Live updates: SpaceX Crew-6 land safely on Earth
Al Ain is planning a hero's welcome for Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi when he arrives back in the UAE.
Dr Al Neyadi has regularly paid homage to his hometown during his six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.
In April, he posted a picture of Al Ain from space and in May, he celebrated his birthday with a live call from the ISS, during which he revealed that he missed his mother's cooking.
Like many from Al Ain, his family have been closely watching his progress since he arrived in space on March 3.
His niece and nephew, Naila Saif Al Neyadi, 14, and Mohammed Saif Al Neyadi, 13, both spoke of their pride as their uncle prepares to arrive back on Earth on Monday morning.
I felt he brought honour to our tribe. I'm immensely proud of my uncle's accomplishment.
Mohammed Saif Al Neyadi,
nephew of Emirati astronaut
Naila and Mohammed, both pupils at Al Sanawbar School in Al Ain, participated in a special celebration on Friday
“My relationship with my uncle is very good. We meet on Fridays, sit down together, laugh and talk a lot,” Naila told The National.
“I am very proud of him; this is amazing for the UAE and all Arabs.
“We are so excited to see him, and we are definitely going to celebrate our uncle's accomplishment and tell him how proud we are of him.”
Joy for family
Mohammed said he was excited about seeing his uncle again.
“The first thing I want to do when I see him is to take a picture with him,” Mohammed said.
“When it was revealed that he would venture into space, I felt he brought honour to our tribe. I'm immensely proud of my uncle's accomplishment.”
Dr Al Neyadi's father also paid homage to his son's pioneering feats - and said he was looking forward to welcoming him home.
In a video shared by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre on social media, Saif Al Neyadi said that Dr Al Neyadi has "raised the UAE flag high".
“This is a milestone in the history of the Arabs and the UAE, and for you as well,” he said.
“We are all excited and eagerly awaiting your safe return, raising high the flag of the UAE and making our President – our leader, teacher and source of inspiration – His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, along with the Rulers of the Emirates, as well as Emiratis and Arabs all proud.
"We wish you success. We are excited to welcome you after your safe return and celebrate your achievements."
A native of Um Ghafa in Al Ain city, his journey to space has left an indelible mark not only on space exploration but also on those in his hometown.
He attended primary and secondary school at Um Ghafa School and has maintained strong relationships with his classmates and teachers.
Adel Alobeidli, the principal of Um Ghafa School, said Dr Al Neyadi's journey will inspire future pupils to achieve greater feats.
“We take immense pride in Sultan Al Neyadi, who hails from the UAE and the Arab world, for embarking on an extensive six-month mission in space,” Dr Alobeidli told The National.
“Notably, he comes from Al Ghafa and spent over a decade studying at our school.
“This achievement brings pride to both us and our students. We welcome the prospect of having more individuals like Sultan Al Neyadi, be it in medicine, space exploration or engineering.”
The impact of Dr Al Neyadi's journey extends to those who have already followed a career path in aviation and space.
Wadima Mohammed is a sophomore at UAE University studying aerospace engineering.
“I look up to him and when I knew he was from Al Ain like me, I was really proud. He is all I've been talking about,” she said.
“I keep checking the updates on the website, and when he is back, my professor and classmates are going to see it live and celebrate together.”
Fatima Alblooshi, a freshman at UAE University who is also studying aerospace engineering, said Dr Al Neyadi's journey has been inspirational.
“I imagine myself on a rocket just like Sultan Al Neyadi heading to space,” she said.
“Learning that Sultan Al Neyadi was going to venture into space gave me an extra push to study aerospace engineering.
“Knowing that he's local from the UAE made me proud and motivated me to aim high. Seeing him realise his ambitions encouraged me to stay on course, with the hope of one day sharing a similar destiny.”
Results for Stage 2
Stage 2 Yas Island to Abu Dhabi, 184 km, Road race
Overall leader: Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Fernando Gaviria COL (UAE Team Emirates) 2. Elia Viviani ITA (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) 3. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal)
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
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.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
One in four Americans don't plan to retire
Nearly a quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnection between individuals' retirement plans and the realities of ageing in the workforce.
Experts say illness, injury, layoffs and caregiving responsibilities often force older workers to leave their jobs sooner than they'd like.
According to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, 23 per cent of workers, including nearly two in 10 of those over 50, don't expect to stop working. Roughly another quarter of Americans say they will continue working beyond their 65th birthday.
According to government data, about one in five people 65 and older was working or actively looking for a job in June. The study surveyed 1,423 adults in February this year.
For many, money has a lot to do with the decision to keep working.
"The average retirement age that we see in the data has gone up a little bit, but it hasn't gone up that much," says Anqi Chen, assistant director of savings research at the Centre for Retirement Research at Boston College. "So people have to live in retirement much longer, and they may not have enough assets to support themselves in retirement."
When asked how financially comfortable they feel about retirement, 14 per cent of Americans under the age of 50 and 29 per cent over 50 say they feel extremely or very prepared, according to the poll. About another four in 10 older adults say they do feel somewhat prepared, while just about one-third feel unprepared.
"One of the things about thinking about never retiring is that you didn't save a whole lot of money," says Ronni Bennett, 78, who was pushed out of her job as a New York City-based website editor at 63.
She searched for work in the immediate aftermath of her layoff, a process she describes as akin to "banging my head against a wall." Finding Manhattan too expensive without a steady stream of income, she eventually moved to Portland, Maine. A few years later, she moved again, to Lake Oswego, Oregon. "Sometimes I fantasise that if I win the lottery, I'd go back to New York," says Ms Bennett.
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
