Author: dailyguardian.ae

Saudi Arabia will host the WTA Finals for the next three editions, the Women’s Tennis Association said on Thursday, following widespread speculation . In just the latest high-profile Saudi sporting acquisition, the capital Riyadh will first hold the season finale featuring world’s top eight singles players and doubles teams from November 2-9. “Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will host the next three editions of the WTA Finals from 2024-2026,” the WTA posted on X, formerly Twitter, on its official account. The widely anticipated deal comes just weeks after Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, a sovereign wealth vehicle, announced a “strategic partnership” with the…

After a record-breaking string of hits through 2022, Marvel Studios hit a few serious roadblocks in 2023. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was rejected by audiences after its big opening, and The Marvels was an epic flop that lost a ton of money. You know there are problems when Marvel movies are performing like lower-tier DC films. Only Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was able to buck the trend and become a hit last year. Because of the writers and actors strikes in 2023, Marvel was forced to cut back its 2024 films to a single movie: Deadpool & Wolverine.…

With most Dubai private schools given the green light to increase tuition fees, the spotlight turns to institutions whose rates remain competitive. A spike of up to 5.2 per cent in fees could send some parents on a hunt for more affordable alternatives in a pool of more than 200 private schools in the city. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. The emirate’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has made all information about school fees available in a comprehensive fact sheet that can be accessed online. In just a few taps, one…

Sri Lanka does not see any need to re-open talks on a contentious island ceded to it by New Delhi 50 years ago, the foreign minister has said, after the low-key territorial squabble turned into a hot-button election issue in India. The party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected to win general elections that start on April 19, has flagged the issue of Indian fishermen discontented after a 1976 pact between the neighbours barred them from the waters around the island. “This is a problem discussed and resolved 50 years ago and there is no necessity to have…

Majid Al Futtaim report reveals retail sector’s robust growth during the year Overall UAE consumer spending rose by 13 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022, driven by a 14 per cent increase in the retail economy, a report showed on Thursday. According to Majid Al Futtaim’s ‘State of the UAE Retail Economy’ Report, the highest growth in spend compared to 2022 came in the first half of 2023, due to the higher base effect from the previous year’s Fifa World Cup, which had given impetus to consumer spending as a result of a surge in tourists in the second…

More than 1,400 cultural, artistic, and edutainment activities by 190 guests from 25 countries will set the stage for boundless explorations and creative expression along with 470 publishers from 75 countries at the upcoming 15th annual Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) next month. Organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), and set to take place from May 1 to 12 at Expo Centre Sharjah, the region’s largest event dedicated to nurturing the imaginations of young heroes, carries the theme ‘Once Upon a Hero’ this year. The cultural agenda for SCRF 2024 as well as the details of the 3rd annual edition…

Indian teen Lavanya Gupta wins Girl’s Division while Alexander Rushika tops Boys Under 14’s By Nick Tarratt, Khaleej Times Guest Golf Writer Joe Jones made it seem so easy as he scored a dominant wire-to-wire victory in the 2024 Robert Rock Abu Dhabi Championship over the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. The 19-year-old Welsh international, shot a final round of 70 to follow up his opening rounds of 68 and 67 for a 54-hole total of 11 under par, 205, to comfortably take the overall title and Boys Under 21 Division. Jones had nines of 38 and 32,…

It seems Apple is prepping yet another design refresh for its smartphones this fall season. In 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro made an aesthetic deviation by serving thinner bezels and titanium looks alongside a new multi-function button. This year, it’s going to be the entry-point iPhone 16 and its Plus variant that are apparently lined up for a design refresh. Tech commentator Sonny Dickson has shared dummy units reportedly depicting all four iPhone 16 variants, which seem to confirm what previous leaks have predicted so far. On the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the camera lenses dance diagonally on…

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will celebrate Eid Al Fitr by bringing happiness and joy to orphans, people of determination, and students, by providing Eid clothing, organising recreational outings, and distributing Eidiya, cash gifts for children. The RTA will launch a series of Eid Al Fitr initiatives, in partnership with the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), the Rashid Centre for People of Determination, the Al Etihad Charity Foundation, and Keolis MHI, the operator of Dubai Metro and Tram, as well as Roxy Cinema. This year, the RTA’s Eid initiatives will focus on strengthening community cohesion and spreading the culture of…

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg urged the United States to stick together with Europe as the Western military alliance turned 75 on Thursday menaced by an aggressive Russia and the spectre of Donald Trump’s return to power. The Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 re-invigorated Nato as it was confronted by one of the most serious challenges since it emerged from the ashes of World War II to counter the Soviet Union. The alliance has bolstered its forces across eastern Europe and grown to 32 members after Finland and Sweden joined its ranks. But while the war has refocused Nato’s…