Queen Elizabeth’s reign was truly historic and UAE leading from the front to help nations in distress, our editors comment on the top stories of September 9

QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S REIGN WAS TRULY HISTORIC: The world is mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. After more than 70 years of service and a remarkable life, she passed away on Thursday at Balmoral castle in Scotland. As the longest-serving monarch of the United Kingdom, she oversaw a period of profound change throughout her realms and the world at large and proved herself one of the most beloved sovereigns Great Britain has ever known. The Queen commanded widespread respect both at home and abroad. As preparations get underway for her grand funeral, Queen Elizabeth’s legacy will endure. (By Sadiq Shaban, Opinion Editor)

UAE’S RELIEF RESPONSE SHOWS THE WAY. Once again, the UAE has shown its leadership in rushing to help those in distress around the world. Ministries, charities and residents from all walks of life are coming together tomorrow, Saturday, to assemble relief kits for victims of flood victims in Pakistan. The title of this endeavour, ‘We Stand Together’, says it all. Those interested to volunteer can register on volunteers.ae and head to any of the three locations for the event - Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, and Expo Centre Sharjah – at 9am tomorrow. (By Faisal Masudi, Assistant Editor)

VIRAT KOHLI’S BATTING A TREAT TO WATCH: An consequential match between India and Afghanistan was lit up by a stunning innings by Virat Kohli, who brought the stadium alive. The cricket fans were familiar to his style of batting, but that was missing for the last two-plus years. Suddenly, the ace batter found his range of strokes against a highly potent bowling attack, which then looked pedestrian. No offense meant to the bowlers, they are world class, but when Kohli operates in his zone, he stands out, untroubled. Finally, when he scored his maiden Twenty20 International century, 71st overall, it was worth every minute spent. (By A.K.S. SATISH, Sports Editor)

FILM FESTIVALS OFFER UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES: The Toronto International Film Festival has kicked off with a movie based on a true story of Syrian refugee sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini. A large slate of interesting films are set to be screened at the prestigious event, and this variety showcases the diversity of stories that people all over the world experience. The beauty of international film festivals and awards is that they expose audiences to more nuanced and unique pieces of work that they might not find at their local cinema. (By Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features)