Sila, who lost her life due to cold weather, is brought to Al Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. Getty Images
Sila, who lost her life due to cold weather, is brought to Al Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. Getty Images
Sila, who lost her life due to cold weather, is brought to Al Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. Getty Images
Sila, who lost her life due to cold weather, is brought to Al Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. Getty Images

Three babies die of hypothermia in Gaza's tents in 48 hours


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A three-week-old girl named Sila died of hypothermia in a camp in Al Mawasi near Khan Younis in Gaza on Wednesday. Sila was the third baby to die due to the cold weather in tent camps, doctors in the besieged enclave said, highlighting the harsh winter conditions Gazans are facing without blankets, electricity, food and medicine.

Sila’s father, Mahmoud Al Faseeh, said he wrapped her in a blanket to try to keep her warm in their tent but he was unable to save her, the Associated Press reported.

He said the tent was not sealed from the wind and the ground was cold, as temperatures on Tuesday night dropped to 9°C. “It was very cold overnight and as adults we couldn’t even take it. We couldn’t stay warm,” Mr Al Faseeh said.

People inspect the site of Israeli attacks on tents in Khan Younis, a site where Palestinians displaced from Beit Lahia sought shelter. AFP
People inspect the site of Israeli attacks on tents in Khan Younis, a site where Palestinians displaced from Beit Lahia sought shelter. AFP

Sila woke up crying three times overnight and in the morning her parents found her unresponsive, and her body stiff. “She was like wood,” said Mr Al Faseeh. They rushed her to a field hospital where doctors tried to revive her, but her lungs had already collapsed.

Ahmed Al Farra, director of the children’s ward at Al Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, confirmed that the baby died of hypothermia. He said two other babies – one three days old, the other a month old – had been brought to the hospital over the past 48 hours after dying of hypothermia.

Aid groups raised the alarm in November, calling winter in Gaza a “ticking time bomb,” as rain and flooding had washed out temporary shelters.

About 90 per cent of the population has been displaced during the 14-month war. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are living in harrowing conditions, after fleeing the Israeli military's relentless bombardment.

More than 45,300 people, the majority women and children, have been killed in Gaza where Israel has been accused of committing a genocide, and systematically blocking aid to the besieged population, according to several international agencies.

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

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The design

The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.

More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.

The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.

The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.

A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.

Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.

Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.

Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.

 From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.

Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019. 

Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BORDERLANDS

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis

Director: Eli Roth

Rating: 0/5

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

Updated: December 27, 2024, 2:54 PM