good afternoon. rail passengers are facing fresh disruption with the start of another wave of strikes in long running disputes over pay, jobs and conditions. today it s train drivers from the aslef union, taking strike action at 15 rail companies some of which won t be running any services at all. tomorrow an aslef overtime ban could mean more disruption. then, on friday, other rail workers, from the rmt union, will go on strike. before more action by aslef drivers on saturday, affecting travel to events such as the fa cup final. our correspondent ben king reports. busy rail hubs were unusually calm as train drivers at the aslef union walked out over pay and working conditions. here at manchester piccadilly, there were no trains from avanti piccadilly, there were no trains from ava nti west piccadilly, there were no trains from avanti west coast, no east midlands. great western, south coast and cross country are also affected as well. aslef has rejected a pay rise of 4% for
professional and you see with the gesture that players have done for the fans as well. we were hurting but ultimately that was a couple of days ago now and our focus but ultimately that was a couple of days ago now and ourfocus is on thursday and we are going to approach that with the full belief that we can get a positive result. i have to make sure that our players are ready have to make sure that our players are ready for tomorrow. facing a good are ready for tomorrow. facing a good appointment, so it s a good team, good appointment, so it s a good team, good players and we are having a certain team, good players and we are having a certain circumstance and i have to make a certain circumstance and i have to make sure a certain circumstance and i have to make sure that they are focused and have energy and i have on the front foot to have energy and i have on the front foot to go have energy and i have on the front foot to go into battle. the have energy and
hello and welcome to bbc news. the author sir salman rushdie has reportedly been taken off a ventilator and is able to speak again after he was stabbed in new york state. there s been no official confirmation from the hospital in pennsylvania where he s being treated although us media outlets say the news was confirmed by his agent. our north america correspondent nomia iqbal reports. a day after sir salman rushdie was stabbed, he is now said to be awake and off a ventilator. the author s condition has not yet been fully updated, but fellow writers have been tweeting their relief at finding out he s able to talk. michael hill, the president of the chautaqua institution where mr rushdie was attacked, tweeted his happiness at the news. this comes as the man accused of attempting to murder him appeared in court. 24 year old hadi matar was arrested at the literary event. he had bought a ticket to attend. onlookers had held the suspect down as the author lay on the stage injured.
heatwave of the very hot days in this current heatwave. we have some showers and thunderstorms in the forecast on the north thunderstorms in the forecast on the north and thunderstorms in the forecast on the north and west and they will become more widespread over the next few days days. good days. - good morning, t good morning, he worst start for a manchester- united manager for more than 100 years. - erik ten hag s side lose against. they re humiliated and drop - to bottom of the premier league, as brilliant brentford hit four. it s sunday the 14th of august. our main story: the author sir salman rushdie has reportedly been taken off a ventilator and is able to talk again. the 75 year old was stabbed while speaking at an event in new york state on friday. his agent confirmed the news to us media, after previously saying the author may lose an eye. our north america correspondent nomia iqbal is in pennsylvania where mr rushdie is in hospital. a day after sir salman r
will immediately be targeted by ukrainian forces. prosecutions for breaching covid restrictions have been dropped against six people who attended a vigil in london for sarah everard in march 2021. firefighters in france say a huge forest fire in the gironde region is now being contained after overnight rain. and warnings in the uk over the use of disposable barbecues hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world. more on all those stories in a minute, but let s start with some breaking news from egypt, where at least 41 people are feared dead and dozens injured after a fire inside a church. sources told the reuters news agency that the electrical fire broke out as 5,000 worshippers gathered for mass at the abu sifin church in the imbaba region in giza, causing a stampede. the author sir salman rushdie has reportedly been taken off a ventilator and is able to speak again after he was stabbed in new york state. there s been no official confirmation from the