Author: dailyguardian.ae

The Shawwal crescent that signals the end of Ramadan has not been spotted in the UAE. The holy month will thus last the full 30 days, with Tuesday being the last day of Ramadan. Islamic festival Eid Al Fitr will fall on Wednesday, April 10. This means public and private sector employees get a nine-day break including the weekends. The UAE’s moon-sighting committee had asked Muslims across the country to search the skies for the crescent. Like all months in the Islamic Hijri calendar, Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days. In the lunar calendar, the sighting of the crescent determines…

After breaking their Ramadan fast outside a mosque in Malaysia, people throw their leftovers into a machine that converts the food scraps into organic fertiliser for crops. The modest government initiative in the central state of Pahang aims to reduce wastage, especially during the Muslim holy month when huge amounts of food are thrown away daily. The mobile machine has been deployed at a park in the heart of state capital Kuantan during Ramadan where many families gather every evening to feast on cheap local dishes after a day of fasting. It processes 25kg of scraps a day, said Sharudin…

While the holy month of Ramadan — followed by Eid Al Fitr celebrations ­— is a wonderful time to be surrounded by those you love, the increased shopping activity always brings with it a surge in cyberattacks. According to data from Group-IB, a major cybersecurity company, in 2023, the GCC experienced a substantial 65 per cent increase in ransomware victims published on dedicated leak sites (DLSs), rising from 32 in 2022 to 53 last year. The GCC experienced a notable 36 per cent increase in compromised cards, rising from 98,339 in 2022 to 133,320 in 2023, data showed. Cyber criminals…

Everton were docked two more points by the Premier League on Monday — their second points deduction this season — after an independent commission found they had breached the league’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). The deduction, announced in a Premier League statement, means Everton dropped to 16th place with 27 points, two above the relegation zone. Everton said they would appeal against the points deduction, meaning the outcome of the relegation battle could go beyond the last day of the season on May 19. “The independent commission heard evidence and arguments from the club on a range of potential…

Owners of the OnePlus Watch 2 are about to receive a new software update that will improve the smartwatch in one key way. OHealth v4.21.5 adds a data migration feature that allows switching phones without losing health data, which wasn’t possible previously. Android Authority first spotted the update. Google’s Wear OS 4 launched with the new data migration feature. However, it wasn’t available on the OnePlus Watch 2 until now. Once you install the update, you can see a new option called “Migrate data” in the profile settings. To use this new tool, your old and new phones must be connected…

Russia said Monday that more than 10,000 residential buildings were flooded across the Urals, Volga area and western Siberia as emergency services evacuated cities threatened by rising rivers. On Sunday, Russia declared a federal emergency in the Orenburg region, where the Ural river flooded much of the city of Orsk and is now reaching dangerous levels in the main city of Orenburg. “On the territories of the Siberian, Privolzhye (Volga area) and the central federal regions a rise in air temperature, active snow melting and the overflow of rivers is forecast,” Russia’s Emergency Ministry said on social media. “More than…

Qatar National Bank’s (QNB) net profit rose seven per cent in the first quarter, the Gulf’s biggest bank by assets said on Monday, after a boost from increased net interest income. QNB’s net profit for the quarter was 4.1 billion Qatari riyals ($1.12 billion), up from 3.9 billion riyals a year earlier and in line with analysts’ forecasts, LSEG data showed. Most Gulf currencies are pegged to the US dollar and Gulf lenders have benefited from higher interest rates in the United States to combat inflation. QNB’s net interest income — the difference between what banks earn on loans and…

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday his team played without courage or personality when Manchester City knocked them out of the Champions League last season, ahead of another showdown with the English champions. Pep Guardiola’s side thrashed Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in last season’s semifinals and Ancelotti called on his players to show more mental strength this time around. Record 14-time winners Madrid host reigning champions City at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday in a mouthwatering quarterfinal first leg clash. “We played without courage, without personality — courage and personality are fundamental in this type of game, we…

Following Embracer Group’s sale of Gearbox Entertainment, Gearbox Publishing has rebranded to Arc Games. The newly minted label will handle publishing for Hyper Light Breaker when it launches, as well as other Gearbox projects. The situation may be confusing to those who don’t follow game industry acquisitions. The short version is that Gearbox (the developer) now exists under Take-Two Interactive, while Gearbox (the publisher) is now taking the form of Arc Games. “We’re very excited to announce that we are now Arc Games,” the publisher posted in a message on Hyper Light Breaker’s X (formerly Twitter) account Monday. “We’re the…

As the crescent moon of Shawwal looms on the horizon, tailors across Dubai find themselves in a race against time to fulfil orders ahead Eid. In key tailoring hubs like Bur Dubai and Satwa, craftsmen are burning the midnight oil to meet the overwhelming demand. “We’re working until 3am,” reveals Asif Siddiqui of Suit Freek, a bespoke men’s tailoring shop in Meena Bazaar. “Our hands are full with orders for custom-made shalwar kameez, shirts, and even men’s suits.” The tradition of wearing new clothes during Eid signifies a fresh start after Ramadan’s spiritual journey, driving an increased demand for tailors.…