at the point of inception,” Eliot explains. “That’s where we needed to be.”
Eliot believes Spark represents a larger shift, not just in tools, but in the timing of creativity.
“We’re in another one of those watershed moments where technology is opening new freedoms in how films are created,” he says. “It’s always been a mix of art and technology, from sound and colour to handheld cameras and the French New Wave. But unlike some past innovations that added restrictions, this one opens doors. It gives storytellers freedom at the very start, not just the end.”
Solving filmmaking chaos
Of course, as any filmmaker knows, the creative flow quickly runs into a wall once real assets get involved. Scripts change, scenes evolve, models need updating, and suddenly your production becomes a game of data whack-a-mole.
To tackle this, Spark includes Spark Atlas, a production database with a twist: it understands your script. By parsing your screenplay and linking each element, be it a prop, line of dialogue, or shot, to the correct assets, Atlas becomes a kind of living blueprint of your film.
Built on reliable open-source tech like Supabase and PostgreSQL, it promises to also be secure, scalable, and team-friendly. Everything from EXR sequences to camera takes to AI models lives here, cleanly sorted, automatically linked, and ready to evolve as the project does.
Weening us off Unreal Engine?
The key to Spark’s potential lies in how it approaches 3D. While traditional tools like Blender and Unreal Engine are powerful, they weren’t designed for this early, conceptual stage. Spark aims to change that.
“Everyone loves Blender and Unreal, I do too,” Elliot says. “But they were built for post, for technical precision. But nobody’s cracked the Google Docs of 3D yet, something creative people can use from day one, without needing to be technical.”
Rather than requiring filmmakers to wrestle with shaders and simulation settings, Spark focuses on letting them play with ideas, storyboards that move, shot plans that evolve, and scripts that link directly to assets in a living, editable world.
While the tech is different, hearing Elliot reminds me of a similar sense of direction from Chaos’ Director of Special Projects at Chaos Lab, Chris Nichols, who also wants to unlock filmmakers from needing to use technical tools and platforms like Unreal Engine.
AI used properly
Another core use of AI in Spark is texture and detail generation, especially in projects that use a mix of green screen and digital sets. In a recent test project with the Entertainment Technology Center, Lightcraft used AI to fill in photorealistic details based on low-resolution 3D proxies of environments, like cracked plaster, wood grain, or lighting imperfections that would be prohibitively time-consuming to build by hand. I see a demon in this short scene, and it’s impressive.
“What AI is really good at is detail, like generating knots in the wood or mortar between bricks,” says Elliot. “We shoot actors on green screen, light them properly, and use AI to enhance the digital environments with detail that matches the world. That saves weeks of work, and it’s a real production technique.”
By using AI to handle the bits that are hard, slow, and repetitive, Spark has the potential to enable directors and artists to focus on what really matters, creative areas such as performance, story, and visual flow.
Draft scenes become final shots
Then there’s Spark Forge, the final piece of the puzzle, and possibly the most quietly revolutionary. While most virtual production tools stop after previs, Forge picks up right where Spark Shot leaves off, transforming rough scenes into usable post-production materials.
By pulling metadata from Jetset and timeline exports like OpenTimelineIO, Spark Forge can automate key steps in the VFX pipeline: tracking, batch compositing, asset linking, and even shot scripting. It’s not a render farm, but something closer to a “shot factory”, capable of pushing out hundreds of rough composites in hours, complete with pre-written scripts for tools like Blender, Unreal Engine, Nuke, Maya, and SynthEyes.
Interestingly, Spark’s journey began not with a shift in software, but hardware. Years ago, Lightcraft built complex, military-grade camera tracking systems, hardware that was impressive, but expensive and inflexible. The turning point came when consumer tech caught up.
“When the iPhone 11 Pro came out, we realised, this thing tracks,” says Elliot. “Not quite as well as our custom-built rigs, but close. And Tim Cook was going to ship a lot more iPhones than we were ever going to ship tracking gear.”
That revelation led to Jetset, the iPhone-based virtual production system that paved the way for Spark. Once tools could fit in your pocket, production didn’t have to wait for a stage or a truck full of gear. It could start anywhere.
“Filmmaking doesn’t have to start in a studio,” Elliot adds. “It can start in your pocket.”
Less friction, more filmmaking
What ties all these pieces together – Shot, Live, Atlas, Forge – is a single philosophy: filmmaking should be fluid, connected, and, well… easier for everyone. Lightcraft isn’t trying to replace the craft or automate away the magic. Instead, Spark is designed to give filmmakers a head start and keep that momentum going, all the way through post.
“The underlying challenge, engineering a story at scale, world-building from scratch, and maintaining the human element, that’s what makes filmmaking magical,” says Elliot. “And that’s what Spark is built to support.”
After more than 20 years of tool development and industry R&D, including an Emmy in 2013 and a ‘Product of the Year’ win at NAB earlier this year, Spark feels like the natural evolution of Lightcraft’s mission: to make it easier to just make movies.
A public release is expected in 2026, with a preview available now at SIGGRAPH 2025 (Booth 710). Early access and beta signups are open to filmmakers who want to get hands-on. Try the Lightcraft Jetset app.
On the rare occasions Apple has allowed visitors inside its secretive product design labs, gray blankets covered the tables, shielding any future products from prying eyes.
So what might be under the cloth?
Apple is famously secretive about what’s around the corner, but it’s left some breadcrumbs here and there for the careful observer. CEO Tim Cook and other executives have dropped subtle hints in recent years on earnings calls and in interviews.
Other times, Cook or other execs will be asked about the competition or what Apple’s role in a future product category could look like, and their answers help signal how the company may position itself in the coming years.
The iPhone’s role in a world with AI devices
During Apple’s recent fiscal third-quarter earnings call on July 31, for example, Cook was asked about a potential future where screen-based devices become secondary to AI-powered gadgets without screens. To that, Cook highlighted some of the iPhone’s most essential uses, like the camera, Apple Pay, and available apps.
In short, Cook appeared to suggest the iPhone isn’t going anywhere.
“It’s difficult to see a world where iPhone’s not living in it,” Cook told investors.
“That doesn’t mean that we are not thinking about other things as well, but I think that the devices are likely to be complementary devices, not substitution,” Cook said.
Apple’s former chief design officer Jony Ive (L) and Apple CEO Tim Cook inspect the iPhone XR during an Apple event in 2018. Ive has since joined OpenAI to help it design an AI device.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The elephant in the room, of course, is that Apple’s former design chief and the man behind the iPhone, Jony Ive, left the company and has since joined OpenAI’s efforts to create a non-wearable AI gadget.
Smart glasses
Other companies are exploring or launching AI devices that you can wear, investing heavily in the space. Meta’s AI Ray-Bans are the most successful smart glasses so far, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying sales have exceeded expectations.
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While Meta and other tech giants like Google are looking into AI eyewear, Apple is also reportedly exploring a rival set of smart specs.
Meta’s Orion prototype smart glasses contain integrated waveguide displays inside the lenses. Apple’s Vision Pro could ultimately take on a similar form factor in the future.
Meta
Interestingly enough, Cook was once a skeptic of smart glasses for years.
“We always thought that glasses were not a smart move, from a point of view that people would not really want to wear them,” Cook told the New Yorker in 2015.
By 2023, he’d changed his tune. When GQ asked about his quote from 10 years ago, Cook said his “thinking always evolves,” as he learned from his predecessor Steve Jobs.
Cook continues to hype up augmented reality, with the Apple CEO launching the $3,499 Vision Pro in 2024 and saying it was the “early innings of AR” and that “it will only get better.”
When asked about smart glasses on its most recent earnings call, Cook used the opportunity to talk about the Vision Pro but hinted at further innovation in the wearables space.
Apple’s Vision Pro has been said to be in need of a “killer app.” I’m not convinced it’s there yet.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
“We continue to be very focused on it,” Cook said. “I don’t want to get into the road map on it, but this is an area that we really believe in.”
Apple is widely believed to be hard at work shrinking down the form factor and making future iterations more affordable, with the ultimate goal of smart glasses with integrated lenses. Meta has publicly shown off a prototype of such a device, called “Orion,” though the tech is too expensive to mass-produce.
A foldable iPhone or iPad
While competitors, like OpenAI, work on their own secretive new products, Apple is taking its signature approach to not rush into a new product category.
“Not first, but best,” as Cook likes to say.
It’s a strategy that worked for devices like the iPod, the iPhone, and the Apple Watch, but it comes with risk. Apple was notably late to the AI arms race with the rollout of Apple Intelligence, and its overhauled AI-powered Siri has been delayed.
The Samsung Z Fold7 phone can fold in half.
Jung Yeon-je / AFP
Foldable phones are another product category that Apple’s rivals including Google, Huawei, and Samsung have already entered. Apple is reportedly working on foldable devices but has so far demurred when publicly asked about it publicly.
When Apple executives Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak were recently asked in an interview about it, Joswiak replied, “Who’s to say?”
When Cook was asked during Apple’s fiscal first-quarter earnings call about the iPhone’s form factor and opportunities to innovate, he hinted that there was.
“I think there’s a lot of innovation left on the smartphone,” Cook said.
TL;DR: Internxt Cloud Storage just dropped the price for a 20TB lifetime subscription to $499.99 (reg. $4,900).
Cloud storage is one of those things you sign up for without thinking much about it. Subscription fees seem cheap, but you’re never done paying for them, so the longer you pay them, the worse of a value it is. Functionally, you’re paying for space you can’t live without but never really own.
If you’re ready to stop renting storage and just pay once, Internxt Cloud Storage has a 20TB lifetime subscription on sale for $499.99 right now (reg. $4,900).
A lifetime of cloud storage
Whether you’re backing up years of photos, storing large creative projects, or archiving documents for work, 20TB gives you the space to do it all without juggling multiple plans or worrying about monthly charges creeping up.
Internxt also puts a strong emphasis on privacy. Your files are encrypted on your device before they’re uploaded, then broken into fragments and distributed across a secure network of servers. It’s a zero-knowledge setup, which means even Internxt doesn’t have access to your data. The platform is also open source and GDPR-compliant, so you have more transparency and control than you’ll find with many big-name providers.
You can access your files through apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, or just log in through a browser. File syncing is automatic, and the interface is clean and straightforward. You can also set permissions and share links securely if you need to collaborate or deliver files to others.
For anyone running a small business, freelancing, or just managing a large personal archive, this is a practical way to stop worrying about cloud storage for good.
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A Montreal woman called The Ramsey Show for advice about her husband’s gambling addiction that is threatening to ruin their finances.
It’s common for spouses to combine finances — but sometimes, even when you keep your money separate, one partner’s bad habits can impact the other’s financial future.
Such is the case for Sarah from Montreal, Quebec, who called into The Ramsey Show two weeks after learning that her husband has a gambling addiction.
Despite having been together for 11 years, Sarah only recently discovered that her husband has racked up $1.1 million in debt over the past decade. Now, she’s taken over his finances and wants to help him tackle his debts.
“He had like maybe $1,000 left in his bank account and everything was maxed, so he needed help,” said Sarah.
The problem? She has no idea where to start.
Sarah has long wanted to combine her finances with her husband, but he has always pushed back on the idea. On top of dealing with a gambling addiction that he had kept a secret, his debts have also made him fall behind on his taxes.
Sarah’s husband likely wanted to keep his finances separate so that he didn’t drag her down into his mess, but as Sarah explained to hosts George Kamel and Jade Warshaw, her husband’s actions have impacted them both.
For one thing, the Canadian couple had plans to buy a home in Florida when Sarah thought they were doing well financially. Sarah herself has been saving well and thought her husband was doing the same. This gambling news came as a major blow, especially since it caught her off guard.
“I was, like, totally, totally shocked,” Sarah shared on the show.
Now, the one saving grace is that Sarah’s husband earns a high income from his business, which earns an annual revenue of about $1.3 million. And while that’s not all profit, Sarah says her husband earns about $100,000 a month and they pay taxes on those earnings.
However, he owes over $1 million, broken down as follows:
$64,000 in back taxes from 2024
$550,000 in provisional taxes for the upcoming year (a requirement in Canada for high earners)
$438,000 in a mortgage line of credit, or home equity line of credit (HELOC)
$125,000 in a personal line of credit
Sarah said that she and her husband are in couples therapy, while the two also see their own therapists individually. For Sarah, she hopes her therapy will help her cope with what’s happened, while her husband’s therapy will hopefully address his gambling addiction.
Meanwhile, Kamel and Warshaw had advice for Sarah. Kamel told Sarah that she should take away her husband’s remaining credit card and freeze his credit so that he can’t take out another loan and spend more money on gambling.
Warshaw, meanwhile, gave Sarah advice on how to tackle all of her husband’s debt, which starts with paying off the taxes.
“Do the old ones first, and then once you’ve cleared those, then start doing the prep for the next year,” said Warshaw.
Next, Warshaw recommended tackling the personal line of credit.
“Do it in order like the debt snowball — personal loans first, smallest to largest,” said Warshaw.
After that, Warshaw suggested paying off the HELOC. Hopefully, if Sarah’s husband continues to earn a good income and they stick to this plan, the two of them can dig their way out of this financial hole.
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Ever since the Supreme Court took steps to legalize sports betting, there’s been an uptick in that activity, along with people seeking help with gambling addictions, according to a recent study by the University of California San Diego Qualcomm Institute and School of Medicine.
The study’s data found that internet searches for help with gambling addictions rose 23% on a national scale since 2018. Meanwhile, AddictionHelp.com states that two million U.S. adults meet the criteria for a severe gambling addiction, while four to six million have a mild or moderate gambling addiction.
Recent data from Gaming America also found that 10% of men 30 and under show signs of a gambling problem, compared to 3% of the general population.
Part of the increase may be due to the growing popularity and availability of online sportsbooks, which have made it easier for people to bet on sports. But either way, a gambling addiction can be a costly problem to have.
The National Council on Problem Gambling says the annual social cost of problematic gambling is an astounding $14 billion. According to Debt.org, the average man with a gambling addiction has anywhere from $55,000 to $90,000 of debt. Women with gambling addictions, meanwhile, have an average debt of $15,000.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, you can click here to find resources in your state. You don’t want a gambling addiction to wreck your finances, relationships or your life as a whole, so it’s critical that you do what you can to get ahead of it.
Meanwhile, if you’re already in debt due to a gambling problem, it pays to get help dealing with the financial end of things. You may want to consider consulting a financial advisor or a debt relief company for assistance. In some extreme cases, filing for bankruptcy might also be an option.
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
In his book ‘Cancer Wardile Chiri,’ Malayalam actor Innocent famously terms cancer as a friend and explains how he handled the disease through laughter. Innocent’s decision to use humour as medication is said to have helped him reduce stress a great deal and handle the disease with grace. Dr Thomas N Seyfried, a researcher and professor of Boston College, who spent more than three decades studying cancer cells and their growth, recently recommended seven everyday habits that can help destroy and control cancer.
One of them is reducing stress and understanding how to do it effectively. The researcher focused mainly on the metabolic activities of the human body rather than the genetic factors. His research focused on specific factors within the body that enable cancer cells to proliferate. Here are the habits he recommended:
Regulate sugar intake Keeping the blood sugar levels under control can make it difficult for the cancer cells to grow. The sudden or rapid increase in the blood sugar level proves to be a threat to the cancer cells. They draw the energy to spread from the sudden rise in the glucose levels. So, staying away from food that causes sudden blood sugar spikes, like refined carbohydrates and sweetened drinks, is key in controlling the growth of cancer cells. Instead, try to eat a balanced diet that is rich in fibre and nutrients.
Reduce carbohydrates Ketogenic foods that are high in fats and low in carbs can prevent the cancer cells from growing at a rapid pace. The body begins to burn fat instead of sugar when you switch to healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, ghee and nuts. This process, called ketosis, produces ketones that can control the growth of cancer cells. However, Dr Thomas reminds us to consult a medical practitioner or a nutrition expert before starting the ketogenic diet.
Body movement Body movements and exercises are key in the fight against cancer. It improves insulin resistance, ensures hormone balance and reduces inflammation. Taking short walks, swimming, dancing, squats or light exercises done at home could be helpful. Consistency matters more than the intensity of the exercise. Dr Thomas recommends moving your body or working out regularly, as exercise is essential to ensure the health of the mitochondria, which prevents the unusual growth of cancer cells.
Fasting Intermittent fasting allows the body to enter ketosis. The low insulin production cuts off the energy to the cancer cells. During fasting, our cells initiate a self–cleansing process. This process, called autophagy, removes the damaged cells. Reduce stress Chronic stress can alter the body’s sugar levels, increase inflammation and destroy the mitochondria. Stressful events could cause the rapid growth of cancer cells. The cortisol hormones rise due to stress and adversely affects the body’s immune system, causing inflammation. Activities like taking deep breaths for ten minutes, spending time in nature and journaling can reduce stress and help you relax.
Proper diet A healthy and well-balanced diet containing vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats is essential for the body. Meanwhile, overly processed food increases the risk of severe diseases like cancer. Chronic inflammation Chronic inflammation in the body can provide energy to cancer cells and weaken the body’s immune system. So, it is better to avoid foods or activities that cause inflammation in the body.
An animal charity has demolished a series of buildings as part of its expansion plans.
The GSPCA has pulled down structures that housed its cattery, small animal areas, dog grooming space, staff room and laundry for the past 40 years.
The charity has planned to replace these buildings with a 12-kennel facility designed to house dogs in isolation, abused and stray dogs and those waiting to be adopted.
The new section will also include a laundry and dog grooming area which manager Steve Byrne said would ensure “every animal receives the care and dignity they deserve”.
Also under construction is a wildlife hospital which will provide specialist care for Guernsey’s injured, orphaned and endangered wildlife.
Mr Byrne said the charity had raised £1.5m so far towards the construction but needed a further £2.2m to complete the projects for November 2026.
Europe’s leaders have raised the pressure on Donald Trump to involve Ukraine in a planned summit with Vladimir Putin, as Germany warned the White House against any deal hatched “over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians”.
Speaking before a bilateral meeting expected to take place between the US and Russian leaders on Friday in Alaska, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said he hoped and assumed that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, would also be involved.
Merz told the broadcaster ARD that Berlin was working closely with Washington to try to ensure Zelenskyy’s attendance at the talks.
“We cannot accept in any case that territorial questions are discussed or even decided between Russia and America over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians,” he said. “I assume that the American government sees it the same way.”
Vladimir Putin (left) and Donald Trump are expected to meet in Alaska this Friday. Photograph: Ilya Pitalev/SPUTNIK/AFP/Getty Images
The secretary general of Nato, Mark Rutte, said the summit would be about testing Putin on how serious he was about “bringing this terrible war to an end.”.
In pointed remarks, Rutte added: “It will be, of course, about security guarantees, but also about the absolute need to acknowledge that Ukraine decides on its own future, that Ukraine has to be a sovereign nation, deciding on its own geopolitical future.”
Announcing there would be an emergency meeting of EU ministers for Monday, Brussel’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, echoed that sentiment.
“President Trump is right that Russia has to end its war against Ukraine. The US has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. Any deal between the US and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine’s and the whole of Europe’s security,” Kallas said.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, said: ‘Any deal between the US and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included.’ Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters
The US vice-president, JD Vance, speaking a day after meeting the UK foreign minister, David Lammy, during his holiday in England, said Washington was working towards talks between Putin, Zelenskyy and Trump. But Vance said he did not think it would be productive for the Russian president to meet his Ukrainian counterpart before speaking with Trump.
“We’re at a point now where we’re trying to figure out, frankly, scheduling and things like that, around when these three leaders could sit down and discuss an end to this conflict,” he told Fox News.
As the diplomacy ramped up, there was no let-up in hostilities. Five people were killed in Russian shelling and drone attacks in Ukraine on Sunday, authorities said, while Russia said one person had been killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in its southern Saratov region.
Five people were killed in Russian shelling and drone attacks in Ukraine on Sunday. Photograph: Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images
On Saturday, two people died and 16 others were injured when a Russian drone hit a minibus in the suburbs of the Ukrainian city of Kherson, said the region’s governor, Oleksandr Prokudin. Two others died after a Russian drone struck their car in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to the regional governor.
On Saturday night, European leaders issued a coordinated statement that said the “path to peace” in Ukraine could not be decided without Kyiv. Welcoming Trump’s attempts to end the war, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasised that negotiations could only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities.
It added: “Only an approach that combines active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on the Russian Federation to end their illegal war can succeed.”
Map
On Sunday, Zelenskyy welcomed the support, saying on X: “The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations.
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“Ukraine values and fully supports the statement by President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Tusk, Prime Minister Starmer, President Ursula von der Leyen, and President Stubb on peace for Ukraine.”
In a Telegram post on Saturday, Zelenskyy had said that any decisions made without Kyiv were “dead decisions” and “[would] never work”.
On Saturday, David Lammy hosted JD Vance, along with Ukrainian and European partners aimed at driving peace in Ukraine. Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP
On the same day, at Chevening, a country mansion in Kent traditionally used by the foreign secretary, Lammy hosted Vance along with Ukrainian and European partners aimed at driving peace in Ukraine.
If the Trump-Putin summit goes ahead, it will be the first time a US president has met the Russian leader since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The last meeting Putin had with a US president was with Joe Biden in Geneva in June 2021.
Details of a potential deal have not been announced, but Trump said ending the war would involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both”, meaning Ukraine could be required to renounce significant parts of its territory.
Zelenskyy on Saturday stressed that Ukrainians would “not give up their land to occupiers”.
A European official confirmed a counterproposal was put forward by European representatives at the Chevening meeting but declined to provide details.
Friedrich Merz told ARD that Germany was working closely with the US to try to ensure Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attendance at the talks. Photograph: Nadja Wohlleben/Reuters
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the counterproposal included demands that a ceasefire must take place before any other steps were taken and that any territory exchange must be reciprocal, with firm security guarantees.
It was not clear what, if anything, had been agreed at Chevening, but Zelenskyy called the meeting constructive.
“All our arguments were heard,” he said in his evening address to Ukrainians. “The path to peace for Ukraine should be determined together and only together with Ukraine. This is [a] key principle.”
Merz said he hoped for a breakthrough at the summit, despite lingering uncertainty of the attenders. “We hope that there will be a breakthrough on Friday,” he said. “Above all [we hope] that there will finally be a ceasefire and that there can be peace negotiations in Ukraine.”
Melbourne: Eyeing a recall into Australia’s squad for the Ashes, the doughty Marnus Labuschagne is doing everything in his capacity to “find a way back” and “prove the doubters wrong”, including putting his hand up for opening the innings against England.
Labuschagne was dropped from the Test side for the first time since 2019 at the start of the recent series in the West Indies having averaged 27.82 with one hundred over the previous two years.
He spent the time away from the Test team training extensively with the coaching staff at home instead of doing a stint in Country cricket or turning out for Australia A.
“This (being left out) has given me an opportunity to reflect and not having the pressure of the media saying, ‘Marnus has got to go’,” Labuschagne told News Corp in his first interview since losing his spot, according to ESPNCricinfo.
“I mean that’s part of the game. There is a tipping point but it’s something I thrive on… proving the doubters wrong and being able to find a way. Missing those West Indies Tests gave me the chance to back and think, ‘This is where I want to be and this is how I’m going to get there’.”
The 31-year-old Labuschagne’s last Test appearance was in June’s World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa, where he managed just 17 and 22 opening the innings.
Despite the poor outing at the top of the order, Labuschagne says he is ready to take on the role if it means playing for Australia again.
“I’d be happy to do that – I’d love to,” he said.
“If opener is where I need to bat to be playing in the Test team, that’s fine. If you had asked me where I prefer to bat obviously I have batted at three my whole career, but at this stage you don’t get a choice.”
“I opened in the World Test Championship final and felt I batted quite well. I got in but did not go on with it.”
Labuschagne’s willingness to open comes amid teenager Sam Konstas’ issues with consistency at the top order.
The veteran of 58 Tests will return to action for Australia in three home one-dayers against South Africa this month, after which he will focus on the Sheffield Shield and look to impress the selectors to earn a recall for the five-Test Ashes series starting in Perth on November 21.
