France must take the game to Iceland right from the start of their European Championship quarter-final on Sunday or their dream of glory on home soil might end up buried in volcanic ash. 
 
The hosts, who have often had to rely on late rallies, with all of their six goals so far scored in the second half, must wake up early for a change to avoid becoming the next casualties of a tiny country with a heart the size of a continent. 
 
The smallest nation ever to appear at a major soccer event, Iceland reached the last eight with a shock 2-1 win over England and are now dreaming for a fairytale ending to their run, not unlike that of English club Leicester City, who stunned the soccer world by claiming the Premier League title last season. 
 
&quot;I think I would like it to end like it ended with Leicester City,&quot; Iceland joint-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson told reporters. &quot;They played on their strengths and we are trying to play on ours. There is the same team spirit in both teams. We are willing to work for each other.&quot; 
 
Iceland, a nation of 330,000 people known for its volcanoes, could also take inspiration from Denmark and Greece, who relied on a similar, defensive approach when they came out of nowhere to become European champions, in 1992 and 2004 respectively. 
 
Courtesy of England, who looked clueless after finding themselves trailing Iceland 2-1 less than 20 minutes into their game, France know exactly what they must not do. 
 
&quot;Our opening minutes are very bad, we must improve in that department because we&#39;re not going to get away with it every time,&quot; said striker Antoine Griezmann, who scored twice to give France a 2-1 win over Ireland in the last 16. 
 
 
Not just rough 
 
As physical and tight at the back as they may be, Iceland should not be discarded as just another bunch of rough minnows with limited skills, warned France defender Patrice Evra. 
 
&quot;People go on about long throws and all that but Iceland are not just that,&quot; said the veteran left back. &quot;They&#39;re a good team who can play good football and they did not get to that stage by accident.&quot; 
 
France coach Didier Deschamps, who has kept tinkering with his team since the start of the tournament, will be forced to rejig once again with centre back Adil Rami and holding midfielder N&#39;Golo Kante suspended. 
 
New Barcelona signing Samuel Umtiti should step in for Rami, who will not be sorely missed after looking shaky a times, with the experienced Yohan Cabaye taking over Kante&#39;s crucial role in front of the defence. 
 
Iceland are likely to stick to their resolute 4-4-2 system with now familiar players such as bearded, tattooed midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, who carries off the rugged Viking look to perfection and plays his club football in the second tier of the English league with Cardiff City. 
 
In goal will stand Hannes Halldorsson, a former film director who shot the video for Iceland&#39;s 2012 Eurovision song contest entry and became a full-time professional only in 2014.&nbsp; 
 
France, whose much more expensive talent will be tested on the Stade de France pitch, can at least rely on home advantage in their bid to set up a more tradiional battle against Germany or Italy for a place in the final. 
 
&quot;We certainly do not underestimate Iceland but we belong to the best sides in Europe, we&#39;re among the favourites and we&#39;re at home,&quot; said right-back Bacary Sagna. 
 
(Reuters)

All of their six goals have so far been scored in the second half

France must take the game to Iceland right from the start of their European Championship quarter-final on Sunday or their dream of glory on home soil might end up buried in volcanic ash. The hosts, who have often had to rely on late rallies, with all of their six goals so far scored in the second half, must wake up early for a change to avoid becoming the next casualties of a tiny country with a heart the size of a continent. The smallest nation ever to appear at a major soccer event, Iceland reached the last eight with a shock 2-1 win over England and are now dreaming for a fairytale ending to their run, not unlike that of English club Leicester City, who stunned the soccer world by claiming the Premier League title last season. "I think I would like it to end like it ended with Leicester City," Iceland joint-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson told reporters. "They played on their strengths and we are trying to play on ours. There is the same team spirit in both teams. We are willing to work for each other." Iceland, a nation of 330,000 people known for its volcanoes, could also take inspiration from Denmark and Greece, who relied on a similar, defensive approach when they came out of nowhere to become European champions, in 1992 and 2004 respectively. Courtesy of England, who looked clueless after finding themselves trailing Iceland 2-1 less than 20 minutes into their game, France know exactly what they must not do. "Our opening minutes are very bad, we must improve in that department because we're not going to get away with it every time," said striker Antoine Griezmann, who scored twice to give France a 2-1 win over Ireland in the last 16. Not just rough As physical and tight at the back as they may be, Iceland should not be discarded as just another bunch of rough minnows with limited skills, warned France defender Patrice Evra. "People go on about long throws and all that but Iceland are not just that," said the veteran left back. "They're a good team who can play good football and they did not get to that stage by accident." France coach Didier Deschamps, who has kept tinkering with his team since the start of the tournament, will be forced to rejig once again with centre back Adil Rami and holding midfielder N'Golo Kante suspended. New Barcelona signing Samuel Umtiti should step in for Rami, who will not be sorely missed after looking shaky a times, with the experienced Yohan Cabaye taking over Kante's crucial role in front of the defence. Iceland are likely to stick to their resolute 4-4-2 system with now familiar players such as bearded, tattooed midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, who carries off the rugged Viking look to perfection and plays his club football in the second tier of the English league with Cardiff City. In goal will stand Hannes Halldorsson, a former film director who shot the video for Iceland's 2012 Eurovision song contest entry and became a full-time professional only in 2014. France, whose much more expensive talent will be tested on the Stade de France pitch, can at least rely on home advantage in their bid to set up a more tradiional battle against Germany or Italy for a place in the final. "We certainly do not underestimate Iceland but we belong to the best sides in Europe, we're among the favourites and we're at home," said right-back Bacary Sagna. (Reuters)

France will have to take the game to Iceland, right from the start

Premier League clubs have already splashed out 475 million Pounds ($631 million) since the transfer window reopened in July, according to business analysts Deloitte. 
 
Bolstered by the increased revenue from the Premier League&#39;s new 5.1 billion television deals, the 20 top-flight teams have been throwing money at a host of new signings, and Deloitte says the spending could shatter the 1 billion mark for the first time in the pre-season window. 
 
The current figure of 475 million is slightly less than the 515 million spent by Premier League teams at the same stage in 2015, which led to an eventual 870 million outlay in the whole window. 
 
Leroy Sane&#39;s million dollar move to Manchester City is not included in the figures, as it was only confirmed on Tuesday. And the spending figure would rise significantly if Manchester United complete their reported world record 100 million move for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. 
 
Chelsea, linked with a 65 million deal for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, could also add to the rising transfer total. 
 
&quot;The prospect of increased revenue from the new broadcast deals next season has encouraged Premier League clubs to invest in this window in order to be as competitive as possible,&quot; Alex Thorpe, senior manager in the sports business group at Deloitte, told the BBC. 
 
&quot;With a month of the window still to go, some significant deals in the pipeline and a number of clubs yet to enter the market, we may see another summer of record Premier League spending, possibly breaking the one billion barrier for the first time.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Leroy Sane's million dollar move to Manchester City wasn't included in the figures, as it was only confirmed on Tuesday

Premier League clubs have already splashed out 475 million Pounds ($631 million) since the transfer window reopened in July, according to business analysts Deloitte. Bolstered by the increased revenue from the Premier League's new 5.1 billion television deals, the 20 top-flight teams have been throwing money at a host of new signings, and Deloitte says the spending could shatter the 1 billion mark for the first time in the pre-season window. The current figure of 475 million is slightly less than the 515 million spent by Premier League teams at the same stage in 2015, which led to an eventual 870 million outlay in the whole window. Leroy Sane's million dollar move to Manchester City is not included in the figures, as it was only confirmed on Tuesday. And the spending figure would rise significantly if Manchester United complete their reported world record 100 million move for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. Chelsea, linked with a 65 million deal for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, could also add to the rising transfer total. "The prospect of increased revenue from the new broadcast deals next season has encouraged Premier League clubs to invest in this window in order to be as competitive as possible," Alex Thorpe, senior manager in the sports business group at Deloitte, told the BBC. "With a month of the window still to go, some significant deals in the pipeline and a number of clubs yet to enter the market, we may see another summer of record Premier League spending, possibly breaking the one billion barrier for the first time." (AFP)

English Premier League clubs' transfer spending nears 500 million

Electric car maker Tesla said today it has won agreement from solar panel installer SolarCity to acquire the solar company for $2.6 billion, confirming a deal that has been criticised on Wall Street. 
 
Tesla announced the bid in late June, but it drew jeers on Wall Street, in part because of skepticism over the motives of Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, who is also chairman of SolarCity, as well as a major shareholder. 
 
Some analysts also questioned whether the deal would divert Tesla&#39;s attention from an ambitious plan to significantly expand electric-car production in the next few years. 
 
But Tesla said the buyout would enable it to achieve lower hardware costs and boost manufacturing efficiency, creating the &quot;world&#39;s only vertically integrated sustainable energy company.&nbsp;Solar and storage are at their best when they&#39;re combined,&quot; Tesla said. 
 
The deal is a major part of Musk&#39;s master plan &quot;part deux&quot; that calls for the company to offer consumers a single source of hardware to power a low-carbon lifestyle.&nbsp; 
 
Under the all-stock deal, SolarCity shareholders will receive 0.110 Tesla common shares. 
 
The agreement allows SolarCity to solicit alternative proposals for 45 days. SolarCity shares fell 5.5 per cent to $25.23 in pre-market trade, while Tesla rose 0.2 per cent to $235.25. 
 
(AFP, Reuters)

The electric car maker announced the bid in late June, but it drew jeers on Wall Street

Electric car maker Tesla said today it has won agreement from solar panel installer SolarCity to acquire the solar company for $2.6 billion, confirming a deal that has been criticised on Wall Street. Tesla announced the bid in late June, but it drew jeers on Wall Street, in part because of skepticism over the motives of Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, who is also chairman of SolarCity, as well as a major shareholder. Some analysts also questioned whether the deal would divert Tesla's attention from an ambitious plan to significantly expand electric-car production in the next few years. But Tesla said the buyout would enable it to achieve lower hardware costs and boost manufacturing efficiency, creating the "world's only vertically integrated sustainable energy company. Solar and storage are at their best when they're combined," Tesla said. The deal is a major part of Musk's master plan "part deux" that calls for the company to offer consumers a single source of hardware to power a low-carbon lifestyle. Under the all-stock deal, SolarCity shareholders will receive 0.110 Tesla common shares. The agreement allows SolarCity to solicit alternative proposals for 45 days. SolarCity shares fell 5.5 per cent to $25.23 in pre-market trade, while Tesla rose 0.2 per cent to $235.25. (AFP, Reuters)

Tesla acquires SolarCity for $2.6 billion

Authorities will plant 18 million trees in Mexico City and its surrounding suburbs as part of efforts to combat air pollution, the government said Monday. 
 
Environment Minister Rafael Pacchiano dubbed it a &quot;historic reforestation&quot; to reinforce the &quot;green belt in the megalopolis&quot;. 
 
The greater Mexico City area was hit by the worst air pollution in more than a decade in March, prompting authorities to restrict traffic for the 5.4 million vehicles that circulate daily. 
 
Pacchiano said that the lack of wind and record high temperatures in March contributed to an increase in ozone levels. 
 
Other new measures announced by Pacchiano include replacing 1,000 taxis that are more than 10 years old with hybrid cars and stepping up a program to renew cargo and passenger transport vehicles.&nbsp;Anti-pollution rules will also be tightened in industry. 
 
The government imposed temporary car restrictions between April and June 30, forcing all vehicles to stay home at least once a week. Normally, older vehicles and those that fail emissions tests have traffic restrictions. 
 
Last month, the environment ministry unveiled new rules to prevent corruption at emission inspection centres that have allowed polluting cars to remain on the road. 
 
(AFP)

The city will also restrict traffic to combat air pollution, which is at its worst levels in a decade

Authorities will plant 18 million trees in Mexico City and its surrounding suburbs as part of efforts to combat air pollution, the government said Monday. Environment Minister Rafael Pacchiano dubbed it a "historic reforestation" to reinforce the "green belt in the megalopolis". The greater Mexico City area was hit by the worst air pollution in more than a decade in March, prompting authorities to restrict traffic for the 5.4 million vehicles that circulate daily. Pacchiano said that the lack of wind and record high temperatures in March contributed to an increase in ozone levels. Other new measures announced by Pacchiano include replacing 1,000 taxis that are more than 10 years old with hybrid cars and stepping up a program to renew cargo and passenger transport vehicles. Anti-pollution rules will also be tightened in industry. The government imposed temporary car restrictions between April and June 30, forcing all vehicles to stay home at least once a week. Normally, older vehicles and those that fail emissions tests have traffic restrictions. Last month, the environment ministry unveiled new rules to prevent corruption at emission inspection centres that have allowed polluting cars to remain on the road. (AFP)

Mexico City to plant 18 million trees in massive reforestation effort

A Muslim policeman who sued the New York City Police Department (NYPD) after he was suspended for refusing to shave his beard has been reinstated and the department has agreed to review its ban on beards, his lawyers said on Thursday. 
 
A judge last week ordered the NYPD to continue paying Officer Masood Syed his salary and benefits after he sued the department, claiming that the no-beard policy was unconstitutional. 
 
&quot;It seems like the department has taken the crucial first step in addressing an important and growing concern of officers of different faiths,&quot; Syed said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am hopeful that the department&rsquo;s new policy will in fact allow myself and other officers to wear our beards at a reasonable length without the fear of retaliation or hostility,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
NYPD spokesperson could not be reached for a comment.&nbsp; 
 
In a letter sent to the judge and provided to news agencies by Syed&#39;s attorneys, the city&#39;s law department has asked that a hearing scheduled for July 8 in the case be adjourned because the officer had been &quot;restored to full duty&quot; and the two sides were discussing a resolution of the lawsuit. 
 
The NYPD&#39;s written policy is that officers cannot wear beards, but an unwritten policy designed for religious accommodation allows for beards of up to 1 millimetre long, according to the lawsuit. 
 
Syed, a law clerk in the department, has worn a beard of about 1/2 to 1 inch (13 to 25mm) for years for religious reasons. 
 
In December, according to the lawsuit, he was told by supervisors that his beard was too long and ordered to shorten it. When he did not, he was suspended, according to the complaint. 
 
In 2013, a Hasidic Jewish probationary officer won a lawsuit against the department over the same policy.&nbsp; 
 
US district judge Harold Baer ruled in 2013 that the policy violated the First Amendment guarantee of free religious exercise. 
 
The Hasidic officer, Fishel Litzman, was allowed to return to work with a beard of 1 inch length, according to Syed&#39;s lawyer. 
 
(Reuters)

Masood Syed's lawyers say the department has agreed to review its ban on beards

A Muslim policeman who sued the New York City Police Department (NYPD) after he was suspended for refusing to shave his beard has been reinstated and the department has agreed to review its ban on beards, his lawyers said on Thursday. A judge last week ordered the NYPD to continue paying Officer Masood Syed his salary and benefits after he sued the department, claiming that the no-beard policy was unconstitutional. "It seems like the department has taken the crucial first step in addressing an important and growing concern of officers of different faiths," Syed said in a statement. "I am hopeful that the department’s new policy will in fact allow myself and other officers to wear our beards at a reasonable length without the fear of retaliation or hostility," he said. NYPD spokesperson could not be reached for a comment. In a letter sent to the judge and provided to news agencies by Syed's attorneys, the city's law department has asked that a hearing scheduled for July 8 in the case be adjourned because the officer had been "restored to full duty" and the two sides were discussing a resolution of the lawsuit. The NYPD's written policy is that officers cannot wear beards, but an unwritten policy designed for religious accommodation allows for beards of up to 1 millimetre long, according to the lawsuit. Syed, a law clerk in the department, has worn a beard of about 1/2 to 1 inch (13 to 25mm) for years for religious reasons. In December, according to the lawsuit, he was told by supervisors that his beard was too long and ordered to shorten it. When he did not, he was suspended, according to the complaint. In 2013, a Hasidic Jewish probationary officer won a lawsuit against the department over the same policy. US district judge Harold Baer ruled in 2013 that the policy violated the First Amendment guarantee of free religious exercise. The Hasidic officer, Fishel Litzman, was allowed to return to work with a beard of 1 inch length, according to Syed's lawyer. (Reuters)

Muslim officer wins battle of the beard, New York police reinstate him

At least 34 Libyan pro-government forces were killed and 100 wounded in clashes with Islamic State (IS) group jihadists as they prepared for a final assault on the jihadist stronghold of Sirte. 
 
It was one of bloodiest days since forces loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) launched an offensive in May to retake Sirte from IS. 
 
The fighting came as 29 people were killed and dozens wounded further west in the town of Garabulli when a blast ripped through an arms depot after militiamen and armed residents clashed yesterday. 
 
The fall of Sirte would be a major blow to IS, which has faced a series of setbacks in Syria and Iraq where local forces and a US-led coalition are pressing an offensive against their positions. 
 
A statement by the GNA said yesterday&#39;s fighting took place in several parts of Sirte, where jihadists are pinned down in pockets of the coastal city. 
 
Speaking from the western city of Misrata, the source said the death toll had risen from 18 to 34, with the number of wounded increasing from 70 to 100. 
 
It was one of the heaviest tolls since the pro-GNA forces launched an offensive in May to dislodge IS from Sirte -- hometown of ousted and slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi which IS seized in June last year. 
 
The GNA forces earlier said &quot;dozens&quot; of IS fighters had been killed within 24 hours. 
 
They also announced their &quot;intelligence network is in full swing in preparation for the decisive battle&quot; against IS fighters in the city, after repelling multiple counter-attacks. 
 
The statement said fighters were targeting IS-held areas of Sirte with heavy artillery while loyalist aircraft were carrying out sorties every day to strike IS or carry out reconnaissance missions. 
 
IS fighters &quot;are besieged in a small area of Sirte and although they have sought to break out our forces have repelled all attempts&quot;, the statement said. 
 
It said that the jihadists had barricaded themselves in residential buildings and deployed snipers and explosive devices to fend off pro-GNA forces. 
 
IS has hit back with a string of suicide car bombings in a bid to defend their stronghold on the Mediterranean coast. 
 
Around 200 loyalist troops have been killed and hundreds wounded since the start of the offensive to capture Sirte, 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli. 
 
An unknown number of jihadists have been killed. 
 
Libya has been awash with weapons since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Kadhafi, with rival militias fighting for control of its cities and oil wealth. 
 
In Garabulli near the Libyan capital, armed residents stormed an arms depot after clashing with a militia from the western city of Misrata, which owned the weapons store.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

One of the bloodiest days in months as IS tries to maintain hold on key Libyan city, Sirte

At least 34 Libyan pro-government forces were killed and 100 wounded in clashes with Islamic State (IS) group jihadists as they prepared for a final assault on the jihadist stronghold of Sirte. It was one of bloodiest days since forces loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) launched an offensive in May to retake Sirte from IS. The fighting came as 29 people were killed and dozens wounded further west in the town of Garabulli when a blast ripped through an arms depot after militiamen and armed residents clashed yesterday. The fall of Sirte would be a major blow to IS, which has faced a series of setbacks in Syria and Iraq where local forces and a US-led coalition are pressing an offensive against their positions. A statement by the GNA said yesterday's fighting took place in several parts of Sirte, where jihadists are pinned down in pockets of the coastal city. Speaking from the western city of Misrata, the source said the death toll had risen from 18 to 34, with the number of wounded increasing from 70 to 100. It was one of the heaviest tolls since the pro-GNA forces launched an offensive in May to dislodge IS from Sirte -- hometown of ousted and slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi which IS seized in June last year. The GNA forces earlier said "dozens" of IS fighters had been killed within 24 hours. They also announced their "intelligence network is in full swing in preparation for the decisive battle" against IS fighters in the city, after repelling multiple counter-attacks. The statement said fighters were targeting IS-held areas of Sirte with heavy artillery while loyalist aircraft were carrying out sorties every day to strike IS or carry out reconnaissance missions. IS fighters "are besieged in a small area of Sirte and although they have sought to break out our forces have repelled all attempts", the statement said. It said that the jihadists had barricaded themselves in residential buildings and deployed snipers and explosive devices to fend off pro-GNA forces. IS has hit back with a string of suicide car bombings in a bid to defend their stronghold on the Mediterranean coast. Around 200 loyalist troops have been killed and hundreds wounded since the start of the offensive to capture Sirte, 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli. An unknown number of jihadists have been killed. Libya has been awash with weapons since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Kadhafi, with rival militias fighting for control of its cities and oil wealth. In Garabulli near the Libyan capital, armed residents stormed an arms depot after clashing with a militia from the western city of Misrata, which owned the weapons store. (AFP)

At least 34 Tripoli troops dead, 100 injured in fight against Islamic State

In a city whose windows have been blasted from their frames, remaining residents of Syria`s war-torn Aleppo go about their daily lives behind gaping holes covered with plastic. 
 
For inhabitants of the battle-scarred and divided city, glass windows have become more of a liability than a luxury. 
 
&quot;Every window pane we have has been shattered by shelling,&quot; said Ammar Wattar, an English teacher, as he fitted a hard plastic sheet into the window frame of his home in the government-held district of Al-Midan. 
&quot;We changed it the first time, then the second time, the third time -- until this time, we decided not to change it anymore.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The windows are regularly blown out in the frequent rocket attacks and air strikes on Aleppo city, turning the shards into dangerous projectiles.&nbsp; 
 
Replacing them is also prohibitively expensive - so residents have been opting to cover the empty frames with sheets of plastic.&nbsp; 
In many neighbourhoods, children can be seen slipping behind white tarpaulin hanging like curtains from the doorways of their apartments.&nbsp; 
Abandoned apartment buildings are often identified by the partly-smashed glass windows protruding like jagged teeth from the metal frames. 
 
Clashes and bombardment have carried on in Aleppo despite a February 27 truce across parts of Syria and multiple attempts to secure a local freeze on fighting in the city. 
 
Asraa al-Masri, a teacher in a regime-held district of the city, said a shard of glass flew into her daughter`s leg during a rocket attack.&nbsp; 
She has since stopped replacing her windows with glass, but she now faces a new set of worries.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Bugs, dust, soot, loud noises, the burning smell of the generators, which are bad for your health and negatively affect our children while they`re studying,&quot; she listed.&nbsp; 
 
Perhaps no one has seen as much shattered glass as Mohammed Bouz, who used to sell it in a shop in Al-Midan. 
&quot;My stockpile has been destroyed many times during the shelling, and I haven`t been able to get new deliveries,&quot; he told AFP. 
Before Syria`s war erupted in March 2011, a square metre of glass cost 425 Syrian pounds (70 cents) -- but it now fetches about 3,300 ($6).&nbsp; 
 
Aleppo`s desperate residents -- many of whom have been left jobless since war came to their city in 2012 -- opt for the much cheaper plastic at a maximum of 500 Syrian pounds per square metre.&nbsp; 
 
But for Umm Ahmad`s conservative Muslim family, no proper windows means no privacy. 
Synthetic canvas billows in the wind, &quot;so my daughters and I can only change our clothes in the bathroom or in the hallways so our neighbours don`t see us&quot;, the 52-year-old woman said. 
 
Privacy &quot;is something really sacred for Aleppan families&quot;. 
 
Across the frontline in Aleppo`s rebel-held east, shopkeeper Ali Makansi recounts sitting in his grocery store one day &quot;when a mortar shell crashed into the roof of a nearby building&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Because the explosion was so powerful, an entire window pane fell on me and cut the main nerve in my hand,&quot; said the 32-year-old whose shop is in the Al-Shaar neighbourhood. 
&quot;All the houses and commercial buildings in Aleppo are using plastic now instead of glass,&quot; he said. &quot;Plastic is cheap and won`t hurt anyone if there`s an explosion nearby.&quot; 
 
Mohammed Jokhdar, a 29-year-old Arabic language teacher, sent his family to Turkey after his brother was killed in shelling last year.&nbsp; 
He lives alone in his apartment in Bustan al-Qasr district where he has covered the windows with sheets of transparent plastic.&nbsp; 
&quot;But the plastic doesn`t protect from the weather and sometimes water leaks through. It doesn`t block the noise either -- I feel like I`m in the street.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Abu Omar, 69, who lives in Tariq al-Bab neighbourhood, also complains about the noise and water leaks. 
But &quot;the biggest problem is the street cats... They tear the plastic and come into my home looking for food.&quot;

In a city whose windows have been blasted from their frames, remaining residents of Syria`s war-torn Aleppo go about their daily lives behind gaping holes covered with plastic. For inhabitants of the battle-scarred and divided city, glass windows have become more of a liability than a luxury.

In a city whose windows have been blasted from their frames, remaining residents of Syria`s war-torn Aleppo go about their daily lives behind gaping holes covered with plastic. For inhabitants of the battle-scarred and divided city, glass windows have become more of a liability than a luxury. "Every window pane we have has been shattered by shelling," said Ammar Wattar, an English teacher, as he fitted a hard plastic sheet into the window frame of his home in the government-held district of Al-Midan. "We changed it the first time, then the second time, the third time -- until this time, we decided not to change it anymore." The windows are regularly blown out in the frequent rocket attacks and air strikes on Aleppo city, turning the shards into dangerous projectiles. Replacing them is also prohibitively expensive - so residents have been opting to cover the empty frames with sheets of plastic. In many neighbourhoods, children can be seen slipping behind white tarpaulin hanging like curtains from the doorways of their apartments. Abandoned apartment buildings are often identified by the partly-smashed glass windows protruding like jagged teeth from the metal frames. Clashes and bombardment have carried on in Aleppo despite a February 27 truce across parts of Syria and multiple attempts to secure a local freeze on fighting in the city. Asraa al-Masri, a teacher in a regime-held district of the city, said a shard of glass flew into her daughter`s leg during a rocket attack. She has since stopped replacing her windows with glass, but she now faces a new set of worries. "Bugs, dust, soot, loud noises, the burning smell of the generators, which are bad for your health and negatively affect our children while they`re studying," she listed. Perhaps no one has seen as much shattered glass as Mohammed Bouz, who used to sell it in a shop in Al-Midan. "My stockpile has been destroyed many times during the shelling, and I haven`t been able to get new deliveries," he told AFP. Before Syria`s war erupted in March 2011, a square metre of glass cost 425 Syrian pounds (70 cents) -- but it now fetches about 3,300 ($6). Aleppo`s desperate residents -- many of whom have been left jobless since war came to their city in 2012 -- opt for the much cheaper plastic at a maximum of 500 Syrian pounds per square metre. But for Umm Ahmad`s conservative Muslim family, no proper windows means no privacy. Synthetic canvas billows in the wind, "so my daughters and I can only change our clothes in the bathroom or in the hallways so our neighbours don`t see us", the 52-year-old woman said. Privacy "is something really sacred for Aleppan families". Across the frontline in Aleppo`s rebel-held east, shopkeeper Ali Makansi recounts sitting in his grocery store one day "when a mortar shell crashed into the roof of a nearby building". "Because the explosion was so powerful, an entire window pane fell on me and cut the main nerve in my hand," said the 32-year-old whose shop is in the Al-Shaar neighbourhood. "All the houses and commercial buildings in Aleppo are using plastic now instead of glass," he said. "Plastic is cheap and won`t hurt anyone if there`s an explosion nearby." Mohammed Jokhdar, a 29-year-old Arabic language teacher, sent his family to Turkey after his brother was killed in shelling last year. He lives alone in his apartment in Bustan al-Qasr district where he has covered the windows with sheets of transparent plastic. "But the plastic doesn`t protect from the weather and sometimes water leaks through. It doesn`t block the noise either -- I feel like I`m in the street." Abu Omar, 69, who lives in Tariq al-Bab neighbourhood, also complains about the noise and water leaks. But "the biggest problem is the street cats... They tear the plastic and come into my home looking for food."

Life behind plastic in Syria`s window-less city

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