The third week of Israel's offensive into Gaza saw the death toll pass 1,000 and a renewed diplomatic initiative to broker a ceasefire. Reports on the BBC from human rights groups claimed Israeli forces had shot at Palestinian civilians as they tried to flee, in some cases waving white flags. Israel's military described the claims as "without foundation". Israel continued to deny international observers and journalists access to Gaza. Division appeared among the Israeli leadership, with reports that Ehud Barak, the defence minister, and Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister, were pushing for an early end to the campaign before next month's elections. Ehud Olmert, the outgoing prime minister, is said to want to continue the onslaught on Hamas targets, which has boosted his opinion poll ratings. Rockets fired from Lebanon struck northern Israel for the second time since the conflict began, drawing a response of artillery fire. Hizbollah denied launching the rockets. A week after both Israel and Hamas rejected a UN Security Council call for a ceasefire, Qatar tried to host a meeting of the Arab League after the UAE said it would take part despite concerns expressed by Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Saudi Arabia also called for an emergency summit meeting of Gulf States in Riyadh. Of the 4,500 wounded in Gaza, more than half are said to be women and children, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. Israel's death toll stands at nine, four of whom were killed in so-called "friendly fire" incidents.
Prince Harry was forced to apologise after a series of racist remarks were captured on film. The prince, who is third in line to the British throne, was captured using the phrase "raghead" to describe a fellow cadet at Sandhurst, the army college, who was wearing a camouflage hood. Prince Harry also used the expression "Paki" to greet another cadet from Pakistan. His remarks were aimed at Ahmed Raza Khan, now a captain in the Pakistani army. The footage was taken three years ago on a training exercise in Cyprus, but revealed in a British tabloid newspaper. Representatives of the prince issued an apology for the remarks, while the ministry of defence in London stressed there was a "zero tolerance" policy in the armed forces. It was not the first time the prince has found himself in trouble. Four years ago, he was photographed wearing a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party.
Slumdog Millionaire became the surprise favourite for the Oscars after winning several awards at this year's Golden Globes. The film, based on a novel by the Indian writer Vikas Swarup, captured prizes for best picture, director, screenplay and musical score. It tells the story of a young boy from the slums of Mumbai who becomes a successful contestant on an Indian version of the TV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. As expected, the late Heath Ledger won a Golden Globe for his performance as The Joker in the Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight while Mickey Rourke collected the award for best actor in The Wrestler. The Golden Globes are seen as setting the scene for the Oscars, which are held in February.
A ban on smoking was imposed by Abu Dhabi's first cigar club. Management at the Cristal cigar and champagne bar at the Millennium Hotel said they were acting in advance of a ban on smoking in public places that all hotels will have to adopt at a future date yet to be decided. Reactions at the bar, which opened in 2002, were mixed, a hotel spokesman said, with some customers positive about the ban, and others rejecting it. Other hotels with cigar bars say they have no plans to follow suit. An initial proposal to ban smoking in the city was put on hold while a law covering the entire country is drawn up.
William "Billy" Zantzinger, a wealthy tobacco farmer from Maryland who inspired one of Bob Dylan most powerful protest songs, died at 69. He was accused of causing the death of a black waitress at a society gathering at Baltimore Hotel in Feb 1963 after she was slow to serve him a drink. The incident received little coverage until Dylan, then 22, appeared on the Steve Allen show a year later, to play The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, with the opening lines: "William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll with a cane that he twirled 'round his diamond ring finger." The song, included on Dylan's seminal The Times They Are A-Changin' album became an anthem for the civil rights movement, with Zantzinger serving only a six-month sentence for manslaughter. Dylan dropped the "t" from Zantzinger to reduce the likelihood of a libel action and used the word "lonesome" because none of the other guests came to help Hattie Carroll after she collapsed.
A judge in the US ordered the release of a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay who had been detained in the camp for seven years. Mohammed el Gharani from Chad had been held in Guantanamo since he was 14, with the US claiming he had been involved in the defence of the Tora Bora stronghold and was a member of a London-based al Qa'eda cell. District judge Richard Leon said there was no evidence of the American claims and that the 21-year-old should be sent home to Chad or Saudi Arabia, where his family now lives. Barack Obama is widely expected to announce the closure of the camp when he takes offices as president next week.
Nasa scientists said they had detected plumes of methane gas on Mars, raising the likelihood of life on the Red Planet. Large quantities of methane were found in a seven-year study using three telescopes. The discovery is significant because on Earth around 90 per cent of the gas is produced by living organisms. While the balance is produced by volcanoes, Nasa said there were not enough on Mars to account to the quantity of methane found. The discovery raises the possibility that life, in the form of microbes, will be found on Mars.
Hail stones, some up to 1cm in diameter fell on parts of Dubai as bad weather lashed the Emirates. The hail fell on parts of The Greens, Media City and Jebel Ali, giving a brief wintry appearance. Heavy rain also fell on Wednesday, causing flooding up to 50cm deep on some roads and leading to traffic chaos and delaying the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship by two hours. Earlier in the week storms lashed Khalifa City on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. There was more rain in Al Ain and Ras al Khaimah, with a warning that temperatures could fall below freezing in the mountains. jlangton@thenational.ae