Adele shares heartfelt tribute to Grenfell Tower victims

Adele took part in an online memorial service to pay tribute to the victims who lost their lives three years ago. (AFP)
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Updated 15 June 2020
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Adele shares heartfelt tribute to Grenfell Tower victims

DUBAI: British singer Adele has joined forces with pressure group Grenfell United this week to pay tribute to the victims who lost their lives three years ago in the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.

Grenfell Tower, a social housing block that was home to a close-knit, ethnically diverse community, was engulfed by flames in the middle of the night of June 14, 2017, killing 72 people in the country’s deadliest domestic fire since World War Two.

During the online memorial service, the “Hello” singer said: “I wanted to send my love to all of you today and let you know that I’m thinking of you, as I always do.”

“There has never been a more appropriate time for us to truly exercise camaraderie, and compassion, and open-mindedness, and persistence. Persistence for answers. Persistence for action,” she added during the livestream.


Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week achieves $133 million

Updated 06 December 2025
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Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week achieves $133 million

DUBAI: Auction house Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week, which wrapped up on Friday night, achieved $133 million in sales, according to the auction house.

The series of auctions included jewelry, rare timepieces, collectors’ cars and real estate from RM Sotheby’s, and Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions, alongside a museum-quality exhibition of international fine art.

A waterfront estate in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat was sold for $20.1 million. (Supplied)

Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions opened the final evening, with a waterfront estate in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat achieving $20.1 million. The sale of Jane Birkin’s Le Voyageur, a one-of-a-kind black Hermes Birkin owned by the actress, soared to $2.9 million (est. $240,000-$440,000) after a bidding battle lasting more than 10 minutes. It is now the second most valuable handbag sold at auction, surpassed by the original Hermes Birkin created for Birkin in 1985, which achieved a record-breaking $10.1 million earlier this year.

Jane Birkin with her Le Voyageur bag. (Supplied)

Leading the sale of jewellery and watches was the first complete set of the Patek Philippe Star Caliber 2000, which achieved $11.9 million, becoming the second most valuable watch sold at Sotheby’s. Meanwhile, The Desert Rose, the largest Fancy Vivid Orangy Pink diamond in the world, climbed to $8.8 million (est. $5-$7 million) following an almost 20-minute bidding battle among five collectors.

The Desert Rose is the largest Fancy Vivid Orangy Pink diamond in the world. (Supplied)

Participants hailed from 35 countries, with nearly a quarter of buyers from the UAE, according to Sotheby’s.