Putin's power 'ebbing away'

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [The Independent]( June 26, 2023 [View online](   [Morning Headlines]( 1 /[Putin’s power ‘ebbing away’ as Russian president disappears after Wagner rebellion]( An attempted uprising by mercenaries has [revealed cracks in Vladimir Putin’s authority](, according to the US secretary of state. Anthony Blinken said the revolt was a “direct challenge of Putin’s authority”. The mutiny by the [Wagner Group](, which saw its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin order his troops to march on [Moscow](, left the Russian president hiding from public view on Sunday after being forced into an amnesty deal. Though the astonishing revolt was short-lived – with the fighters withdrawing under the agreement that saw Mr Prigozhin exiled to Belarus – it has raised questions about Mr Putin’s grip on power. The Russian president has not commented publicly since the deal was struck to de-escalate one of the biggest challenges since he rose to power more than two decades ago. He said he was giving top priority to the conflict in [Ukraine]( in excerpts from an interview aired by state television on Sunday, but it appeared to have been recorded before the rebellion. Speaking on Sunday, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken said the revolt was a “direct challenge of Putin’s authority”. Mr Blinken said the turmoil has weakened Mr Putin in ways that could aid Ukraine’s counteroffensive.   2 /[Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, diagnosed with breast cancer]( Spokesperson says duchess has already undergone ‘successful’ surgery 3 / [Furious row as Rishi Sunak accused of weaponising trans debate to win votes]( Wes Streeting said prime minister was using equality ‘as a ‘wedge issue’ in an ugly culture war’ 4 /[NHS performing ‘substantially less well’ than similar countries, says damning report]( Britain has fewer hospital beds and higher avoidable mortality than many of its peers 5 / [Elton John at Glastonbury: The glitziest, most high-energy retirement party the world has ever seen]( People were ready for a spectacle and the Rocket Man delivered THE BIG QUESTION Could the spate of mysterious killer whale boat attacks be spreading beyond Gibraltar? A pod of [orcas]( and their suspected ringleader, a [matriarch named Gladis](, are gaining increasing notoriety for repeatedly ramming into boats in the Strait of [Gibraltar](, conjuring somewhat romantic images of a long-overdue fightback by the natural world. While the reality is far murkier, what is clear is that [killer whales]( have been interacting with human vessels to an extent not previously reported, at times with terrifying consequences. In one of several harrowing encounters, a sailing yacht named Alboran Champagne sank as its crew watched on from lifeboats, after damage inflicted by multiple orcas ramming into the vessel miles from the Spanish coastline caused it to flood. That was one of at least 20 interactions last month alone, in a phenomenon that has perplexed scientists since boats [first began to report orchestrated “sledgehammer”-like treatment]( by killer whales in the region in July 2020. [For the full article click here]( Enjoy a year of unlimited digital access for just £99 £20 ✓ Full access to Premium news analysis ✓ Advert-free reading across web and app ✓ The Independent Daily Edition newspaper ✓ Puzzles, virtual event tickets and more [SUBSCRIBE NOW](   Watch / [Princess of Wales plays doubles tennis with Roger Federer at Wimbledon]( NUMBER OF THE DAY 32.2C – The UK basked in another scorcher of a day on Sunday, the joint hottest of the year so far. Temperatures hit 32.2C in Conningsby, Lincolnshire - the same temperature it reached in Chertsey, Surrey, on 10 June. [Read more]( QUOTE OF THE DAY “It turns out he’s just as much of a mendacious, narcissistic sociopath as his previous boss.” – Comedian [Ben Elton]( launched an astonishing attack on [Rishi Sunak]( on the [BBC]( on Sunday – accusing the PM of being a “narcissistic sociopath” and urging viewers to kick the Conservatives out. 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