Commuters and travellers landing at Heathrow Airport and trying to make it to central London on Wednesday were affected by severe delays on a key Tube line, which added to a rail strike already causing chaos.
A signal problem in the Green Park area, near Hyde Park Corner and Buckingham Palace, meant the Piccadilly Line was effectively out of action for several hours.
The line begins at Heathrow Airport in the south-west of London, heads towards Hammersmith and Earl's Court before travelling through the tourist areas of Leicester Square and Covent Garden. It then heads north to Highbury and eventually Cockfosters.
Commuters were quick to take to social media to vent their anger. Many had already taken evasive action to accommodate strikes by the RMT union, which means that overground rail services were not an option.
One wrote on Twitter: “I should have stayed at home. Piccadilly Line is just causing me problems this morning.”
Another complained that Tube trains were packed and being terminated. Others said that the overspill on to other lines had made them unbearably packed.
Another complained that the service on the Piccadilly Line was “useless”.
The morning chaos adds to the suffering of rail passengers on another day of strike disruption.
The new general secretary of the TUC called for an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister in a bid to break deadlocked industrial disputes across the country.
On Wednesday, around half of Britain’s railway lines are closed and only a fifth of services are running as tens of thousands of workers at Network Rail and train operators walk out on the second day of a 48-hour strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT).
Train drivers in the Aslef union will strike on Thursday before a second two-day RMT strike begins on Friday.
TUC leader Paul Nowak called for a change in government direction, saying ministers should open pay negotiations with unions.
January rail strikes begin in the UK — in pictures
In a letter to Rishi Sunak, Mr Nowak said public services were in crisis after years of “underfunding and understaffing”.
“We can’t solve these problems without a fair deal for the people on the front line,” he said.
“Every month experienced employees are quitting, with one in three public service staff now taking steps to leave their professions or actively considering it.
“This is simply unsustainable.”
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said on Tuesday that strike would need to continue beyond May unless a reasonable offer to resolve the row over pay, jobs and conditions was made to the union.
On Wednesday, the DVSA driving examiners’ strike started in London, the South-East, South Wales and the South-West, while traffic officer service workers at National Highways and Rural Payments Agency staff continued their walkouts.
London bus workers at Abellio began a two-day strike — the first in a series of action planned by the group throughout January.
Winter strikes in Britain — in pictures
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
SPEC%20SHEET
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
ARSENAL IN 1977
Feb 05 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
Feb 12 Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Feb 15 Middlesbrough 3-0 Arsenal
Feb 19 Arsenal 2-3 West Ham
Feb 26 Middlesbrough 4-1 Arsenal (FA Cup)
Mar 01 Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 05 Arsenal 1-4 ipswich
March 08 Arsenal 1-2 West Brom
Mar 12 QPR 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 23 Stoke 1-1 Arsenal
Apr 02 Arsenal 3-0 Leicester
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
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Calls
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
4/5