From the Editors: Breast cancer awareness - better safe than sorry

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY: We all know it’s October and the breast cancer awareness month is well underway. But just how aware are we? To every woman out there, young and old, have the questions that need to be asked been addressed? The required screenings done? If not, it’s time to sit up. There is no room for complacence or fatigue as they can cost us dear. Cliched as it may sound, there’s no denying that it is better to be safe than sorry. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

NOTHING CAN BE RULED OUT IN GLOBAL POLITICS: After fighting against the Taliban for 20 years, America has had what it described as "candid and professional" talks with the Taliban, who stunned the world in August this year by returning to power. The talks centred on humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and US concerns about security and terror, following the Daesh bombing in Kunduz on Friday that left 50 people dead. Pointedly, the Taliban refused US involvement in the fight against Daesh inside the country. But can the Taliban defeat the Daesh threat inside Afghanistan on its own? It is too early to predict but since the group's victory and takeover of Kabul, Daesh has launched a string of attacks that have left hundreds dead, including dozens of Taliban members. For Afghanistan, and indeed for the Taliban, Daesh represents a clear and present danger. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

NATIONS LEAGUE: KARIM BENZEMA CELEBRATES A COMEBACK IN STYLE: Karim Benzema waited more than five years to make his France comeback and now with the Nations League in the bag, the Real Madrid striker is in a hurry to win his first major trophy with Les Bleus. Benzema helped France clinch the title on Sunday night with goals in both the semi-final and in Sunday’s final, but unlike his striking partners Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe, he was not in the squad who won the 2018 World Cup. ‘’We are going to enjoy this trophy and then go get the World Cup (next year),’’ Benzema said following France's 2-1 victory over Spain at the San Siro after he netted the equaliser. [COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

REMAKES ARE GETTING REPETITIVE: Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet’s first look as the iconic character Willy Wonka has been revealed, and as interesting as the premise of this new movie might be, we can’t help but wonder if this story needs revisiting in the first place. Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ has been covered twice already in film and the latest movie will focus on the beginnings of the mad-hatter owner of Wonka Chocolate Factory. Dahl’s story will live on forever no matter what, and there are surely opportunities to bring to life new characters and plot lines, or even explore screen adaptations of newer books that deserve the spotlight.[COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]