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Rail passengers are facing fresh travel chaos today as train drivers hold another strike leaving large parts of the country with no services all day.

Members of Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.

Operators said there would be severe disruption, with trains that do run due to start later and finish much earlier than usual – typically between 7.30am and 6.30pm.

Saturday morning services are also expected to be affected.

Read more:
Who is going on strike and when?

The rail industry has criticised the rejection of an offer which would give drivers an 8% pay rise over two years, taking average salaries up from nearly £60,000 a year, to almost £65,000.

Simon Weller, assistant general secretary of Aslef, said the dispute was going “backwards” because of the lack of progress in months of talks.

“I don’t know whether to point the finger of blame at the ineptitude of the Department for Transport or the Rail Delivery Group.

“We would struggle to recommend a deal of a 4% pay rise for last year and 4% this year if there were no conditions attached, but we are being asked to give up collective bargaining and effectively agree to a no-strike deal.

“Obviously it was going to be rejected – it was designed to fail.”

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said: “To minimise the impact of the Aslef action, we advise passengers to check before they travel, allow extra time and find out when their first and last train will depart.”

It will be the second strike by train drivers this week, after they took part in the huge day of industrial action on Wednesday.

Other professions who walked out included teachers, university staff, civil servants, bus drivers and security guards.

Around 1,900 members of Unite working as bus drivers for Abellio in London will complete a three-day strike on Friday in a separate dispute over pay.

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Meanwhile, train services between Scotland and England will be severely disrupted by the strike.

Cross-border services operated by CrossCountry, Transpennine Express and Avanti West Coast will not run on Friday.

LNER said it will run an amended service and Lumo, which run trains between Edinburgh and London, said it will aim to run as many services as possible.

No LNER trains will run any further north than Edinburgh, with trains between Edinburgh and London King’s Cross starting later and finishing earlier than usual.

ScotRail has reassured customers that all services would operate as normal this week.

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Kemi Badenoch calls on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq over property allegations

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Kemi Badenoch calls on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq over property allegations

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.

It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.

He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.

Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.

“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.

“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”

Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.

Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.

Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.

Kemi Badenoch
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Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister

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As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.

She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.

On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.

“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”

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Search area widened for missing sisters in Aberdeen

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Search area widened for missing sisters in Aberdeen

Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.

Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.

The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.

Eliza and Henrietta Huszti who were last seen on CCTV in Market Street.
Pic: Police Scotland/PA
Image:
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA

They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.

Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.

SN screengrab aberdeen city showing Victoria Bridge (looking north towards market street) re: missing sisters Eliza and Henrietta Huszti
Ingest_23_NM23_RGR_15_SAF_MISSING_SISTERS_ABERDEEN_GVS_ABERDEEN
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The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee

SN screengrab aberdeen city showing boat club. A potential location of missing sisters Eliza and Henrietta Huszti
Ingest_23_NM23_RGR_15_SAF_MISSING_SISTERS_ABERDEEN_GVS_ABERDEEN
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The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee

Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.

Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.

datawrapper map of aberdeen city showing location of police searches for missing sisters Eliza and Henrietta Huszti

Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.

“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”

The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.

Henrietta  Huszti who along with her sister, Eliza, were last seen on CCTV in Market Street.
Pic: Police Scotland/PA
Image:
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland

Eliza Huszti.
Pic: Police Scotland/PA
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Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland

Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.

Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.

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Katie Piper reveals artificial eye decision – 16 years after acid attack

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Katie Piper reveals artificial eye decision - 16 years after acid attack

TV presenter Katie Piper has revealed her decision to get an artificial eye, 16 years after an acid attack that left her with life-changing injuries and partial blindness.

The Loose Women panellist, 41, is an advocate for those with burns and disfigurement injuries.

She shared a video of her being fitted with the prosthetic on Instagram.

Piper said: “After many years battling with my eye health, I’ve reached the end of the road somewhat, and the decision has been made to try a prosthetic eye shell.

“This marks the start of a journey to have an artificial eye, with an incredible medical team behind me.

“As always I’m incredibly grateful to all those in the NHS and private health care system for their talent and kindness.

“I will share my journey, I’m hopeful and nervous about being able to tolerate it and would love to hear from any of you in the comments if you’ve been on this journey or have any advice.”

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Commenting on the post, presenter Lisa Snowdon said Piper was a “warrior” and a “true inspiration”.

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Piper has undergone hundreds of operations after suffering an acid attack arranged by her ex-boyfriend in March 2008.

She gave up her right to anonymity and made a documentary in 2009 called Katie: My Beautiful Face.

Piper also founded the Katie Piper Foundation which supports survivors of life-changing burns and scars, and has received an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Surgeons to mark her ground-breaking work.

She was made an OBE in 2021 for her services to charity and burn victims.

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