The Dubai-based Baseball United announced a star-studded lineup of the league’s first-ever Player Draft.
They named 80 players, with twenty picks for each of the league’s four founding franchises – Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, and the league’s two UAE-based franchises, the Wolves and Falcons.
The inaugural draft was dominated by former Major League Baseball (MLB) players, with 91 per cent of the first four rounds, and 45 per cent of the overall draft selections, having played at the MLB level.
The draft included former New York Yankees stars Robinson Cano and Didi Gregorius – both drafted by the Wolves – and three-time World Series champion Pablo Sandoval, drafted by the Falcons.
Four-time MLB All-Star Bartolo Colon and four-time Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons were also among the top picks.
Of the 80 players drafted, 56 were originally drafted by MLB teams, with others playing in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB), the Mexican League (LMB), the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM), and other high-level international leagues.
Texas native Karan Patel was drafted first overall, by the Mumbai Cobras. Patel was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB Draft, making him the first player of Indian descent drafted to MLB. His father is from Mumbai.
“Each milestone is important when you’re building something from nothing,” said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO, and majority owner of Baseball United.
“The draft is our biggest thus far. Putting players on teams makes everything much more real for everyone involved. We now have 80 high-calibre, professional baseball players to help build the foundation of this league. “There’s a lot of diversity in this group, from age and experience to skillset and nationality.
“We have All-Stars, former top draft picks, and a mix of veterans and younger guys to help carry the game across the world. I’m very happy for all our players, and very grateful to John Miedreich, Eddie Diaz, and our entire baseball operations team for bringing this group together.”
Baseball United’s drafted players come from 25 countries, including 36 from the United States, eight from the Dominican Republic, four from Curacao, and three each from Canada, Italy, and Venezuela.
Forty-four of the drafted players will team with six prospects from the Indian subcontinent and GCC region to compete in Baseball United’s All-Star Showcase next month in Dubai.
The Showcase will feature two teams playing a two-game series on November 24 and 25 at Dubai International Stadium.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
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
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
