What the papers say – March 18

Saturday’s front pages lead with a variety of stories but several feature the Princess of Wales celebrating St Patrick’s Day with the Irish Guards.

What the papers say (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Archive)

No one story dominates Saturday’s front pages with Putin, passports and politics among the splashes.

The Daily Telegraph leads with the issuing by the International Criminal Court of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes in Ukraine.

The Daily Star is one of the newspapers which leads with fears for holiday plans after the Public and Commercial Services union said Passport Office workers will strike for five weeks in an escalation of a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

The i says Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s post-Budget poll boost is not enough to suggest the Conservatives will win the next general election.

The Financial Times leads with a “week of madness” in the banking sector.

While The Guardian says NHS doctors are being offered £5,000 to work in the private sector.

The Daily Express suggests the BBC will face a revolt if the licence fee rises.

And the Daily Mirror claims a campaign victory after proposals to ban trophy hunting imports cleared the House of Commons.