Twenty years ago today, a crew of three American and Russian astronauts cracked open a heavy steel hatch and climbed aboard the International Space Station.
And space exploration was never the same again.
Since then, the football field-sized structure – the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon – has been continuously occupied by a multi-faith and multinational crew of scientists and engineers.
On November 2, 2000, Nasa astronaut Bill Shepherd and two Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev arrived. A handful of astronauts had been there before to build the modules, but this was the first resident crew.
Since then, 240 people from 19 countries have visited the station. This includes the first woman, Nasa astronaut Susan Helms in 2001, and the first Arab astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri in 2019.
But there are many memorable moments that have taken place on ISS. Here we look at five of the most memorable.
First space tourist - and a $20 million cheque
Space tourism may be a hot topic now, but the idea was born two decades ago when a private citizen paid to go to space.
American multimillionaire Dennis Tito became the world’s first space tourist on April 28, 2001.
It is said he paid about $20 million to spend eight days on the ISS after the Russians arranged the trip. Nasa refused to take him as he wasn’t a trained astronaut.
Mr Tito was 60-years-old at the time and going to space was his lifelong dream.
Since then, about seven similar trips have been arranged for private citizens and astronauts from countries that are not ISS-partners.
SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk and Virgin Galactic hope to make regular space tourism flights a reality, including trips to the Moon, ISS and sub-orbital flights.
Space station's first birth
On November 30, 2009, butterflies were born on the station.
Two types emerged from their cocoons inside a genetic bioprocessing container.
Seven cocoons were taken to space as part of an educational experiment for scientists, pupils and teachers. The butterflies’ birth and growth under microgravity conditions were studied.
They were the first Monarch butterflies in space and the first Painted Lady butterflies to go through all phases of development in microgravity.
Scientists found that the Monarchs’ lifespan on Earth is about two weeks, but they lasted four days in space because of the tight space. It took 15-minutes instead of three to six minutes for them to dry after coming out of their cocoon.
The Painted Lady lives for up to two weeks on Earth, but were alive for about a week in orbit.
Growing the first vegetables
Red romaine lettuce was the first vegetable to been grown in space, in August 2015 and they were a tastier alternative than the odd packaged space food astronauts have to eat.
But, they were grown mainly to study how plants and vegetables can be grown in microgravity and provide astronauts with a sustainable food source in future.
The astronauts ate half of the batch - and the rest were brought back to Earth.
Since then, astronauts have grown three types of lettuce, Chinese cabbage, mizuna mustard, red Russian kale and zinnia flowers.
They are all grown in the Advanced Plant Habitat, a growth chamber on the station used for plant research.
It uses LED lights and a controlled release fertiliser to deliver water, nutrients and oxygen to the plant roots.
The chamber also has cameras and more than 180 sensors, so the ground control team can monitor growth.
Astronauts growing their own food resources is vital to meet goals of establishing a human base on other planets or the Moon.
Running a marathon in space
Two to three hours of exercise daily is required for astronauts to maintain their health, but one astronaut took his workout to another level.
In 2016, British astronaut Tim Peake completed the fastest marathon in space. He gained a Guinness World Record for his efforts, finishing in three hours, 35-minutes and 21-seconds for the London Marathon.
The accomplishment came nine years after Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams ran a marathon in space for the Boston Marathon.
Both of them ran for hours on the space station’s treadmill.
First live Arabic-language tour of the ISS
Tours of the space station have been done in many languages – English, Russian, French, Italian and others.
But, it was only last year when the first Arabic-language tour was done by Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri.
The 36-year-old was the first Arab on the space station and went there for eight days.
The full video of his tour was released more than a month after he landed back on Earth.
Five more facts about ISS:
- ISS can accommodate three to six astronauts comfortably, but it has held nine people at times - and once 13 during a crew changeover in 2009.
- It travels fast, orbiting Earth 16 times in 24 hours
- The station is often visible to humans on Earth because of its large solar panels
- Astronauts have carried out more than 230 spacewalks, often to repair parts of the station
- In 2019, Nasa astronaut Anne McClain was the first person accused of committing a crime in space, when her estranged spouse, Summer Worden, accused her of accessing a bank account without permission. It was later found to be a false claim
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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
The specs
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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.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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The Specs
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Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 1 (Martinez 18' pen)
Juventus 2 (Dybala 4', Higuain 80')
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
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
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
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