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The families of hostages taken during the October 7 attack on Israel joined a rally at a London synagogue on Sunday to call for their release, saying the past six months had been "hell”.
Hundreds of people gathered for the event at St John's Wood United Synagogue, where speakers included Col Richard Kemp, former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan, actress Maureen Lipman and influencer Oli London.
The rally on marked six months since Hamas’s raid on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to about 250 people being taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed more than 33,100 Palestinians, the Gaza health authorities said.
Those who attended the rally on Sunday raised images of hostages and waved Israeli flags. Michel Nisenbaum, 59, was taken by Hamas in Sderot as he was on his way to pick up his granddaughter to take her to her mother.
His daughter tried calling him when she saw videos of the attack and a militant answered his phone. His family have heard from Mr Nisenbaum since he was taken, his niece, Ayala Harel, told PA.
“He went out, about five minutes later his daughter saw the video of the terrorists inside Sderot, and she was trying to call Michel and he didn’t answer the phone," she said.
“And then she realised that something is happening if he’s not picking up the phone.
“She was trying to call him again and again, and 15 minutes later Hamas picked up his phone and just shout on the phone, ‘Hamas, Hamas, we’re here, we came from Gaza to Israel.'
“His daughter was panicking and she hung up the phone. And that was the last time that we heard something.”
Anti-Netanyahu protests in Jerusalem - in pictures
Two weeks later, the family were informed that Mr Nisenbaum's car was found burnt on the road, but no body was found, she added.
Ms Harel said the past six months had been “hell” for her family.
“I can’t go back to my life, I live in the south of Israel. So I was there on October 7. I’m a survivor myself and I can’t go back to my house yet,” she said.
“And since then, we don’t live. I’m just dealing with this, with the hostages. I just want them back. It’s been six months, it’s not normal."
The families of hostages Omer Wenker and Shlomi Ziv recorded messages that were played at the rally. Mr Wenker’s father, Shai Wenker, said his son was at the Nova music festival when he was kidnapped by Hamas fighters.
“He was brutally kidnapped. We saw a video of Omer on October 7 [showing] that he was kidnapped by Hamas," he said.
“We have evidence from the released hostages that he’s still alive, not in good shape. And we know he doesn’t get any medicine and we are very worried about him."
Mr Ziv’s sister, Revital Azulay, said he was also taken from the music festival, where he was working as security staff. The families of hostages “cannot go on with our lives without them”, she added.
“It has been six months since I’ve heard my brother’s voice," she said. “On the morning of October 7, I called him, he answered while he was running from the terrorists and told me, 'I will call you back.' I’m still waiting.
“My life has stopped. All I do is fight for my brothers and sisters. We must bring them all home. We cannot go on with our lives without them.”
The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has faced pressure to secure the release of those who continue to be held in the enclave.
Lipman urged the world to remember those who were taken hostage on the October 7 attack. "We cannot allow people to forget or to belittle their plight and move on with the rest of the world to tastier sound bites," she said.
Col Kemp described the rally as “incredibly important” and said he spent much of the past six months in Israel.
“They see what goes on in this country and other countries across the world and they have enormous appreciation for the solidarity that you show in events like this," he said.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Pickford (Everton), Pope (Burnley), Henderson (Manchester United)
Defenders Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Chilwell (Chelsea), Coady (Wolves), Dier (Tottenham), Gomez (Liverpool), James (Chelsea), Keane (Everton), Maguire (Manchester United), Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Mings (Aston Villa), Saka (Arsenal), Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Foden (Manchester City), Henderson (Liverpool), Grealish (Aston Villa), Mount (Chelsea), Rice (West Ham), Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Winks (Tottenham)
Forwards: Abraham (Chelsea), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Kane (Tottenham), Rashford (Manchester United), Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Sterling (Manchester City)
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
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Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
Persuasion
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
RESULTS
Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)
Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke
Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)
Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke
Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)
Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO
Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision
Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke
Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke
Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO
Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision
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Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
