So far, this year has been top-tier for video game releases.
With Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, gamers have had plenty of solid options to enjoy – however, it's not game over just yet.
Here are some of the biggest releases yet to come.
Mortal Kombat 1
The popular fighting game series Mortal Kombat returns this year with a complete reboot of its storyline.
Fittingly named Mortal Kombat 1, it's set to tell its story in a new light, using characters who used to be villains as good guys and vice-versa.
The last two titles in the series, Mortal Kombat 9 and Mortal Kombat X, revitalised the franchise, with the latter selling more than 12 million copies worldwide, according to its publishers Warner Bros.
Mortal Kombat 1 is set for release on September 14 on all major consoles.
RoboCop: Rogue City
Since the release of the first RoboCop film in 1987, the titular character has appeared in eight games, with cameo appearances in other titles, too.
In RoboCop: Rogue City, gamers will play from the perspective of the technologically enhanced police officer for the first time.
The first-person shooter takes players through futuristic Detroit and to fight the worst of the criminal underworld.
RoboCop: Rogue City is set for release in September on all major consoles, with an exact date yet to be announced.
Assassin's Creed Mirage
Set in 9th-century Baghdad, the latest game in the Assassin's Creed series has fans excited with the promise of more stealth gameplay.
The epic historical's main character is Basim, an assassin who previously appeared in Valhalla, the last game in the series.
The franchise returns to a Middle Eastern setting for the first time since the original Assassin's Creed in 2007, which was set in Jerusalem during the Crusades.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is set for release on October 12 on all major consoles.
Alan Wake 2
The sequel to the long-awaited Alan Wake is finally on the way, 13 years after the first was released.
Set in a small town in Washington, Alan Wake is a writer who becomes lost in a surreal and scary alternate world in which he must save his wife from the shadows. The survival horror game is played from a third-person perspective as either Alan Wake or FBI agent Saga Anderson.
Alan Wake 2 is set for release on October 17 and will be playable on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Probably the most anticipated game of the year, the sequel to 2018’s Marvel's Spider-Man looks to be bigger and more exciting.
Trailers reveal Venom will be playable in addition to Peter Parker and Miles Morales from the previous game.
According to sales reports, the first game and its downloadable content had sold more than 33 million copies by May last year.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is set for release on October 20 exclusively on the PlayStation 5.
Super Mario Bros Wonder
Since the release of Super Mario Bros in 1985, Nintendo has released numerous games featuring the famous Italian plumber.
The character's popularity is at an all-time high this year after the release of an animated film in April.
Nintendo surprised fans during its showcase in June by announcing Super Mario Bros Wonder, a new side-scrolling game that will feature Mario as well as Luigi and Princess Peach.
The gameplay in Wonder looks more dynamic and evolving than any game in the series, with stages that feature morphing shapes that both aid and hinder.
Super Mario Bros Wonder is set for release on October 20 exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Company%20profile
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Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
- UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
- Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
- Oman v Hong Kong, no result
Tuesday fixtures:
- Malaysia v Singapore
- UAE v Oman
- Nepal v Hong Kong
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4