Newspaper headlines: P&O sacks crew and 'Putin's Kyiv assault in doubt'

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By BBC News
Staff
PA Media

P&O Ferries sacked 800 staff yesterday, many of them through a pre-recorded video

Leading many of today's papers is the move by ferry operator P&O on Thursday to sack 800 of its workers and replace them with cheaper agency staff.

The Financial Times reports the company sent security teams to clear crew members from its ships and that no notice period had been given.

Its front page also features an image of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting a girl who was hospitalised while fleeing a Russian assault on the town of Vorzel.

The Sun's front page labels P&O a "bunch of anchors". The paper describes the "furious backlash" that followed the sackings and quotes a spokesman for the prime minister calling the dismissals "wholly unacceptable".

"Mutiny on P&O ferries," reads the headline in the Metro.

The front page reports that many of the company's staff refused to leave their vessels after being told of their dismissal.

It also carries a quote from Mr Zelensky, who on Thursday told German leaders: "Tear down this wall!"

In an address to Germany's parliament, Mr Zelensky said Russia was trying to build a new type of Berlin Wall to divide Europe between freedom and oppression.

The Mail also dubs events at UK ports on Thursday "mutiny on the P&O ferries".

The paper reports that some of the security personnel sent in to remove crew from ships were wearing balaclavas and carrying handcuffs.

P&O is described as being "up ship creek" on the front page of The Star.

The paper also reports on the death of British actor Peter Bowles, best known for starring in 1980s sitcom To The Manor Born, aged 85.

The Express says P&O's behaviour on Thursday was a "betrayal".

The front page reports that one ship's captain, Dutchman Eugene Favier, locked his ship down to stop workers being escorted off.

The page also features a picture of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who landed back in the UK early on Thursday after being released from detention in Iran, posing for a selfie with husband Richard Ratcliffe and seven-year-old daughter Gabriella.

Nazanin arrived back in the UK in the early hours of the morning

The same selfie of Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe and family takes up much of the front page of the Guardian.

The paper also reports that six countries - the UK, US, France, Albania, Ireland, and Norway - have requested an urgent meeting of the UN Secrity Council to discuss alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

It quotes UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as saying there was "very, very strong evidence" of war crimes by Russian forces.

The i reports that Vladimir Putin may be forced to abandon plans to send troops into Ukrainian capital Kyiv in favour of aerial bombardment.

The paper says Western intelligence believes Russian advances have stalled due to fierce resistance and supply problems.

Russia's military setbacks are also the subject of the front page of The Times.

The paper reports that the country's forces are being held off around Kyiv and second city Kharkiv and have had to summon troops from other deployments.

The Mirror has an exclusive report on a group of mothers who have been carrying out missions to rescue children from Kyiv.

The women, who it dubs the "band of mothers", have reportedly rescued 227 children so far.

And The Telegraph reports on an alleged attempt by Russian imposters to pose as Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in a video call with UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

It says that Home Secretary Priti Patel was also targeted and that the calls appeared to be part of an operation to extract sensitive information and embarrass the UK government.