Newslinks for Wednesday 19th March 2025

March 19, 2025

Putin rejects Trump’s ceasefire

“Vladimir Putin rejected Donald Trump’s proposal for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine after a “frank” phone call between the two presidents. Instead, the Russian leader agreed to a 30-day pause in attacks on energy and infrastructure and to hold further talks on stopping hostilities in the Black Sea. Putin also demanded that Ukraine not rearm or mobilise during the partial truce and called for a “complete cessation” of Western military and intelligence support to Kyiv. France and Germany vowed on Tuesday night to continue supplying weapons to Kyiv, raising doubts over whether a deal on Putin’s terms can hold. Shortly after the Trump-Putin call, explosions rang out and air sirens sounded over Kyiv, where authorities urged people to take cover from the threat of Russian aerial attacks.” – Daily Telegraph

Russia bombs energy plants hours after vowing to halt attacks – Daily Telegraph
Drone strikes immediately follow Trump-Putin talks – The Guardian
Putin bombs energy plant hours after ceasefire call with Trump – Daily Express
Russian President keeps ceasefire hopes on a knife edge after Trump call – The Times
Trump and Putin agree to partial ceasefire in Ukraine – Daily Express
Putin agrees to 30-day halt to attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid – The Guardian
And Putin lets Trump save face — but yields almost nothing to Ukraine – The Times
UK and EU in talks to accelerate arms to Ukraine before ceasefire – Bloomberg
Putin offers Trump ice hockey match – Daily Telegraph

Comment

>Today:

>Yesterday:

Government’s cuts ‘will fail to solve benefits crisis’

“Liz Kendall’s welfare reforms “lack vision and ambition” and will fail to solve Britain’s benefits crisis, economists have warned. The Work and Pensions Secretary unveiled major changes to the benefits system on Tuesday morning to save £5 billion a year by 2030. The overhaul includes restructuring access to a major disability benefit and blocking young people from claiming sickness benefit until the age of 22. Critics said the reforms were “disappointing” and did not go far enough. Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said the announcements were “too little too late”. Meanwhile, backbench Labour MPs, disability campaigners and charities strongly criticised the reforms and claimed some of the most vulnerable in society could lose thousands of pounds.” – Daily Telegraph

More than a million people on benefits to have payments cut – The Times
Labour unveils disability payment cuts that aim to save over £5bn – FT
Up to 1.2m disabled people will lose thousands in UK welfare overhaul, experts warn – The Guardian
Kendall struggles to sell ‘immoral and devastating’ disability benefits cut – The Guardian
Labour civil war as Kendall accused of causing ‘immense suffering’ by own MPs – Daily Express
Labour’s raid hasn’t gone far enough – they must toughen it up, top Tory slams – The Sun
Why Labour’s plans to drag sick Britain back to work are doomed to fail – Daily Telegraph
Gen Z with anxiety and depression to get universal credit cut – The i
Reeves plans more public sector cuts in Spring Statement – FT
Reeves’s Budget savaged by top Tory in brutal Commons attack – Daily Express

Comment

>Yesterday:

Lammy rebuked for claim Israel is breaking international law

“David Lammy will be forced to clarify his position on Israel after he was rebuked by No 10 for accusing Binyamin Netanyahu’s government of breaking international law. The foreign secretary surprised many in government when he explicitly accused Israel of committing war crimes twice during a Commons debate on Monday. Lammy said that Israel’s two-week blockade of food, fuel and medicine to Gaza was a “breach of international law”, the first time a government minister has said so.” – The Times

Foreign Secretary rows back assertion that Israel broke law – Bloomberg
Fears for Hamas hostages as Israel returns to war in Gaza – The Times
Netanyahu warns Israel’s renewed Gaza offensive ‘is only the beginning’ – The Guardian

Badenoch: Farage is a reality TV star – you don’t want him running your life

“Kemi Badenoch has dismissed Nigel Farage as a reality TV star who people don’t want running their lives, as she rejected calls to “unite the Right”. In an interview with The Telegraph, the Conservative leader argued the electorate should not confuse being entertaining with having policies to deliver in government. Mrs Badenoch said that “politics” was not “showbusiness” in a rare direct attack on the Reform leader, whose party is ahead of the Tories in opinion polls. She also rejected the idea that there was a plot among former Tory and Reform officials to “unite the Right”, saying the idea was “wishful thinking”.” – Daily Telegraph

Comment

>Today:

>Yesterday:

Don’t let civil servants get their hands on our academies, school leaders warn Phillipson

“Civil servants should not take control of academies under the Government’s education reforms, a leading trust boss has said. Michael Gosling, the chief executive of the Trinity Multi-Academy Trust of schools, said Labour’s planned reforms to academy schools threaten to remove their autonomy and “level down the best pupils to mediocrity”. Critics have claimed the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which reached its final report stage on Tuesday, will curb freedoms for academies – which are able to set their own pay and curriculum and are unpopular with some teaching unions.” – Daily Telegraph

Labour in hot water as election regulator probes Rayner’s ‘battle bus’

“The body in charge of overseeing elections in Britain has confirmed it is making inquiries into Angela Rayner’s battle bus, after allegations emerged about its use last July not being declared properly. Last month it was reported that the bright red coach used by the deputy Labour leader is now at the centre of a police investigation in Lancashire following complaints about Labour candidate Lizzie Collinge’s spending. Ms Collinge’s election expenses were declared at £18,446.96, just under the legal limit of £20,000. However, Ms Rayner’s battle bus, which visited the Morecambe constituency as part of the election campaign, was not included in Ms Collinge’s returns.” – Daily Express

Other political news

No trade-off between building new runways and airport expansion, says Transport Secretary – Daily Telegraph
Top secret documents about JFK assassination released – Daily Mail
Britain is ‘stagnating because of its immigration’, Vance says – Daily Mail
Bangladeshi authorities’ claims ‘false’, says Siddiq – The Times