Berger's Stolen Ferrari Recovered Almost 3 Decades Later

This undated photo provided by the Metropolitan Police on March 2, 2024 shows a Ferrari stolen from former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger 28 years ago which has been recovered. (Metropolitan Police via AP)
This undated photo provided by the Metropolitan Police on March 2, 2024 shows a Ferrari stolen from former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger 28 years ago which has been recovered. (Metropolitan Police via AP)
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Berger's Stolen Ferrari Recovered Almost 3 Decades Later

This undated photo provided by the Metropolitan Police on March 2, 2024 shows a Ferrari stolen from former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger 28 years ago which has been recovered. (Metropolitan Police via AP)
This undated photo provided by the Metropolitan Police on March 2, 2024 shows a Ferrari stolen from former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger 28 years ago which has been recovered. (Metropolitan Police via AP)

A Ferrari Testarossa sports car stolen from Austrian Formula One driver Gerhard Berger during the 1995 San Marino Grand Prix weekend has been recovered by London police almost 29 years later.
The Metropolitan Police said on Monday the red F512M, worth some 350,000 pounds ($444,325.00), was tracked down in four days after Ferrari reported it was the one being sold through a British broker to a US buyer.
Police enquiries found it was shipped to Japan shortly after being stolen from the Italian city of Imola and then arrived in Britain in late 2023.
According to Reuters, the Organized Vehicle Crime Unit said enquiries were ongoing and no arrests had been made.
A second silver Ferrari F355 that belonged to Berger's French former team mate Jean Alesi, which was stolen on the same weekend in the Italian city, remains missing.
Alesi finished second in the race won by Williams' Damon Hill with Berger third, in the Ferrari drivers' final season at the Italian team before the arrival of Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine.
Berger had caught the thief in the act of stealing his car but after jumping clear and then giving chase in a friend's Volkswagen Golf, according to a news report at the time, was unable to prevent it from getting away.



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."