Ousted minister Mykhailo Fedorov's YouTube video did not mention President Volodymyr Zelensky by name. But the former defence minister centred his call for a presidential election on Ukraine's need to "remain a free European state". He also argued that the country was facing a "systemic crisis of governance". It’s widely seen as the biggest challenge to Zelensky’s tenure during wartime. Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, meaning elections are suspended. Zelensky, who is yet to respond to the video, dismissed Fedorov, seen as a charismatic politician, from his role last month, sparking protests across the country. Within days and as pressure grew, Fedorov's successor was also replaced. On Tuesday, Zelensky said he had asked parliament to confirm the acting defence minister in the post, with a vote due on Wednesday.

At the Ministry of Culture in Paris, Christian Nègre interviewed people who had applied for jobs. Police believe he drugged scores of women during those encounters with diuretics that caused them to produce excess urine, resulting in public urination. Anaïs de Vos suspects she was one of them. She describes feeling an uncontrollable need to urinate after drinking a coffee Nègre made her. When she finally found a bathroom, she wet herself. After she found out about the police investigation, Anaïs says she was “shocked” but “happy to know I wasn’t crazy”. Nègre is now awaiting trial on charges that include drugging, invasion of privacy and sexual assault. His lawyer declined to comment on these allegations.