Latest news with #Melhem
West Australian
03-06-2025
- General
- West Australian
Film follows fight to heal Country from poison legacy
Traditional Owners call this place 'poison Country'. Spanning more than 46,000 hectares in Western Australia's Pilbara region, the Wittenoom Asbestos Management Area is the largest contaminated area in the southern hemisphere, blanketed in deadly asbestos. The contamination prevents Banjima Traditional Owners from accessing these thousands of hectares of Country. Yaara Bou Melhem was initially planning a film about the thousands of abandoned mines across Australia. But when she met the late Maitland Parker, a Banjima Elder, who spent his life campaigning to heal this Country, she knew the film had to be about Wittenoom. Mr Parker was battling mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. "His story was going to be one of many in the film, but when you're confronted with how shocking Wittenoom is, the very clear social injustice meted out against him and his community, it was just too compelling for it to be just a small part of a larger film," Ms Melhem told AAP. Mining occurred at Wittenoom until the 1960s, and three million tonnes of tailings containing asbestos were left behind. Since then, asbestos fibres have been dispersed throughout the area by wind and water erosion, a West Australian government website says. Ms Melham said if nothing is done to remediate the asbestos waste, it will continue to spread for hundreds of years. She said Wittenoom is one of the most egregious examples of environmental, health and community impacts of legacy mine sites, and the film Yurlu/Country explores this. "There isn't a Banjima family that has not been touched by Wittenoom and his story represents that whole, and I think that's why [Mr Parker] really wanted to tell that story on behalf of his community," Ms Melhem said. Mr Parker was a co-writer and executive producer on Yurlu / Country, which follows his final year, and his campaign to heal Country. "He gave us permission to use his name, voice, image, even after his passing because he felt like his story had some power, and his name had power and he wanted us to be able to use it to advocate for Banjima and for the clean up of his Country," Ms Melhem said. "That's a responsibility we're very aware of and hoping we do his story justice." Ms Melhem said she hopes Wittenoom, which has long been "out of sight and out of mind" is brought into full view through the film, and Mr Parker's wishes for a clean up can be fulfilled. "What we're hoping is that people don't walk away from this film feeling like this is an intractable issue that can't be changed - we know it can be changed," she said. Yurlu/Country will have its world premiere on Saturday at Sydney Film Festival, then make its international debut at Doc Edge Festival in New Zealand. Sydney Film Festival begins on Wednesday and will run until June 15.
Perth Now
03-06-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Film follows fight to heal Country from poison legacy
Traditional Owners call this place 'poison Country'. Spanning more than 46,000 hectares in Western Australia's Pilbara region, the Wittenoom Asbestos Management Area is the largest contaminated area in the southern hemisphere, blanketed in deadly asbestos. The contamination prevents Banjima Traditional Owners from accessing these thousands of hectares of Country. Yaara Bou Melhem was initially planning a film about the thousands of abandoned mines across Australia. But when she met the late Maitland Parker, a Banjima Elder, who spent his life campaigning to heal this Country, she knew the film had to be about Wittenoom. Mr Parker was battling mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. "His story was going to be one of many in the film, but when you're confronted with how shocking Wittenoom is, the very clear social injustice meted out against him and his community, it was just too compelling for it to be just a small part of a larger film," Ms Melhem told AAP. Mining occurred at Wittenoom until the 1960s, and three million tonnes of tailings containing asbestos were left behind. Since then, asbestos fibres have been dispersed throughout the area by wind and water erosion, a West Australian government website says. Ms Melham said if nothing is done to remediate the asbestos waste, it will continue to spread for hundreds of years. She said Wittenoom is one of the most egregious examples of environmental, health and community impacts of legacy mine sites, and the film Yurlu/Country explores this. "There isn't a Banjima family that has not been touched by Wittenoom and his story represents that whole, and I think that's why [Mr Parker] really wanted to tell that story on behalf of his community," Ms Melhem said. Mr Parker was a co-writer and executive producer on Yurlu / Country, which follows his final year, and his campaign to heal Country. "He gave us permission to use his name, voice, image, even after his passing because he felt like his story had some power, and his name had power and he wanted us to be able to use it to advocate for Banjima and for the clean up of his Country," Ms Melhem said. "That's a responsibility we're very aware of and hoping we do his story justice." Ms Melhem said she hopes Wittenoom, which has long been "out of sight and out of mind" is brought into full view through the film, and Mr Parker's wishes for a clean up can be fulfilled. "What we're hoping is that people don't walk away from this film feeling like this is an intractable issue that can't be changed - we know it can be changed," she said. Yurlu/Country will have its world premiere on Saturday at Sydney Film Festival, then make its international debut at Doc Edge Festival in New Zealand. Sydney Film Festival begins on Wednesday and will run until June 15.
See - Sada Elbalad
21-05-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Moscow Rejects Ceasefire Proposal as Zelensky Accuses Washington of Lacking Seriousness
Ahmed Emam Tensions over the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war have intensified as Moscow rejected a 30-day ceasefire proposal supported by Ukraine and several European nations. The Kremlin insists that military operations can proceed concurrently with negotiations, further complicating efforts to de-escalate the conflict. Dr. Assef Melhem, Director of the GSM Center for Research and Studies, commented on the matter during an appearance on the 'Midday' program on Alqahera News Channel. He emphasized that the ceasefire initiative has sparked significant debate, with Russia viewing the proposal as a tactical opportunity for Ukraine to regroup and ramp up drone production—an outcome Moscow seeks to prevent through continued military pressure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky harshly criticized the United States for what he described as a lack of serious commitment to ending the conflict. 'If Washington truly wants to stop the killing of our troops, it must impose new and strict sanctions on Russia,' Zelensky stated. However, Melhem noted that the current U.S. administration appears reluctant to escalate economic measures against Moscow. According to Melhem, former U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed reservations about additional sanctions, arguing that while they might reduce Russia's revenue, they are unlikely to yield meaningful results on the battlefield. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly offered the option of direct negotiations with Kyiv but has resisted the idea of a temporary ceasefire. The Kremlin believes that any lull in fighting could benefit Ukraine strategically, a scenario Russia is keen to avoid. Melhem concluded by highlighting a growing, albeit informal, alignment between Moscow's stance and certain political voices in the West, including Trump. This alignment favors reaching a comprehensive memorandum of understanding between Russia and Ukraine over a temporary ceasefire, which some believe may only prolong the conflict without paving the way for a lasting political resolution. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies
