Hundreds of mourners turn out as Iranian composer Mohammad Reza Shajarian is buried near national poet Ferdowsi


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Mohammad Reza Shajarian, one of Iran's most celebrated musicians, was buried on Saturday near the 10th-century national poet Ferdowsi, Iranian media reported.

The classical composer and singer, who died on October 8, in a Tehran hospital at the age of 80 after a long battle with cancer, was regarded as a national treasure who revived traditional music.

He maintained difficult relations with the authorities in Tehran throughout his career, first under the reign of the Shah and then with the Islamic republic.

State TV on Saturday made a brief announcement about Shajarian's burial, which the media said was attended by his family, the culture minister, music veterans, artists and fans.

The official IRNA news agency said large screens were installed in the streets of the nearby city of Mashhad to allow his fans to watch the procession live.

However, state TV did not cover the event live and photos and videos were posted on semi-official websites hours after the funeral.

Shajarian was buried, as he had willed, in the vicinity of Ferdowsi's mausoleum in the northwestern city of Tus.

Video footage showed mourners singing Morgh-e Sahar (The Dawn Bird) over Shajarian's grave, an ode to freedom and revolution that he composed.

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.

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Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.

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'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

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