Author: dailyguardian.ae

Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that security forces had cleared hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Makkah ahead of Haj. Crowd management is a major concern during the annual pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam which drew more than 1.8 million Muslims last year, according to official figures. Those turned away in recent days from the holy city, home to the Grand Mosque, include 153,998 foreigners who travelled from abroad on tourist visas rather than the required Haj visas, the official Saudi Press Agency said. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp…

The 24-year-old talent will compete in the US-based PGA Tour’s development event, the $1 million Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open this week By Nick Tarratt, Khaleej Times Guest Golf Writer Dubai-born Rayhan Thomas has promised to give his beat as he makes his highly-anticipated professional tournament debut on the Korn Ferry Tour in the $1 million Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open to be played at Crestview Country Club, Kansas, Wichita, US from June 13-15. Following his tied ninth-place finish in last week’s Qualifying School on the PGA Tour of Americas in California…

Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you’ll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle. Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There’s no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you’re stuck and need to know the answers to today’s Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below. How to play Strands You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the “theme words” hidden in the grid of letters.…

For Sri Lankan expat Mohammed A, a job offer in Dubai meant that he could hope for a better life and repay debts accrued due to a failed business. The entrepreneur came to the UAE four months ago and took up a telemarketing job. Now, the UAE government has announced tighter regulations on telemarketing via phone calls, with fines of up to Dh150,000. Mohammed said he was worried but not too concerned. “Ever since I started my job (as a cold caller), I have been mindful of not calling any client more than necessary,” he said. “So far, I have…

Insurers have rejected some claims of the UAE motorists who drove in flooded streets due to negligence in the wake of the unprecedented rains on April 16. The UAE recorded the heaviest rains in 75 years on April 16, resulting in flooding of many areas in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and other emirates. It is estimated that over 50,000 vehicles were damaged during the unprecedented rains. Under the natural catastrophe clause, only vehicles that have a comprehensive insurance policy are covered against the losses arising from natural disasters while third-party liability plans do not usually cover natural catastrophes. Avinash Babur, CEO…

The DP World Tour is now three events into its European Swing featuring the Soudal Open won by Spain’s Nacho Elvira, the European Open which was won by England’s Laurie Canter and the recent Volvo Car Scandinavia Mixed, won so dramatically by Swede Linn Grant from the Ladies European Tour. Elvira currently leads the European Swing with three more qualifying events to come – finishing at the BMW International Open in the first week of July. What does this all mean? The new DP World Tour schedule sees the season broken down into five innovative Swings – the Opening Swing,…

Connections is the latest puzzle game from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends. Some days are trickier than others. If you’re having a little trouble solving today’s Connections puzzle, check out our tips and hints below. And if you still can’t get…

Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, will light up tonight in blue, red and white to celebrate the 126th Philippines Independence Day. The 828-metre skyscraper will display the Philippines flag at 7.50pm, showcasing the banner that was first hoisted on June 12, 1898 – the day the Philippines declared freedom from more than 300 years of Spanish colonial rule to become the first republic in Asia. Last year, Burj Khalifa and the Adnoc building in Abu Dhabi also lit up in Philippines’ colours “to commemorate the spirit, resilience and rich heritage of the Filipino people on their Independence Day.” Stay…

Hamas says it puts the ball in Israel’s court while Israel contends Hamas rejected key elements of the US ceasefire plan Hamas on Wednesday said its “positive” response to a US ceasefire plan for the eight-month-old war in the Gaza Strip opened a “wide pathway” to reach an agreement, but the outlook was uncertain as neither the Palestinian group nor Israel publicly committed to a deal. Hamas submitted its formal response on Tuesday to a proposal outlined by US President Joe Biden on May 31. Israel said the response was tantamount to a rejection while a Hamas official said the…

Jin, the oldest member of K-pop phenomenon BTS, was discharged from South Korea’s army on Wednesday after 18 months of duty, the first member of the group to wrap up mandatory national service that put their music careers on hold. Jin, 31, wearing his army uniform and a black beret, appeared emotional as he hugged his colleagues at a military base in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi province, television footage showed. South Korean media reported several other members of the septet who are currently serving in the military applied for leave to celebrate the occasion. Stay up to date with the latest news.…