Author: Gulf Times

  VILNIUS, Lithuania: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has commenced an unannounced visit to the Baltic states, starting with Lithuania, followed by Tallinn and Riga. The Baltic nations, former Soviet republics now part of the EU and NATO, stand as staunch allies to Ukraine during its ongoing conflict with Russia. Zelensky, in a statement on social media, emphasized the critical discussions on security, EU and NATO integration, electronic warfare, drones, and enhanced coordination of European support during his Baltic tour. The visit is particularly significant as Ukraine faces intensified Russian shelling and seeks sustained aid from its allies. Lithuania, a pivotal…

Abu Dhabi, One of the players to watch out for in the upcoming International League T20 is young bowling all-rounder Aayan Khan, who will turn out for the Gulf Giants for a second season running. Aayan, who made history in the T20 World Cup 2022 by becoming the youngest player to play at the tournament at the age of just 16, was also a part of the Gulf Giants team that won the trophy the first time around. The youngster is ready to help the Gulf Giants side retain the ILT20 Trophy. “It feels great to be playing for the…

Dubai, The DP World International League T20 have unveiled a star-studded panel of commentators for the league’s Season 2. The world’s second most-watched league will be brought to life by a panel rounded-off with some of the leading cricketing experts in the world. The voices behind some of the most iconic moments in the sport in recent years Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Rohan Gavaskar, Saba Karim, Nikhil Chopra, Vivek Razdan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar will be joined by Alan Wilkins, Simon Doull, Daren Ganga, Danny Morrison and Niall O’Brien. Wasim Akram: “I am truly thrilled to…

LOS ANGELES: In the spotlight of the 81st Golden Globe Awards, “Barbie” emerges as the front-runner with nine nominations, closely followed by “Oppenheimer” with eight. These nominations highlight the cinematic achievements of the summer’s “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. Other notable contenders include Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Poor Things,” and “Past Lives,” each securing five or more nominations. In the Best Film category, the dramatic lineup includes “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer,” “Past Lives,” and “The Zone of Interest.” On the lighter side, the Best Musical or Comedy category features films like “Air,”…

RIYADH: In a bid to promote the Arabic language and enhance its teaching, the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language is set to kick off the Arabic Language Month in Indonesia. The four-week event, spanning from January 2 to February 2, will feature a diverse program of activities in Jakarta and Malang, developed in collaboration with educational organizations. The initiative aims to elevate the status of the Arabic language by engaging with universities in Indonesia that have Arabic language departments and programs. Abdullah Al-Washmi, the secretary-general of the academy, emphasizes the commitment to promoting Arabic language education globally.…

Dubai, The DP World International League T2o has introduced the Super-Sub and Wildcard for Season 2. The UAE’s biggest T20 tournament commences on Friday, 19 January with a clash between defending champions Gulf Giants and Sharjah Warriors at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The two new features are set to add even more excitement for the fans with the six tournament franchises required to put on their thinking cap while putting together their strategies for both the composition of their final tournament squads through the Wildcard as well as their playing elevens and Super-Sub nominations during the 34-match tournament. Each…

Dubai, With just a fortnight left for the start of Gulf region’s most-awaited cricket leagues – the DP World International League T20 Season 2, there is plenty of fanfare planned in the days leading up to the grand opening night scheduled on 19th January in Sharjah. The upcoming season promises to be a blockbuster with star-studded action-packed matches while there will also be plenty of entertainment on the side-lines of the month-long league creating a memorable experience for fans and their families traveling from across the globe for the event. Starting with the Big Balloon – Meet & Greet event…

Dubai, The action-packed sport of MuayThai is set for a major revamp as the promoters announced the Launch of World League of Fighters (WLF), a unique sportainment league that aims to position MuayThai on the global stage. The WLF partners with the prestigious World Boxing Council MuayThai to bring together an unpredictable and never-seen-before league-styled competition, with the potential to branch out to other forms of combat sports. For the first time in the Combat Sport World, a franchise-based league-style tournament will take place featuring 20 of the world’s best male and female Muay Thai fighters. The renowned international combat…

Dubai: Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd, the global aviation services company based in the emirate, announced their business and operational transactions for 2023 on Wednesday. The company’s results include transactions of the Group as well as its divisions, DAE Capital and DAE Engineering. DAE Capital acquired 20 aircraft and sold 30 last year, with a final fleet size of 493 aircraft. The fleet includes Airbus, ATR, and Boeing aircraft with a value of US$17 billion. The firm also acquired the rights, interests, and obligations of a portfolio of 64 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the third quarter of 2023.…

  SYDNEY: Australia asserted its dominance on day one of the New Year’s Test at the SCG against Pakistan. Despite an early struggle that saw Pakistan at 5-96, they managed to recover and finish the day on 313 runs. Australian captain Pat Cummins continued his exceptional form, claiming a five-wicket haul for the third consecutive innings. Pakistan faced a challenging situation at 9-227, but Aamer Jamal’s impressive knock of 82 off 97 deliveries, featuring nine fours and four sixes, provided a significant boost. This partnership, alongside Hamza’s contribution, guided Pakistan to a commendable performance. In what marks David Warner’s final Test…