Fresh warning against begging scams in the UAE, ADCB numbers bring cheer, Chelsea’s Lampard on way out, and more, Gulf News Editors comment on the top stories on April 18

WE MUST SWIPE OVER ONLINE BEGGING: Every Ramadan sees attempts to exploit residents’ sympathy and keenness to give charity – and this has spilled into our digital lives now. Police, legal experts and digital media specialists have shared a fresh warning against begging scams doing the round on social media and email. Besides losing money to fraudsters, donors face the risk of fines and jail for transferring money to unknown persons. We must only donate to charities and causes approved by UAE authorities. (By Faisal Masudi, Assistant Editor)

ADCB’S Q1 NUMBERS SPREADS THE CHEER: The first result of the 2023 corporate reporting season is out, and ADCB’s numbers – Q1 profit up 27 per cent – spell out a good deal of hope. As one of the systemically vital financial institutions in the Gulf, ADCB has carried forward the traction the UAE and Gulf banking sector had shown through 2022. Even more so because these have come despite the prevailing higher interest rate regime and concerns that businesses and individuals would pull back on tapping loans and other banking services as inflation bites. If other UAE mega-corps mirror ADCB’s profit patterns, it adds to the level of protection these entities will need through the rest of the year. For now, fingers remain crossed that they will. (By Manoj Nair, Business Editor)

LAMPARD ON WAY OUT AS CHELSEA HOLD NAGELSMANN TALKS: Frank Lampard must be feeling awful right now. Not only has the interim Chelsea coach lost his first three matches in charge of the Blues, it is clear the club has no faith in him as they have held talks with former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann as part of their search for a new manager. Lampard clearly does not figure in their long term plans even though he himself declared he could be made the permanent boss. But, he has made a terrible start in his second stint with Chelsea. He lost his first match away at Wolves in the Premier League, then saw his side soundly beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg before losing at home to Brighton in the league last weekend. He faces Real in the second leg tonight with confidence around the club at an all-time low. Things will get worse for Chelsea before they get better. As for Lampard, this could be his last job in the big time. (By Imran Malik, Assistant Sports Editor)

IT’S SHOWTIME THIS EID IN UAE CINEMAS: Saving the best for Eid is something that UAE movie distributors have excelled at in this region. This year is no different. Over the festive weekend, there’s a glut of movie releases from around the globe. From Hollywood, we have Oscar-nominated Jake Gyllenhaal bring his emotionally-charged war adventure ‘The Covenant’ to the UAE cinemas, while Bollywood superstar and troubled actor Salman Khan will roll out his mammoth Bollywood extravaganza ‘Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ka Jaan’ during this holiday weekend. For the families, it’s hardly slim pickings as ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’, based on the hit video game, takes off at the cinemas. And this is just scratching the surface. The over-the-top platforms are also heaving with new content. But no one’s complaining. There’s something incredibly heartening about watching cinema and series from across the globe. So what if you don’t have the money to travel, these movies and shows have the immense power to transport you mentally around the globe. So keep it coming. (By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor)