Ministers to hold Cobra meetings as country faces wave of walkouts

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( December 12, 2022 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Public braced for walkouts as ministers accused of ‘dangerous’ attitude to strikes]( Ministers have been accused of a “dangerous” attitude toward strikes as the country braces itself for a wave of walkouts that threaten to bring parts of Britain to a standstill. The government will [hold an emergency Cobra meeting]( today as the country braces for a week of industrial action. Intensified plans to call up the military and civil servants will be discussed at the meeting. A second will be held just two days later, less than 24 hours before an unprecedented strike by nurses is due to begin. But just hours after they warned patients would face “significant” risks, ministers rejected an offer from nursing leaders to suspend Thursday’s action in return for pay talks with the health secretary. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting accused ministers of a “dangerous” and “irresponsible” stance and said they had turned down a proposition “too good to refuse”. As the government steps up its contingency planning, armed forces personnel are being sent to hospitals across the country to familiarise themselves with vehicles ahead of planned ambulance strikes on December 21. Ministers also confirmed military staff and others are being trained to support a range of services, including Border Force at airports and ports, amid fears of travel misery this Christmas. Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden said unions had threatened to cause “disruption for millions of hardworking people” and accused them of putting livelihoods at risk “in order to push their pay demands to the front of the queue”.   2 / [Four children fighting for life after being pulled from freezing water]( Authorities continue to search lake, after being informed that up to six children were playing at the time of the incident 3 / [He was tortured by Russia – now he’s getting his revenge]( In Kharkiv, Balakiya and Izyum, [Bel Trew]( meets the ordinary citizens who have become the secret weapon in the fight against Putin 4 / [UK airports forced shut by snow as motorists urged not to travel]( Demand for driver-only operation of trains ‘could block resolution of dispute’ 5 / [Inside England’s ‘forgotten corner’ with three of the towns hit hardest by inflation]( As The Independent shines a spotlight on the challenges facing the UK, we speak to businesses and locals in some of the towns hardest-hit by inflation     The Big Question Can magic help us nail our work/life balance? Ask the cards a question,” urges Annie Ridout. I peer into the Zoom window at the palm-sized deck in her hand and feel just a little bit foolish. Nevertheless, I take a breath and ask what I really came here to ask. It’s a big question, one that could change the entire direction of my next decade. Annie draws a card and holds it up – the Four of Wands. She reads the caption on it, writes Lucy Thackray. “Success. You have reached a period of stability after all your hard work. This may also denote a time of repose or recovery after certain challenges and hardships have finally passed…” Despite having zero attachment to tarot as a concept, I feel a prick of emotion. I’ve been dancing around a point during an hour of talking through my personal goals and frustrations, and the card seems to make it simple for me. It’s so dead-on that I repeat one of the words on the card absentmindedly as soon as she says it. “Peace”. Annie is a life coach and career guide who reckons magic is the key to success. Am I really just about to make a major life decision based on the card she’s turned over? When Annie was a teen, she found a spell book in a dusty alternative shop in Brighton. Giddy with an early crush, she bought it and cast a spell on the object of her affection. To her delight, he suddenly took an interest in her. At university, she was agonising over whether to stay or leave a course she felt was wrong for her, when her mother pulled out a deck of oracle cards. “Ask the cards,” she said sagely. She can’t remember the exact card drawn, but the message seemed clear: get the heck out of there. [For the full story click here >](   Enjoying this newsletter? Unlock unlimited, ad-free reading on the website and in The Independent app when you subscribe – plus, benefit from our [welcome offer when you join today](. Watch/ [The World Cup 2022 quarter-finals bring shock and mayhem | You Ask The Questions](   NUMBER OF THE DAY 25 Nasa’s 25-day [Artemis I mission]( came to a dramatic close on Sunday morning, as an unmanned Orion capsule returned from its trip around the moon to reenter Earth’s atmosphere, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico. [Read more here](   QUOTE OF THE DAY “I won’t dig in if he doesn’t dig in.” – Pat Cullen, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said she was willing to suspend strike action if Mr Barclay agreed to come to the table and discuss a deal. She also suggested that she was flexible on pay demands. [Read more here](     Other stories you might like   [Revealed: ‘Appalling’ reality of healthcare inside the Home Office’s asylum hotels](   [Strike: Troubled Blood review – This drama should be cherished. It’s the BBC at its best](   [Iran executes second prisoner amid nationwide protests challenging theocracy](       Articles available exclusively to subscribers [Keiran Pedley](, The Independent -[Rishi Sunak’s big problem is Britain is suffering from ‘Tory fatigue’](   Other newsletters you might like [The Race Report] The Race Report Fortnightly, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White [Sign up]( [Inside Politics] Inside Politics Weekdays, 8am (UK time) Written by Matt Mathers [Sign up](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). 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