UAE
Tigers start training in UAE Monday
Bangladesh took to the training on Monday after reaching the UAE overnight ahead of two warm-up matches against Sri Lanka and Ireland in preparation for T20 World Cup.
The Tigers will take on Sri Lanka on October 12 at Abu Dhabi in the first warm-up match ahead of the T20 World Cup which is set to begin on October 17 in Oman. After that, they will play against Ireland on October 14 at the same venue.
Before these matches, Bangladesh took on Oman A in a practice match at Muscat which they won by 60 runs. Mohammad Naim and Liton Das struck a 50 each in that match.
Also read: Junaid Siddique to play in T10 League
Bangladesh announces 15-member squad for T20 World Cup
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The tournament is slated to take place from October 17 to November 15 in Oman and the UAE.
Along with the 15-member squad, two additional players will tour with the team -- Rubel Hossain and leg-spinner Aminul Islam Biplob.
"We have been doing well in T20Is for a while now. We hope we can do well in the World Cup," Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector of BCB, told the media on Thursday.
Read:Tigers record maiden T20I series win vs New Zealand
Bangladesh are, however, set to miss the services of veteran opener Tamim Iqbal as he had earlier withdrawn from the mega tournament citing lack of preparations.
Minhajul said the team would miss him, but it was his decision. "He is one of our best cricketers in every format,” Minhajul said about Tamim. “But it’s unfortunate that he decided to not play the World Cup. We hope that he will return to the team when he is fit and prepare to play for the Tigers.”
In Tamim's absence, three players are in the fray for Bangladesh’s opening slots -- Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Naim. According to Minhajul, the T20 World Cup came as a big chance for them to prove their mettle.
Bangladesh included Shamim Hossain in the World Cup squad. Shamim was part of Bangladesh’s U-19 team that won the World Cup in 2020.
“He has been part of the national team since the Zimbabwe series. He played well for the Bangladesh U-19 team. We believe the style he follows will help him do well in the T20 format,” Minhajul told the media.
While most of the other teams included at least one leg-spinner in their main squad, Bangladesh added Aminul as a standby player. The chief selector said the spinner was out of the squad for a long time due to illness, and they are not including Aminul in their initial plan. "However, Aminul will be with the team for keeping an eye on the young spinner’s future."
Bangladesh didn’t include the experienced pacer Rubel in the main squad. He will also be a standby player.
Read:Nasum, Mustafiz take four each as NZ tumble for 93
Naim, Liton, Afif, Sohan, Mahedi, Saifuddin, Nasum, Shoriful, and Shamim are going to play their first T20 World Cup.
Bangladesh will start their World Cup campaign with the first-round match against Scotland on October 17, and they will then face off the hosts Oman and Papua New Guinea on October 19 and 21, respectively.
The squad: Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shamim Hossain
Two on standby: Rubel Hossain, Aminul Islam Biplob
British navy group: ‘Potential hijack’ of ship off UAE coast
The British navy warned Tuesday of a “potential hijack” of a ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf of Oman, without elaborating.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations initially warned ships Tuesday that “an incident is currently underway” off the coast of Fujairah. Hours later, they said the incident was a “potential hijack.” They did not elaborate.
The U.S. military’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet and the British Defense Ministry did not immediately return calls for comment. The Emirati government did not immediately acknowledge the incident.
Also read: India to maintain warships in Gulf zone to aid merchant ship
Earlier, four oil tankers announced around the same time via their Automatic Identification System trackers that they were “not under command,” according to MarineTraffic.com. That typically means a vessel has lost power and can no longer steer.
An Oman Royal Air Force Airbus C-295MPA, a maritime patrol aircraft, was flying over the area where the ships were, according to data from FlightRadar24.com.
The event comes just days after a drone struck an oil tanker linked to an Israeli billionaire off the coast of Oman, killing two crew members. The West blamed Iran for the attack, which marked the first known assault to have killed civilians in the yearslong shadow war targeting commercial vessels in the region.
Iran denied playing any role in the incident, though Tehran and its allied militias have used similar “suicide” drones in attacks previously.
Also read: Data recovered as ship with chemicals sinking off Sri Lanka
Israel, the United States and United Kingdom vowed a “collective response” to the attack, without elaborating.
United Arab Emirates Extends Travel Ban for Indians Leaving Expats Stuck Abroad
The United Arab Emirates has extended a suspension for those travelling from India and several other South Asian countries due to COVID-related guidelines.
According to Etihad Airlines, the ban will be in place until July 31st.
However, other airlines have said this is pending government review. The extension does not include UAE citizens, diplomats or those holding the nation's investor visa. Nor does it include fully vaccinated travellers that hold a residency visa and have taken three tests since June 23rd.
Read: UAE widens travel ban leaving many South Asians unable to return to country
However, those who fall outside this bracket and hope to conduct business or travel for leisure to the UAE will have to continue to wait for the restrictions to be lifted. Since April, expats in India have been left in limbo overseas, with many forced to re-evaluate their options. The need to have alternative solutions has become more apparent than ever for those facing limited mobility, not only impacting business but jeopardising family safety.
Since the onset of the pandemic, there has been a spike in demand for second citizenship as a tool that can be leveraged to diversify assets whilst also providing a safety net during times of uncertainty. According to data, there have been as many as 5,000 high net-worth Indians who have left the country since 2020. In conjunction, there has been a sharp incline in interest for Citizenship by Investment (CBI) - a process that confers citizenship to an applicant and additional dependents once an economic contribution is made to a host country.
Read: Dominica Completes $2m Bypass Project to Safeguard Community During Hurricane Season
"As governments become more insular and impose stricter visa controls, the opportunity to travel and do business globally is considerably hampered. So, Citizenship by Investment is a wonderful way to reverse that as it gives the Indian national better access to travel and business opportunities," says Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners is a global investor immigration firm specialising in providing citizenship solutions.
Since 1993, Dominica has welcomed Indian investors, among others, to become citizens of the Caribbean nation. The country's CBI programme offers successful applicants a trusted route to second citizenship with benefits such as increased travel freedom to over 140 destinations, access to top tier educational institutions and alternative business prospects. The programme has also been ranked as the world's best offering for second citizenship by an annual independent study conducted by experts at the Financial Times' PWM.
UAE becomes world’s most vaccinated nation against COVID-19: Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker
The United Arab Emirates leads the world, with enough vaccinations to cover 72.1 percent of its population and has overtaken Seychelles to become the world's most vaccinated nation, according to Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker.
The UAE has so far administered 15.5 million doses, enough to cover 72.1 percent of its population based on a two-dose regimen. The UAE tests more people per capita than most nations and has one of the lowest fatality rates in the world.
In a statement, Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, said that this new global achievement adds to the country’s success and record of achievements in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that it is an international recognition of the success of the National Vaccination Campaign, launched by the UAE, which is continuing to achieve its objectives.
Also read: Europe in vaccination race against COVID-19′s delta variant
"The proactive vision of the country’s leadership enabled us to address the challenges posed by COVID-19. Today, the UAE is the world’s most vaccinated country," he added. He also highlighted the efforts of the national health sector, which is keen to provide diverse types of vaccines to all segments of the community, as well as the community's awareness about the importance of being vaccinated.
Al Owais stressed that the National Vaccination Campaign is continuing in all emirates of the country, along with the adherence to relevant precautionary measures, which represent the foundations of the national efforts aimed at achieving recovery and ensuring the return to normalcy.
Medical teams and front-liners are working as one team, upon the directives of the UAE’s leadership, to achieve recovery from the pandemic, he added, affirming that the UAE is a unique global model of combating the COVID-19 pandemic, and has received widespread international appreciation, underscoring the community’s confidence in the procedures adopted by the UAE Government.
Also read: COVAX calls for equal recognition of all approved vaccines
He also noted the importance of the community’s awareness of, and adherence to, precautionary measures to maintain the gains achieved by the country and protect its members.
Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker is the most up-to-date and comprehensive tally of vaccinations around the globe.
Emirates suspends flights from Bangladesh till July 15
Emirates has suspended flights from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan to Dubai until July 15 following the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government's directives.
Also, passengers who connected through these countries in the last 14 days would not be allowed to travel with the airline from any point to the UAE, it said Saturday.
Also read: COVID-19 vaccine distribution: Emirates joins with UNICEF
However, UAE nationals, holders of UAE Golden Visas and members of diplomatic missions who comply with updated Covid‑19 protocols will be exempt and may be accepted for travel, the Dubai-based UAE flag carrier said.
On July 1, the UAE announced a travel ban on citizens from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Namibia, Zambia, Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Liberia, South Africa and Nigeria.
Also read: Alhammadi new County Manager in Bangladesh for Emirates
"With the start of the travel season, citizens need to comply with all precautionary and preventive measures related to Covid-19," the Foreign Ministry and the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said.
T20 WC shifted to UAE from India
The upcoming T20 World Cup has been shifted to UAE from India, according to a report by ESPNCricinfo.
The world event is scheduled to begin from October 17 with the final being held on November 14.
Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Five Things the Bangladesh Team needs to address
It was originally scheduled to be held in India in October-November this year. But the scale of India's COVID-19 crisis had been fueling speculation for weeks that it would have to be shifted.
"As per the current plan, the first round of the T20 World Cup will be split across two groups and played in the UAE and Oman," read the report.
Read: ICC announces major changes to cricket world cup format
Besides, the remainder of IPL, which was suspended in May, will resume from September 19 in UAE and the T20 World Cup will begin just days after the IPL final.
UAE widens travel ban leaving many South Asians unable to return to country
The United Arab Emirates has widened its travel ban to include Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka effective from May 12. The announcement came after the UAE banned Indians from travelling to the country to curb the spread of the Indian COVID variant.
However, this ban will not include long-term residency holders, such as the Golden Visa, and diplomats. Those that consider the UAE their home base but are not holders of the visa or hold citizenship must find alternative solutions to the restrictions.
Since the UAE banned travellers from India, there has been skyrocketing demand for private jets from wealthy individuals stuck abroad. While there are still charter flights available, they can only hold up to nine travellers and must get approval from the appropriate authorities beforehand, after submitting passenger details.
There is no information for how long the ban will last, leaving many UAE-based companies to shift their short-term hiring plans, sourcing talent locally instead of hubs in South Asia like India.
Over the last year, the pandemic has triggered mass uncertainty across the globe. To combat this, high net-worth individuals and their families have increasingly invested in second citizenship as an insurance policy to protect their future financially and physically.
Citizenship by Investment Programmes, in particular, have become a popular route to achieving this. Under this initiative, wealthy investors can become legal and lifelong citizens within two to three months once making a qualifying investment into either a government fund or buying selected real estate options.
CS Global Partners, a London-headquartered immigration firm specialising in citizenship by investment, has noted an uptick in applications since the start of the pandemic.
"For many wealthy individuals, the pandemic is the first time that they recognise the undeniable need for a Plan B. It's not only a matter of protecting your family's immediate safety but ensuring that your eggs are not all in one basket financially. Second citizenship can provide all of this," says Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners.
St Kitts and Nevis introduced the world's first and, now, the longest-standing CBI Programme in 1984. With nearly four decades of experience, the programme is recognised within the investment migration industry as a "Platinum Standard" brand. Not only is it a trusted product, but it remains to be one of the fastest citizenship programmes globally, as highlighted in the 2020 CBI Index. It also ensures its due diligence framework is robust and multi-tiered, accepting only those of the highest moral character.
Under the Sustainable Growth Fund, investors who choose St Kitts and Nevis can also take advantage of a limited time offer that confers citizenship to a family of four for only $150,000 instead of $195,000.
Source: CS Global Partners
Biman to run additional flights to Dubai Wednesday
Biman Bangladesh Airlines will run two additional flights on the Dhaka-Dubai route on May 12 before the UAE's ban for travellers from Bangladesh comes into effect.
The national flag carrier made the move as the UAE's restrictions for entry of travellers from Bangladesh will come into effect Wednesday, Biman Deputy General Manager (public relations) Tahera Khandaker said Monday.
Also read: Biman to run special flights to 5 countries from Apr 17
"The UAE will bar entry for travellers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka to guard against the spread of Covid-19 infections," the country's National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority said Monday.
"However, flights between the four countries will continue to allow the transport of passengers from the UAE to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka," it said.
UAE provides 50 mts humanitarian food aid to Bangladesh
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has provided 50 metric tonnes of food aid to Bangladesh as a part of its humanitarian initiatives during the holy month of Ramadan.
Fine quality of rice, sugar, oil, milk, tea powder, salt, lentil, beans, flour, macaroni etc are among the food aid items.
Chargé d'affaires at the UAE Embassy in Dhaka Abdulla Ali AlHmoudi officially handed over the aid to the Md. Anisur Rahman, Director, Department of Disaster Management of Bangladesh at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Thursday.
Also Read: Coronavirus: UAE extends amnesty for visa violators till Nov 17
Earlier, a special flight of Etihad Airways carrying the humanitarian food aid landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Chargé d'affaires Abdulla Ali AlHmoudi said the UAE shares historical ties with Bangladesh characterized by friendship and cooperation in various fields.
Also Read: Bangladesh, UAE sign four MoUs on big projects
"The aid has been provided to help address the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, as these circumstances require solidarity and international cooperation, especially during the holy month of Ramadan”.
In April 2020, the UAE sent a plane containing 7 metric tonnes of medical supplies to Bangladesh to support the country in containing the spread of Covid-19, he said.
These supplies benefited more than 7,000 healthcare workers in their efforts to combat the pandemic, the envoy added.