Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
Thursday’s front splashes feature pictures of the migrants rescued from the Channel. There had been reports of a migrant boat getting into trouble in the freezing waters and their dingy sinking. The pictures on the front pages show the migrants climbing on a British trawler. It has been reported that four people died in the crossing.
Migrants rescued from the Channel
The i newspaper reports they have heard a desperate voice message saying: “Water is coming in – please help.” The call was made by someone on board a boat to a French charity. The paper says a child can be heard crying as someone says “we have a family on the boat.”
The Times reports the boat’s skipper was woken by screams to find migrants clinging to the side of his boat in the freezing cold water. Ray Straches describes pulling five people on board saying it was “like something out of a Second World War movie” as people tried to swim to his boat.
Several of the papers feature a picture of a young man looking shocked, including the Telegraph, which says “saved after staring death in the face.”
Whilst the Sun reports that the gangs who traffick migrants to the UK charge those on the dinghy £5,000 for what the paper calls a “ticket to death.”
Nurses strike biggest in NHS history
Today’s nurses’ strikes across England, Northern Ireland and Wales lead several papers.
The right-wing papers look at the ‘damage’ that will be caused by the strikes. The Daily Telegraph has warned that longer strikes will be introduced in January and the ongoing dispute between the unions and the government could affect end-of-life care. The paper reports today’s action will hit thousands of operations and appointments for cancer patients.
The Daily Express strangely is standing with the nurses. The paper urges the government to “give nurses a deal and stop this madness.” The papers’ switch in allegiance may come due to the public support for the strikes. The paper highlights polls that suggest there is overwhelming public support for the strikes and only 27% oppose industrial action.
The Daily Mirror gives its entire page to the strikes and tells the nurses: “We are with you.” – As expected, the left-wing tabloid has long supported the unions and protecting the workers.
