Summer safety, UAE economy, Sudan fighting and more: Gulf News Editors comment on August 3 trending news

SAFE SUMMER CAMPAIGN: UAE residents have been asked to safeguard their homes before embarking on overseas travels. Abu Dhabi Police, through their ‘Safe Summer’ campaign, have urged residents to adopt preventive measures. The recommended actions include diligently locking all doors, windows, entrances, and exits before leaving. The authorities also advise residents to consider installing surveillance cameras as an additional layer of protection. Regular home maintenance is also key to ensuring the safety and efficiency of electricity and gas systems, mitigating the potential hazards of fires and electrical shorts. These simple steps can significantly enhance the security of homes while residents are away. (Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor)

STRONG GROWTH IN UAE NON-OIL ECONOMY: The UAE non-oil economy remained in expansion mode in July, driven by increased activity levels, higher hiring and input purchases. Despite competitive pressures, companies managed to lower selling prices due to lower input cost inflation and sufficient inventory levels. The S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped slightly from 56.9 in June to 56.0 in July but remained well above the 50.0 no-change mark and the series long-run average. The reading indicated a sharp improvement in the sector’s health, supported by a marked expansion in output. While new business growth moderated, the overall outlook remained positive, with firms expanding their workforce and reporting strong customer demand and job creation. These factors bode well for the UAE’s non-oil economy in the second half of the year. (Nivetha Dayanand, Web Editor)

SUDAN ATROCITIES MUST STOP: Even after several rounds of talks in Jeddah aimed at halting the fighting in Sudan, there seems to be no end in sight to the conflict. Nearly 4,000 people have been killed and 3.5 million displaced in the war that started in April. Now comes a grim report that says the warring parties — the army and paramilitary forces — have committed extensive war crimes, including deliberate killings of civilians and sexual assault. Amnesty International’s 56-page report says civilians were killed and wounded in targeted attacks, and the people are suffering ‘unimaginable horror every single day’. It’s time that the world powers intervened to stop the atrocities in Sudan before the state collapses. (Stephen N.R., Senior Associate Editor)

THE ENDURING SUCCESS OF ‘SUITS’: Few would have predicted the success of the US TV series ‘Suits’ — a legal drama that ran from 2011 to 2019 — on streaming. Better known for casting Meghan Markle, now Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, the show is among the most viewed on Netflix, the Washington Post reports. It has a total viewing time for an acquired series with 3.14 billion minutes of watch time — toppling the previous record holder, ‘Manifest’, which had 2.49 billion viewing minutes. Other shows such as ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘The Office’, too, experienced similar surges in popularity on streaming platforms after their successful TV runs. If confirmation was needed that streaming is vital to the entertainment industry, this is it. (Rajagopalan Venkataraman, Assistant Editor-Features)

KGATLANA BEATS GRIEF AND INJURY TO BECOME SUPERSTAR: A 92nd-minute goal by captain Thembi Kgatlana gave South Africa the crucial win to make history by entering the Women’s World Cup last 16. It was an emotional moment for Kgatlana, who fought grief and injury. Over the last two weeks, the 27-year-old lost three family members and almost decided to return home. Before that, Kgatlana suffered an Achilles tendon injury that threatened her participation in the World Cup. But she braved it all. South Africa is proud of her. (Jai Prasad V Rai, Assistant Editor)