Author: dailyguardian.ae

A pod of killer whales that was trapped in drift ice off Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido, prompting concern from environmental groups, has apparently safely escaped, officials said on Wednesday. The killer whales, also known as orcas, were initially spotted by a local fisherman who reported them to officials in the nearby town of Rausu on the northeastern coast of Hokkaido on Tuesday morning. Town officials travelled to the coast later Tuesday and saw about a dozen whales bobbing up and down in a tiny gap surrounded by drift ice, about 1 kilometer (half a mile) offshore. After analysing…

Shoppers are increasingly buying gold and precious metal jewellery in Dubai and the selling the valuables in other countries – particularly South Asian ones. Industry executives say that consumers do this due to the trust they have in the quality of the gold and jewellery sold in Dubai. Buyers also benefit from the disparities in the prices. Moreover, some countries also levy tax on gold and jewellery purchases above a certain amount and there is no tax on buying gold jewellery in Dubai. If passengers exceed the permitted limit to carry gold and jewellery, the items could be confiscated by…

The Los Angeles Clippers (34-15) are one of the top teams in the league right now. This season, they went from being the “other L.A. team” to a contender for the NBA championship. Tonight they look to build off of four straight wins as the New Orleans Pelicans (29-21) come to town. The Clippers find themselves now on top of the West in first place rankings. It’s the third time these two meet up this season, and if each of them stays at the pace they’re on, we could see them square off in the postseason as well. Catch the…

Prolonged social media usage is worsening various issues among children in the UAE with kids spending around three hours daily on these platforms. The heightened challenges include increased anxiety, attention difficulties, academic struggles, and, in certain instances, speech delays. Experts explained social media platforms stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain, encouraging repeated engagement. The shares, likes, and comments on these platforms activate the brain’s reward centre, creating a sensation similar to the pleasure experienced during gambling or substance use, leading to continued user return. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Average…

Twelve people were rescued from a rollercoaster in Hong Kong’s Disneyland after the ride stopped working on Wednesday afternoon, police and fire services said after they deployed dozens of personnel to the site. Police and fire services were called for assistance from 3.16pm after the Disney ride Hyperspace Mountain stopped working. No injuries have been reported and there was no smoke or fire at the scene, a police spokeswoman said. The passengers were removed from the ride by 4.16pm a fire services representative said. Around 40 firefighters had been deployed to Disneyland, located by Hong Kong’s international airport, he said.…

Tunisian fan favourite Ons Jabeur blasted her way into the last eight of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open with a straight-sets victory over Britain’s Emma Raducanu. Having been given a bye in the Round of 32, as one of the tournament’s four top seeds, Jabeur was in singles action for the first time, and eager to make up for the disappointment of exiting the doubles alongside partner Naomi Osaka on Tuesday night. It took Jabeur just one hour and 18 minutes to book her place in the quarterfinals. Having edged an entertaining, and relatively close, opening set, Jabeur stepped it…

On February 7, 1984, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless II performed the first untethered spacewalk. An incredible photograph of the event shows McCandless floating in space, entirely alone, with Earth some 250 miles below. McCandless used a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) — a nitrogen-propelled, hand-controlled backpack — to carry himself 300 feet (about 90 meters) from the space shuttle Challenger that had brought him to orbit on the STS-41B mission. “It may have been one small step for Neil, but it’s a heck of a big leap for me,” McCandless quipped shortly before attempting the feat. In an article marking the…

Egypt and Qatar are sponsoring a new round of negotiations to start Thursday in Cairo aimed at achieving “calm” in Gaza as well as a prisoner-hostage exchange, an Egyptian official said. A Hamas source with knowledge of the matter confirmed the militant group had agreed to the talks, with the goal of “a ceasefire, an end to the war and a prisoner exchange deal”. Both sources spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

The majority (56.44 per cent) of Android applications in the UAE are uninstalled within just 30 days of being downloaded, a new research showed. According to AppsFlyer research, UAE consumers are easily disenchanted by the mobile applications offered by brands. This figure is notably higher than that for more mature markets such as the US and the UK, where the average 30-day uninstall rate for Android apps stands at 46.76 per cent and 47.82 per cent respectively. Paul Wright, general manager Western Europe and MENAT at AppsFlyer said: “Research we conducted in early 2023 indicated that the vast majority (84…

Chelsea responded to a troubling week with a superb 3-1 win at Aston Villa to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup and put a smile back on the face of Mauricio Pochettino on Wednesday. Successive heavy losses in the Premier League had left manager Pochettino under intense scrutiny, but first-half goals by Conor Gallagher and Nicolas Jackson put Chelsea in control before Enzo Fernandez struck a sublime free kick after halftime. Villa, who are on the fringe of the Premier League title race and 15 points above Chelsea, were outplayed pretty much from start to finish as their…