The Guardian - March 14, 2025

In this issue

March 14, 2025

Putin questions ceasefire plan and sets string of conditions

Vladimir Putin said yesterday that he had many questions about the proposed US-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine, and appeared to set out a series of sweeping conditions to be met before Russia would agree to such a truce.

4 mins

Streeting scraps NHS England in 'high-stakes' push to improve care

Wes Streeting has ordered a \"high-stakes\" reorganisation of the NHS that will scrap 10,000 jobs in an effort to free up cash for frontline care.

4 mins

Noel Clarke's wife tells court in libel case his accusers are liars

Noel Clarke's wife has said his accusers are liars who have deliberately fabricated sexual misconduct claims about him.

2 mins

Trump threatens 200% tariffs on wine and champagne from the EU

Donald Trump has threatened a 200% tariff on wine and champagne from European Union countries, in the latest escalation in the global trade war started by the US president against America's biggest trading partners.

2 mins

Appreciation Jess Cartner-Morley 'Sentimental' hire who proved everyone wrong

When Donatella Versace took over the house of Versace in the aftermath of her brother Gianni's murder in 1997, most observers privately assumed her reign would be no more than a postscript.

2 mins

Donatella Versace hails brother Gianni as she steps down from fashion brand

For the first time in almost 50 years, Versace will no longer be designed by a Versace.

3 mins

Make or break? First concrete move to reshape health service

Since Labour won power last July, Keir Starmer has repeatedly affirmed his deep affection for the NHS, close family ties to it, and his determination to reform it.

3 mins

NHS England What does it do, and why is it being scrapped?

NHS England, the body that has run the NHS in England since 2013, is being abolished.

2 mins

Looking for efficiency savings? This speech could have been written and delivered by AI

Call it Project Chainsaw. It usually takes a government a couple of years or so to blame the government for stopping it from achieving what it wants to do.

2 mins

Labour's plans for cuts to disability benefits would not work, says Balls

The former shadow chancellor Ed Balls has criticised plans for cuts to disability benefits, saying on his podcast it was \"not going to work\".

2 mins

Bill that keeps rising Why Starmer is seeking to cut welfare spending

Welfare spending has ballooned in recent years to support Britain's ageing and increasingly unwell population.

1 min

The net widens Disclosure increases scope of FoI requests

When Tony Blair looked back on his time in power, he had a simple assessment of his decision to introduce the Freedom of Information Act (FoI): \"You idiot.\"

2 mins

AI Technology minister asks ChatGPT for policy advice

Peter Kyle, the secretary of state for science and technology, has asked ChatGPT for advice on a range of work-related issues, including why British businesses are not adopting artificial intelligence and what podcasts he should appear on.

2 mins

Artists have the power to stand up for truth, says festival chief

Musicians and artists should challenge disinformation and cynicism in global politics by standing up for fundamental truths, the violinist Nicola Benedetti has said.

2 mins

Posthumous Faithfull EP to be released on Record Store day

Four new songs recorded by Marianne Faithfull in the year before her death are to be released as an EP for Record Store Day on 13 April.

1 min

The DMZ worked in Korea - but could China and the west enforce it over 1,200-mile front?

Ending a war is seldom straightforward. Though Ukraine signed up to a 30-day ceasefire proposal following discussions with the US in Jeddah this week, the joint statement does not begin to explain how a halt in fighting might be enforced.

2 mins

Pollution Destruction of dam 'had effects like Chornobyl'

The destruction of a large Ukrainian dam in 2023 triggered a \"toxic time-bomb\" of environmental harm, a study has found.

3 mins

Met officer loses discrimination case over being called 'numpty'

A long-serving Metropolitan police sergeant has failed in his attempt to sue the force for discrimination because a more senior officer called him a \"numpty\".

1 min

En Vogue singer reveals she has lived in her car for years

Dawn Robinson, a founding member of the US R&B group En Vogue, has revealed she has been living in her car for years.

1 min

Astronauts' prolonged stay on ISS may finally be nearing end

After an unplanned eight-month stay at the International Space Station, the US astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams's space odyssey looks as if it is finally coming to an end.

2 mins

UN judge found guilty of forcing young woman to work as her slave

A UN judge has been convicted of forcing a young woman to work as a slave who she \"exploited and abused\".

1 min

Urgent adult mental health crisis referrals double, says watchdog

Urgent adult referrals to mental health crisis teams in England more than doubled between 2023 and 2024, the healthcare watchdog said yesterday, adding that people were becoming more unwell while waiting for help from overstretched services.

2 mins

‘Pimping’ episode of Tate podcast removed from Spotify

Spotify has removed an Andrew Tate podcast following complaints from users including an online petition signed by more than 85,000 people.

1 min

Letby police widen scope of hospital inquiries 'to include senior leaders'

Police investigating the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby worked have widened their inquiries to include gross negligence manslaughter by senior leaders.

2 mins

Campaign to save rare tree species painted by Constable

Captured by John Constable in one of his most celebrated paintings, the black poplar tree was once as common as oak and beech in Britain.

2 mins

Teenager to serve at least 23 years in prison for murdering girl, 15

A teenager has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a 15-year-old girl after a row over a teddy bear in south London.

2 mins

Staley says admitting in court to sex with Epstein employee has put marriage at risk

The former bank boss Jes Staley has claimed his honesty in court has put his marriage \"at risk\" after his lawyer complained that forcing him to disclose he had sex with a member of Jeffrey Epstein's staff had resulted in \"public humiliation\".

2 mins

Whole-life order for Sara Sharif's father rejected

The father of Sara Sharif will not serve a whole-life order for her murder after the court of appeal rejected a bid to increase his 40-year sentence.

1 min

Stage review Americana meets Austen again - but chemistry is harder to find

If you cross a high-school movie with Jane Austen's comedy of manners, what do you get? Clueless, of course.

2 mins

Israeli attacks on women's healthcare in Gaza amount to genocidal acts, UN says

Israel's systemic attacks on women's healthcare in Gaza amount to \"genocidal acts\", and Israeli security forces have used sexual violence as a weapon of war to \"dominate and destroy the Palestinian people\", a UN report states.

2 mins

US Measles Outbreak Spreads as RFK Repeats False Claims on Jab

The US measles outbreak continues to spread in areas of west Texas and New Mexico and has now reached several other states, including Pennsylvania, California, and Oklahoma.

2 mins

Court moves to reinstate thousands of workers fired in Trump's federal cull

A federal judge in California granted a preliminary injunction yesterday to reinstate thousands of fired probationary workers at federal agencies as part of a lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union.

2 mins

Judge orders Musk and Doge to turn over cost-cutting records

Elon Musk and his so-called \"department of government efficiency\", or Doge, have been ordered by a federal judge to turn over a wide array of records that would reveal the identities of staffers and internal records related to efforts to aggressively cut federal government spending.

2 mins

Woman who lived to age 117 had gut bacteria like that of an infant

A study of the microbiome of the woman who was the world's oldest living person before she died last August at the age of 117 has revealed that the genes she inherited allowed her cells to essentially feel and behave as if they were 17 years younger than they actually were.

1 min

Baby wombat snatcher could be in breach of Australian visa

A US hunting influencer who posted a video online of herself snatching a baby wombat from its mother is being investigated for a potential breach of her Australian visa.

1 min

Duterte accepts responsibility for 'war on drugs' after his arrest

The former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has said he accepts full responsibility for his government's so-called \"war on drugs\" in a video message filmed onboard a plane shortly before he was taken into the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

2 mins

Azerbaijan and Armenia agree deal to end decades-long conflict

Azerbaijan and Armenia have successfully wrapped up peace talks aimed at resolving their decades-long conflict.

1 min

Mung bean sarnie? Egg prices give New York classic a twist

Like a yellow taxi or the pizza rat, the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich has become a symbol of New York City.

2 mins

Greens unconvinced by Merz's €500bn defence proposal

Germany's chancellor-in-waiting has tried to win over the Greens with his ambitious but controversial plans to raise the country's defence spending.

2 mins

'80 Years of Deception' Film Makes Case That Aliens Are Here on Earth

A splashy documentary that asserts the presence of extraterrestrial life on Earth and alleges a US government effort to hide information on possible alien activity is causing a stir at the SXSW festival.

2 mins

Car industry calls for fresh incentives for electric vehicles

Fresh incentives to boost a flatlining electric car market are urgently needed, according to the UK automotive industry, whose leaders called on the government to \"revisit the mandate\" for zero-emission vehicles (ZEV).

1 min

Deliveroo's bumpy ride pays off as it makes money for first time

Deliveroo has made an annual profit for the first time, three years after a disastrous stock market listing that earned the takeaway delivery company the nickname \"flopperoo\".

2 mins

John Lewis staff denied bonus despite retailer tripling profits

John Lewis has tripled its annual profits, but staff at the employee-owned retail group that includes the Waitrose supermarket chain have missed out on a bonus for a third consecutive year.

2 mins

British food and drink exports to the EU down 34% since Brexit

British food and drink exports to the EU have tumbled by over a third since Brexit, according to new trade body figures highlighting how bureaucratic barriers have changed the relationship between the UK and its most important trading partner.

1 min

Taxi companies launch crowdfunder to continue legal fight against Uber

Two British taxi companies have launched a crowdfunding drive for the last leg of a lengthy legal battle with Uber to block a move that could result in higher cab fares.

2 mins

Ireland's pharma tax 'could be in jeopardy after Trump claims'

US pharmaceutical companies based in Ireland are more likely to shift profits back to the US than close manufacturing plants after Donald Trump accused Ireland of stealing American tax and jobs, experts say.

1 min

A tricky balance

Sailors crossing the Atlantic in March are used to rough seas. But when two shipments of steel from Marcegaglia Stainless Sheffield were slowed up in crossing the ocean by storms this week it meant more than a few days' extra journey: the metal was caught up in the global trade war started by the US president, Donald Trump, as well.

3 mins

Earl happy to take centre stage for England in Cardiff crunch

Ben Earl has said he would take a shift to playing at centre against Wales in his stride tomorrow after Steve Borthwick revealed the back-rower is the first cab off the rank in the event of injury.

1 min

'I don't feel the pressure': Hamilton stays cool for Ferrari debut

Lewis Hamilton has insisted he has nothing to prove and feels no pressure going into his first race for Ferrari at the Formula One season opener in Melbourne this weekend, with the seven-time champion simply revelling in what he described as the most exciting period of an already long and storied career.

3 mins

Sherratt calls for 'heart and brain' from Wales

Wales are aiming to surprise England with a combination of \"heart and brain\" when the two teams meet in Cardiff tomorrow.

2 mins

Galopin Des Champs Can Join The Greats With Third Gold Cup

Mullins' hot favourite has brutal, raw finishing power but has not been fully appreciated by British fans

3 mins

Day Four Hot Favourite Can Make History

Four of the six odds-on favourites over the first two days of this year's festival were beaten, leaving many punters in a deep hole ahead of the last day of the meeting today.

1 min

Wood set to miss India Test series after knee surgery

Mark Wood is likely to miss the entirety of England's Test series with India this summer after undergoing surgery on his left knee.

2 mins

Glover at head of pack after others struggle with spiteful Sawgrass

The 45-year-old finishes six under par and says he had to 'rein in being too aggressive'

3 mins

Uefa looks into penalty rule after Alvarez controversy

Uefa is to ask for a review of the double touch rule on penalty kicks, after \"clearly unintentional\" contact from Julian Alvarez cost Atlético Madrid in their last-16 Champions League shootout.

1 min

I think about it every day. I still have low moments'

Bristol City manager opens up on losing his baby son, how close he came to quitting and the promotion push

5 mins

'If we don't act now it might be too late'

Vivianne Miedema voices concern over the growing amount of fans abusing players in women's game

4 mins

Dewsbury-Hall puts gloss on Chelsea's stuttering progress

The Conference League is supposed to be where Chelsea live a little. This is a long way below Europe's elite and fans expect their team to overwhelm opponents who operate in much smaller financial circles. They are waiting for Enzo Maresca to prove that his positional play can dazzle.

2 mins

Fernandes hat-trick brings back winning feeling at Old Trafford

Manchester United's trophy hopes live to fight on against Lyon in the quarter-final after a swaggering display that battered Real Sociedad and must be the Ruben Amorim blueprint.

3 mins

Odobert steals show and breathes life into Tottenham's season

Ange Postecoglou can breathe again. The Spurs manager had been hoping that someone would step up to save their season and his salvation arrived in the shape of Wilson Odobert, with a little bit of help from James Madison.

3 mins

Szymanski double asks something extra of Rangers

An often pulsating, reliably frustrating 90 minutes left Rangers needing to summon a fresh wind if they were to overcome Fenerbahce.

3 mins

'Embarrassed' Dettori forced to file for bankruptcy

Frankie Dettori, one of the most successful and popular racing figures of recent decades, said in a statement yesterday that he is \"saddened and embarrassed\" at being forced to file for bankruptcy having failed to resolve a dispute over unpaid tax with HMRC.

1 min

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