Angelina Jolie is a qualified pilot, Gwyneth Paltrow is fluent in Spanish and Chris Evans can play the piano. AFP, Getty Images
Angelina Jolie is a qualified pilot, Gwyneth Paltrow is fluent in Spanish and Chris Evans can play the piano. AFP, Getty Images
Angelina Jolie is a qualified pilot, Gwyneth Paltrow is fluent in Spanish and Chris Evans can play the piano. AFP, Getty Images
Angelina Jolie is a qualified pilot, Gwyneth Paltrow is fluent in Spanish and Chris Evans can play the piano. AFP, Getty Images

10 celebrities with hidden talents: From Bradley Cooper speaking French to Geena Davis’s Olympic-level archery


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Taking to Instagram Stories last week, Avengers: Endgame star Chris Evans wowed fans by skilfully playing the piano – a talent the actor, 39, had hitherto not shown off. And it turns out that Evans isn't the only Hollywood star with a secret skill.

Here, we reveal the talents Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Steve Carell and more have, and their skills might surprise you …

Chris Evans can play the piano

Captain America showed off his hidden talent on Instagram Stories, posting a video of himself playing the piano. Captioning the video, “Learning one of my favourites by Fabrizio Paterlini”, the actor donned a chunky knit jumper to show off his musical prowess, a style choice that garnered almost as much attention as his playing.

A flattered Paterlini later tweeted: “Something in the air tells me that today is the day in which Chris Evans played one of my songs.” He later added: “Now I clearly understand when someone says: ‘This made my day’.”

Angelina Jolie has a pilot's licence

Angelina Jolie flew her plane in documentary 'The Queen's Green Planet', and has held a pilot's licence since 2004. Courtesy ITV
Angelina Jolie flew her plane in documentary 'The Queen's Green Planet', and has held a pilot's licence since 2004. Courtesy ITV

The Oscar winner credits her son, Maddox, with inspiring her love of flying after he became obsessed with planes at a young age. The Maleficent actress, 45, took lessons and gained her private pilot's licence in 2004, purchasing a Cirrus SR22-G2 single-engine plane. The tail number of her aircraft contains the letters MX in honour of Maddox.

Bradley Cooper is fluent in French

The actor, 45, may have got his start in Hollywood by playing some of the worst kinds of frat bros (we're looking at you, Sack Lodge in Wedding Crashers), but in real life, the star is cerebral and eloquent. Cooper studied for six months in Aix-en-Provence in France when he was younger, and has kept up his language skills. And although he claims his grammar can be "debile" (stupid), we think it's very impressive.

Nicole Richie can figure skate

This video might be from a few years ago, but the TV personality , 39, can still show some serious moves on the ice.

“That was a real time for me,” she has said of her years spent competing in figure-skating tournaments. “I was going to tutorial school, I was figure skating at 5am, it was my entire world.” When she graduated high school, her parents gave her the choice of competing professionally or going to college – the actress and presenter chose school.

Justin Bieber can solve a Rubik’s Cube in two minutes

He may have just been nominated for four Grammy Awards, but Justin Bieber also boasts talents beyond music. The Canadian is a whizz at solving the Rubik's Cube. Showing off his talents on The Late Late Show With James Corden, the Where Are You Now singer, 26, astounded the chat show host with his prowess. As a comparison, the world record for solving the Rubik's Cube in the fastest time is 4.22 seconds, and is held by Australian Feliks Zemdegs, but we still think two minutes is impressive.

Pierce Brosnan is a fire eater

Is there nothing James Bond can't do? Apparently not, as 67-year-old former 007 Pierce Brosnan has a surprise secret talent – he can fire eat.

The Irish star took a course in the delicate art of fire eating back in 1969, and retained his skills throughout the years.

Gwyneth Paltrow speaks Spanish

Not content with being an actress, businesswoman, wife, mother and Oscar winner, Gwyneth Paltrow, 49, is also fluent in Spanish. She credits a year spent in Talavera de la Reina, Spain, as an exchange student when she was 15 with igniting her passion for the country and language. “It really changed my life,” she later said. “Spain became a second home. The way people live over there. They seem to enjoy life a little bit more. They aren’t running around as much as in New York. They enjoy time with the family.”

Mark Ruffalo can ride a unicyle

The second Avenger on our list has an impressive hidden talent – he can ride a unicycle. Revealing that he mastered the tricky balancing act aged 12 when he learnt a series of circus skills, the actor, 53, proved he still had it, showing off his skills on The Graham Norton Show, despite claiming it had been "almost 25 years" since he'd last attempted a ride.

Geena Davis is an Olympic-level archer

She might have made this video for a comedy website, but the Thelma & Louise star's skills are seriously good. The actress, 64, competed in the 1999 Olympic semi-finals for archery, ahead of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. She placed 29th out of 300 women in the trials, which didn't win her a place in the US Olympic squad.

"My archery hadn't become public knowledge until now," she told the New York Times during the trials. "This was my little secret. I'm just considered one of the archers, but at the beginning, when people saw me shooting, they said, 'What?' That was kind of fun, just seeing their reactions."

Steve Carell is a talented ice hockey player

Steve Carell showed off his ice skating skills during an episode of 'The Office' and once considered a career in the NHL. NBCU Photo Bank
Steve Carell showed off his ice skating skills during an episode of 'The Office' and once considered a career in the NHL. NBCU Photo Bank

There's a scene in episode 19, season 2 of the US version of The Office, titled Michael's Birthday, in which Steve Carell's Michael Scott shows off some serious moves at the ice rink. And it turns out the talent was real, because the 58-year-old Foxcatcher actor's team won a national championship when he was younger, and he once considered a career in the National Hockey League.

"It didn't go well, clearly," he told ESPN. "You know, you reach a point in your life when you have to get honest, and that wasn't going to happen. But I enjoyed it. I played through college."

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READ MORE:

Five celebrities you didn’t know have their own websites: from Chris Evans to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Manhattan in Lego: Irish teen builds impressive 'freestyle' replica of New York City borough

How dedicating time to creativity can help your career

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net

Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.

Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.

A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.

Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Lamsa

Founder: Badr Ward

Launched: 2014

Employees: 60

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: EdTech

Funding to date: $15 million

Company%20profile
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:

August 5:

Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.

August 11-13:

Asian Championship in Vietnam.

September 8-9:

Ajman International.

September 16-17

Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.

September 22-24:

IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.

September 23-24:

Grand Slam Los Angeles.

September 29:

Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.

October 13-14:

Al Ain U18 International.

September 20-21:

Al Ain International.

November 3:

Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.

November 4:

Round-2 President’s Cup.

November 10-12:

Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.

November 24-26:

World Championship, Columbia.

November 30:

World Beach Championship, Columbia.

December 8-9:

Dubai International.

December 23:

Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.

January 12-13:

Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.

January 26-27:

Fujairah International.

February 3:

Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.

February 16-17:

Ras Al Khaimah International.

February 23-24:

The Challenge Championship.

March 10-11:

Grand Slam London.

March 16:

Final Round – Mother of The Nation.

March 17:

Final Round – President’s Cup.

8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21

  1. Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
  2. Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
  3. Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
  4. Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
  5. Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
  6. Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
  7. Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
  8. Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
Bombshell

Director: Jay Roach

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie 

Four out of five stars 

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

Expert input

If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?

“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett

“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche

“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox

“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite

 “I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy

“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra

European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

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