Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Israel’s military announced on Wednesday the death of soldier Roi Sasson, 21, who was killed during fighting in northern Gaza, marking the 800th death among Israeli security personnel since the Hamas-led attacks that started the Gaza war on October 7 last year.
Sasson, who was killed in an ambush, was a member of the Kfir Brigade, Israel’s largest infantry unit. His battalion commander was seriously injured in the same attack.
Deaths among Israeli security personnel in the Gaza war recently surpassed the number of its soldiers killed in the 1967 Middle East War, which was previously the fifth-deadliest for the country's forces, according to a tally by the Jewish Virtual Library.
Israel’s military says 304 troops were among the nearly 2,000 people killed during the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Another 251 people, including some soldiers, were taken back to Gaza as hostages, of whom more than 100 remain in captivity. A total of 377 troops have been killed since Israel launched its ground incursion into Gaza at the end of that month.
The Israeli invasion and bombing campaign has killed more than 43,900 people in Gaza and injured more than 104,000, most of them civilians, Palestinian health officials said.
Although the casualty rate among Israeli soldiers is a great deal lower now than at the beginning of the war, the rising death toll still highlights the extreme complexity of fighting in a densely populated area such as Gaza, where Hamas has built a sophisticated network of tunnels. The military has repeatedly re-entered areas it previously declared clear of enemy activity, prompting accusations from many Israelis that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no coherent war strategy.
Other Israeli security personnel have been killed in the occupied West Bank, where raids on suspected militant groups were stepped up alongside the war in Gaza. At least 45 soldiers have been killed in south Lebanon since Israel sent troops over the border last month after nearly a year of exchanges of fire with Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Other personnel, such as police, have been killed in rocket attacks, operations in the West Bank and attacks within Israel carried out by Palestinian militants.
The country's deadliest conflict was the first Arab-Israeli War, fought from 1947 to 1949, during which the state of Israel was established. More than 6,000 security personnel were killed. The 1973 Arab-Israeli War killed almost 2,700, while the period of fighting with Palestinians and Arab neighbours between 1968 and 1970 killed more than 1,400. The First Lebanon War that began in 1982 killed more than 1,200.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
