19/03/2025 06:58
The Guardian
In today’s newsletter: what chance does a backbench rebellion have of shifting the government’s plans to cut benefits?Good morning. After weeks of leaks and speculation, in parliament yesterday the work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, set out the government’s plan to cut the benefits bill. Her announcement covered a lot of ground, and she said that it was necessary to fix a system that is “failing the very people it is supposed to help and holding the country back”.When the dust settled, the consequences of that mission looked stark. In order to claw back £5bn a year by the end of the decade as the UK’s growth prospects worsen, the government is removing benefits for up to 1.2m people with disabilities – and cutting incapacity benefits in favour of a smaller rise for those who are able to seek work. Taken together, the changes are the biggest cuts to welfare since George Osborne was chancellor in 2015.Ukraine | Vladimir Putin has agreed to a limited ceasefire, halting attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, after a phone call with Donald Trump. But the Russian leader declined to commit to a month-long full truce, leaving the chances of a quick end to hostilities looking slim.Middle East | The wave of deadly airstrikes that shattered the ceasefire in Gaza is “only the beginning”, Benjamin Netanyahu has warned, promising that the new offensive would continue until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are freed. With more than 400 dead, the attack represented the single deadliest day since the first month of the war in 2023.UK news | A 19-year-old man who shot dead his mother and two younger siblings had planned to kill 30 children at a primary school, a court has heard. At a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors said that Nicholas Prosper wanted to “achieve lasting notoriety as a mass killer”.Society | Sir Gareth Southgate has expressed his concern that “callous, manipulative and toxic influencers” are taking the place of traditional father figures for isolated young men. Delivering the prestigious Richard Dimbleby Lecture on Tuesday, the former England manager warned that young men are being “tricked” into believing that “success is measured by money or dominance”.Space | Two Nasa astronauts stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024 finally arrived back on Earth on Tuesday evening, more than nine months after they were supposed to come home. Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore’s were stranded after the spacecraft which took them up had technical issues. Continue reading...
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