From the Editors: Driving dangerously has its consequences

DRIVING DANGEROUSLY HAS ITS CONSEQUENCES: Yet another incident of irresponsible driving came to the fore as footage emerged of a speeding motorist swerving suddenly and crashing into a petrol pump in Sharjah. The blood-curdling video shows it was a miracle that there no fatalities and no fire at the station in the aftermath of the crash. While the driver was arrested and two attendants got off with light injuries, it is time that we reflect on this perpetual issue on the UAE roads. It is ultimately up to us to act responsibly. [COMMENT BY: Somshankar Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Editor]

WORLD NEEDS TO GUARD AGAINST COVID-19 FATIGUE: The United States has surpassed 8 million COVID-19 cases, India is not far behind, and France has introduced a curfew. The surge of infections in many parts of the world is getting worse rather than coming down. But at this most critical of times, a certain ‘virus fatigue’ seems to be setting in among people globally. Many are engaging in risky behaviour out of necessity or in order to ‘reclaim the old life’. This is a dangerous trend, and needs to be nipped in the bud. The global war against this pandemic only has a chance of succeeding if people act responsibly and uphold best practices prescribed by their governments and organisations such as the WHO. [COMMENT BY Omar Shariff, International Editor]

CHEAP MONEY AND BUBBLE RISK: Central banks around the world led by the US Fed have slashed interest rates to historically low levels to fight the COVID-19-related economic contraction through higher liquidity. Now the policy makers are finding that there could be an undesirable side effect for the cheap money prescription in the form of asset bubbles, a situation when the price of assets, such as stocks, bonds, real estate, or commodities, rise rapidly without underlying fundamentals. The hallmark of a bubble is irrational exuberance. If the Fed and other regulators around the world lack tools to prevent companies and households from taking on excessive leverage, the global economy could be headed for a bubble burst and another recession. [COMMENT BY: Babu Das Augustine, Business Editor]

DHAWAN, AB DE VILLIERS LIGHT UP A SUPER SATURDAY IN IPL: If it was the sheer genius of AB de Villiers in the afternoon, it was Shikhar Dhawan riding his luck in the evening as Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals won their respective matches in the IPL double header on Saturday. Delhi clawed back to the top of the table while Bangalore are in third position as the tournament has entered it’s business-end. Dhawan capped a fine run of form with an unbeaten 101, his first century in IPL, to help his team snatch a thrilling five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. (COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana’s comedy ‘Badhaai Ho’ was released two years ago today and the actor used the occasion to talk about breaking taboos through his movies. “I have strongly felt that through cinema, we could tell society to widen its gaze towards important subjects that were not being addressed,” the star said. In the movie, an older couple come to terms with a surprise pregnancy. A light-hearted comedy is indeed a great way to address sensitive topics in India, which is largely a socially conservative place. Cinema can open people’s minds and allow them to view tough subjects in a new light. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]