Picasso artwork recovered during failed export attempt

A Picasso worth €25 million (Dh100.8m) was seized from a boat docked at Corsica, French authorities said on August 4. An attempt to export the painting, Head of a Young Woman, to Switzerland on July 30 "drew the attention of French officials", the country's customs authority said. The painting is considered a cultural treasure by Spanish authorities and there is a ban on its export. — AP

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale file for divorce

Pop star and The Voice mentor Gwen Stefani and rocker Gavin Rossdale filed for divorce on August 3, ending almost 13 years of marriage. They cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split and said that they would continue to work together to raise their three sons. "While the two of us have come to the mutual decision that we will no longer be partners in marriage, we remain partners in parenthood and are committed to jointly raising our three sons in a happy and healthy environment," they said. – AP

Dungeons & Dragons set for a return to the big screen

The popular fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons is being developed as a feature film franchise at Warner Bros. David Leslie Johnson, who wrote The Conjuring 2 and Wrath of the Titans, has already written a screenplay. The producers will hope to avoid the failure of the 2000 film version of D&D, which starred Jeremy Irons but was a box-office flop. – AP

Abhishek Bachchan describes Rishi Kapoor as a father figure

Actor Abhishek Bachchan says his relationship with Rishi Kapoor, the co-star of his upcoming film All is Well, is different from what's portrayed on the big screen. The duo will appear in the drama as a warring father and son. "He is like a father to me. I'm a huge fan of his," Bachchan said. "But I cannot bring it in the film because that is the opposite of what I'm meant to play with him." All Is Well is scheduled to be release on August 21.– IANS

Ajay Devgn gets respect from Drishyam

Actor Ajay Devgn is grateful for nabbing the lead role in the hit drama Dirshyam. He describes the opportunity as a "rare film that gets you collections and also respect as an actor". Directed by Nishikant Kamat, Drishyam is an emotional thriller that revolves around a local cable operator Vijay Salgaonkar (Devgn), whose life is centred around cinema and his family. The film was released in India on July 31. – IANS

artslife@thenational.ae

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.