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Rebrand your band, in the name of the law


  • English
  • Arabic

Many bands have had to change their names after threats of legal action, but for one group the blow has been softened with a valuable Banksy artwork. He's an amiable sort is Banksy, judging by recent events, for the famed street-artist handed over one of his works last week to a 41-year old web developer from London completely gratis. And that work has now been valued at £200,000 (Dh1.13 million).

Why has the hooded graffiti sleuth done so? To thank Simon Duncan, the gift's recipient, for changing his band's name to Brace Yourself! from Exit Through the Gift-Shop because that is the title of Banksy's recent film. Having played under that name since 2006, Duncan's amateur band agreed to change their name after receiving an e-mail from Banksy asking them to do so and offering a new backdrop in compensation. That backdrop duly arrived last week, 2.5 by 1.5 metres, featuring a grim reaper in a dodgem car with the words Brace Yourself!, sketched on its front. Having been valued for the whopping sum, it has since been safely handed over to Sotheby's for its protection. A happy ending for all involved.

Not so for other bands, however, who have met with more trouble over their monikers and received no such bounty as a reward. Most recently, there was the unfortunate case of a British band from Essex formerly known as Wills Fargo. Those with a sprinkling of financial knowledge might notice that this name sounds uncannily like that of the great American financial institution, Wells Fargo. So too did the rainmakers at Wells Fargo notice the similarities, and last November the band was slapped with a threatening legal notice.

"They said we should desist from infringing the copyright of the bank. I thought it was someone having a laugh at first. It is a stupid thing to happen," said the band's bassist, Dave Bronze in an interview with The Guardian

U2, Green Day, the Grateful Dead and Pearl Jam all started out life under a different banner. (Respectively, Feedback and then The Hype; Sweet Children; Warlocks and Mookie Blaylock). Queen were known as Smile until Freddie Mercury swanned along, and Creedence Clearwater Revival perhaps sensibly changed their name from The Golliwogs in 1967. And they're in excellent company. Such as, er, Linkin Park. The American group was once known as Hybrid Theory until a Welsh group called Hybrid kicked up a fuss. The story goes, they decided to rebrand themselves Lincoln Park in honour of a park in Santa Monica (the band grew up in California) but couldn't afford the domain name lincolnpark.com. Hence the changed spelling to "Linkin" instead. What a happy quirk of fate that none of them wanted to be grammar teachers.

A similar tale lies behind The Verve, which was originally to be called just Verve before the same-styled American jazz label chucked the law at them too. The answer? Richard Ashcroft and co simply slapped "The" before "Verve." So stick that in your pipe and smoke it, angry lawsuit. With a fond sigh, some of you might remember the chopping and changing of Nirvana's name in their early days. Remember Skid Row? Pen Cap Chew? Ted Ed Fred? Nirvana was the one Kurt Cobain eventually settled on, because he wanted a name that was "nice and pretty". Which is, of course, entirely suitable for a band peddling grunge music. And, ironically, didn't stop them being the subject of a lawsuit, settled out of court, from a 1960s and 1970s psychedelic rock band of the same name.

Prince? He was a different case again; settling on a name, altering it to extract himself from a record deal with Warner Bros (under which his name had been trademarked), and then swapping it back again several years later. So even though Simon Duncan and his bandmates have been forced to change their name from something vaguely witty to something shamefully teenage in tone, with a complementary exclamation mark chucked in, at least they got a Banksy to boot.

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.

Company profile

Name: Fruitful Day

Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2015

Number of employees: 30

Sector: F&B

Funding so far: Dh3 million

Future funding plans: None at present

Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries

Sunday's fixtures
  • Bournemouth v Southampton, 5.30pm
  • Manchester City v West Ham United, 8pm
The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

While you're here
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

If you go

Flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.

The stay

Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.

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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
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

AL%20BOOM
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How it works

Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.

Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.

As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.

A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.

Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.

IF YOU GO
 
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
 
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info

 Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.

BOSH!'s pantry essentials

Nutritional yeast

This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.

Seeds

"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."

Umami flavours

"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".

Onions and garlic

"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."

Your grain of choice

Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."

MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Norway v Spain, Saturday, 10.45pm, UAE

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

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