From the editors: Bayern Munich is the strongest team in Europe and what Kamala Harris historic nomination means

ARE WE LETTING OUR GUARD DOWN? The UAE health minister’s announcement that the country is seeing a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases should serve as grim reminder to all of us that we cannot afford to become lax when it comes to taking precautions. On Wednesday, the number of new cases shot up to 435, from 365 on Tuesday. The authorities have done all they can to combat the spread of the virus. It is now up to us to do our bit. Surely, washing our hands, wearing a mask and maintaining a distance socially are not big asks.[COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal , UAE Editor]

KAMALA HARRIS ACCEPTS HISTORIC NOMINATION: Personal experiences, the state of the US and the inability of President Donald Trump to give a better life to the American people were the highlights on Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention. Kamala Harris accepted her historic vice-presidential nomination on a day that also saw several senior Democrats express their views about the election. Former President Barack Obama delivered an impassioned speech supporting Joe Biden and urging the nation to come together to oust Trump. But what was clearly missing was the resounding cheers of thousands of supporters packed in a stadium, thanks to the pandemic. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

DUBAI'S SERVICE CHARGES NEED A RETHINK: Property owners, developers and property management companies in Dubai have started to zero in on services charges… but each group has its own take on a situation that is setting off increased tensions. A strong intervention on the part of the real estate authorities would be welcome at a time when a consensus clearly eludes all those involved. The Danube chief and big-time property investor in Dubai, Rizwan Sajan, reckons that retaining service charges at current levels while rents are falling all over the place is clearly not a sustainable set of affairs. His views have clearly resonated well with homeowners.[COMMENT BY: Manoj Nair, Business Editor]

Bayern Munich showed why they are looking like the strongest team in Europe now as Serge Gnabry struck a first-half brace and Robert Lewandowski also scored to sweep Lyon aside in their Champions League semi-final in Lisbon on Wednesday, to set up a tantalising final against Paris St-Germain. The Germans’ dominance once again signalled at a changing of the guard in Europe, with English teams and Spanish duo Real Madrid and Barcelona notably absent from the showpiece. Now only French side PSG stand between them and glory.[COMMENT BY: Matt Smith, Sports Editor]

A star-studded cast for Netflix’s new ‘Pinocchio’ film has been announced. The streaming service announced that newcomer Gregory Mann will assume the title role along with Ewan McGregor as Cricket and David Bradley as Geppetto. Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro will direct the stop-motion animated musical. Other cast members include Oscar winners Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett. Finn Wolfhard, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson and Golden Globe winner Ron Perlman will have roles in the film. ‘Pinocchio’ will be based on Carlo Collodi’s tale. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor - Features]