Mysterious 'snow' disrupts Israeli TV

Israel is awash with speculation over the mysterious disappearance of satellite television signals, with everyone from the Russians to the United Nations accused of jamming the population's nightly entertainment.

The television network is said to be "near collapse" after a month of electronic snowstorms and interference, rumoured to be variously caused by the radar of UN patrols, Russian spy ships or even Israel's military. The interference began on Sept 6, the day Israeli warplanes slipped past Syria's Russian-made air defence systems, and attacked a military target deep inside the country.

The Israeli government has maintained an almost total silence over the strike, which some foreign media reported as an attack on a possible nuclear installation.

Since then, desperate viewers of Desperate Housewives, frustrated followers of The Bold and the Beautiful, and other TV lovers have been bombarding the switchboard of the Israeli satellite broadcaster Yes, and have launched a 122 million shekel (£15 million) class action suit against the company for failing to deliver the goods. London Telegraph