Switzerland Struck with Landslides, Floods

A view of a flood in Chippis, Switzerland, June 21, 2024, in this screengarb obtained from a social media video. X/@ABettmeralp/via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A view of a flood in Chippis, Switzerland, June 21, 2024, in this screengarb obtained from a social media video. X/@ABettmeralp/via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Switzerland Struck with Landslides, Floods

A view of a flood in Chippis, Switzerland, June 21, 2024, in this screengarb obtained from a social media video. X/@ABettmeralp/via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A view of a flood in Chippis, Switzerland, June 21, 2024, in this screengarb obtained from a social media video. X/@ABettmeralp/via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Four people died and two were missing in Switzerland on Sunday after violent thunderstorms and melting snow caused flooding and landslides in two southern cantons, police said.

Three of the victims were killed early on Sunday in a landslide in the remote Maggia valley, in the Italian-speaking Alpine canton of Ticino, police said in a statement, Reuters reported.

The three bodies were recovered in the Fontana area of the Maggia valley and they were currently being identified, while another person was missing in the Lavizzara side-arm of the valley, Ticino authorities said.

A bridge downstream of the disaster area in the Maggia valley was submerged, complicating rescue efforts, they added.

One camp site in the valley has been evacuated by helicopter and 300 people at a local soccer tournament would soon also be evacuated by helicopter, police said.

In the southwestern Swiss canton of Valais, police said a man was found dead in a hotel in the Alpine town of Saas-Grund. Police said he was likely surprised by flooding as melting snow compounded violent thunderstorms.

They added that another man was missing in another region in the Valais canton.



Cafe in Libya Champions Recycling and Sustainability

The owner of the Lamma cafe in the Libyan capital Tripoli says he opened it to to promote sustainability in a country recovering from years of war - AFP
The owner of the Lamma cafe in the Libyan capital Tripoli says he opened it to to promote sustainability in a country recovering from years of war - AFP
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Cafe in Libya Champions Recycling and Sustainability

The owner of the Lamma cafe in the Libyan capital Tripoli says he opened it to to promote sustainability in a country recovering from years of war - AFP
The owner of the Lamma cafe in the Libyan capital Tripoli says he opened it to to promote sustainability in a country recovering from years of war - AFP

In Libya's capital, a cafe's sleek exterior gives little hint of the vibrant space inside, built entirely from recycled materials to promote sustainability in a country recovering from years of war.

Lamma, which means "gathering" or "hangout" in Arabic, has become a cultural hub for locals and other visitors, featuring an art gallery that showcases Libyan artists, and hosts events and workshops.

But its central mission, its owner said, is raising awareness of an eco-friendly lifestyle in Libya, where green initiatives are scarce as people grapple with the aftermath of a gruelling conflict.

"We use materials that were abandoned in the streets, such as rubber from tyres, wood from trees and construction waste" to build the cafe, said Louay Omran Burwais, an architect who designed and founded Lamma.

"The idea is to show people that what is thrown in the street and may seem ugly or useless is actually still valuable," he told AFP.

- 'New mindset' -

Behind the long, narrow door into Lamma, visitors are greeted with a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes.

The plant-covered walls contrast with a web of suspended metal scraps, alcoves and slide tunnels that children swoop down through.

"There are no places like this in Libya," said Roula Ajjawi, Lamma's art director. "We base everything on one aspect that we consider very important: recycling."

Families gather at Lamma on Thursdays, the start of the Libyan weekend, when the cafe holds art workshops for children.

Others borrow books from the venue's small library.

Burwais says his team hopes recycling and other eco-friendly practices, which remain rare, start up in Libya, which currently has no recycling facilities.

Visitors to Lamma will recognize familiar everyday objects repurposed throughout the space, Burwais said, but they will "start seeing them differently. We are here to foster a new mindset".

In Libya, the plastic, metal, and glass left from over a decade of civil war destruction are rarely, if ever, reused or recycled, Ajjawi said.

More often, they are abandoned in nature and on the streets, occasionally washed into the Mediterranean by rain and wind.

But with initiatives like Lamma, objects once destined for the landfill are transformed into works of art -- a concept now catching on with locals.

"I love this place," said Riyad Youssef, now a Lamma regular. "The food is great, the service is excellent, and I appreciate the commitment to reducing waste. Every idea here is amazing."