NI Papers: 'Most critical strike action' dominates headlines

The Royal College of Nursing is staging strike action for the first time in 103 years

Wednesday's unprecedented strike action by nurses not surprisingly dominates Northern Ireland's newspaper front pages.

The strike action is described as "the most critical in the history of the health and social care system in Northern Ireland" in The Irish News.

Unison's Patricia McKeown adds the union "has never seen such determination in health workers".

The paper says the NI secretary has been urged to intervene.

It adds that Northern Ireland's politicians issued an 11th-hour appeal to Julian Smith on Tuesday night.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is staging strike action for the first time in 103 years and is being joined by other health unions.

The Belfast Telegraph also says that the NI secretary has been criticised for refusing to meet with Northern Ireland politicians in the hours before the strike.

But it adds there is anger in the Northern Ireland Office over the NI parties' late intervention.

Patricia McKeown from Unison said there is "still no action from those in power"

On Tuesday, they sent a joint letter to the Mr Smith which they said "provides cover" for him to intervene.

Inside, the paper's religion correspondent Alf McCreary says he paid £10,500 to have a hip replacement in Dublin, rather than suffer "agonising pain" waiting for two years in Northern Ireland.

He says his message to politicians is "there's no such thing as an orange or green hip".

The News Letter says patients are braced for strike action "on a scale never seen before in Northern Ireland".

It says ambulances will respond to only the most serious calls, while the Health and Social Care Board has said "numerous appointments and treatments have been cancelled".

The paper also quotes Mrs McKeown from Unison, who says: "There is still no action from those in power.

"It would appear that health workers, patients and the public are being used as pawns in a political game."

The Daily Mirror reports that more than a quarter of the UK's recent homeless deaths happened in Northern Ireland, according to the Human Rights Commission

According to the Human Rights Commission, 205 homeless people died in Northern Ireland over an 18-month period

It says 205 homeless people died in Northern Ireland over an 18-month period.

The commission's Les Allamby said he lamented the "practical consequences" of "the absence of an executive and assembly".

The Irish News says there are fears dissident republicans will target a criminal gang which abducted a man and woman in north Belfast on Sunday night and demanded £100,00 for their safe return.

The paper says the man freed himself from a van and his teenage stepdaughter was found a short time later after relatives heard her screams.

According to the paper the gang claimed to be from the INLA but this is not believed to actually be the case.

The News Letter says the daughter of a midwife who lost her life while swimming in the sea off Ballycastle earlier this month has raised thousands of pounds for the Air Ambulance.

Family and friends of Deirdre McShane held a vigil at Ballycastle beach earlier this month

Deirdre McShane, a mother of two, died while swimming with a friend.

The paper says that within hours of lunching an online fundraiser, Ms McShane's daughter Roisin had raised £5,000,

Finally, the Belfast Telegraph says that the Giant's Causeway has been named as the UK's third most booked visitor destination during 2019 by TripAdvisor.

It says only the Tower of London and Stonehenge received more bookings than the famous north coast attraction.

One US tourist described the Giant's Causeway as the most beautiful place in the world

Of the 11,000 reviews of the site, it adds, 72% rated it as excellent.

One US tourist, Melissa from Colorado, described it as "the most beautiful place in the world".