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.”

Business

Khorfakkan’s new resort features private beach, pools and mountain views

Published

8 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Set against the backdrop of Khorfakkan’s mountains and coastline, His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on Thursday inaugurated the new Khorfakkan Resort, a Dh700 million waterfront development designed to elevate tourism and lifestyle living on Sharjah’s east coast.

🔹فيديو ا حاكم الشارقة يفتتح منتجع خورفكان بتكلفة 700 مليون درهم #وام https://t.co/NBzu2XzT9p pic.twitter.com/Ylo3NiVx7c
— وكالة أنباء الإمارات (@wamnews) May 7, 2026

Stretching along Khorfakkan beach, the resort brings together 573 residential units, from one-bedroom apartments to spacious four-bedroom homes, many overlooking sweeping views of the sea, mountains, beach and city skyline.

Developed by Asas Real Estate, the project spans 330,000 square feet, with a built-up area reaching 1.4 million square feet, adding another landmark destination to the emirate’s growing hospitality and tourism portfolio.

What the resort features:

16 retail outlets
A private beach
Outdoor swimming pools
Elevated green spaces covering 100,000 square feet
Gym and sports facilities
Integrated hotel-style services

The luxury property is located close to Khorfakkan Amphitheatre and the city’s waterfall attraction, adding to its appeal for residents and visitors.

Officials said the project is expected to support Khorfakkan’s growing tourism sector while creating new investment opportunities through freehold ownership options.

Announcements

Emiratisation targets 2026: What UAE private firms need to know

Published

8 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Michael Gomes

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The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has confirmed that June 30, 2026, is the final deadline for private sector companies with 50 or more employees to meet Emiratisation targets for the first half of the year.

Under current rules, companies must achieve a 1% increase in Emiratisation for skilled jobs by the end of June, with another 1% increase required in the second half of 2026.

Starting July 1, firms that fail to meet the required targets will face financial penalties.

The ministry urged companies not to wait until the last minute and encouraged employers to use the Nafis platform to connect with Emirati jobseekers across multiple sectors and specialisations.

Officials said more than 50 days remain before the deadline, giving companies time to speed up hiring plans and improve compliance.

Fake Emiratisation practices

The ministry also warned against fake Emiratisation practices, saying advanced monitoring systems powered by artificial intelligence are being used to detect violations and attempts to manipulate targets.

Companies found violating Emiratisation regulations could face penalties, downgrading of their classification status and legal action.

Compliant companies may benefit from incentives under the Nafis programme, including discounts on ministry service fees and priority within government procurement systems.

Business

UAE launches new strategy to reduce reliance on imports

Published

9 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Michael Gomes

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The UAE has launched Make it in the Emirates 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen local manufacturing, improve supply chain resilience and expand the country’s advanced industrial sector.

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said the platform reflects the UAE’s vision for a “more resilient and sustainable national industrial model”, with continued investment in industry, artificial intelligence and technology.

In a message shared on X, Sheikh Mohamed said the UAE will continue to build strategic partnerships and strengthen local capabilities to boost global competitiveness.

The initiative comes as the UAE pushes to reduce dependence on global supply chains amid ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

Officials said more than 150 strategic commodities have already been studied, with alternative sourcing plans identified to maintain supply during global disruptions.

A key goal of Make it in the Emirates 2026 is to encourage more local production inside the UAE while attracting industrial investment and advanced manufacturing technologies.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also attended the event in Abu Dhabi, highlighting the growing role of UAE-made products and Emirati talent in shaping the country’s industrial future.

The event has brought together around 1,200 exhibitors across 12 key sectors, including aerospace, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals, mobility and sustainable materials.