Volodymyr Zelenskyy has admitted he is “afraid of changes” as Keir Starmer prepares to step down as prime minister.

The outgoing PM has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia throughout his two years in office.

He recalled how he proudly welcomed Zelenskyy to the UK in February 2025 after the Ukrainian leader was ambushed by the Trump administration and kicked out of the Oval Office.

Starmer has chosen to travel to the beleaguered country and remind Kyiv of the UK’s ongoing backing with just four days left in the job before Andy Burnham is given the keys to No.10.

Zelenskyy told the press during Starmer’s visit that he is “afraid of changes” with the UK PM set to step down and French president Emmanuel Macron expected to leave office next year.

He said: “Of course I’m afraid of changes, of course we are afraid because we are in the war each day.

“But again the priority is the relation between nations, not just between just people. I’m sure that these relations will not change, or we have to do our best not to lose such very good relations.”

“I hope we will never lose strong relations with the UK during or after the war.”

Starmer replied: “You won’t.”

Zelenskyy said he hopes to build “new strong relations” with the next prime minister and that he wants to have a meeting with Burnham “as soon as possible”.

Zelensky also awarded Starmer the Order of Freedom honour, which is Ukraine’s highest award for a foreign person.

Starmer shook Zelenskyy’s hand and said the award was “completely unexpected” and “very meaningful”, adding: “it really means a huge amount.”

A Downing Street spokesperson said the PM was “grateful and deeply humbled to receive the Order of Freedom for outstanding merit, the highest honour that can be given in Ukraine to anyone from another country”.

It is the second major honour the outgoing prime minister received this week for his work on the international stage.

He was unexpectedly awarded Légion d’honneur by French president Emmanuel Macron, becoming the first UK PM to ever receive the historic honour.

It was awarded in recognition of Starmer’s work in setting up the Coalition of the Willing, the group of countries chaired by France and the UK meant to help Ukraine.

On social media, Starmer wrote: “I’ve visited Ukraine four times as Prime Minister, and I’ve seen first-hand the devastation caused by Russia’s invasion. The UK’s support for Ukraine will never waver.

“That’s why we’re funding fighter jets for Ukraine, strengthening their ability to defend themselves while supporting thousands of skilled jobs in the UK. So good to see you again my friend, [Zelenskyy].”

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We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about the best breakfast time longevity experts swear by.

But that’s only one detail in a morning’s worth of habits. In case you wanted to go a little more in-depth, we asked Dr Dominic Greenyer, a private GP at The Health Suite who has a particular interest in longevity, to share his entire morning routine.

“People often think longevity comes from finding one miracle supplement or expensive biohack, but the reality is much less glamorous,” he shared.

“The biggest gains come from consistently doing the basics well… If someone asked me what has the biggest impact on how well we age, I’d say protect your sleep, prioritise strength and muscle, spend time outdoors, eat mostly whole foods, and don’t underestimate the importance of relationships and purpose.

“Those habits, repeated day after day, have a far greater influence on long-term health than almost anything else,” he added.

With that in mind, here are seven steps he follows in his morning routine:

“Your body clock thrives on routine. Getting up at a similar time each day helps regulate sleep quality, energy levels and hormone balance,” the GP said.

Some research has found that sleep consistency (how well we stick to a sleep schedule) is a better predictor of longevity than sleep duration, or how long we sleep.

Dr Greenyer said he tries to get some morning sunlight 15-30 minutes after waking up. “Morning light is one of the most powerful ways to regulate your circadian rhythm, improve alertness and support better sleep that night,” he said.

He’s not the only expert who swears by the technique, either.

“After seven or eight hours without fluids, hydration comes first. I always drink a large glass of water before my first coffee,” the doctor stated.

One study suggested it might be better for us to drink coffee after breakfast instead of beforehand, too.

Getting more protein in for your first meal of the day has been linked to fewer evening cravings and greater satiety.

Dr Greenyer’s usual morning fare usually consists of Greek yoghurt with berries, nuts and seeds, or eggs on wholegrain sourdough with avocado.

“Protein supports muscle health, keeps you fuller for longer and helps avoid the mid-morning energy crash,” he said.

The doctor isn’t fussed about whether you do resistance training, balance work, or a brisk stroll – the important thing is to get moving.

“Exercise isn’t just about fitness – it’s one of the most effective longevity tools we have,” he said.

If you have a deficiency, like anaemia, it’s important to keep on top of any supplements you’ve been told to take. But if you’re spamming your system with vitamins because you have a vague idea “more is better,” Dr Greenyer said to think more carefully about what you’re consuming.

“For many people, that might include vitamin D during the winter months if they’re at risk of deficiency, but supplements should complement a healthy lifestyle, not replace one,” he said.

The doctor said he spends a few quiet minutes planning his day before checking his emails.

He ended: “Starting the morning in a constant state of reaction can increase stress before your day has even begun.”

Infidelity can be hard to discuss. But given that some estimates say 75% of men and 68% of women have engaged in some form of cheating at one point or another, chances are most of us are close to a “cheater”.

And Nicholas Rose, a counsellor, author, and psychotherapist who lists “affairs and betrayals” among his specialties, may see more than most.

We spoke about what he’s learned about cheaters, who he defines as “people who have sex or intimate romantic relationships with other people/partners when there is an agreement in place that a relationship is monogamous”, in his years of practice.

Even though people committing infidelity know they’re doing it, the therapist told us their self-image might never align with their actions.

“Cheating is, by its definition, a bad thing; I’ve never yet met anyone who wanted to think of themselves as doing a bad thing and as a cheater,” he told HuffPost UK.

The counsellor added that sometimes, the negative feelings a cheater may experience after their indiscretion can actually lead them further astray.

“The shame, guilt and pressure people can feel about having cheated [or] cheating often adds to the stress that sits behind the drive to be a cheater, leading to further cheating,” he suggested.

From the outside, the person who’s been cheated on has obviously been wronged. But the cheater’s mind can make that dynamic blurry and even invert it, Rose said.

“The narrative a cheater constructs around their cheating often justifies the behaviour through a victim’s perspective,” he explained.

It’s possible to “challenge that and call it out, however, compassion can be the most effective way to understand what has happened,” the therapist added.

In general, Rose said, clear boundaries help. For instance, cheating can occur because partners have “not had the monogamy/non monogamy conversation”.

Additionally, “everyone’s relationship to ‘cheating’ is personal – for those who grew up in family systems where cheating occurred, there can be a normalisation and acceptance that means it has a different level of meaning, significance and emotion attached to it than for someone for whom cheating never occurred,” he added.

Sometimes, cheating is an inappropriate way of dealing with unmet needs, the therapist said.

“Unfortunately, for many people, when cheating occurs, the conversation stays purely on the cheating and never gets to the unmet needs and how and if they might be met going forwards.

“A cheater can sometimes resort to cheating because all attempts to try and talk about their unmet needs have failed. In these cases the offended party/ies often carry a sense of unease and sometimes guilt knowing that they have needed to avoid something in the relationship previously.”

“Often, when a cheater is found out, the guilt, shame, and fear of loss that surfaces can render the cheating partner into such an experience of fear and self-loathing that they are unable to help their partner understand what has happened,” Rose ended.

“The partner often sees this as an act of further betrayal… [but] the other is actually unable to respond.”

Couples’ counselling service Relate said it’s important to make time for yourself if you’ve been cheated on. Talk honestly with your partner, and think carefully about what you want to happen next. Speak to a therapist if needed.

Yes, it’s a very old and impressive text. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the modern-day successs of The Odyssey – a 24-book epic poem attributed to the Ancient Greek poet Homer – was ineviable.

Lykophron’s Alexandra, for instance, is one of the most “neglected” Ancient Greek poems, Professor Simon Hornblower writes. I don’t reckon there’s anywhere near as much buzz around “the greatest lyric poet of ancient Greece”, Pindar, as there is Homer, either.

In other words, “ancient” plus “a big deal in Ancient Greece” does not necessarily equal “relevant enough for a big-budget movie in 2026”.

So why has a 12,000-plus-line work, finished around 725–675 BCE, remained so present in the imagination of modern audiences that Christopher Nolan has created a massive-scale, star-studded flick about it?

HuffPost UK spoke to Jeffrey Carnes, an Associate Professor of Classics and Classical Civilisations at Syracuse University, about why we can’t let go of the centuries-old poem.

“The Odyssey has stuck with us so long because it has spectacular stories – Sirens, the Cyclops, Circe – that grab hold of our imaginations when we’re young,” Carnes explained.

“But it also has subtleties of characterisation and narrative that we don’t expect in a poem from 2,700 years ago: it tells a non-linear story, with focus on three separate characters (Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus), who all have their own, sometimes competing interests.

“In a poem of 24 books, Odysseus, the title character, doesn’t even appear until Book five!”

Then, there’s the fact that reading and talking about The Odyssey has passed down through generations.

“When we read it for the first time, we’re joining an age-old community of readers, and learning the really cool and important stuff that generations before us knew,” the expert said.

We might be surprised by how familiar the book’s main character, Odysseus, feels too.

He’s a ”strong character who knows what he wants, and will do whatever it takes to survive,” Carnes stated.

“Homer opens the poem calling him polytropos – tricky, the man of many ways – but immediately adds that ‘many were those whose cities he saw, whose minds he learned of.’

“When he gets in trouble – as with the Cyclops – it’s because he was too curious, and explored things he shouldn’t have. When the Sirens sing to him, what do they offer him? Knowledge. And only his clever trick of being tied to the mast kept him from running aground.”

We asked Carnes what modern readers should do if they want to try reading the poem, but are a little put off by its length and/or language.

He said that while reading the Odyssey in 2026 might feel “off-putting, at least at first”, at least we can comfort ourselves that Ancient Greeks probably felt the same way.

“The story is told in an epic idiom that seemed old-fashioned to most of the Greeks who read it (a fifth-century Athenian would react to it the way we react to Shakespeare – difficult, but beautiful once you accept the challenges of reading it),” he shared.

Adaptations and retellings, like the upcoming Nolan movie, can be a great way to approach the text if you’re not sure yet.

When you start, be patient, and leave your expectations – as well as your 21st century ideals of morality – at the door.

“I was surprised when I first read it how little of the poem was devoted to the famous adventures (Cyclops, Sirens, and so on), and how that was neatly contained within books nine to 12. So what’s the rest of the poem about? Homecoming, recognition, revenge – and I was shocked that Odysseus murdered all the Suitors simply for eating his cattle,” Carnes told us.

“But in the world of the Odyssey this is considered the right thing to do – the gods approve of it, and urge his son Telemachus to participate in the revenge. (Anyone who suggests that Odysseus is troubled by this mass killing is missing the point of the story.)”

Ultimately, The Odyssey is “an epic, an adventure story, and a Greek audience roots for the destruction of evil characters in the same way that we root for the destruction of the villains in film noir, Westerns, or the [Marvel Comic Universe]”.

Andy Burnham has officially been crowned as the leader of the Labour Party, meaning he is days away from being de facto prime minister.

The Makerfield MP will have to wait until Monday to formally take over from Keir Starmer in No.10, as a quirk in the rules means he could not take both titles on the same day.

Burnham ran uncontested to be the next leader of the largest party in the Commons with the support of more than 350 of Labour’s 403 MPs.

In his first speech as Labour leader, he promised he would help to give Brits “hope back”.

He said his supporters “heard the call from the people of Makerfield on behalf of forgotten places everywhere, up and down this country, for a return of the Labour they once knew”.

He added: “And now we answer that call. We will be that version of Labour again.”

Burnham, who has run three times to lead the party, promised he is “ready” to lead Labour now after his nine-year stint as Greater Manchester mayor.

He also praised Starmer for making the party electable after its shocking defeat in the 2019 general election.

He then began to outline what changes he wants to implement, promising: “Change starts with honesty.

“We must recognise that this generation of politicians, myself included, have failed to challenge a political culture and an economic model that simply doesn’t work well enough for ordinary people.

“Four decades of neoliberalism that began in the 1980s have not been kind to the places that built our party, nor to the communities across the UK in rural and coastal areas. So we pledge today to them to be better.”

He added that the public has given his party a “last chance” to implement change – and that he will take the country in a direction which is “distinctively Labour”.

Burnham made five promises to improve the party, too.

He said he would work to build a “new politics”, change Labour’s “political direction”, be a leader for the entirety of the UK, take power back from Westminster and Whitehall and work to stop Labour in-fighting.

Burnham has had a rapid ascent to Downing Street in recent months.

Support for the then-Greater Manchester mayor started to rise as Starmer’s successor after the party’s disastrous performance in the May elections in England, Scotland and Wales.

However, as he did not have a seat in the Commons, Burnham was not able to challenge Starmer’s premiership.

So Josh Simons, Makerfield MP, stood aside to trigger a by-election and give Burnham a chance to return to the Commons.

His comfortable victory over Reform UK last month only strengthened calls for Starmer to step down.

The prime minister subsequently resigned and Labour MPs rushed to endorse Burnham.

There is still plenty of mystery around what Burnham intends to do in office as he avoided any major press conferences and is yet to announce who he wants in his cabinet.

But he insisted today that he “has a plan” and that he will “not change”, staying loyal to his style.

“I have listened and learned as I have gone along, you’ll be pleased to know. And hopefully I’ve got better as a result,” Burnham said. “You can be sure of this: I know what I believe after 25 years as an elected Labour representative, and I know what I want to do with you all. I have a plan.

“What I also want you to know is I won’t change. I have a style and it’s my style. I will always stay close to the ground, close to the people.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.