From the Editors: Great opportunity for book lovers in the UAE

GOOD OPPURTUNITY FOR BOOK LOVERS: Book fairs in the UAE especially in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi are playing a pivotal role to build habit of reading amongst residents especially in children. Indeed, it is an important to cultivate a culture of reading especially at a time of social media onslaught. Pushing children to read books will not only help them gain knowledge but also reduce their screen time. Abu Dhabi Book Fair, opened on Sunday, highlights the importance of having books and cultural resources readily available to students from different age groups. Parents must also encourage children to take advantage of such events as investing in books means investing in minds, the very foundation that any nation’s success is built upon. [COMMENT BY: Ashfaq Ahmed, Senior Assistant Editor]

INDIA GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO FIGHT COVID-19: India's COVID-19 toll has crossed 300,000, after adding 50,000 deaths in just under two weeks. Deaths continue to stay above 4,000 per day although there is a drop in infections in major cities where lockdowns have been imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus. India has administered just over 196 million vaccination jab since mid-January. Many have complained of waiting for the second shot because of a shortage of vaccines. A study by the Indian health ministry recently showed that only 50 per cent of the people wear masks. This is bad news. To tackle the coronavirus, both the government and the people must work hand in hand. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

VERSTAPPEN DOES HIS TALKING ON THE TRACK: We look to be at the dawn of a great new rivalry in Formula One as the young pretender is standing up to the king. Max Verstappen won his maiden Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday and took a thinly-veiled swipe at world champion Lewis Hamilton, telling his title rival: "Actions speak louder than words". The Dutch Red Bull driver coasted to victory from the pole position he inherited from Charles Leclerc when the Ferrari driver was unable to start the race. "First of all, I want to say that actions always speak louder than words. I think that's a good lesson after this weekend," said Verstappen who has now taken over the lead of the world championship from Hamilton. The British star had said on the eve of the race that "perhaps Max feels he has a lot to prove”. Verstappen now has two wins to his name this season and leads the championship by four points from the Mercedes' Hamilton. [COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

BILLBOARD AWARDS SIGNAL A RETURN TO NORMALCY: The Billboard Music Awards, held last night in Los Angeles, was much more than your average celebrity affair. Coming on the heels of a deadly pandemic, the live show – which featured performances by the Jonas Brothers, Alicia Keys, Bad Bunny, Doja Cat, Migos, H.E.R. and more – signals a much-needed return to normalcy after the COVID-19 crisis that brought the world to a standstill. We still may have a long way to go for life to return to pre-2020 living, but if anything, the red carpet to live events has finally been rolled out and we can hardly wait. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]