Trending Middle East brings you the latest social media and search trends from the region and around the world.
On today's episode, authorities have announced that Ramadan will begin on Thursday in the UAE. The Moon-sighting committee met on Tuesday at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department after maghrib (sunset) prayers but said it had yet to spot a new crescent Moon.
The foreign ministers of GCC countries will meet in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss regional developments. The meeting is one of a series of conferences held every three months.
A 6.5-magnitude earthquake has rattled parts of Afghanistan, with tremors felt as far as Pakistan and India on Tuesday evening. The 30-second quake struck 40km south of Jurm, in Afghanistan's north, at a depth of more than 297km, according to the US Geological survey.
New York police were on high alert on Tuesday after former US president Donald Trump claimed he would be arrested in connection to a continuing investigation into hush money that was paid to an adult film star before the 2016 election.
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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.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
