From the editors: India's rising COVID-19 cases, Dubai's property market rebound and top gun Neymar

CHANGE OF WEATHER: The scorching summer heat has given way to a bit of a breather. A spate of showers has been intermittently sweeping Abu Dhabi and the eastern parts of the UAE over the last couple of days. This has also resulted in bringing temperatures slightly down in the emirates. However, humidity levels have gone up, much to the discomfort of residents. Also, the winds have been blowing up dust storms, affecting road visibility. Motorists need to stay focused and drive carefully over the next few days, as long as this weather pattern persists. [COMMENT BY: Somshankar Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Editor]

MARITIME SECURITY OF PRIME CONCERN IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ: When the Iranian navy boarded and briefly seized a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday it brought back concerns of maritime safety. The ships navigating the waters of the Arabian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz carry one-third of the world’s petrochemical and energy needs. The free movement of those ships is vital. All vessels in the area have been advised to operate with a heightened level of security, but concerns remain as a significant proportion of the global economy depends on the free flow of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.[COMMENT BY: Sara Shurafa, Assistant Online Editor]

INDIA'S RISING COVID-19 CASES CALL FOR MORE VIGILANCE: India’s COVID-19 numbers continue to rise with nearly 67,000 cases and 942 deaths registered in a single day. India is only behind the US, Brazil and Mexico in the overall number of deaths, and now has the third most confirmed cases in the world. With the epicentre moving from cities to the villages, the country’s vast population must continue to take precautions and come together to beat the disease. At the same time, the government must ensure that good medical facilities are available for all, irrespective of where people stay. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

PSG STUN ATLANTA WITH LATE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE COMEBACK: Brazilian superstar Neymer was the hero for Paris- St-Germain as the forward’s all-round man-of-the-match show secured the French side a spot in the Uefa Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 1995. "It was amazing! It's a great night. I'm very happy for the team, for the performance, that we believed until the very end. Everyone deserves congratulations. I had two chances to score but I didn't make the most of them," Neymar told the club’s website.. "But in the second half, I helped to set up the two goals so I'm really happy and pleased. I hope this can spur on our team, and that we can carry on in the competition.” PSG struck two late goals to secure a 2-1 win over Serie A surprise outfit, with Marquinhos and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting both scoring in added time at the end of the 90 minutes. In the semi-final, PSG will face either Atletico Madrid or RB Leipzig on August 19.[COMMENT BY:Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

HUSSAIN SAJWANI SAYS IT AS IT IS: Damac’s Chairman, Hussain Sajwani, gave a measured statement when coming out the company’s first-half results – it could take 12-24 months for the Dubai property market to recover. Sajwani has always had strong opinions, one way or the other, and developers and other industry stakeholders should take note. Statements that talk up prospects of an immediate ‘V-shaped’ recovery should be used with caution – that’s not how markets function. People who think otherwise will only be harming their credibility… the market will recover, and let’s give it the space to do so. Stimulus and relief programmes will eventually fall into place. But let’s not overuse the V-shape [COMMENT BY: Manoj Nair, Business Editor]

AID FOR LEBANON: Canadian rapper The Weeknd has donated $300,000 (Dh1.1 million) to Global Aid for Lebanon following the deadly explosion that rocked the country’s capital Beirut on August 4. His manager, Wassim ‘Sal’ Slaiby, made the announcement of the donation on social media. Slaiby and wife Rima Fakih have been campaigning to raise funds for the country after the tragedy that killed more than 200 people. The Weeknd, real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, has in the recent past made major donations to a number of causes including Black Lives Matter, MusiCares’ COVID-19 relief fund and to front-line hospital workers.[COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto Assistant Editor - Features]