China has become the first country to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon.
The Chang’e-6 capsule landed in the Inner Mongolian desert on Tuesday at 10.07am, UAE time, with scientists and engineers from the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on site to retrieve the samples.
China carried out the mission over 53 days, which included a touchdown on the Moon's South Pole-Aitken (Spa) Basin site on June 2.
Live footage from a CNSA broadcast showed the capsule descending towards the desert with the help of parachutes.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on the success of the mission.
"I congratulate my friend Xi Jinping and the Chinese people on the return to Earth of the Chang'e-6 probe after successfully completing its historic mission on the far side of the Moon," Sheikh Mohamed said, according to state news agency Wam.
"I wish China ongoing success in furthering our scientific understanding of the solar system and advancing humanity's progress."
Mr Xi called on his country to make further strides in the space sector. “I am pleased to hear that the Chang'e-6 lunar exploration mission has been a complete success,” he said.
“I hope you will seize the opportunity, carefully carry out scientific research on lunar samples, continue to implement major aerospace projects such as deep space exploration, strengthen international exchanges and co-operation, and move forward courageously towards the goal of becoming a space power.”
The Chang'e-6 vehicle consisted of four modules – an orbiter, lander, ascent vehicle and return capsule. The lander drilled into the lunar surface to collect the samples, which it secured it in the ascent vehicle that flew up to the orbiter.
Samples were brought back by the return capsule, which separated from the orbiter before beginning its journey home.
The lander also planted a Chinese flag near the site where it dug.
Scientists believe that samples from this region could provide critical insights into the Moon's composition and history, as well as the broader processes that have shaped the early solar system.
“According to the plan, after the necessary ground processing is completed, the recovered Chang'e-6 capsule will be airlifted to Beijing for opening and removal of the sample container and its contents,” the CNSA said.
The space agency will soon hold a handover ceremony to deliver the samples to scientists so that they can carry out research work.
Chang’e-6 is part of China's expanding lunar exploration programme, which began in 2007 with the launch of Chang'e-1.
Over the years, the Chang'e missions have advanced in complexity and scope.
Chang'e-5 marked a significant milestone as it successfully collected and returned samples from the Moon's near side, making China the third country to achieve this feat after the US and the former Soviet Union.
China is quickly emerging as a major space power, having carried out several complex missions, including to the Moon, Mars and low-Earth orbit.
It landed a rover on Mars as part of the Tianwen-1 mission and completed its Tiangong space station in Earth's orbit, with astronauts who are currently on board.
In the future, China plans to send manned missions to the Moon and develop a lunar research station by teaming up with other countries.
China was once known to pursue its space activities independently, with limited collaboration from international players.
But it is now opening up to more foreign partnerships, with miniature satellites from Pakistan, Sweden, France and Italy carried as payloads on the Chang'e-6 vehicle.
Nasa is not allowed to co-operate with China because of the Wolf Amendment, a 2011 US law that aims to protect national security and prevent the transfer of sensitive technology.
Nasa administrator Bill Nelson has expressed concern that China could reach the Moon before the US and claim ownership of the territory, and said the country has been “very secretive” about its progress in space.
The US also has ambitious Moon exploration plans and hopes to land humans there within this decade. The US and China want to explore the lunar south pole region.
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
MO
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The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
How%20champions%20are%20made
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Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
AS IT STANDS IN POOL A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
