News

Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo to headline Season 2 of US Masters T10

Published

2 years ago

September 12, 2024

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The much-awaited second season of the US Masters T10 is coming up soon. But before that, the franchises have had their say and picked their squads, with the eventual goal of first winning the trophy, and also entertaining the crowds in North America.

Like the inaugural edition, the season promises plenty of riveting contests and of course, the big hits as cricket’s fastest and most entertaining format takes centre stage. The likes of Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina, Shoaib Malik, Mishab-ul-Haq, James Neesham, Angelo Perera, and Aaron Finch, among others will battle it out for the top prize. With 60 spots up for grabs in the tournament, more than 500 cricketers registered for the Player Draft for Season 2 of the US Masters T10.

The California Bolts came into the Player Draft with James Neesham (New Zealand: Icon), Lliam Plunkett (England: Platinum Grade), Colin de Grandhomme (New Zealand: Global Superstar), Shehan Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), Bipul Sharma (India) and Lahiru Milantha (USA) already signed up. They went onto add Munaf Patel (India), Martin Guptill (New Zealand), Manpreet Gony (India), Samiullah Shinwari (Afghanistan), Jon-Russ Jaggesar (West Indies), Devendra Bishoo (West Indies), Chris Benjamin (South Africa), Mayank Tehlan (India), Hussain Talat (Pakistan), Kesrick Williams (West Indies) and Dhammika Prasad (Sri Lanka).

The Detroit Falcons roped in Thisara Perera (Sri Lanka: Icon), Abdur Razzak (Pakistan: Platinum Grade), Aaron Finch (Australia: Global Superstar), Dawid Malan (England), Rayad Emrit (West Indies), and Angelo Perera (Sri Lanka) as their direct signings. At the Player Draft, they signed on Denesh Ramdin (West Indies), Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh), Seekkuge Prasanna (Sri Lanka), Chaturanga De Silva (Sri Lanka), Ariful Haque (Bangladesh), Lewis McManus (England), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Syed Rasel (Bangladesh), and Enamul Haque Jr (Bangladesh).

The Chicago Players brought in Parthiv Patel (India: Icon), Isuru Udana (Sri Lanka: Platinum Grade), Suresh Raina (India: Global Superstar), Gurkeerat Singh Mann (India), Anureet Singh (India), Kennar Lewis (West Indies) as their pre-draft singings. The team went ahead and brought in Pawan Negi (India), Kevin O Brien (Scotland), Ishwar Pandey (India), Jesse Ryder (New Zealand), William Perkins (West Indies), Shubham Ranjane (India), Jesal Kariya (India), Abhimanyu Mithun (India), Shapoor Zadran (Afghanistan) and Al-Amin Hossain (Bangladesh) to complete their squad.

The New York Warriors named Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan: Icon), Shaun Marsh (Australia: Platinum Grade), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies: Global Superstar), Kamran Akmal (Pakistan), Sohail Khan (Pakistan), and Umaid Asif (Pakistan) in their squad ahead of the draft. The Warriors bolstered the set-up with the additions of Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan), Richard Gleeson (England), Ben Dunk (England), Sohail Tanvir (Pakistan), Hassan Khan (Pakistan), Manoj Tiwary (India), Unmukt Chand (USA), Chris Wood (England), Sean Dickson (South Africa) and Imran Tahir (South Africa).

The Atlanta Riders announced Nurul Hasan Sohan (Bangladesh: Icon), Ravi Bopara (England: Platinum Grade), Shoaib Malik (Pakistan: Global Superstar), Samit Patel (England), Mohammad Irfan (Pakistan), and Hammad Azam (Pakistan) as their direct signings. At the draft, they picked Ricardo Powell (West Indies), Kevon Cooper (West Indies), Kamrul Islam Rabbi (Bangladesh), Arafat Sunny (Bangladesh), Benny Howell (England), Elias Sunny (Bangladesh), Hamilton Masakadza (Zimbabwe), Rajdeep Darbar (India), and Amila Aponso (Sri Lanka).

The Morrisville Unity camp signed on Harbhajan Singh (India: Icon), Chadwick Walton (West Indies: Platinum Grade), Ashley Nurse (West Indies: Global Superstar), Obus Pienaar (South Africa), Saurabh Tiwary (India), and Shannon Gabriel (West Indies) to begin with. Then, at the draft they added the likes of Rumman Raees (Pakistan), Anwar Ali (Pakistan), Upul Tharanga (Sri Lanka), Chandrapaul Hemraj (West Indies), Mukhtar Ahmed (Pakistan), Jasakran Malhotra (USA), Navin Stewart (West Indies), Carmi Le Roux (South Africa), Yogesh Nagar (India), Jonathan Carter (West Indies) and Rajat Bhatia (India).

Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, T Ten Global Sports Founder and Chairman, said, “Cricket in US has been growing rapidly, and we want to be a part of this special journey. The ICC T20 World Cup this year made a significant impact in the region, and we want to build on that momentum and carry it forward. With Season 2 of the US Masters, we aim to provide fans with more memorable contests and help accelerate the growth of cricket in a non-traditional market like USA.”

Crime

Dubai sets up new committee to tackle misinformation and fake news

Published

9 hours ago

August 3, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Dubai is setting up a new committee to combat misinformation and fake news while strengthening clear, transparent communication about the emirate’s achievements.

The move follows a directive from Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council.

The new Dubai Media Narrative Committee will be chaired by Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council.

The committee will shape Dubai’s official media narrative, define key communication priorities for government and private sector entities, and recommend policies and strategies to the Dubai Media Council for approval and implementation.

Sheikh Ahmed said a strong and credible media narrative has become an essential part of Dubai’s development journey, adding that the emirate’s creative and intellectual talent provides a solid foundation for telling Dubai’s story in line with the leadership’s vision.

The initiative aims to ensure accurate communication, counter false information and reinforce public confidence through a unified and transparent approach.

Food

Abu Dhabi to ban junk food from supermarket checkouts and entrances

Published

3 days ago

July 31, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Shoppers in Abu Dhabi will soon see fewer chocolates, crisps, sugary drinks and other unhealthy snacks at supermarket entrances, checkout counters and other high-visibility locations under a new policy aimed at encouraging healthier eating habits.

From January 1, 2027, supermarkets larger than 4,000 square feet and online grocery platforms will no longer be allowed to prominently display food and drinks classified as high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) under the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre’s SEHHI nutrition classification system.

The initiative, led by Healthy Living in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Registration Authority (ADRA) and supported by several government entities, is designed to make healthier choices easier without restricting what people can buy.

Under the new rules, HFSS products cannot be displayed at store entrances, end-of-aisle promotions or checkout areas. Online retailers must also remove these products from homepage promotions, search recommendations, pop-up advertisements and checkout pages.

Authorities stressed that the products are not being banned. They will remain available in their usual aisles, allowing shoppers to purchase them while reducing impulse buying driven by prominent placement.

Officials said the policy is based on behavioural science and international best practices to create shopping environments that naturally encourage healthier decisions.

Retailers across Abu Dhabi are preparing for the changes ahead of the mandatory deadline, with some stores already implementing the new placement standards across their stores in the emirate.

The initiative forms part of Abu Dhabi’s wider preventive health strategy, which focuses on reducing lifestyle-related diseases by embedding healthier choices into everyday life.

Announcements

August fuel rates announced: UAE petrol prices go up

Published

3 days ago

July 31, 2026

Michael Gomes

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UAE motorists will pay more at the pump from Saturday after the UAE Fuel Price Committee announced higher petrol and diesel prices for August 2026.

The revised rates, which take effect from August 1, are:

Super 98: Dh3.60 per litre (up from Dh3.40)
Special 95: Dh3.49 per litre (up from Dh3.29)
E-Plus 91: Dh3.41 per litre (up from Dh3.21)
Diesel: Dh3.80 per litre (up from Dh3.60)

The increase reverses July’s price reduction and comes after volatility in global oil markets during the past month.

The UAE Fuel Price Committee reviews retail fuel prices at the end of each month, with rates determined in line with movements in international oil markets.

The new prices will remain in effect throughout August 2026.