Syrian architect uses drone footage to help rebuild hometown
Syrian architect Abdel Aziz al-Mohammed could barely recognise his war-ravaged village when he returned after years away. Now, his meticulous documentation of the damage using a drone helps to rebuild it.”When I first came back, I was shocked by the extent of the destruction,” said Mohammed, 34.Walking through his devastated village of Tal Mardikh, in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, he said he could not recognise “anything, I couldn’t even find my parents’ home”.Nearly half of Tal Mardikh’s 1,500 homes have been destroyed and the rest damaged, mainly due to bombardment by the former Syrian army.Mohammed, who in 2019 fled the bombardment to near the Turkish border, first returned days after an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.The architect, now based in Idlib city, had documented details of Tal Mardikh’s houses and streets before fleeing, and afterwards used his drone to document the destruction.When he returned, he spent two weeks carefully surveying the area, going from home to home and creating an interactive map showing the detailed conditions of each house.”We entered homes in fear, not knowing what was inside, as the regime controlled the area for five years,” he said.Under the blazing sun, Mohammed watched as workers restored a house in Tal Mardikh, which adjoins the archaeological site of Ebla, the seat of one of ancient Syria’s earliest kingdoms.His documentation of the village helped gain support from Shafak, a Turkey-based non-governmental organisation which agreed to fund the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 434 out of 800 damaged homes in Tal Mardikh.The work is expected to be completed in August, and includes the restoration of two wells and sanitation networks, at a cost of more than one million dollars.- ‘Full of hope’ -Syrians have begun returning home after Assad’s ouster and following nearly 14 years of civil war that killed over half a million people and displaced millions of others internally and abroad.According to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, more than 600,000 Syrians had returned home from abroad, while around 1.5 million internally displaced people have gone back to their regions of origin.The agency estimates that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced people could return by the end of this year.Around 13.5 million currently remain displaced internally or abroad, according to UNHCR figures for May.In Tal Mardikh, Alaa Gharib, 45, is among only a few dozen residents who have come back.”I lived in tents for seven years, and when liberation came, I returned to my village,” said Gharib, whose home is among those set for restoration.He is using a blanket as a makeshift door for his house which had “no doors, no windows, nothing”.After Western sanctions were lifted, Syria’s new authorities are hoping for international support for post-war reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion.Efforts have so far been limited to individuals or charities, with the government yet to launch a reconstruction campaign.Architect Mohammed said his dream was “for the village to be rebuilt, for people and life to return”.He expressed hope to “see the Syria we dream of… the Syria full of hope, built by its youth”.
Judge orders Trump admin to release billions in EV charging funds
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release billions of dollars allocated for the construction of electric vehicle charging stations in over a dozen US states.In a ruling Tuesday, US District Judge Tana Lin granted a preliminary injunction to require distribution of funds for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) development, which was allotted $5 billion for use from 2022 to 2026.Signed into law by then-president Joe Biden in 2021, the NEVI program was defunded by the Trump administration’s Department of Transportation in February, axing expected funding for 16 states and the District of Columbia.President Donald Trump has repeatedly called climate change a “hoax,” abandoned electric vehicle booster programs and campaigned to drill for oil extensively. Trump has also blocked California’s plan to ban internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035.Seventeen attorneys general sued the Trump administration to unfreeze funds in May, led by California, the state with the largest number of electric vehicles.”It is no secret that the Trump Administration is beholden to the fossil fuel agenda,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, adding legal programs can’t be dismantled “just so that the President’s Big Oil friends can continue basking in record-breaking profits.”The Democrat praised Lin’s order and said California “looks forward to continuing to vigorously defend itself from this executive branch overreach.”In responding to the ruling, a Department of Transportation spokesperson on Wednesday blasted the Biden-era NEVI program as a “disaster” and said Lin was “another liberal judicial activist making nonsensical rulings from the bench because they hate President Trump.”It was not clear whether the administration intends to appeal the ruling.”While we assess our legal options, the order does not stop our ongoing work to reform the program,” the spokesperson added.The Trump administration has until July 2 to appeal or release funds under Lin’s order, which applies to Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
After ‘Dune,’ Denis Villeneuve to helm next James Bond film
Fresh from his success with the “Dune” saga, Denis Villeneuve has been tapped to direct the next movie in the storied James Bond franchise, Amazon MGM Studios announced Wednesday.The online retail giant has chosen a filmmaker very much in vogue in Hollywood as he makes his first foray into the world of the now-iconic British agent 007, first brought to life seven decades ago by writer Ian Fleming.Villeneuve, who is Canadian, said he grew up watching Bond films with his father. “I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory,” Villeneuve said in a statement released by Amazon. “I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come,” he added. “This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor.”There is no word yet on who will play Her Majesty’s spy.Daniel Craig’s final portrayal of James Bond came in 2021 following the release of “No Time to Die.” Since then, 007 has seen many twists and turns.Amazon paid nearly $8.45 billion to buy legendary Hollywood studio MGM in 2022, which included distribution rights to Bond’s extensive back catalog.But for the subsequent three years, the retail behemoth was met with resistance from Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, the franchise’s historic producers who for decades had jealously guarded the governance of one of cinema’s most valuable properties.The company run by Jeff Bezos finally reached a financial agreement with the pair in February to take creative control of the franchise.Some fans have expressed concern that the character will be exploited by Amazon through a multitude of new films, or spinoff series that go direct to its streaming platform Prime.Against this backdrop, the choice of Villeneuve, who also directed “Blade Runner 2049” and “Arrival,” resonates as a pledge to purists.”We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter,” Mike Hopkins, head of Amazon MGM Studios, said in the statement, noting Villeneuve’s track record with “immersive storytelling.””He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself.” Villeneuve’s two installments of science-fiction saga “Dune” were each nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. “Dune: Part Two,” released in 2024, grossed $700 million globally and won Oscars for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.
Thailand makes new proposal to restrict cannabis sales
Thailand’s government has announced a plan to tighten the rules on selling cannabis, the kingdom’s latest attempt to restrict the drug, three years after it was decriminalised.The kingdom was the first country in Southeast Asia to decriminalise the drug when it removed cannabis from the list of banned narcotics in June 2022.The intention was to allow sales for medical rather than recreational use, but the move led to hundreds of cannabis “dispensaries” springing up around the country, particularly in Bangkok.While the relaxation has proved popular with some tourists, there are concerns that the trade is under-regulated.Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin signed an order late on Tuesday banning sales for recreational purposes.The rule would only come into force once it is published in the official Royal Gazette. It is not clear when this would happen.The government has made several previous announcements of plans to restrict cannabis, including legislation moved in February last year, but none have come to fruition.The cannabis move comes as the government led by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party is hanging by a thread after losing its main coalition partner, Bhumjaithai.Though conservative, the Bhumjaithai party has long supported more liberal laws on cannabis.The party quit the coalition this month in a row over a leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.Â
Procès de P. Diddy: place aux plaidoiries finales
Après des semaines de témoignages souvent pénibles sinon bouleversants, les avocats entament jeudi leurs plaidoiries dans le procès pour trafic sexuel du magnat du hip-hop P. Diddy.L’accusation et la défense ont déjà indiqué cette semaine que leurs plaidoiries pourraient durer chacune plusieurs heures devant les jurés réunis au tribunal fédéral de Manhattan pour la dernière ligne droite de ce procès entamé au mois de mai.Figure incontournable du hip-hop de ces trois dernières décennies, Sean Combs, dit P. Diddy, qui a aussi fait fortune dans la mode et les alcools, comparaît pour trafic à des fins d’exploitation sexuelle et entreprise criminelle.Agé de 55 ans, il est accusé d’avoir forcé des femmes, dont son ex-petite amie de 2007 à 2018, la chanteuse Cassie, à se livrer à des marathons sexuels avec des hommes prostitués. Selon l’accusation, les employés de P. Diddy devaient notamment se charger de livrer des drogues aux victimes pour qu’elles se soumettent et faire en sorte qu’elles se taisent.Le rappeur a plaidé non coupable. Sa défense concède des épisodes de violence, mais affirme que les femmes participaient de leur plein gré aux rapports sexuels avec d’autres hommes, voire qu’elles témoignaient par jalousie ou pour l’appât du gain. – Témoignages, SMS et vidéos -Au cours des sept dernières semaines, les jurés ont entendu une trentaine de témoins, dont Cassie, et une ancienne petite amie de P. Diddy plus récente identifiée sous le pseudonyme Jane, qui ont chacune affirmé avoir été forcée de participer à ces marathons sexuels, nommés “freak-offs”.Outre les victimes présumées, ont témoigné au tribunal de Manhattan d’anciens assistants de la star du rap, des proches de Cassie et l’agent de sécurité d’un hôtel qui a déclaré avoir reçu 100.000 dollars dans un sac en papier kraft en échange d’une vidéo compromettante.Cette vidéo, capturée en mars 2016 par une caméra de surveillance d’un chic hôtel de Los Angeles, et diffusée par la chaîne de télévision CNN l’an dernier, montre P. Diddy traîner Cassie au sol et lui porter plusieurs coups, puis lui arracher son téléphone des mains.P. Diddy a, lui, choisi de ne pas témoigner, une stratégie courante de la défense qui n’a pas à prouver l’innocence de son client, mais plutôt à semer un doute raisonnable chez les membres du jury quant aux accusations des procureurs.Ces derniers ont présenté des milliers de pages de transcriptions de conversations téléphoniques ou d’échanges de SMS qui semblaient témoigner de la détresse des victimes présumées. Mais des messages de désir et d’affection ont été aussi retranscrits et utilisés par les avocats de la défense à de nombreuses reprises. Les jurés ont aussi visionné des vidéos de ces marathons sexuels, qualifiés de criminels par les procureurs, mais présentés comme consensuels et participant d’un mode de vie “polyamoureux” par la défense de P. Diddy. Les procureurs ont aussi présenté de nombreux documents financiers, notamment des paiements effectués via l’application CashApp à des prostitués masculins et des relevés de chambres d’hôtel et de trajets en avion, visant  à prouver le transport de personnes à des fins sexuelles.- Délibérations -Les appareils électroniques sont interdits en salle d’audience. Mais à chaque pause durant les débats, les créateurs de contenus sur TikTok, Instagram ou YouTube se précipitent sur les trottoirs devant le tribunal, calent leur téléphone sur un trépied pour raconter avec entrain les moindres péripéties de la salle d’audience.P. Diddy, incarcéré dans une prison de Brooklyn, n’entre et ne sort jamais du tribunal devant le public, contrairement aux membres de sa famille ou à des célébrités venues témoigner au procès, comme Kanye West, autre ténor du hip-hop. Les plaidoiries pourraient se terminer vendredi mais il y a peu de chance que les jurés, qui ont d’ailleurs reçu l’instruction de ne pas suivre l’actualité entourant cette affaire hypermédiatisée, commencent à délibérer sur-le-champ. L’accusation et la défense s’attendent plutôt à un début des délibérations lundi. P. Diddy risque la prison à vie.
Tunisia U-turn on phosphate plant sparks anger in blighted cityThu, 26 Jun 2025 02:12:29 GMT
The bedroom of 74-year-old Cherifa Attia smells like burnt rubber. The vast phosphate processing plant beside her home has been belching out toxic fumes into the atmosphere, blighting this Tunisian city.”This is killing us,” said Cherifa as the foul air permeated her home. “That’s all we breathe. Day and night.” Residents of Gabes, a city of …
Tunisia U-turn on phosphate plant sparks anger in blighted city
The bedroom of 74-year-old Cherifa Attia smells like burnt rubber. The vast phosphate processing plant beside her home has been belching out toxic fumes into the atmosphere, blighting this Tunisian city.”This is killing us,” said Cherifa as the foul air permeated her home. “That’s all we breathe. Day and night.” Residents of Gabes, a city of around 400,000 people, have been campaigning for decades against the pollution from the plant, finally winning a promise from the government in 2017 to begin its gradual closure.But with Tunisia now mired in public debt, the current government has gone back on that promise and is planning a fivefold increase in fertiliser output at Gabes in a bid to boost hard currency earnings.The North African country used to be the world’s fifth largest producer but has fallen back to 10th over the past decade and a half.President Kais Saied has vowed to revitalise the sector and reverse long years of underinvestment in the Gabes plant.The U-turn has angered environmental campaigners who had pressed successive governments to honour the 2017 pledge.”This plant harms the air, the sea and all forms of life,” said Khayreddine Debaya coordinator of local campaign group Stop Pollution.”We waited on successive governments to act on the 2017 decision, but the current one has visibly abandoned the idea,” Debaya added.Cherifa said she had survived breast and uterus cancers, while her 76-year-old sister, Naftia, complained of heart complications.Both women blame toxic waste from the plant for their health conditions.- Radioactive -The processing of phosphate rock into fertiliser emits toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide and ammonia.The main solid waste product is phosphogypsum, which the plant discharges into the Mediterranean. It contains radioactive radium that decays into radon gas, which is also radioactive and can cause cancer.But the government has announced that it will no longer consider phosphogypsum as hazardous waste.Phosphate processing emits other toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide and ammonia, while heavy metals like lead and arsenic can contaminate the soil and groundwater.The US National Institute of Health says exposure to the waste from phosphate processing can cause “hepatic failure, autoimmune diseases, pulmonary disorders and other health problems”.And a study by Geosciences Environnement Toulouse in December found that the Gabes plant was releasing “high levels of toxic contaminants”.It cited “devastating consequences” for residents’ health including “heart malformations”, “congenital” diseases and “lung, nose, breast, liver, kidney, stomach, blood” issues.The absence of official figures makes it hard to pin down the health consequences for the people of Gabes.Many medical professionals in the city are reluctant to speak out for fear of repercussions from the authorities.One oncologist in Gabes interviewed by AFP refused to comment on cases specific to the city.The plant employs 4,000 people and provides work to many more indirectly, an important consideration in a city where one in four people of working age was jobless in 2019, the last year for which official figures are available.”If the authorities don’t want to remove it, they should at least stop dumping those materials into the air and sea,” said Gabes resident Mouna Bouali, 45.”Since they make so much money out of phosphate, they should be able to afford a clean environment.”- ‘Cheering our own demise’ -Bouali’s widowed mother, Dhahbia, who said she suffered from an autoimmune disorder, said she hoped authorities would relocate them.”Let them take all of Gabes,” Dhahbia said. “We don’t want this city anymore. The state gets the money and we get diseases.”The 67-year-old said she considered selling the family home to move elsewhere, but that proved impossible: “Who would buy a house here?””Everything is dying in Gabes,” said her daughter.Hundreds have protested outside the provincial governor’s office in recent weeks, brandishing placards  reading: “I want to live”.Authorities did not respond to repeated requests from AFP for comment.The two families interviewed by AFP both said they voted for Saied in the 2019 election which brought him to power, hoping he might change things for the better in Tunisia’s neglected south.Yet it was at his behest that the North African country is now counting on phosphates to boost its struggling economy. They are a “pillar of the national economy”, Saied said.The government wants to increase the plant’s output from less than three million tonnes a year now to 14 million tonnes a year by 2030 to take advantage of rising world fertiliser prices.For Cherifa and Naftia, it is the latest false dawn touted by the country’s leaders. They still remember the celebrations in Gabes when then president Habib Bourguiba first opened the phosphates plant in 1972.”We went out in the street singing and clapping,” said Naftia. “We didn’t know we were cheering our own demise.”