GAZA CITY // Mohammed Fouad's eyes darted from place to place on the quiet Gaza City street. Puffing nervously on a cigarette, he began brisk strokes with an aerosol paint can and in just five minutes completed a near-perfect portrait of the late Fatah leader Yasser Arafat.
"If they see me, I'll go to jail," Mr Fouad said, referring to the Hamas policemen who forbade him from writing or drawing any pro-Fatah graffiti on Gaza's walls. "I've been to jail five times since the Hamas takeover because of my art."
Mr Fouad is just one of the soldiers in the graffiti war that currently plays out between Hamas and Fatah on the streets of this contentious coastal enclave.
Each movement maintains its own graffiti arm, with artists hand-picked by faction leaders and given professional training before they are sent out to paint Gaza's walls.
Orders of what to write and where to write it come straight from the top and, as a result, Gaza's already cramped streets are stained with layer upon layer of aggressive political calligraphy, portraits of the slain and depictions of militants' battles with Israeli soldiers.
"Fatah in the West Bank, wait for us," read one scrawl in the central Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, a reference to the 2007 civil war between Hamas and Fatah that routed the latter from the Gaza Strip and left them in sole control of the West Bank.
"Hamas is willing to sacrifice its leaders before the people," read another, a pro-Hamas piece in the northern refugee camp of Jabaliya.
The two factions have been bitter rivals since the war of 2007. With Hamas in control of Gaza and Fatah of the West Bank, each Palestinian territory has been marred by clampdowns, arrests and reports of torture by both sides.
Now there is little room for political dissent in either territory, even when it comes by way of spray paint.
Fatah artists have said they are kept under tight watch in Gaza, where Hamas rules, and routinely threatened with imprisonment if they dare take their political affiliations to the street.
Even drawing Arafat, or the portraits of other late Fatah leaders, Fatah artists have said, is considered a crime.
But Gaza's political graffiti culture came long before the recent Hamas-Fatah rivalry - and has been an integral part of territory's recent history.
Unlike the emphasis on individual artists found in western graffiti, political street art in the Gaza Strip is very much a community affair, developed as a tool of resistance against Israeli occupation during the Palestinian intifadas of 1987 and 2000.
Without access to the internet or other forms of mass communication, Gazans turned every wall into a veritable news bulletin as a way to fight back.
Organisations used graffiti to announce strikes and demonstrations, or even taunt Israeli soldiers with pro-Palestinian messages and claims of responsibility for attacks carried out the night before.
The endless stories of war, occupation, tragedy and resistance were recorded on Gaza's walls.
But now, for the people of Gaza, the war of political graffiti is between themselves.
"It was easier with the Israelis because we knew who our enemy was," said Alaa Abdul Majid, 30, Fatah's premier graffiti artist in the Gaza Strip.
He said that several days before the November 11 anniversary of Arafat's death, Hamas phoned him and warned him against celebrating the late Fatah leader through graffiti. A Hamas police spokesman, Islam Shahwan, would not comment on whether or not his police force arrests artists for painting pro-Fatah street art.
"I paint for my homeland, and for all martyrs with the symbols of Palestine," Mr Majid said. "So why is Hamas stopping me? We are all Palestinians."
But Fatah itself, when it controlled the Gaza Strip under the Palestinian Authority, often removed pro-Hamas art or arrested the movement's graffiti artists under the guise of a clean-up campaign.
It was not always like this.
Before the Hamas takeover of Gaza, artists from both factions would often work together, writing joint pieces and even offering graffiti condolences for the death of members of the opposite faction. In fact, most of Gaza's graffiti artists, whether Hamas and Fatah, are friends.
Politics would not get in the way of their competitive camaraderie, they said, even if they are forbidden from writing together like they used to.
"The best Hamas artist in Gaza, he is my good friend," said Mr Majid, referring to a man named Abu Mohamed who owns an art shop in Gaza City and was hired by Hamas a decade ago to spread their political messages.
"He called me yesterday when he was writing a piece to get my advice, and I helped him."
It is such things, the nuances of the political infighting in the Gaza Strip, said the psychiatrist Eyad Sarraj, that are important - and are not always apparent when observing the territory's marked-up streets.
"The graffiti in Gaza doesn't always reflect the thoughtful conversations going on behind closed doors, it presents things as black and white," Mr Sarraj said. "But graffiti, you know, is its own battlefield."
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Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
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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.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
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The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
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The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m
India Test squad
Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill
Mobile phone packages comparison
'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Benevento v Atalanta (2pm), Genoa v Bologna (5pm), AC Milan v Torino (7.45pm)
Sunday Roma v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Udinese v Napoli, Hellas Verona v Crotone, Parma v Lazio (2pm), Fiorentina v Cagliari (9pm), Juventus v Sassuolo (11.45pm)
Monday Spezia v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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RESULTS
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.
Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.
Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.
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The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
