One of Gaza's most prominent basketball players was shot dead by Israeli forces this week while queuing for aid in Khan Younis, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Mohammed Shaalan, 40, was killed while seeking food and medicine for his daughter, Mariam, who suffers from kidney failure and severe blood poisoning.
The Palestinian Basketball Federation confirmed his death on Facebook. The sports body described Shaalan as “one of the brightest stars of the game in Palestine”.
“Mohammad, nicknamed 'the Earthquake' on the court, fell as a martyr to hunger and deprivation, leaving behind six children, including his six-year-old daughter Mariam, who suffers from kidney failure and blood poisoning, struggling alone with an uncertain fate after her father’s tragic death,” wrote the federation.
“Mohammad Shaalan has now joined the long list of Palestinian basketball martyrs – players, coaches, and officials – who were killed during the ongoing Israeli aggression against our people, his name forever engraved in the memory of Palestinian sports.”
The former national team player and father had been desperately appealing for his daughter to receive medical treatment for her illness, reported Wafa.
With her father gone, “Mariam is still waiting for treatment and mercy”, said the federation.
Israel's war on Gaza has heavily destroyed the enclave's health sector, destroying medical centres and personnel. Most hospitals in Gaza are in ruins.
Shaalan is the latest of hundreds killed at aid distribution centres in the strip. An investigation by The National has unveiled a pattern of systematic killings of Palestinians attempting to collect aid. More than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed while waiting to receive humanitarian assistance, at least 900 of them near sites run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the UN said.
Shaalan played for several local clubs as well as the national team. He won two Premier League titles, a Gaza Strip Cup Championship and two Super Cup Championships. His death deals another blow to the Palestinian sports community.
Earlier this month, Israel killed Gaza footballer Suleiman Al Obaid, known as the “Pele of Palestine”, while he was also waiting for humanitarian aid in Rafah.
The Palestinian Football Association said Al Obaid, 41, was shot dead while queuing for food at an aid distribution centre in southern Gaza.
He was regarded as one of the most talented attacking midfielders in the Gaza Strip League.
Nearly 800 Palestinian athletes and sports officials in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have been killed by Israel since October 2023, according to the association. Israeli forces have also destroyed 288 sports and scouting centres across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Wafa said.
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
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