From the Editors: Hats off to the Dubai spirit, hats off to UAE resilience

HATS OFF TO THE DUBAI SPIRIT, HATS OFF TO UAE RESILIENCE: The stellar role played by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in countering the COVID-19 pandemic has come in for wholesome praise from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Right from undertaking a thorough sanitisation drive at a very early stage in the pandemic to making sure that the maximum possible number of the population in Dubai is vaccinated within the shortest possible time, Dubai and the UAE have done everything to instil confidence in residents and visitors about staying safe and fighting the pandemic. Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management made concerted efforts, in coordination with various local and federal agencies, to respond to an extraordinary situation. The success of Dubai’s robust and pragmatic approach to the crisis is now there for everyone to see as Expo 2020 Dubai is just a few weeks away – the first global mega-event to be held since the coronavirus outbreak. Hats off to the Dubai spirit. Hats off to UAE resilience. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

RONALDO'S SECOND MAN UTD DEBUT: It was one of the biggest transfer stories of the summer and now Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will make his second debut for Man Utd tomorrow at Old Trafford with the entire world watching on. They face Newcastle in the English Premier League and to add to the excitement that the Red Devils fans are already feeling the 36-year-old says he is not here “for a vacation”. In his first spell with the club, he scored 118 goals in 292 games and although he will not come anywhere close to repeating that as he approaches 40, there is a feeling that he could fend off the likes of Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku to top the goal scoring charts this season. His £12.8m arrival from Juventus has given Utd a massive boost and they will look to push on domestically and on the European front. “Before was good, winning important things many years ago, but I am here to win again,” he said. He could be the spark Utd have been missing for years. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

LEAVE THE CHILDREN ALONE: Online trolls don’t care about morality or the effects that their actions have on others. They’ve caused severe trauma to adults with their hateful words. But what about when children are trolled from the moment they’re born? Such is the case with Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan’s two sons who have been hated on because of their names. Kapoor Khan has stood up for her kids and said she can’t live under the fear of trolls. Stronger rules need to be put in place to penalise online bullies, especially those who wish harm on innocent children. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor - Features]

RENEWED PUSH TO GET AMERICANS VACCINATED: The US is making a renewed effort to get people vaccinated with President Joe Biden using the full force of his presidency to push two-thirds of workers to be vaccinated against the COVID-19, reaching into the private sector to mandate that all companies with over 100 workers require vaccination or weekly testing. America, after leading the world in COVID-19 deaths under Donald Trump, became a model for how to beat the pandemic. And on July 4, Biden even held a White House barbecue to celebrate US Independence Day and freedom from lockdowns. However, the emergence of the hard-to-stop Delta variant has sent cases back to crisis levels. Just over 53% of Americans are fully vaccinated. The disease has killed more than 654,000 in the US with daily cases hovering around 150,000. American workers, now, will have no choice but to get vaccinated. It’s high time Americans realise the gravity of the situation and act responsibly. [COMMENT BY: Stephen N.R., Senior Asociate Editor]