For 34 minutes on the morning of 7 October 2023, Aner Shapira picked up live hand grenades hurled at him by Hamas gunmen.
Even when the fingers on one hand were blown off by an explosion, Shapira used his other hand to keep lobbing back grenades that were thrown into the bomb shelter he and others had sought shelter in at the Nova music festival.
Shapira, who was a 22-year-old off-duty soldier, died that day, along with a further 1,200 people at the festival and elsewhere. More than 250 hostages were taken to Gaza. Three years on, his family is calling for political change in Israel and a greater dialogue with the West.
What you need to know about new air travel rules
As the October half-term looms, British holidaymakers taking to the skies may notice a number of changes as they head to Europe.
Here’s what you need to know…
Air travel changes
Face as passport
E-gates at UK airports will soon work without a passport for British nationals by using facial recognition to match travellers with their passport image held on Home Office systems.
Free personal item
Since July, passengers can take a small bag (40x30x15cm) on board for free. EU airlines must also include at least a carry-on trolley bag in the starting price for flights.
The EU’s EES is now in full effect at most Schengen area airports, causing delays for passengers who will now need to register biometric data at gates.
Anyone trying to avoid the queues should try to secure a seat towards the front of the plane to be able to dash to passport control before queues form.
Daniel Craig’s Bond suit from Skyfall up for auction
A suit worn by Daniel Craig in the 2012 film will go up for auction this month.
Bond suite for sale
A worn by Daniel Craig while playing James Bond in the 2012 film is among the lots being offered in a from the 007 franchise.
A collection of 400 items spanning every Bond film since 1962’s is being sold via an online auction open until 27 October. It also includes a complete set of 14 first edition 007 books written by Ian Fleming.
What you need to know
- The grey suit, complete with branded shirt and a tie and cufflinks, was worn by Craig in the opening sequence of as Bond chases a villain across Istanbul, Turkey.
- The outfit, part of Craig’s wardrobe for his fourth of five outings as Bond, has a pre-sale estimate of between £20,000 and £40,000.
- Also offered is a navy dress with a plunging neckline worn by Hollywood star Ana de Armas as secret agent Paloma in the most recent Bond film, .
The Bond memorabilia up for sale
A cinema poster for , the first Bond Film and starring Sean Connery, has an estimate pre-sale price of £8k to £16k.
A clapper board used for miniature special effects sequences in is offered with a pre-sale price tag of £4k to £8k.
With an estimate of £20k to £40k, another star lot is 14 first-edition, first impression 007 books written by Ian Fleming.
Which weight-loss drug ads are being banned
Two online pharmacies have been sanctioned by the advertising watchdog after they for oral weight-loss medicines.
Which pharmacies are being sanctioned?
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) ruled that and wrongly used ads on social media and on their own websites to promote GLP-1 anti-obesity treatments.
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What you need to know
- Medicines cannot be advertised in the UK until licensed for use by regulators. Even once authorised, prescription-only drugs cannot be advertised to the public.
- The ASA found that Simple Online Pharmacy broke these rules by inviting people to join a waiting list for GLP-1 slimming pills on 1 June. The first such medicine was not authorised in the UK until 11 June.
- Pharmacy Online also had its adverts banned after it promoted the oral version of Wegovy after it had been licensed as prescription-only. The ads included a website pop-up inviting people to “pre-order” the medication.
The licensing of GLP-1 pills, seen as easier to administer than weight-loss jabs, has boosted the £210m market for anti-obesity drugs obtained with private prescriptions.
However, it has also provided regulators with a headache as they seek to ensure use only occurs under proper medical supervision.
‘Treatments could put people at risk’
“These are powerful medicines, so it’s important that ads don’t encourage people to seek treatment in ways that could put them at risk”
Catherine Drewett, investigations manager at the ASA
Paramount and Warner Bros mega deal creates Skydance
Paramount has completed its $110bn (£83bn) takeover of Warner Bros Discovery to create a new Hollywood giant.
Details on the deal
Big money merger
The mega deal will bring both major film studio brands under the name Skydance.
Which channels are involved?
It also brings together streaming services and TV networks including CBS and HBO Max.
UK channels
In the UK, meanwhile, Skydance will control assets such as Channel 5 and TNT Sports.
Issues with regulators
Paramount, which was bought by Skydance last year, initially launched a hostile approach before gaining the approval of the Warner Bros board.
Britain’s regulators greenlit the deal in August, with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport promising not to intervene after several “legally binding commitments” from Paramount over its footprint in the UK.
The deal had to gain approval from regulators across the world, while also settling a lawsuit lodged by Democratic attorney generals in 12 states seeking to block the merger.
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What we know as Ofcom opens first investigation into Meta
Ofcom has launched its first investigation into Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta under the Online Safety Act.
Here’s everything we know.
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Why is Ofcom investigating Meta?
Online safety regulator Ofcom is investigating Meta regarding its disappearing content feature.
- Ofcom said it was looking into whether the tech giant adequately assessed the risks of Instagram Instants before launching it in May.
- The feature allows users to take and share photos that disappear after being viewed. It cannot be seen after 24 hours.
- Meta said it had “conducted a risk analysis” and briefed Ofcom “on a number of occasions” before launch.
What risks does the feature carry?
Ofcom said on Tuesday it had launched a formal investigation to establish “whether Meta failed to comply with its duties under the Act by not carrying out a suitable and sufficient illegal content risk assessment and children’s risk assessment before the launch of Instants”.
Meta’s response
Meta takes its regulatory obligations under the Online Safety Act seriously
A Meta spokesperson insisted Instants has in-built protections including “blocking screenshots, reshares and forwarding, no public feed, and Teen Account protections on automatically”.
Mark Zuckerberg’s toxic empire is starting to crack
Meta’s decision to pay more than $17bn (£12bn) to settle a landmark US lawsuit is being seen as a reckoning for a company that has got away with preying on children and ransacking its users’ data for decades.
Pro-Palestine march to go ahead on 7 October anniversary
A pro-Palestine march on the anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attack has been given the go-ahead by police, under strict conditions.
The protest
Who is protesting?
A group of students called the University of London Coalition are expected to march in the capital on Wednesday.
Why they are marching
Organisers urged people to “take to the street and demand an end to the Palestinian genocide”.
Why is it controversial?
It has drawn criticism for being held on the anniversary of Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel.
Police restrictions
- The group is required to form at Lincoln’s Inn Fields by 12.30pm, take a prescribed route to Russell Square, and finish the rally by 2pm.
- Demonstrators must not wear a face covering which conceals their identity, with the Met Police saying anyone who breaches these conditions can be arrested.
- The march was originally set to leave from King’s College London, but restrictions require them to be further from the university.
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Education Secretary Lucy Powell called on the student march organisers “to for others by moving it” to another date. She added that universities should take “a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitic abuse, backed by robust disciplinary policies”.
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‘High bar for ban not met’
We hear the calls for this event to be banned. The police cannot ban protests and can only ask the Home Secretary to do so if the risk of serious disorder is so high that it can’t be managed by conditions. That high bar is not met here.
met police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman, who leads Met Operations including public order policing
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
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A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
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It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
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“He believed in the goodness of people,” Shapira’s father Moshe told The i Paper over the phone from their family home in Jerusalem. “He played classical piano from the age of six and then as a teenager he started playing rap music and there you can hear his ideology against racism, against hatred, against abuse in society.”
Like most young Israelis, Shapira was expected to serve in the country’s armed forces, despite him being a dual British citizen through his mother. “He disliked our army as an organisation, but I was a paratrooper, his grandfather was a paratrooper,” said Moshe. “For him, he asked, ‘Where’s the best place that I can protect people?’”
That instinct to protect kicked in as the horrors of the 7 October attack unfolded. As Shapira and around 25 others rushed to a bomb shelter to escape the shooting, he knew from his training that the gunmen were likely to start throwing grenades to try to take out the hiding place.
“He said to the people in the shelter, ‘I believe what they will do in a minute is they will try to throw grenades inside and I will try to pick them up and throw them back, but if I miss or something happens to me, you will have to continue.’”
Shapira’s parents know exactly what their eldest son did that day due to an audio recording from the shelter and videos pieced together by the Israeli military. For Moshe and Aner’s mother, Shira, the recordings provide them with something to hold on to despite the grief.
“Every second, we know what happened. To know how he fell won’t make up for the loss, but at least we know exactly what he did and how he stood for what he believed. It gives us a lot of comfort,” Moshe said.
The devastation of that day three years ago, and what came after, has shifted how many Israelis see both their own society and their relationship with other countries.
“The attacks changed Israeli society in many aspects,” said Moshe. “I think Israeli society is much more afraid than it was before, afraid for its own existence. Previously, many people thought there was a political solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – now they’re not so sure.”
Moshe said he had deep sadness about the innocent people killed by Israeli forces in Gaza and elsewhere since October 2023, but that he felt let down by what he called a “betrayal” of Western support for Israel.
“Israelis feel very isolated from the West, and for us it’s shocking that 80 years after the Holocaust, intellectuals from the left of politics in Western society are repeating the same phrases that are used by Hamas, and that these slogans not only are being legitimatised but are being shouted as if they were a moral thing to say.”
The horror of 7 October should stand apart from what followed, according to the couple, who see political change in Israel as key to shifting international attitudes to the country and the conflicts in the region.
“The attacks were a cruelty against humanity, not against Israelis. They killed Hindus, they killed people from the Philippines, Nepal, Thailand. The first guy that was murdered from Aner’s shelter was a Muslim Bedouin guy that came out whose name was Osama.”
Shira is now standing in Israel’s parliamentary elections, being held on 27 October, representing the Yashar party led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces. The party, whose name translates as “honest” or “straight”, wants to establish a state commission of inquiry to investigate the 7 October massacre, “the decade leading up to it and the conduct of the war”, according to its website.
The Shapiras hope that the elections will mark a positive change for the country and region, and believe it is time to replace prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.
“This is not a good government,” said Moshe. “You have extremist people in our government that shouldn’t be there. They’re adding oil to the fire. We have to try to find a dialogue with our allies from the past because I think this will be better for all the world. Israel is not Sparta that can last by itself.”
Moshe and Shira have also tried to build something meaningful out of their son’s death, creating a foundation in his name with the hope of bringing people together through music, whether secular or religious, Jewish or Muslim.
For the third anniversary of his death, the family came together to honour their son’s life and his legacy of bravery. Moshe said: “We speak about him a lot because he became kind of a symbol in Israel of bravery – but more than that, the bravery of humanity of protecting others, even with your life.”