From the Editors: UAE President’s address reinforces deep faith in his leadership

HISTORIC ADDRESS BY UAE PRESIDENT: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s address to the nation on Wednesday was historic. In his first public speech after taking over, he reassured citizens that their empowerment would remain top priority, even as he appreciated the “valued role” of expatriates in building the UAE. Every point that he touched upon, whether it was the protection of the sovereignty and security of the nation or the factoring of people’s comfort and happiness in all future plans, was not only reassuring, but also reinforced everyone’s deep faith in his exemplary vision and leadership. (By Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor).

TIME TO MOVE ON FOR SRI LANKA: The people of Sri Lanka have spoken — through their actions and words. And they have been heard. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the country after saying he will resign. It is now time for the country to move on and put a new team in place to sort out the problems. Negotiations for aid will need to be done quickly so that the people do not suffer more. It will not be easy but the task will need the cooperation of all the people of the country. The faster the country gets back on its feet, the better it will be for the people. (By Shyam A. Krishna, Senior Associate Editor)

DID GLOBAL STOCKS DODGE A BULLET? The bad news from the US just kept on coming — inflation at 9.1 per cent, the Fed even thinking about a 1 per cent hike later this month in another attempt at taming inflation, the Dow dropping past 500 points. It was felt these three dynamics would trigger a global selloff of stocks and investors rushing to buy dollar-linked anything. Those fears spiked and dipped within hours, and the Dow managed to bring losses for the day to just over 200 points. In the end, investors and markets were shaken, but not stirred. Can UAE stock markets retain their resilience against all the global headwinds? Oil at $100 and strong set of results for Q2-22 can help (Manoj Nair, Business Editor)

INDIA AND THE ODI SERIES: Riding high on an exceptional 10-wicket win at The Oval in the first ODI, Rohit Sharma & Co will be keen to seal the series in the second of their three-game series this evening. The match at the Lord's gives India a sense of occasion as only yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of their Natwest Trophy triumph over England, made even more memorable by the then captain Sourav Ganguly's twirling of shirt from the Lord's balcony. However, England is too strong a white-ball outfit to be dismissed at low totals every day — unless Jasprit Bumrah produces another magical haul. (Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor)

KHLOE KARDASHIAN AND SURROGACY: Mum’s the word for Khloe Kardashian as the reality TV star and entrepreneur is ready to welcome her second child, albeit through a surrogate this time. The child will also be Kardashian’s second with her former partner, NBA star Tristan Thompson, who is also the father to True, their four-year-old daughter. They had been in an on-again, off-again relationship since. Fans are bound to get a ringside view into the surrogacy and the scandal when season two of ‘The Kardashians’ airs. (By Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor)