Nasa has confirmed that there are over 5,000 exoplanets beyond our solar system.
The exoplanet census surpassed this milestone with a new batch of 65 confirmed exoplanets, triggering excitement across the globe.
“It’s not just a number,” Exoplanet Archive science lead Jessie Christiansen said in a statement as reported by CNET.
“Each one of them is a new world, a brand new planet. I get excited about every one because we don’t know anything about them.”
It’s been 30 years since scientists discovered the first planets orbiting another star. Today, exoplanets are so common that astronomers expect most stars host at least one, astronomer Aurora Kesseli of Caltech was quoted as saying by Science News.
“One of the most exciting things that I think has happened in the last 30 years is that we’ve really started to be able to fill out the diversity of exoplanets,” Kesseli added.
Some exoplanets look like Jupiter or Earth. The 5,005 confirmed exoplanets include nearly 1,500 giant gassy planets, roughly 200 that are small and rocky and almost 1,600 “super-Earths,” which are larger than our solar system’s rocky planets and smaller than Neptune, according to Science News.
While discovering these exoplanets, scientists try to find out if they are habitable or not. James Webb Space Telescope is working to go beyond the diameters, masses and densities of these planets. It will gather information about their atmospheres.
NASA’s newest exoplanet hunter, the TESS mission, has confirmed more than 200 planets, with thousands more yet to verify, Kesseli pointed out. “There’s tons of exoplanets out there,” Kesseli said, “and even more waiting to be discovered”.
Four lucky expats from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have each taken home Dh150,000 in the latest Big Ticket Series 274 draw held in Abu Dhabi, and most of them won through free bonus tickets.
Sharjah-based Indian driver wins after years of trying
Kamalasanan Omana Riji, a 52-year-old driver from Kerala, India, has lived in Sharjah for 18 years. He has been buying Big Ticket entries every month with a group of 10 friends.
“I was on my way to work and missed the call. Then my friend rang me up and told me I’d won. I checked my email, and it was true. We’ll divide the prize equally.”
Bangladeshi worker wins through free ticket
Shohag Nurul Islam, a 44-year-old municipality worker from Bangladesh, also lives in Sharjah and has been entering the draw for five years with 10 friends.
He won through a freeticket. “My first priority is to share it with the group.”
Pakistani warehouse manager wins with individual entry
Imran Aftab, a 46-year-old warehouse manager in Dubai, joined several Big Ticket groups over the years and only recently started buying tickets individually, and it paid off.
“I didn’t get the call, but received a text. I checked online and was stunned. This was my first win, and it came from an individual ticket,” he said.
Bahrain-based Indian expat also wins with free ticket
Prasantha Thottethody Marappa, a 48-year-old mechanical fitter from Kerala, living inBahrain, has been part of a group entry for the last five years. “We’ll divide the prize among our group and continue playing,” he said.
Dh20 million Grand Prize
This month, Big Ticket is offering a grand prizeofDh20 million to be drawn on June3. There are also weeklycash draws and other exciting promotions. Tickets can be purchased online or at Zayed International Airport and Al Ain Airport.
In a landmark ruling, the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has finalised a record Dh100 million divorce settlement for an expatriate couple — the largest of its kind reported in the GCC region.
The couple, who were previously married in the UK, chose to file for a no-fault divorce in Abu Dhabi under the emirate’s modern Civil Marriage Law No. 14 of 2021. The divorce was granted in less than three weeks, in just one court session.
The couple reached a full financial settlement through the court, working closely with a leading UK family law firm. Their decision to bring the case to Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) was based on the court’s strong reputation and clear legal procedures.
What makes Abu Dhabi’s Civil Family Court unique is that it’s the only bilingual court in the Gulf, with all proceedings conducted in both English and Arabic. The court also employs experienced international legal professionals, including British lawyers, to support expats through the legal process.
Airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air, have announced full refunds and rescheduling waivers for passengers affected by flight disruptions across several Indian cities, a move that has impacted thousands of UAE-based Indian travellers.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Air India said it is experiencing high call volumes due to the disruptions but assured passengers that full refunds and a one-time waiver on rescheduling fees are available for impacted flights booked until May 10, 2025.
“For customers whose flights are impacted by the current disruptions, Air India is offering a full refund for cancellations and a one-time waiver on rescheduling fees,” said the airline, which operates daily flights between the UAE and Indian cities like Delhi, Amritsar, and Srinagar.
The airline is also offering extended flexibility for some categories of travellers, including those holding concessionary fares, allowing full refunds on cancellations and waived change fees for travel booked through May 31, with changes allowed up to June 30.
IndiGo, another major budget carrier serving UAE-India routes, confirmed disruptions to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, and Dharamsala, citing changing airspace conditions. The airline is offering a full waiver of change and cancellation fees for travel to or from Srinagar until May 22, for bookings made before April 22.
SpiceJet and Akasa Air also issued advisories, with SpiceJet suspending flights to and from key northern Indian destinations “until further notice.”
What UAE Travellers Should Do
Check with your airline for the latest updates on cancelled or rescheduled flights.
Passengers can claim full refunds or reschedule without penalty on eligible flights.
Travellers are encouraged to use online refundforms or contact airline service centres, though delays are expected due to high demand.
Residents flying to India for the summer breakor upcoming school holidays should verify their itineraries if flying to affected cities.
With the UAE being home to a large Indian expat community, the airline advisories are expected to impact many family travel plans.
