In the first major move by western powers signalling discontent over Israel's conduct in Gaza, the European Commission is seeking to partially suspend Israel's participation in the bloc's flagship research programme.
Though the proposal is not a sanction, it is viewed by Israel as a serious rebuke. It could lead to more consequential measures previously floated in response to Israel's breach of a human rights clause embedded in EU-Israel relations.
Among the options discussed was the suspension of preferential trade relations – an alarming prospect for Israel, given that the EU is its biggest trading partner. The relationship, however, is not reciprocal, as Israel ranks only 31st among the EU's export markets.
Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign affairs and security chief, has warned more measures could follow, if the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.
Trade or ban?
The EU Commission on Monday proposed banning certain Israeli companies from participating in an EU-funded programme called the EIC Accelerator.
The move targets firms involved in so-called dual use technology – meaning they can also be used for military purposes – such as cybersecurity, drones and artificial intelligence.
The EIC Accelerator is a funding programme that gives lump sum grants in equity investment. Since the launch of the Horizon research programme in 2021, Israeli entities have received about €900 million ($1.03) in EU funding, including €200 million through the EIC Accelerator, a senior EU official said.
The proposed suspension would not affect existing contracts but would bar Israeli companies from participation in the accelerator.
Based on the EIC's track record in Israel, "one can presume that the effect of this suspension would be very real", the official said, speaking under condition of anonymity.
To be adopted, the proposal requires the backing of 15 of the bloc's 27 member countries representing at least 65 per cent of the bloc's population.
EU ambassadors in Brussels discussed the proposal on Tuesday, but a number of them said they were still analysing the proposal. A decision is expected in the coming weeks.
Four countries – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Austria – said they would oppose it. But, importantly, Germany and Italy did not express outright rejection.
"There was a clear shift in tone from the Commission, which said that dialogue had not worked," an EU diplomat told The National.
Germany is Israel's closest ally within the EU and its second most important weapons provider. Chancellor Friedrich Merz this week signalled a shift in position, saying he "reserved the right" to support proposals to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Italy, under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has deepened ties with Israel and the US.
Yet Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof has already expressed support for the proposal, triggering a sharp rebuke by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
The commission believes it is putting forward "appropriate and proportionate measures" in accordance with article 79 of the Euro-Mediterranean agreement. It states that if either party believes the other has failed to fulfil the agreement, "priority shall be given to [measures] that least disturb the functioning of the agreement".
The proposal has been described as "the absolute minimum" by close observer Martin Konecny, director of the European Middle East Project think tank in Brussels. Blocking non-EU countries' participation to Horizon Europe has been done in the past for political reasons, as in the case of the UK and Switzerland.
"Horizon Europe has been used as political leverage in cases of bilateral disputes with close partners," Mr Konecny told The National. "The EU Commission chose to not use it in the case of Israel despite serious violations of international law."
The EU Commission insists comparisons are not appropriate because neither country was fully integrated into Horizon Europe when negotiations began. "There is no precedence of suspending in part or in full an Association Agreement to Horizon Europe," the senior EU official said.
Why now?
The proposal comes after the EU's foreign affairs services conducted an internal review that found Israel had breached a human rights clause, article 2, enshrined in the treaty governing EU-Israel relations called the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The open-sourced review was based on findings by international bodies such as the International Court of Justice and the UN.
At their last meeting in Brussels before a summer break, the EU's 27 foreign ministers had decided to not act on any of the 10 proposals put forward by Ms Kallas.
They instead said they would wait to assess how Ms Kallas's announcement on July 10 of a deal with Israel to allow more aid flow into Gaza would be implemented. Nearly three weeks later, it appears to have had little effect. The EU's humanitarian affairs department, DG Echo, is unable monitor the situation on the ground and bases itself on reports from partner UN organisations.
In its report covering the mid-July period, DG Echo said: "Despite recent agreement with Israel to increase aid delivery to Gaza, there is still no tangible increase, with important stocks of relief items stuck and piling up at the borders."
A big deal?
After 21 months of war, and with no ceasefire in sight amid rising reports of mass starvation in Gaza, Israel appears to be suddenly under significant international pressure. US President Donald Trump said "real famine" was unfolding. Meanwhile, Israeli NGOs have accused their government of genocide for the first time.
Last week, 27 countries, including the UK, France, Italy and Japan called on Israel to immediately end the war in Gaza and condemned what it described as the "drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians". On Tuesday, the death toll in Gaza surpassed 60,000.
Israel continues to deny reports of starvation, labelling them a fabrication, and accuses Hamas of stealing aid despite mounting evidence of the contrary.
Suspending trade preferences under the EU-Israel Agreement was one of the 10 options put forward by Ms Kallas. As in Monday's proposal, it must first be tabled by the EU Commission.
However, it needs unanimous backing within the EU council to be adopted. This remains unlikely, considering strong support within the EU for Israel from countries such as Hungary and the Czech Republic, in addition to Germany. A full suspension of the agreement would also require unanimity.
Up to now, the EU's decision to do nothing was largely due to German opposition. Increasingly frustrated smaller nations such as Slovenia have taken symbolic measures, including a visa ban against two extremist Israeli ministers announced on July 17. The Netherlands took a similar measure on Monday.
This has exposed the EU's weakness as a foreign policy player: "We see a coalition of smaller states that are not powerful enough to solve the problem on their own," said Ana Bojinovic Fenko, chairwoman of international relations at the University of Ljubljana.
The EU is stuck in a state of "non-decision", she told The National. Most EU countries preferred to do nothing to avoid acting alone.
What can EU countries do?
One reason it has been so hard to make a decision regarding the EU-Israel Association Agreement is that the path forward is murky, even for diplomats in Brussels. The EU has suspended association agreements with 25 countries but nearly always in the context of an African country after a coup d'etat, starting with Niger in 1996.
The capacity of EU nations to impose sanctions at national level is quite restrained, said Clara Portela Sais, an EU foreign policy expert at the University of Valencia. That is because individual countries cannot make decisions that may affect the harmonised regulations of the EU's common market. They allow for the free circulation of people and goods across the bloc.
For this reason, visa bans announced by EU countries against Israeli ministers do not include frozen assets. The UK, which is no longer part of the EU, issued both a visa ban and an asset freeze against Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on June 10.
"The common market also includes financial flows," Ms Portela Sais told The National. "This is more of a grey area, so this is actually not something that member states do individually. Actually, most of them refrain from doing so."
A simple visa ban is the easiest way to express symbolic discontent because it has no impact on the common market. "Irrespective of legal aspects, the reason why the member states have a preference for acting through the EU is because the political message is much stronger," Ms Portela Sais said.
Implementing an arms embargo on Israel is another largely symbolic measure that has been adopted by a number of countries, including Spain. However, even that is complicated by the fact that dual use items are part of the common market, Ms Portela Sais said. "Only purely exclusively military items are excluded from the common market but nowadays, there are very few arms embargoes that only cover military items," she added.
For EU countries to make decisions at EU level, there needs to be political will – meaning a large enough coalition of countries moving together. In February 2024 – at a time when nearly 30,000 Gazans had been killed – Ireland and Spain wrote to the EU Commission asking to review the human rights clause of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. At the time, no other country followed and the request was dropped.
Now, the number of Gazans killed by Israel has doubled. That is why rights groups accuse the EU of lacking political will. If more countries had joined Spain and Ireland at the time, the EU could have wielded its leverage to influence the course of the war.
Other initiatives have been ignored. In June, nine countries including Belgium, Poland and Sweden, asked the commission asking it to examine the legal implications on the common market of a July 2024 International Court of Justice decision to bar states from trading with the occupied Palestinian territories.
So far, the decision, despite being legally binding, has not been followed by EU countries, except by Ireland. The ICJ has no way to enforce its decisions.
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
How Voiss turns words to speech
The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen
The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser
This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen
A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB
The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free
Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards
Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser
Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages
At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness
More than 90 per cent live in developing countries
The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
ANATOMY%20OF%20A%20FALL
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Company%20profile
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bedu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khaled%20Al%20Huraimel%2C%20Matti%20Zinder%2C%20Amin%20Al%20Zarouni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%2C%20metaverse%2C%20Web3%20and%20blockchain%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Currently%20in%20pre-seed%20round%20to%20raise%20%245%20million%20to%20%247%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Privately%20funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
%3Cp%3E1.%20Chad%3Cbr%3E2.%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E4.%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E5.%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E6.%20Burkina%20Faso%3Cbr%3E7.%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E8.%20India%3Cbr%3E9.%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E10.%20Tajikistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
