• As part of a cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed Grant Shapps as the UK's new defense secretary. The role is Shapp's seventh within the cabinet since 2012. BBC News
• The role is also his fifth cabinet position in a year — he notably held the position of home secretary under former Prime Minister Liz Truss for six days. Shapps stated that he was "honoured" to lead the ministry of defense and promised to continue to oppose Russia's "barbaric invasion" of Ukraine. Evening Standard
• Shapps resigned from his role as Conservative party chairman in 2015 following accusations he failed to deal with a culture of bullying — the incident came after controversy over Shapps holding a second job during David Cameron's premiership under the pseudonym Michael Green. POLITICO
• Ben Wallace — who led the Defense Dept. for four years — resigned on Thursday to "explore new opportunities," as stated in his letter to Sunak. Wallace had announced his intention to step down earlier this summer. Guardian (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• Though Shapps has said he is "looking forward to working with the brave men and women of our Armed Forces," his appointment has led to criticism from opposition MPs, who have cited Shapp's lack of military experience. Sky News
• Despite the accusations, Shapps has engaged in the conflict in Ukraine and visited Kyiv last week. Shapp's family also hosted Ukranian refugees in their home last year, following Putin's initial invasion. Independent (LR: 2 CP: 3)

Right narrative:

• While Shapps may not be the most experienced choice for defense secretary, he's widely seen as an effective communicator and a safe pair of hands. It's a complicated brief, but Shapps will undoubtedly rise to the opportunity.
  Spectator (UK) (LR: 5 CP: 5)

Left narrative:

• At a time when global international relations are in crisis and the Russia-Ukraine conflict risks escalating into a global war, the UK is taking a massive risk in appointing someone with no experience in defense to this key role in cabinet. The tories are more concerned with their electoral chances than global stability.
  Times

Nerd narrative:

• There's a 98% chance that Rishi Sunak will remain Prime Minister of the UK on January 1, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
  Metaculus (LR: 3 CP: 3)