Latest news with #Zaaiter
Mint
16-07-2025
- Climate
- Mint
The London Tube ‘feels like hell.' Efforts to cool it just make it hotter.
A century ago, the London Underground wooed passengers during the summer with the promise it was 'cooler below." That seems like a cruel joke today. 'It genuinely feels like hell down there," said Hussein Zaaiter, a London-based student. 'It's a free sauna on the Central line," he joked, referring to one of the Tube's hottest train lines. Riding the Tube during the summer has long been an unpleasant, sweaty experience. The bad news for Londoners is that the Tube isn't just hot, it's getting hotter. And figuring out how to cool it down presents challenges that air conditioning can't easily fix. Engineers have spent decades trying everything from industrial fans to giant blocks of ice to temper the sweltering subterranean climate, but a remedy remains elusive. Heat has been steadily building below the surface ever since the world's oldest underground transportation system opened in 1863. Across all lines, average temperatures increased by 1 to 3 degrees Celsius over the past 10 years, according to measurements from Transport for London. Summer temperatures on the Tube now regularly exceed 30 degrees Celsius, or 86 degrees Fahrenheit, the legal limit for transporting cattle, pigs and sheep in the U.K. The temperature at the surface doesn't really affect the temperature in the tube. Throughout the summer, the tube maintains a fairly constant 86 degrees, while the surface wobbles between lows in the 50s at night and as high as 104 degrees during the day. The busy Central Line is one of the transit system's deeper lines, where narrow tunnels have made it difficult to add air conditioning to trains. Zaaiter has ridden the Paris Metro and the New York subway, but 'it's never as bad," he said. For Verity Walker, a musical-theater actress in London, the heat underground has a habit of sticking with her. 'I'm turning up to auditions, and I'm worried I smell," she said. 'The price should be decreased in the summer because of the conditions." Climate activists turned the Tube into their personal sauna, riding around the city in their bathrobes and hair towels to raise awareness about the heat. Experts pin the Tube's hot mess on its tight Victorian-era tunnels, which restrict air circulation, especially on deeper lines. Moreover, London's bedrock is composed of a dense, stiff clay that absorbs and retains warmth. Every day, friction from accelerating and braking trains generates more heat. Even carelessly discarded newspapers obstruct air vents behind seats and trap hot air in train cars, exacerbating the problem. In 2003, then-Mayor of London Ken Livingston launched a competition with a £100,000 prize for a tunnel-cooling solution, or about $159,500 at the time. Of the 3,400 entries, many simply suggested riders not wear clothes. Other proposals included handing out Popsicles or putting up pictures of snowmen. No practical designs emerged, and the competition was closed in 2005. Since then, TfL has spent millions of pounds on initiatives to beat the heat. Early attempts included placing large blocks of ice in refrigeration units under train seats, where the thawing ice would cool air passing over it. Groundwater was also tapped to try to cool the tunnels. Industrial fans were installed at stations. Even after the TfL discovered they slightly increased temperatures because of the heat generated by the motors, the fans remained. Surveys indicated the fast-flowing air made people feel more comfortable. 'It always perplexed me that boffins could produce mobile phones the size of a credit card yet passengers would emerge dripping with sweat from Tube trains," Boris Johnson said in 2018 during his stint as mayor. Air conditioning has now been added to roughly 40% of London Underground trains, but it is hard to install on the smaller, deeper Tube lines. It also isn't a panacea. AC simply moves heat from one place to another, so while trains may get cooler, platforms and tunnels get hotter. Engineering experts have proposed various solutions, all to cool reception. Ideas included regenerative braking, where heat from brakes is recovered to use as energy for trains or stations; improved ventilation systems; energy-efficient construction materials; and smart sensor networks to monitor and regulate temperatures in real time. Even successful solutions, such as using heat pumps to remove excess heat, have proved tricky to employ across the vast network. One London borough uses the excess heat from the local Tube station to warm nearby homes, but expanding the program faces logistical and funding challenges. A citywide heat network is at least a decade away. TfL, noting the 'stop-start nature of funding," says it's focused on areas that provide the greatest relief to passengers. Next year, after several delays, it plans to finally introduce the first air-conditioned trains on a deep tunnel Tube line. They will still fit along the Piccadilly line thanks to the AC being placed under the trains, a design that took years to master. TfL said it is also exploring the possibility of cooling panels, subject to funding. While the heat makes journeys uncomfortable for passengers, it's a prolonged punishment for staff—even with the cooling systems in drivers' cabs. Tube bosses have been encouraging train drivers to drink more water, but union organizer Finn Brennan says that's an impractical solution. 'With more water, we need the toilet more," he said, adding that drivers are often on a strict schedule with limited breaks. 'This isn't a situation that will get better." With London enduring repeated summer heat waves, some train workers are planning a 'heat strike" if temperatures rise above 96.8 degrees. TfL has sought to reassure the public, saying it has 'a comprehensive hot weather plan in place" to get through the summer. Its enduring advice: 'Please carry water with you." Write to Anvee Bhutani at
The National
11-02-2025
- Politics
- The National
Syria accuses Lebanon's Hezbollah of sponsoring drug and weapon smuggling at border
News MENA Presence of the Lebanese group at the border poses threat to Syria says official Syria's new authorities have accused Lebanon's Hezbollah of sponsoring drug and weapon smugglers at the border after Syrian forces clashed with gangs in Syrian villages this week. Clashes with armed smugglers started in Haweek, Jarmash, Wadi Al Hawrani and Akum during a campaign to control the country's western borders from smuggling operations, said Lt Col Moayed Al Salama, the commander of the western region in the Border Security Administration told official news agency Sana. 'Most smuggling gangs on the Lebanese border are affiliated with Hezbollah militia, whose presence now poses a threat at the Syrian border because it sponsors drug and weapon smugglers." Syria announced a large-scale security operation aimed at shutting down smuggling routes along the border, with a focus on Haweek and surrounding areas in western Homs province, triggering clashes with Lebanese clan members. Haweek is inhabited mainly by members of the Lebanese Zaaiter and Jaafar tribes. 'The former regime turned the Syrian-Lebanese border into corridors for drug trade in co-operation with Hezbollah militia, promoting the presence of armed smuggling gangs at the border area,' Lt Col Al Salama said. At least three people were killed and 10 injured on the Lebanese side in the clashes, while on the Syrian side one member of the newly formed forces comprising mostly of former Hayat Tahrir Al Sham fighters, was also killed, Sana news agency reported. The violence has involved an exchange of missile fire from both sides, with Lebanese clans claiming they are battling fighters attempting to infiltrate the border. 'We did not target the Lebanese interior, despite the shelling of our units by Hezbollah militia," Lt Col Al Salama added. "Our operations were limited to the Syrian villages adjacent to the border, targeting armed smuggling gangs and those who fought with them from remnants and militias.' On Saturday, the Lebanese Army, which has sent military reinforcements to the northern and eastern borders, said it had responded to incoming fire from Syria. Lt Col Al Salama said that most of the gangs on the Lebanese border are affiliated with Hezbollah, which has become a threat with its presence on the Syrian border through "its sponsorship of drug and weapons smugglers". Syrian forces seized a large number of farms, warehouses and laboratories of manufacturing, processing and packaging hashish and Captagon pills, he said, as well as presses to print counterfeit currencies. Sana published a number of images of the Captagon laboratories. The forces also seized several weapon and narcotics shipments at border which were on their way to Syria. "We have developed a comprehensive plan to fully control the borders," said the official. Since taking power in December, Syria's new government, led by the HTS – which had links to Al Qaeda and Al Nusra Front – has made cracking down on Hezbollah-linked smugglers a priority in efforts to secure the border with Lebanon. Hezbollah had denied links to the drug trade in neighbouring Syria during president Bashar Al Assad's regime.
The National
10-02-2025
- Politics
- The National
Why have clashes erupted at the Lebanon-Syria border?
Violence at the Lebanon-Syria border between Lebanese clans and Syrian security forces escalated last week as the government in Damascus intensified efforts to disrupt smuggling routes in the area where militant group Hezbollah wields influence. Syria announced a large-scale security operation aimed at shutting down smuggling routes along the border, with a focus on the village of Haweek and surrounding areas in western Homs province, triggering clashes with Lebanese clan members. Haweek is a border village in Syria, inhabited mainly by members of the Lebanese Zaaiter and Jaafar tribes. 'The situation at the border is very bad,' Col Bassil Idriss, brigade commander for southern rural Homs province, told The National. 'There have been continuing issues, including drug and weapons smuggling, due to the chaos on the Lebanese side. That's why we have deployed forces at the border. 'For 50 years, this mountainous region has been lawless – a hub for smuggling, hashish trade and weapons storage, including Hezbollah arms depots near the border … there are also tunnels running from Syria into Lebanon.' Since taking power in December, Syria's new government, led by the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) group – which had links to al Qaeda and Al Nusra Front – has made cracking down on Hezbollah-linked smugglers a key priority in efforts to secure the border with Lebanon. The move has significantly disrupted smuggling routes used by the Lebanese group, which was a key ally of the Assad regime. At least three people were killed and 10 injured on the Lebanese side in the clashes, while Syria's state news agency Sana reported that one member of forces in the newly formed government in Damascus, comprising mostly former HTS fighters, was also killed. The violence has involved an exchange of missile fire from either side, with Lebanese clans claiming they are battling fighters attempting to infiltrate the border. On Saturday, the Lebanese army, which has sent military reinforcements to the northern and eastern borders, said it had responded to incoming fire from Syria. Both sides have carried out kidnappings. On Friday, the Syrian government and Lebanese tribes agreed to a prisoner exchange, resulting in the release of two HTS fighters captured in Haweek, as reported by Sana, and 16 women and children taken from the neighbouring town of Al Aqrabiyah, Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen said. That same day, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and interim Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara agreed to 'co-ordinate efforts to control the situation on the Lebanese-Syrian border and prevent attacks on civilians', during a phone call, Mr Aoun's office said on X. While Syria's new government insists the operation aims to crack down on smuggling routes, two Lebanese security sources claimed this was a 'pretext'. 'What happened is that HTS fighters, under the pretext of targeting arms and drug smugglers, raided several Syrian villages near the border using armed drones,' one source said. 'However, most of the homes in these areas belonged to Lebanese families. They detained several people, prompting clans on the Lebanese side to demand their release and an end to the operation, which escalated into clashes.' Another security source suggested the operation could be an attempt to pressure the government into negotiating the release of Islamists being held in Lebanese prisons. Despite the tension, the situation is steadily improving, Col Idriss said. 'We knew the border situation was unstable but now, hamdella [praise be to God], it is safer. We have set up four to five official checkpoints.' On Sunday, the Lebanese Jaafar tribe released a video announcing the withdrawal of its fighters and calling on the Lebanese army and state to take the matter into their own hands. A western diplomatic source told The National that the situation remained concerning despite the recent lull. 'The situation at the border is worrying. We are talking about drug trafficking, kidnappings, weapons smuggling,' the source said. They also highlighted the risk of the conflict taking on a sectarian dimension. 'The Lebanese villages along the border are exclusively Shiite. Some have framed the conflict as Sunni groups, perceived as linked to Daesh, oppressing a minority,' the diplomat said, using the Arabic term for extremist group ISIS. Hezbollah is not officially involved in the clashes, despite reports suggesting its fighters are present in the area. However, for the diplomatic source, this is not necessarily a sign of Hezbollah's weakening. 'It signals a shift in their operational approach,' they said. 'Previously, they would have intervened directly but now they are acting through local tribes in the region, orchestrating events from behind the scenes. 'This is a new trend, which we have also observed in the south. It marks a return to the idea of 'popular resistance' – a strategy Hezbollah used in the 1970s before developing its military force. It's a reconfiguration, which should be monitored.'
