How UAE residents are saving lives in the future, and Biden faces a rough road, our editors comment on the top stories of Jan 14

HOW UAE RESIDENTS ARE SAVING LIVES IN THE FUTURE: In less than three months, 10,000 residents in the UAE have come forward to register as organ or tissue donors – that’s more than 100 people a day, on average. The figure is testament to the strength of the community spirit we find in this country. It shows individuals are keen be the means to save lives, even after they have left this world. A single donor has the potential of saving the lives of eight individuals who are in desperate need of organ transplants. Abu Dhabi officials have once again led by example, becoming the first to register as donors during a recent campaign for Hayat, the National Programme for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation. [COMMENT BY: Faisal Masudi, Assistant Editor]

BIDEN FACES A ROUGH ROAD: US President Joe Biden will deliver his annual State of the Union address to the US Congress on February 7, venturing into the House of Representatives chamber following its takeover by Republicans. The announcement came a day after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate Biden’s handling of classified documents. Everything was going right for Biden as he opened the year. His approval ratings were ticking up. As Democrats united behind his likely reelection campaign, Republicans were at war with themselves after a disappointing midterm season. But on Thursday, Biden’s political outlook veered into more uncertain territory. The new political landscape will make it more difficult for Biden to secure bipartisan deals on legislation that he likely will call for in his speech. [COMMENT BY: N. R. Stephen, Senior Associate Editor]

FIFA STARTS DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST MESSI'S ARGENTINA: FIFA has announced that Argentina will be facing disciplinary proceedings for “offensive behavior” and “fair play violations” committed during the final in Qatar. The World Cup winners, who were superbly led by talisman Lionel Messi during the tournament, have also been cited for potential “misconduct of players and officials”. The Argentine FA have also been charged with breaching media and marketing regulations. It is not clear which players have been charged with committing offences but Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez raised eyebrows when he made a lewd gesture with his goalkeeper of the tournament trophy after the match. An investigation will be carried out and Argentina’s players and coaches will be able to respond to the charges. Argentina won the tournament for the first time since 1986 after beating France on penalties and if they are charged by FIFA it would leave a sour taste. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Sports Editor]