We have seen plenty of the Assads’ palace, however in an upscale neighbourhood of Damascus we discovered their household house, the place they really lived.
What we found inside was staggering. This was clearly the place the dictator’s British-born spouse Asma beloved to be, her internal sanctum the place she saved her treasures.
The looters had received there first, the place was ransacked, however in Asma’s private storage room and boudoir, the ground was lined with numerous bins for jewelry, antiques and designer items.
However what we noticed revealed the lifetime of luxurious she and her household led whereas her husband was orchestrating the homicide of a whole lot of hundreds of his individuals, who had been dwelling in abject poverty.
On the decrease flooring, envelopes of damning paperwork. Amongst them financial institution data in Asma’s maiden identify, for staggering sums of cash, half one million euros and 22.5 million {dollars}.
In interviews, the primary girl of Syria insisted the Assads lived a center class life. Few had been fooled, however the extent of that fraud is changing into clear.
The Assads had clearly fled in a rush. On this, the Assads’ household house, we discovered the place Asma saved her cherished mementoes of household life – all of them left behind.
There have been presents her youngsters had made for her at college, household pictures of the Assads on vacation, underwater images of the tyrant of Damascus swimming and windsurfing.
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On one shelf we discovered the pictures of the day Asma and Bashar received married. She seems to be adoringly into his eyes. He had introduced her to Damascus from her life in London to a brand new one in Syria.
A life that will deliver her untold wealth fortune and energy however in the end see her pressured to flee the nation in shame.
The query for Syrians will likely be, what occurred to all her and her husband’s thousands and thousands?
An deserted UK village has develop into a “ghost city” with a darkish facet, in keeping with locals.
Llandysul in west Wales was as soon as a thriving group, with two colleges, 4 banks, a variety of outlets and eating places and a well-known river.
However because the constructing of a £23 million by-pass street and a £25 million “tremendous college” simply on the outskirts, the quaint village has reportedly develop into a ghost city. Locals blame excessive property costs, a vanishing excessive road and shutting companies.
In July, roughly £2 million value of hashish was present in a former main college in Llandysul, with 1,500 vegetation throughout two flooring. Two males admitted operating the farm.
Per week after the invention, the deserted college caught hearth with locals joking that firefighters have been getting excessive as they battled the flames.
In November, one other gang was charged after a separate hashish farm with greater than 700 vegetation in one other disused college was found.
Till these busts, individuals within the space had no concept that a lot hashish was being grown.
Mari Slaymaker, 37, informed MailOnline: “Nobody knew a factor however the subsequent factor there have been police in every single place. Hashish is named “mwg drwg” (dangerous smoke) right here. When the police raided the place you could possibly scent it within the air.
“The drug gangs appear to focus on the obvious buildings, like they’re hiding in plain sight. We do not know the way lengthy that they had been rising the stuff for however the police estimated the crop inside the primary college was value £2m.
“I have been informed they will develop a full crop each three months so that they have been making some huge cash. Much more than us locals.”
Gentleman’s barber and café proprietor Mari Slaymaker mentioned: “I do know a variety of enterprise individuals within the city have retired and the youthful era has left to search out work in Cardiff or England.
“The opening of the by-pass means guests not come by way of Llandysul and we have now develop into a forgotten place.
“I am a glass half full particular person. I nonetheless consider within the city and I am optimistic in regards to the future.”
This lack of footfall within the village and empty buildings has left it a hotspot for drug gangs to take benefit, in keeping with resident Anne Fletcher.
She mentioned: “So much much less individuals come right here and perhaps drug gangs suppose it is safer now as a result of there should not many individuals coming in. It’s a quiet sleepy village so there won’t be as a lot exercise going round.”
An deserted airport within the UK that was shut attributable to monetary challenges and an absence of sustainable passenger demand is all set to be reopen in Spring 2026. Yorkshire’s Doncaster Sheffield Airport was closed in 2022 regardless of group campaigns and efforts to avoid wasting the airport.
Opened in 2005, the airport was constructed on the location of the previous RAF Finningley and have become recognized for its ease of entry, trendy amenities, and flights to varied home and European locations.
The airport’s earlier homeowners, Peel Group, had cited monetary challenges as the explanation for its closure. Nevertheless, prospects for its revival seem promising, with a brand new operator recognized.
Progress in the direction of reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport is already underway, marked by the arrival of its first flight in two years earlier this week.
Aviation firm 2Excel, which has operated a hangar on the website for over a decade, was granted permission by the Metropolis of Doncaster Council to deliver considered one of its plane again as a part of a winter upkeep programme.
The plane landed at DSA on Friday morning throughout a managed, unlicensed flight, witnessed by Mayor Ros Jones and native MPs, stories Metro.co.uk
This occasion alerts the beginning of a sequence of flights anticipated within the coming months as 2Excel step by step returns its plane to Doncaster from different bases across the nation.
Mayor Jones stated: “We all know how vital the airport is to native folks and companies so it’s nice to see an already established aviation enterprise in our metropolis with the ability to use the location once more.
“I’ve made reopening our beloved airport my primary precedence. We’re nonetheless working steadfastly to reopen the airport by Spring 2026 and there shall be additional information forthcoming in early 2025. Progress goes nicely and additional updates shall be given within the New Yr.”
Since its closure, Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones and her cupboard at Metropolis of Doncaster Council together with group activists from the Save DSA group have been pushing for methods to reopen the airport.
The airport is located roughly 7 miles (11 km) east of Doncaster and 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Sheffield. It occupies the previous website of RAF Finningley, a Royal Air Pressure station.
The airport is definitely accessible by street through the M18 motorway, with ample parking amenities obtainable for passengers.
It’s also served by public transportation, together with bus providers connecting the airport to close by cities and cities.
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A Chinese language man was trapped in an deserted properly for 3 days as a result of his cries have been mistaken for ghostly sounds, Thai media reported.
The weird incident happened close to the Thailand–Myanmar border final month when villagers heard unusual cries coming from a close-by forest, reported the Common Day by day Information in Thailand.
Police in Mae Sot, Tak province, mentioned they dispatched rescue personnel to the forest and after they referred to as out, they heard a voice responding.
After finding the supply of the voice, the crew discovered a Chinese language man on the backside of a 12-metre-deep properly. They launched a rescue operation and took him out. He had sustained a fractured left wrist, a cerebral concussion, and bruises on his physique, the report mentioned.
The person recognized himself as Liu Chuanyi, 22, and reported that he had been trapped contained in the properly for 3 days and nights with out meals or water. He was taken to hospital for medical consideration.
Mr Liu mentioned he shouted for assist for a short interval as soon as each hour to preserve vitality.
Folks dwelling in villages close to the forest mentioned that they heard unusual cries and mistook them for hauntings. They stopped going exterior after darkish and didn’t look into investigating the noise, the villagers added.
Authorities mentioned the younger man appeared to have by accident fallen into the properly whereas looking for his method out of the forest.
The incident garnered vast consideration on Chinese language social media after it was reported within the nation.
“A Chinese language man shouting for assist in the midst of nowhere? After all, the locals can’t perceive the language and may suppose it was a wizard uttering spells,” one consumer mentioned.
“Kudos to his energy and stamina. Struggling for 3 days and nights however nonetheless yelling; this man is actually spectacular!” one other mentioned.
