After agreeing to a three-hour truce to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, the Israeli air force launched 60 strikes in a single night. The casualties in the second week of Operation Cast Lead included 42 dead when mortar rounds struck the Al Fakhura school, which was being used as a shelter by around 1,200 refugees. At least 10 of the dead were children. Gaza emergency services said that by Wednesday the death toll caused by the Israeli operation had reached 660, with another 2,950 wounded. Israel said four of its soldiers had been killed by so-called "friendly fire".
World leaders continued to call for a truce. Foreign ministers from Europe, the Arab world and the United States continued a diplomatic session at the United Nations in New York, while President Sarkozy of France met with the president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, in an attempt to broker a ceasefire. The peace negotiations have the cautious backing of the US, the Arab League and the UN. Israel said that operations would continue until Hamas stopped firing rockets into the southern part of the country. Three Israeli civilians have been killed by rocket fire since the fighting started.
Serious traffic casualties fell dramatically last year, police in Abu Dhabi announced. Numbers for those killed or seriously injured on the roads dropped by 12 per cent, with police saying the reduction was due to tougher laws introduced in March, including a new points system for motoring offences. According to the police, 738 people died or were badly injured in accidents by the end of last November compared to 839 people in the comparable period for 2007. Among Emiratis, the fall was even more dramatic, with casualties reduced by 23 per cent.
Col Hamad Adil al Shamsi, the head of traffic and patrols, said: "We increased traffic inspection campaigns and patrols to catch violations such as dangerous overtaking of other vehicles, crossing red signals."
Gas supplies to Europe were disrupted in a row between Russian and Ukraine. The former Soviet republic was accused of stealing gas by Russia's Gazprom as it passed along a pipeline connecting the West. The EU depends on Russia for about a quarter of its total gas supplies, some 80 per cent of which is pumped through Ukraine. Seven countries, including Greece, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria, reported a complete halt of gas supplies, while Italy and Austria said they received only 10 per cent of their expected delivery. Ukraine denies stealing the gas, saying the fall in supplies is due to "technical problems."
A new shopping mall opened in China dedicated entirely to fake brands. The mall in Nanjing, east of Shanghai is said to have angered shoppers who thought they were buying the real thing. "The whole idea of this mall is plain dishonest," one shopper complained in a local newspaper. "Some fakes are done lightheartedly to be funny, but these stores look so much like the real thing people are going to feel cheated.
The mall's food court includes a "McDnoalds", "Bucksstar Coffee" and "Pizza Huh".
Cows in the United States could be taxed because of their contribution to global warming. The US environmental protection agency suggested that farmers should pay $175 for each dairy cow and $87.50 for beef cattle as part of a revised clean air act. Gas from cows is said to put more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than driving cars.
Joe Biden, the next vice president of the United States, was turned away from a cinema when nobody recognised him. Accompanied by a posse of secret service agents, Mr Biden and his wife Jane tried to buy tickets for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt, but left after being told the next performance was sold out. Staff at the Regal Brandywine Cinema in Delaware apparently failed to realise who their guest was until they were told by an agent.
The family of a German billionaire who committed suicide said he had been "broken" by losing money in the world financial crisis. Adolf Merckle, 74, threw himself under a train after running up losses of ?400 million (Dh2bn) by betting the wrong way on Volkswagen shares. Mr Merckle, whose company made pharmaceuticals and cement, was listed as the 98th-richest man in the world in 2008.
David Beckham and his family arrived in Dubai for a friendly football match between his new club AC Milan and Hamburg. His wife, Victoria, the fashion designer and former Spice Girl, said the trip had allowed her children to enjoy themselves away from the tabloid press. "I can't remember the last time I had a holiday when I could just walk around without any make-up on, with just a pair of flip flops and my kids and just do regular stuff," she said. "Everyone's been very respectful. I will come back for that reason." The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the England player being substituted at half-time.
Motorcyclists in a Nigerian city have been defying new helmet laws by driving with dried pumpkin shells on their heads. Officers in Kano say they have stopped dozens of drivers, who operate as taxis, wearing calabash shells, normally used for carrying water. The new law has led to thousands of motorbikes being seized around the country and prompted street protest from drivers. Yusuf Garba, the Kano Federal Road Safety Commission commander, told the BBC: "We are impounding their bikes and want to take them to court so they can explain why they think wearing a calabash is good enough for their safety."
A new musical based on the hit TV cartoon series Freej opened in Dubai. Dubbed the biggest ever theatrical production in the Middle East, Freej Folklore has more than 100 performers and 300 production staff. The show features the four grandmothers Um Saeed, Um Allawai, Um Saloom and Um Khammas who travel through time to explore the region's past with the help of a seven-metre-tall genie. It also features a score that fuses traditional Emirati music and a western orchestra.
The capital revealed its plans for growth over the next two decades, which will include boosting the non-oil sector to half of the economy. The report, Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, forecast that the emirate's economy would defy the current world recession by growing by seven per cent a year for the next six years and then by six per cent. The Government also hopes to reduce unemployment among nationals to five per cent "effectively creating full employment". It also called for new measures to attract and retain skilled expatriate workers. According to the report, gross domestic product will increase more than five times in the next 21 years.
jlangton@thenational.ae
