Body of Israeli Air Force captain found in Laos - The Jewish Chronicle

News

The body of a 25-year-old Israeli Air Force captain was found in Laos on Monday, three days after he went missing while kayaking on the Mekong River. Five of Avner Bardugo's comrades from his unit had flown to Laos to join the search.

More than half of the households in the Gaza Strip are living below the poverty line, according to new figures from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Despite humanitarian aid, 51.8 per cent of families in the Strip were living below the poverty line, while poverty rates in the West Bank fell to just over 19 per cent.

Hamas vowed revenge after IDF forces killed the man allegedly responsible for planning February's double suicide bombing in Dimona in which one woman died. The 25-year-old Hamas leader was killed after troops surrounded his Hebron hideout and he refused to surrender.

El Al Israel Airlines has taken disciplinary action against a number of its employees after an unaccompanied eight-year-old boy was flown from Ben Gurion Airport to Brussels - instead of to his destination in Munich. The error was only discovered when family members, waiting for him in Munich airport, realised he had failed to arrive and contacted the authorities.

A wife and mother of two, Marguerita Lautin, was shot and killed when caught in the crossfire of an assassination attempt at a Bat Yam beachside restaurant. Police have arrested four men considered to be involved. The intended targets were thought to be members of a local crime family.

The Knesset State Control Committee is launching an inquiry into the current Israeli water crisis. It hopes to find both short- and long-term solutions to the problems. Water Authority Head, Uri Shani, predicted that the Kinneret would reach the dangerous level of 215 metres below sea level - after which supplies can no longer be pumped into the national water carrier - by the end of the year.

The man who planned and ordered the shooting of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi in 2001 was convicted on five separate charges for his role in the killing and four other terror attacks. Majdi Rahima Rimawi, 43, will be sentenced at a later date for the assassination, which was carried out in retaliation for that of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader Mustafa Zibri.

A state inquiry commission is to be established to look into the treatment of the former settlers evacuated from the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank during the disengagement of summer 2005. The investigation will focus on the delays in finding the evacuees jobs and permanent homes.

Arts

The Hebrew version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat is opening at Tel Aviv's Habima theatre. The major production of the musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber will run for 50 shows, costing NIS 8 million (£1.2m).

The International Chess Festival is being hosted in Jerusalem this week. More than 500 competitors from across Europe and the US are expected to take part in the events, which culminate in a creative chess workshop to create chess kites.

An Acoustic festival is being held at Ein Hemed National Park. The festival, which began on July 25 and will last until August 29, features Israeli artists include Yehudit Ravitz, Miki Gavrielov, and Hadag Nachash.

Macy Gray, R&B and soul singer, is to play two nights at Tel Aviv's Zappa Club on August 4 and 5.

Business

Teva Pharmaceuticals announced a net profit of $539 million (£270m) in the second quarter of 2008. Copaxone, medication to treat MS, developed entirely in Israel, generated $536 million (£268m) in sales, a rise of 29 per cent. The drug to treat Parkinson's disease, Azilect, rose in sales by 50 per cent, generating $42 million (£21m) in revenue.

The Bank of Israel raised interest rates by four per cent, marking the third time the rate has been raised since May, while inflation is exceeding the target range.

El Al Israel Airways and American Airways have announced a code-share agreement which will allow passengers to buy a ticket from either airline letting them travel to North America with a direct flight and return via a European city, if they choose to do so. Flights between America and Europe will be on American Airlines flights using El Al tickets.

Israel's Finance Ministry is drafting proposals to double the tuition fees for popular degrees, including law, accounting and business and administration. Critics of the moves warned that students will face dramatic rises in costs, making these courses considerably less accessible.