The mother and grandfather of a four-year-old French girl whose body was discovered in the Yarkon River near Tel Aviv have been charged with murder. Roni Ron and Marie Renault were indicted for allegedly killing Rose Pizem, Ms Renault's daughter from a previous marriage to Mr Ron's son. Her grandfather had confessed to killing her and dumping her body in a suitcase in the Yarkon River.
An Israeli soldier may lose sight in one eye after a 19-year-old Palestinian woman threw acid in his face as she tried to cross the Hawara checkpoint near Nablus on Monday. The woman was allegedly behind a similar attack earlier this month at the same checkpoint but managed to escape.
Albert Einstein's telescope was to be put on display this week at the Hebrew University after undergoing three years of repairs, costing some $10,000 (£5,400). The physicist received the telescope in 1954, the year before his death, as a gift from a friend, Zvi Gizeri. Einstein was a co-founder of the university and bequeathed it all his records.
Activists intend setting sail once more from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli embargo. Following the success of the first Free Gaza mission last month, some 20 protesters - including Balad faction chairman MK Jamal Zahalka - plan to board a boat named Hope for the 20-hour trip.
A new online exhibit of the Auschwitz Album - unique photographic evidence of the arrival and selection for death of Hungarian Jews at the camp in 1944 - has been added to Yad Vashem's Persian-language website. The Farsi site was launched in January 2007 and has already had some 100,000 visitors.
V Kfar Saba has adopted a masterplan to become a sustainable, eco- friendly city. Its mayor Yehuda Ben-Hemo said the large-scale green initiative, part of which will be adopted next year, made Kfar Saba "the first city in the world to take such a sweeping decision".
Director Avi Mugrabi has complained after his new film Z32 was classified as unsuitable for those under the age of 14 by the Israeli Film Rating Board. He argued that the move was a political decision, made because of the controversial nature of his film. It tells the story of a former soldier involved in the murder of two Palestinian police officers.
French duo Air, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel, are to play in Tel Aviv as part of their Close Up Tour which will also take them as far afield as Romania and China. The pair, who produce ambient electronic music, have been performing for 12 years.
The Holon Theatre is to host Sounds of Childhood 2008, a three-day music festival aimed at young people and children. Opening on October 15 with a gala benefit for the pediatric department at Wolfson Hospital, the festival will feature performance of five pieces of musical theatre as well as free, al fresco storytelling events.
Most Tel Aviv music clubs were set to close or not host live acts on Thursday night in preparation for Paul McCartney's first gig in Israel, which was expected to draw some 50,000 fans. Police urged people to travel by public transport amid massive security laid on for the former Beatle.
British film star Joseph Fiennes is to appear at the International Haifa Film Festival next month. The Shakespeare in Love actor plays a central role in Israeli director Uri Barbash's new film Spring 41, a wartime love story which was shot in Poland last year.
Waltz with Bashir, the animated film about the Sabra and Shatila massacres in the first Lebanon War, won six prizes at the Ophir Awards, the Israeli version of the Oscars. The film, written and directed by Ari Folman, will now represent Israel in the best foreign film category at the next Academy Awards.
business
Yediot Ahronot reported that Roman Abramovich visited Israel to advance negotiations for his purchase of Bet Chelouche in Tel Aviv's Neve Tzedek neighbourhood. According to estate agent Oren Katz, Mr Abramovich has had a $30 million (£16.16m) bid rejected, which would have been the most ever paid for a home in Israel. Marcus Nacht, the Israeli businessman who owns the property, is reportedly now asking $40 million (£21.54m).
The Bank of Israel has left Israeli interest rates for October unchanged at 4.25 per cent, following four consecutive months of 0.25 per cent rate increases. The bank said that its move was consistent with its aim of restoring price stability within a year.
Israelis are acutely aware of the US financial crisis and fear the crash will reach Israel, according to a survey carried out by market researchers Meida Shivuki CI. Their survey of 502 adults found that more than 95 per cent were aware of the crash and 82 per cent believed it will affect them - although only 41 per cent said they would cut back their spending in the next six months.