From the Editors: Emirati Lunar Mission is yet another giant leap for UAE

EMIRATI LUNAR MISSION IS YET ANOTHER GIANT LEAP FOR UAE: Emirati Lunar Mission is yet another giant leap for the UAE after it became the first Arab country to send its astronaut to space and its Mars Mission. On Wednesday, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, MBRSC, revealed that the UAE-made lunar rover ‘Rashid’ is ready to go to moon in a few months. A great news indeed. The historic project will further expand the UAE’s contribution to the space sector and enable the people to harness their knowledge and skills to serve their country and humanity. The mission will push the UAE’s aspirations to the next level and set the stage for a new scientific era in the history of the country. [COMMENT BY: Ashfaq Ahmed, Senior Assistant Editor]

DIRE PREDICTIONS DIDN’T PLAY POST-FED HIKE: The Fed announced its rate hike, at 0.75 per cent, and promised more of the same. Instead of getting into a tizzy, global markets and investors took the announcement with the right dose of equanimity. Sure, there has been weakening of key currencies against the dollar. But nothing that smacks of outright panic or reflecting investor concerns of a deep drive into a bear market. Now, the question is will the Fed be able to get a degree of control over pesky inflation without managing to to tip the US economy – and much of the rest of the world – into a recession? At least for today, investors are skewing towards positive outcomes… [COMMENT BY: Manoj Nair, Business Editor]

ENTER PANDYA AS INDIA CAPTIAN: A NOD FOR HIS IPL LEADERSHIP: The appointment of Hardik Pandya as the captain of Indian team for the two-match Twenty20 series against Ireland later this month is certainly a recognition of sorts of the leadership qualities he showed during the IPL 2022. While opinions were polarized if the national selectors missed a trick by not experimenting with him ahead of Rishabh Pant in the ongoing T20 series against the Proteas, this is a plan which they may have had up their sleeves. While Rohit Sharma, now 35 and the official captain for all formats often struggling with fitness issues, a leadership vaccum may be in store soon – hence it’s a comforting thought that there are enough options after K.L. Rahul for the future. [COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

‘LAGAAN’ THE MUSICAL? WHY NOT… Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Lagaan’ continues its stride into history with reports coming in that the Oscar-nominated film will now feature as a musical to be staged at London’s West End theatre district. The 2001 blockbuster film, which was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, marked its 21-year anniversary yesterday, with the latest news reports reaffirming that a good story will always find an audience. ‘Lagaan’s extension into a musical will not be a first for a Bollywood film, with Aditya Chopra announcing last year that his hit film ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ is readying itself for a Broadway debut. Let’s hope more such stories find a second calling in their afterlife. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]