• Smog hangs over houses on a polluted day in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. AFP
    Smog hangs over houses on a polluted day in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. AFP
  • Visitors wear traditional hanbok dress as they walk on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace after snowfall in Seoul. AFP
    Visitors wear traditional hanbok dress as they walk on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace after snowfall in Seoul. AFP
  • Snow-covered mountains surround the town of Amadiyah, built at an altitude of 1,400 metres above sea level, about 75 kilometres north of the city of Dohuk in the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region. AFP
    Snow-covered mountains surround the town of Amadiyah, built at an altitude of 1,400 metres above sea level, about 75 kilometres north of the city of Dohuk in the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region. AFP
  • The gold leaf that coats the pyramidal cap of the Obelisk of Luxor is restored on Place de la Concorde, Paris. AFP
    The gold leaf that coats the pyramidal cap of the Obelisk of Luxor is restored on Place de la Concorde, Paris. AFP
  • Neighbours skate on the ice rink built across the gardens of three houses in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Reuters
    Neighbours skate on the ice rink built across the gardens of three houses in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Reuters
  • Marine iguanas fight with each other on Santa Cruz Island. Ecuador has announced the expansion of a marine reserve that will encompass 198,000 square kilometres in its Galapagos National Park. Reuters
    Marine iguanas fight with each other on Santa Cruz Island. Ecuador has announced the expansion of a marine reserve that will encompass 198,000 square kilometres in its Galapagos National Park. Reuters
  • The Wolf Moon, the first full moon of the year, is pictured through coloured fairy lights hanging outside a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. AFP
    The Wolf Moon, the first full moon of the year, is pictured through coloured fairy lights hanging outside a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. AFP
  • Men shield themselves from the elements in shawls during dense fog and heavy rain in Peshawar, Pakistan. Many cities in the country are experiencing unusually cold conditions of about 5°C during the daytime. EPA
    Men shield themselves from the elements in shawls during dense fog and heavy rain in Peshawar, Pakistan. Many cities in the country are experiencing unusually cold conditions of about 5°C during the daytime. EPA
  • A cat plays in the snow during a huge storm in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. AP
    A cat plays in the snow during a huge storm in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. AP
  • Stingless bees inside a cultivated honeycomb at a farm in Bitai, a village in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. According to the farmer, cultivating the bees to produce honey is considered to be an environmentally friendly practice because it does not involve destroying the insects’ forest habitat. EPA
    Stingless bees inside a cultivated honeycomb at a farm in Bitai, a village in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. According to the farmer, cultivating the bees to produce honey is considered to be an environmentally friendly practice because it does not involve destroying the insects’ forest habitat. EPA

World

Today's best photos: from polluted Mongolia to stingless bees

'The National' selects the most striking pictures from around the world

The National

January 18, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

More from The National:

Monday's best photos: from the Bird's Nest stadium to a light installation in Battersea

Sunday's best photos: from Uncle Sam at a rally to migrants hampered in Guatemala

Saturday's best photos: from Northern Lights in Finland to elephants in Sri Lanka

Friday's best photos: from a rare snowy owl in the US to a frozen lake in France

Thursday's best photos: from fog over Kuwait City to a giant ice disk in Maine

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

While you're here
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)

Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg

Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

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.

Fixtures:

Thursday:
Hatta v Al Jazira, 4.55pm
Al Wasl v Dibba, 7.45pm

Friday:
Al Dhafra v Al Nasr, 5.05pm
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai v Al Wahda, 7.45pm

Saturday:
Ajman v Emirates, 4.55pm
Al Ain v Sharjah, 7.45pm

Updated: January 18, 2022, 4:06 PM