A boat carrying about 50 people drifts into British waters while being monitored by a French vessel on August 24, 2023. Getty Images
A boat carrying about 50 people drifts into British waters while being monitored by a French vessel on August 24, 2023. Getty Images
A boat carrying about 50 people drifts into British waters while being monitored by a French vessel on August 24, 2023. Getty Images
A boat carrying about 50 people drifts into British waters while being monitored by a French vessel on August 24, 2023. Getty Images

Syrian held in France after deadly migrant Channel crossing


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

A Syrian man was charged in France on Sunday as part of an inquiry into a boat capsize in the English Channel last week that killed a migrant, prosecutors said.

Mehdi Benbouzid, Saint-Omer public prosecutor, charged the man from Syrian Kurdistan with manslaughter, unintentional injury, deliberate endangerment and aiding illegal entry and residence.

The 30-year-old suspect denies piloting a boat carrying about 60 migrants, including children.

A second man suspected of co-piloting the boat is still at large.

The vessel left Oye-Plage, east of Calais, on Thursday night and capsized off the nearby commune of Gravelines.

One man died and two other passengers are missing, according to the regional maritime authority.

In a separate incident, the body of a migrant was found on the beach at Sangatte in the Pas-de-Calais on Friday after a Channel crossing attempt.

A boat carrying about 70 people had put to sea before returning following engine damage, according to the public prosecutor's office.

About 40 other migrants who had intended to join the group remained on the beach at Sangatte.

Afghan migrant documents dangerous journey across Channel – video

Police were on the beach and intervened, and a 33-year-old Iraqi man was in custody on Sunday, prosecutors said.

“The suspect appears to have been involved in the crossing scene, but also incited a number of migrants to attack the police when the boat returned,” officials said.

The cause of the victim's death had yet to be determined.

On Friday alone, 292 people reached the UK after crossing the Channel in seven boats, according to the UK Home Office's count. On Saturday, 55 reached the UK in a single boat.

As of late November, more than 28,000 people had crossed the English Channel since the start of this year, according to British government statistics, compared with almost 46,000 for 2022.

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 4/5

Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net

Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.

Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.

A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.

Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.

The biog

Place of birth: Kalba

Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren

Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken

Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah

Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

'C'mon C'mon'

Director:Mike Mills

Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman

Rating: 4/5

THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%2060kW%20lithium-ion%20phosphate%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20Up%20to%20201bhp%3Cbr%3E0%20to%20100kph%3A%207.3%20seconds%3Cbr%3ERange%3A%20418km%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh149%2C900%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Polarised public

31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all

Source: YouGov

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."

'Skin'

Dir: Guy Nattiv

Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Updated: December 17, 2023, 5:49 PM