Author: dailyguardian.ae

Pakistan host arch-political foe India this weekend in their first Davis Cup tennis clash on home soil in six decades — one of the few encounters in any sport between the two nations in years. The two sides meet in a Group 1 playoff fixture on the grass courts of the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad, although it has yet to be decided if spectators will be allowed because of security concerns. When India and Pakistan were forged out of violent partition 76 years ago, the split also created one of sport’s greatest rivalries — mostly in cricket, but also…

Pearson opens bookings for new PTE Core English proficiency test for Canadian economic migration visa purposes Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 31st January 2024: Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, today announced that bookings are now open for PTE Core, its newest English language proficiency test. PTE Core received approval from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) last year and can now be taken to provide proof of English language proficiency for the purposes of permanent economic immigration to Canada or Canadian citizenship. The first PTE Core tests can be taken from February 12 onwards. PTE Core is a new addition…

Looking to bounce back from this weekend’s defeat, Barcelona will take on Osasuna Wednesday at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The loss dropped Xavi’s side to fourth in La Liga, and now they’ll need to be careful against an Osasuna squad that has just one defeat in its last seven league matches. If you’re in the United States, the match kicks off at 1:00 p.m. ET and can be watched live on  ESPN+ (English or Spanish broadcast) or ESPN Deportes (Spanish). Here’s a rundown of the different ways you can watch a live stream of Barcelona vs Osasuna, including some…

Convoys of tractors edged closer to Paris, Lyon and other strategic locations in France on Wednesday, as thousands of protesting farmers appeared to ignore warnings of police intervention if they cross red lines laid down by the government. Farmers’ unions, unimpressed by concessions offered by President Emmanuel Macron’s government, encouraged their members to fight on for improved pay, less red tape and protection from foreign competition. “I’m so proud of you,” Serge Bousquet-Cassagne, head of the farmers’ association in the southwestern Lot-et-Garonne department, told protesters headed for the wholesale Rungis market south of Paris, a key food distribution platform for…

The Middle East’s ambitious transformation plans, and the region’s youthful demographics – more than half of whom are under 30 years age – is attracting Indian investment, at pace. Data from the International Trade Centre (ITC) and HSBC analysis show an estimated $61 billion export opportunity for India to tap the key Menat markets, with top destinations including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Patricia Gomes, Regional Head of Commercial Banking, Middle East North Africa and Türkiye (Menat), HSBC Bank Middle East, said: “Buoyed by strong mutual interests, solid economic fundamentals and enduring historical ties, corporates and investors are looking…

Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor is all set to showcase her singing skills at the upcoming edition of the BAFTA Awards. According to Variety, the British Academy announced that Sophie will perform her hit Murder on the Dancefloor at the ceremony, marking the latest stage in a triumphant comeback for the track, first released in December 2001. The track, which was released almost 20 years ago, found renewed attention on social media. It was recently featured in Emerald Fennell’s BAFTA-nominated film Saltburn. So the latest edition of BAFTA is truly going to usher in a wave of nostalgia among fans. The Saltburn…

The UAE set a new world record for the highest number of online organ donation registrations within a one-hour timeframe. Over 4,000 residents signed up for Hayat on Wednesday (Jan 31). Hayat (which means life in Arabic ) is the National Programme for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues, established in September 2020 under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP). Before the start of the online drive, there were 21,357 UAE residents of various nationalities who registered in Hayat. After one hour, 4,010 more donors were added, and the number stood at 25,367 as…

The moon was long thought to be geologically dead, with no processes occurring inside its core.  But increasing evidence over the last decades suggests that the moon isn’t static and could, in fact, still be tectonically active. Now, new research from NASA suggests that the shrinking of the moon over time is causing moonquakes and the formation of faults near its south pole. The research is part of NASA’s interest in the lunar south pole, given the agency’s intention to send astronauts there. Researchers have modeled lunar activity to look for the source of moonquakes seen during the Apollo missions. “Our…

In a phone call with Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, discussed the current developments in the Middle East. They also discussed ways to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in carrying out its noble humanitarian tasks. The two sides also discussed the need to ensure urgent, intensive, safe, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian, relief, and medical aid to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, prevent further loss of life, and avoid exacerbating the situation in the occupied Palestinian…

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said there was no rift between him and his Vice-President Sara Duterte after both her brother and father strongly criticised him. On Sunday, Duterte’s brother, who is the mayor of Davao city, urged Marcos to resign over his supposed failings to address crime and a foreign policy that “endangers the lives of innocent Filipinos”, while her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, called the incumbent president a “drug addict”. Speaking to reporters while on a state visit to Vietnam, Marcos said his relationship with the vice president is “exactly the same”, adding his “Uniteam” with Duterte…