Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor made surprise appearances at the UFC 285 official weigh-in in Las Vegas on Friday night, with the American actor shooting a scene for an upcoming movie.
Gyllenhaal, known for his work in the likes of Donnie Darko, Nightcrawler and Spider-Man, took to the scales at MGM Grand Garden Arena and then faced off with former UFC fighter Jay Heiron. Gyllenhaal plays a character named James Dalton.
The scene, which also features UFC president Dana White and play-by-play commentator Jon Anik, will be used in the Road House remake that also stars McGregor.
McGregor, a former two-division UFC champion, is currently coaching The Ultimate Fighter as he prepares his own comeback to the octagon. To ramp up the crowd for the scene shot on Friday, the Irishman took to the stage and screamed: “Who’s ready for tomorrow night. We have the biggest fight in Road House history: Harris vs Dalton UFC 222. Everyone in this arena you’re about to be part of my movie.”
McGregor, who has not competed since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, is making his feature film debut alongside the previously Oscar-nominated Gyllenhaal. To be released on Amazon Prime, Road House is a remake of the 1989 film starring Patrick Swayze. The release date for the reboot is yet to be confirmed.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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
