From the Editors: Hybrid learning offers new possibilities in the UAE

NEW LEARNINGS, NEW POSSIBILITIES: The UAE Ministry of Education’s decision to continue with hybrid learning during the next academic year is a welcome move as many parents still prefer distance education for their children. It is also good that the ministry is developing training sessions in order to help parents and students adapt better to the blended model of learning. COVID-19 has demanded many adjustments in the way we live, study and work, but the upside is that there are many spin-offs from the experience too. The new learnings open the door to a new set of possibilities for the future [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

ATLANTA ATTACK WILL MAKE ASIAN COMMUNITY WORRIED: The killing of eight people at massage parlours in Atlanta has left people sad, angry and fearful. Police have said that the suspect has denied racism as a reason for the attack, but that has done little to calm fears of White supremacy, especially because the victims were Asian-Americans. The reason given for the attack is that the suspect had a sex addiction and wanted to ‘eliminate a temptation.’ Anti-extremism groups have said that hate crimes against Asian Americans have spiked since the beginning of the pandemic and killings like this will only make people more worried. In this case, a counsellor would have helped the suspect, not the gun. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

A NEW-FOUND SPRING IN CHELSEA’S STEPS UNDER TUCHEL: There seems to be a new-found pep in Chelsea’s performance graph as they secured a spot in the Champions League quarters for the first time since 2014 on Wednesday night, but manager Thomas Tuchel says they are not going to stop here. ‘’We deserve this,’’ he said as Moroccan Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri scored in their 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. Chelsea are now unbeaten in last 13 games across all competitions since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as coach in January. [COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

JOLIE-PITT DIVORCE COULD GET MONEY: Court documents have revealed that actress Angelina Jolie has proof of estranged husband Brad Pitt’s abuse. Their minor children might also be testifying in their upcoming divorce trial. The couple share six children – a mix of adopted and biological – and none of this can be easy to deal with as young people. The 2016 controversy between Pitt and son Maddox comes to mind – the FBI investigated the actor after reports of an altercation between him and the then 15-year-old on a private plane. Pitt was eventually cleared, but it seems like the divorce might reopen old wounds. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]