World
Zelensky set to fire top military boss Zaluzhny as Ukraine war effort risks collapse | World | News

Tensions are soaring between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhny, leading to rumours of the latter’s imminent dismissal or resignation.
The two are said to have been at odds since the beginning of Ukraine‘s counteroffensive when Kyiv failed to make a breakthrough against stalwart Russian defences.
Ukrainian and Western media have reported on rumours of Zaluzhny’s potential resignation or dismissal, although no decision appears to have been made yet.
Ukrainska Pravda reported that relations between the two men have soured to the point that Zelensky is now bypassing his Commander-in-Chief, speaking directly to other military commanders and hindering Zaluzhny’s ability to effectively command the Armed Forces.
Speaking to the outlet, a source close to Zaluzhny said: “There is an impression that Zelensky has divided the Armed Forces into two groups: the ‘good’ one commanded by Syrskyi and other favourites, and the ‘bad’ one subordinate to Zaluzhny.
“This greatly demotivates the commander-in-chief and, most importantly, prevents him from commanding the entire military.”
READ MORE: Vladimir Putin ally puts NATO on red alert with ’15 minute’ invasion warning
Zelensky sometimes makes military decisions for political reasons, further complicating the relationship between the two leaders, sources speaking to the Ukrainian outlet claimed.
One such decision was when Zelensky blanket-fired all regional enlistment officers to root out corruption, according to the sources, who said the politically expedient decision had complicated military implications.
Ukraine is facing a manpower shortage as it faces Russia‘s huge military – Vladimir Putin has many more men than Zelensky and the Russian President has shown a horrific willingness to sacrifice them.
Zaluzhny has offered a more sombre picture on the ground in Ukraine than Zelensky. Writing for The Economist last month, he argued the war had become a stalemate and that “there will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough”.
The comments are likely to have enraged Zelensky who is fighting for more equipment for an increasingly sceptical West and attempting to keep morale up in a country that has faced nearly two years of horror inflicted by Putin’s unprovoked war.
However, Zaluzhny is immensely popular among Ukrainians – rivalling even Zelensky himself – and it’s possible his dismissal or resignation could come back to haunt the wartime president.
Volodymyr Fesenko, a Kyiv-based political analyst, even suggested that some on the presidential team might see Zaluzhny as a political rival.
Speaking to NBC News, he said: “Zaluzhny is the second most popular person in Ukraine, and the presidential team sees him as a potential competitor.”
He continued: “It seems, they want to blame Zaluzhny for the problems at the front. However, given Zaluzhny’s popularity both in the army and in society, his dismissal or resignation could have very ambiguous consequences, including weakening the position of Zelensky himself.”
The Daily Express could verify the claims made in Ukrainian media and Zelensky himself has brushed off any internal strife as playing into Russia‘s hands. Still, it appears that the President and his top military man are at least at odds on the state of the war.
World
Horror on train as woman sexually assaulted during rush hour – police release new CCTV | World | News

Police have released a CCTV image after a woman was sexually assaulted on a busy train during rush hour on April 15. The terrifying attack happened on a train running between Leeds and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire during rush hour.
The grainy still shows a man with dark hair and a beard wearing black top with a silver zip and carrying a white JD Sports bag over his left shoulder. British Transport Police, which monitors the rail network for England, Wales and Scotland, said it believes the man “may have information which could help with their investigation”.
In a statement, the British Transport Police (BTP) said: “Do you recognise this man?
“Officers investigating a sexual assault on board a train between Leeds and Huddersfield have today released this image in connection.
“Shortly after 7pm on Tuesday, April 15, a man sexually assaulted a woman on the service. Officers believe the man in the image may have information which could help with their investigation.”
The statement added: “Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 25 of 16 April.
“Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
BTP officers cover over 10,000 miles of railway and 3,000 stations and depots. The force also polices the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, West Midlands Metro, Tramlink, part of the Tyne and Wear Metro, Glasgow Subway and the London Cable Car.
World
‘Realistic possibility’ Israel was behind Iran blast which killed 8 and injured 800 | World | News

Israel was probably behind the huge blast in Iran which killed eight people and injured 800. The explosion at Bandar Abbas occurred as the Islamic regime began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman. But its target is thought to have been a store of rocket fuel imported from China and bound for Yemen.
Authorities in Tehran moved quickly to deny any implication of sabotage, officially explaining that the accident was caused by a small fire which reached an “open container of chemicals”. Videos showed a huge billowing mushroom cloud, and the force of the blast destroyed a nearby building and shattered windows. Injured people lay on the roadside as authorities declared a state of emergency at hospitals across Bandar Abbas to cope with the influx of wounded.
However, early analysis suggests the explosion may have destroyed between 10,000 and 50,000 litres of liquid rocket fuel or related volatile propellants – a significant blow to Iran’s proxy supply chains.
Iran has increasingly relied on covert imports of rocket fuel components from China to bypass sanctions, with typical shipments delivering up to 20,000–25,000 litres per ISO tank container disguised as industrial chemicals.
Tel Aviv, for its part, has a history of targeting Iran’s rocket fuel facilities through suspected sabotage attacks. The most notable examples are the Khojir explosion of June 2020 and the Parchin site blast of May 2022.
Most analysts suspect the Khojir attack involved planting a shaped explosive charge inside or adjacent to a critical fuel storage or mixing facility, causing catastrophic secondary explosions. Both attacks were designed to resemble accidents, and both dealt major blows to Iran’s missile propellant capabilities.
Bandar Abbas serves as a key logistics hub for smuggling operations, including the type of liquid propellant used in Iranian ballistic missiles and larger drones sent to the regime’s last fully functioning proxy force – Ansar Allah, better known as the Houthi rebels.
Iranian security officials say “any speculation about the cause of the explosion is worthless”.
However, the regime’s silence may be a calculated attempt not to upset the United States, as Tehran seeks desperately needed sanctions relief through a new nuclear deal.
Donald Trump has already launched air strikes in Yemen in response to Houthi efforts to hold international shipping on the Red Sea to ransom, in protest against Israeli actions in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the US President is currently embroiled in a bitter trade war with China.
Israel, meanwhile, had become increasingly frustrated at the possibility that US-Iran talks could leave Tehran with a functioning nuclear infrastructure. It has, futhermore, been forced to refrain from launching direct air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities by Trump, who has indicated he wants to wait until the talks are concluded.
Regional experts at the Sibylline strategic risk group said there was “a realistic possibility that the explosion is a result of sabotage by a state actor,” though they did not specify Israel by name.
“In case of Iranian authorities blaming Israel, the risk of Iranian covert attacks in the form of kinetic sabotage or cyber attacks against Israeli and Israeli-affiliated targets will increase in the coming weeks,” they said in a report on the incident.
“However, Iran is currently unlikely to openly target the US, to avoid a breakdown of nuclear talks and US strikes against it.”
World
Vancouver LIVE: ‘Bodies everywhere’ as car rams through crowd killing multiple people | World | News

Multiple people are dead after a car drove into a crowd in Vancouver, Canada, in the early hours of Sunday morning (BST). The incident occurred at a street festival in the city. Multiple others have been left injured.
Vancouver Police confirmed that a “number of people” have been killed and “multiple others” injured, adding that the driver, a 30-year-old man from Vancouver, has been detained.
Eyewitness Yoseb Vardeh, a food truck operator, said he heard “an engine rev” before looking down the road and seeing “bodies everywhere”. “He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle,” he told Postmedia.
The Police statement said: “A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured after a driver drove into a crowd at a street festival at E. 41st Avenue and Fraser shortly after 8 p.m. tonight.
“The driver is in custody.
“We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds.”
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