Top US official to visit Russia and Ukraine for talks

Washington's top diplomat for Europe and Eurasian affairs will travel to Ukraine and Russia next week for talks about Moscow's build-up of troops, the State Department said Saturday.

Karen Donfried will be in Kyiv and Moscow from Monday to Wednesday to meet senior government officials "and to reinforce the United States' commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity", it added.

"Assistant Secretary Donfried will emphasise that we can make diplomatic progress on ending the conflict in the Donbas through implementation of the Minsk agreements in support of the Normandy Format," a statement read.

The 2015 Minsk Agreement aimed at halting fighting inside Ukraine, bolstered by the Normandy Format - a diplomatic push by France and Germany to end the conflict.

Ms Donfried will be in Brussels Wednesday and Thursday "to consult with Nato allies and EU partners on efforts to pursue a diplomatic solution" to the stand-off.

US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a virtual summit earlier this week, in which Washington threatened Moscow with unprecedented sanctions if Ukraine is attacked.

Russia's build-up of up to 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine has topped the agenda at this weekend's G7 foreign ministers' summit in Liverpool, England.

Russia says the deployment is a defensive measure against a possible shift by the one-time Soviet republic towards Nato.

Mr Biden had said after the call with Mr Putin that they would instruct their teams to work on follow-up talks.

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Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

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.