From the Editors: Renewed focus on screening and early detection of breast cancer

CANCER SCREENING AND INSURANCE COVERAGE: With Pink October having just passed and Movember here now, there is a renewed focus on screening and early detection of breast cancer and prostate cancer. While the importance of that cannot be underestimated, it is also worth looking at the need for such screenings to be covered by insurance as part of preventive care. Sadly, most insurance policies do not cover detection tests unless the patient presents with some symptoms. Many of these screenings are expensive and act as a deterrent for people to go in for them as regularly as recommended. To serve their purpose, they must necessarily be covered. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

NIGHTTIME CURFEW WILL EXACERBATE LEBANON’S WOES: A collapsing economy, an unchangeable sectarian political system, endless political corruption and mismangement have been a feature of Lebanese daily life for years. And COVID-19 has added the final nail in the coffin. With cases surging - 80,000 in a country of 5 million - Lebanon is lengthening a nationwide nighttime curfew and placing a number of towns under total lockdown. The priority of any government must be to ensure people’s health and safety; any move to counter this pandemic is to be welcomed. But the government’s utter failure to fix other causes of Lebanon’s decline will ensure the economic price Lebanese pay in this latest lockdown will be brutal. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

US PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDERS IN LAST LAP: It has been a gruelling race for many months. And now in the last stretch, in the last hours, both US President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden are criss-crossing the country hoping to get those last votes which could turn the tide in their favour. Both know that these final hours could help swing the votes from those still sitting on the fence. Remember, the magic figure is 270 electoral college votes. And there are some states that could go either way - Florida, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. This is where the candidates are focussing their last ounce of energy. The fruit of their efforts over the past months will soon be known. [ COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

Intent. There was plenty of it in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ game on Sunday. That aggression translated into a 60-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in Dubai. A victory that may fetch them a place in the last-four of IPL 2020. On the sheer strength of Sunday’s display, Kolkata deserve to qualify. It was a must-win game for both the teams. The losers lose any hope of a playoff berth, while the winners keep alive their chances in the hope that the other aspirants stumble. Kolkata wanted to win more badly than Rajasthan. That intent was evident in their approach. Kolkata played a free-flowing game and once captain Eoin Morgan took charge, Kolkata imposed themselves with Andre Russell muscling in a cameo. [COMMENT BY: Shyam Krishna, Senior Associate Editor]

Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan turns 55 today and his appeal is still stronger than ever. It’s true he hasn’t had a hit movie in a long time, but his fans don’t mind one bit – that is if the annual crowds outside his home Mannat for his birthday are anything to go by. (This year there’ll be no fan fervor though, thanks to COVID-19 and Khan being in Dubai.) Khan’s evergreen global popularity is down to a mix of his rakish charm and nostalgia over his romantic roles of the past. Current hits or not, Khan is still King. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]