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In today’s newsletter: After a week of speculation, Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was ready to replace his military chief – why, and what now?
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Good morning. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, is perhaps the only man in Ukraine who is more popular than its president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Now, after months of speculation about his future and a week-long frenzy over whether Zaluzhnyi (above left) had been asked to step aside, there finally seems to be clarity: Zelenskiy has admitted publicly that he is seeking to replace him, as part of a broad reset. “I have something serious in mind, which is not about a single person but the direction of the country’s leadership,” said Zelenskiy. “I mean a replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military.”
Mental health | The number of children referred to emergency mental healthcare in England has soared by more than 50% in three years, according to data laying bare the impact of lengthy waiting lists. The increase means more than 600 mentally ill children are deterioriating to crisis point each week.
Israel-Gaza war | Israel has said it has informed the families of 31 people held in Gaza since 7 October that their relatives are dead. The news came as the Qatari prime minister said Hamas had given a “generally positive” response to proposals for a deal trading a break in the fighting and release of Palestinian prisoners for the return of more hostages.
US news | A federal appeals court has rejected Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from criminal prosecution on charges that he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results because it involved actions he took while president. The unanimous decision said the court rejected Trump’s argument that he had “unbounded authority to commit crimes”.
Dentistry | Rishi Sunak has been accused of making a U-turn on his pledge to restore NHS dentistry as experts say his new “recovery plan” does not offer enough money to incentivise dentists to take on extra NHS patients. The British Dental Association (BDA) has said the £200m pledged is less than half of the underspends in the budget expected this year.
Monarchy | The Duke of Sussex has returned to the UK, making an emergency dash from the US to see the king after Charles’s cancer diagnosis. King Charles made his first appearance in public since his diagnosis was announced, and smiled and waved at well-wishers during the drive.
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