From the Editors: Work permits for UAE Golden Visa holders in private sector a sign of the times

Work permits for UAE Golden Visa holders in private sector a sign of the times: The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has started issuing work permits to holders of Golden Visas in the private sector. The Golden Visas are special residency permits granted to certain categories of expatriates that allow continuous residency in the country for five or ten years. First Golden Visas and now work permits for such visa holders are steps that are bound to make the UAE an even more attractive destination for highly-skilled professionals, meritorious students and investors. With its cutting-edge infrastructure, state-of-the-art medical facilities, stunning shopping and tourism locations, the UAE has always been a favourite destination among people the world over and these work permits will go a long way in making the global community feel further encouraged to live and work in one of the most happening countries in the world. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

Teenage wildcard Raducanu causes shock at Wimbledon: What an incredible moment it was for 18-year-old Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon yesterday. The British wildcard had only just finished her A-Levels two months ago, but she beat former French Open finalist and world number 41 Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets to book her spot in the third round. Ranked 338th in the world and making her Grand Slam debut, Raducanu - who beat Russia's Vitalia Diatchenko in the first round - won the match 6-2 6-4 and will face Sorana Cirstea next. She pocketed £115,000 from the tournament so far - almost four times her career earnings to date. "Just to be able to be at the championships, I feel like I'm on a holiday," she said. Clearly enjoying herself and with very little pressure or expectations, it will be interesting to see how far she can go. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

Onus on Kabul government as US withdrawal gathers steam: American forces are leaving Afghanistan. The latest to move out are the troops stationed at the strategic Baghram airbase, which has served as the HQ for some of the most sensitive and controversial US offensives. It was the epicentre of US power in Afghanistan. The fact that it has been vacated could mean the removal of the remaining forces is just a matter of time. Which brings us to the Afghan government. The early signs are not encouraging. Government forces are losing ground almost daily to Taliban insurgents; dozens of districts have fallen. Reports suggest even the Taliban are surprised at the pace of their advance. Kabul really needs to get its act together. [COMMENT BY: Omar Sharrif, International Editor]

Progress is being made: A slew of new film industry professionals including Steven Yeun, Nathan Lane, Issa Rae, Robert Pattinson, Janet Jackson, Leslie Odom Jr and Laverne Cox have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The organisation said that of the 395 people invited, 46 per cent are women and 39 per cent from an underrepresented group. Amid calls for greater diversity and better representation, it’s key that major industry players make moves to get out of the dark ages and embrace a bright new world of people from different walks of life. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor, Features]