The Train, by Robbie Coltrane, could fetch more than Dh20,000.
The Train, by Robbie Coltrane, could fetch more than Dh20,000.
The Train, by Robbie Coltrane, could fetch more than Dh20,000.
The Train, by Robbie Coltrane, could fetch more than Dh20,000.

Take five: Paint your own money


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Robbie Coltrane - Harry Potter's Hagrid - could scoop around £4,000 (Dh22,000) from the sale of a painting from his days at the Glasgow School of Art in the 1970s. Other celebrities who have turned their artistic leanings into cash include:

A watercolour by the heir to the British throne turned up recently on a country stall in Wiltshire, southern England, where it sold for £60. His household claims that similar works by the prince usually sell for around £2,500.

The former James Bond actor spends his down time painting "landscapes and colourful portraits of his family". Reproductions are available to buy from his website, www.piercebrosnan.com, for around $2,000 (Dh7,400), with proceeds going to charity.

The singer can, it seems, turn his hand to almost anything: sculpture, photography, paintings and prints are available via www.bowieart.com, with paintings going for around $3,400.

Hopper's photographs taken during the 1960s are rare snippets of a turbulent time in US history. Originals are hard to come by, but a book of his works, Dennis Hopper: Photographs, 1961-67, is available from www.amazon.com from $650.

The Canadian musician described herself in 2000 as "a painter derailed by circumstance". Originals of her work mostly reside in private collections, but prints can be bought from www.jonimitchell.com/paintings from around $200.

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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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The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.

Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
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From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5