On July 22 1987, Palestinian political cartoonist Naji Al Ali was shot in the neck outside the London offices of Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas. He died five weeks later, at the age of 49, in Charing Cross Hospital. Despite the Metropolitan Police reopening the case last year, no one has ever been convicted of his murder. "My father knew the path he was taking might lead to his death," Al Ali's eldest son, Khalid, revealed in a recent interview. "But he was very hard to scare off."
This refusal to be silenced made him one of the most important political cartoonists ever to have emerged from the Middle East. In more than 40,000 cartoons, Al Ali, who was damning of both the Israeli and the Arab regimes, never once compromised his views. He refused to endorse any agreement that did not include the Palestinian right to all of historic Palestine. But he could be as critical of what he perceived as Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) hypocrisy as he was of Israeli brutality.
In the weeks prior to his murder, it is alleged that Al Ali received a threatening phone call from a senior member of the PLO, in which he was told: "You must correct your attitude." The cartoonist promptly published an illustration attacking PLO leader Yasser Arafat. "He has this incredible crossover appeal because he was really an independent thinker and a staunch critic of all authority," Jonathan Guyer, an expert on Arab comics told The New York Times last year.
Born in 1938 in Galilee, Al Ali was forced to move with his family to a refugee camp in southern Lebanon in 1948 as a result of the Naqba. This, inevitably, had a profound effect on the cartoonist. “To the end of his life, he wanted to go back to his village, he wanted to go back to Palestine,” Khalid said.
As a young man, Al Ali was detained a number of times by the Lebanese intelligence service, which was cracking down on political activity in the Palestinian refugee camps. “I drew on the prison walls,” he said. Al Ali later emigrated to the Gulf, where he worked as a mechanic, before returning to Lebanon to take up a place at art school.
Soon after, he began working as a journalist in Kuwait, but his talent for drawing cartoons was quickly recognised and, from 1963 until his death, his work was published in newspapers across the Middle East.
His most famous creation was Handala, a young boy depicted with his hands clasped behind his back, who appears in many of his cartoons. Handala’s back is always turned away from the viewer, according to Al Ali, “in protest of the world’s complicity in the occupation of Palestine”.
The little boy was a symbol of Palestinian defiance, but he also served as the conscience of Al Ali’s cartoons. “Handala has promised the people that he will remain true to himself,” he said. “He is barefooted like the refugee camp children, and he is an icon that protects me from making mistakes.”
Thirty-one years on from Al Ali’s murder and it seems that the police are no closer to finding his killer. The legacy of his cartoons remains potent, however, his anger at the treatment of the Palestinian people as relevant now as it ever has been. “He wanted to make you think,” Khalid said. “What he had to say, he said it. What he had to draw, he drew it.”
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Read more:
Palestinian arts and crafts that tell a story of the ages
Ahed Tamimi’s face has launched a million clicks: the hefty price of expression in Palestine
First Palestinian art museum in US opens its doors
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Company%C2%A0profile
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Stage result
1. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 3:29.09
2. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto-Soudal
3. Rudy Barbier (FRA) Israel Start-Up Nation
4. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Luka Mezgec (SLO) Mitchelton-Scott
6. Alberto Dainese (ITA) Sunweb
7. Jakub Mareczko (ITA) CCC
8. Max Walscheid (GER) NTT
9. José Rojas (ESP) Movistar
10. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) Ag2r La Mondiale, all at same time
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
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Brahmastra%3A%20Part%20One%20-%20Shiva
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
MATCH INFO
England 241-3 (20 ovs)
Malan 130 no, Morgan 91
New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)
Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47
England win by 76 runs
Series level at 2-2
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
Kibsons%20Cares
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack
