Greece's Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni has reacted angrily to a decision to stage a London Fashion Week show at the British Museum using the so-called Elgin Marbles as a backdrop.
British designer Erdem Moralioglu chose the location of the room housing the Parthenon sculptures at the museum to present the autumn-winter collection of his brand Erdem, inspired by Greek singer Maria Callas and her 1953 interpretation of the opera Medea.
The sculptures, originally crafted by the ancient Greek painter and architect Pheidias, were removed from the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Greece in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, the earl of Elgin.
Athens maintains the marbles, which bring tens of thousands of visitors to London's British Museum each year, were stolen, while the UK claims they were obtained legally.
"By organising a fashion show in the halls where the Parthenon Sculptures are exhibited, the British Museum, once again, proves its zero respect for the masterpieces of Pheidias," Ms Mendoni said.
"The directors of the British Museum trivialise and insult not only the monument but also the universal values that it transmits.
"The conditions of display and storage of the sculptures, at the Duveen Gallery, are constantly deteriorating," she added, calling for the "stolen and abused sculptural masterpieces" to be returned to Greece.
A diplomatic row ignited late last year when Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his "displeasure" over his British counterpart Rishi Sunak's last-minute cancellation of a meeting that was supposed to cover the dispute over the Elgin Marbles.
It is believed Mr Sunak cancelled the meeting after comments from Mr Mitsotakis in an interview the previous day, that having some of the marbles in London and others in Athens was "like cutting the Mona Lisa in half".
The British Museum is under pressure to return other foreign antiquities, after the Netherlands repatriated six valuable artefacts, including a cannon inlaid with gold, silver and bronze, taken from Sri Lanka during its colonial period on the island 250 years ago.
Other contested objects in the museum include the Benin Bronzes from what is now Nigeria, the Rosetta Stone from Egypt and two stone moai from Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island.
Mr Moralioglu said he wanted to show his designs in a space that would capture the essence of Callas's "Greekness". She was born in New York to Greek parents but trained and lived in Greece. She died in 1977 in Paris aged 53.
“I was interested in the idea of someone starting off somewhere and ending up somewhere else,” Mr Moralioglu said backstage at his show.
He said part of his inspiration came from a photograph he had seen of a Greek flag draped over the urn containing Callas's ashes being returned to Greece.
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
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.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
