From the Editors: UAE Mars Mission, impossible is possible

UAE MARS MISSION, IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE: February 9 will always be remembered as an historic day when the UAE made impossible possible by becoming the first Arab nation and the fifth in the world to reach Mars. The nation burst into celebrations when an Emirati-made spacecraft marked the Arab world’s entry into global space exploration race. The success of the mission speaks volumes of the bold vision of the UAE leadership for humankind and generations to come. Hope Probe’s arrival on Mars is indeed the greatest celebration of the 50th anniversary of the UAE and sets the tone for the beginning of the next 50-year phase with boundless ambitions and dreams. [COMMENT BY: Ashfaq Ahmed, Senior Assistant Editor]

BEING CLEAR ABOUT PRESENT DANGERS: Was it just an empty threat? Or a statement of intent? The message from Iran’s intelligence minister that his country could eventually be forced to develop a nuclear weapon if the West continues to “push it into a corner” has set alarm bells ringing. And rightly so. Tehran’s nuclear programme is a clear and present danger to the region. President Joe Biden has insisted he won’t remove sanctions or return to the 2015 nuclear deal unless Iran scales back its nuclear programme. One hopes that the minister’s statement was made just to scare the US into returning to the deal. Tehran must realise that it needs to take measures to reassure the international community first, which has valid reservations about its intentions. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

STUDY ON CORONAVIRUS ORIGIN CONTINUES AFTER LAB BEGINNINGS DENIED: So, where exactly did the coronavirus come from? A team of WHO experts are still not sure after spending time in China’s Wuhan looking for the source of the virus. But what they know is that it most likely appeared in humans after jumping from an animal. They are also sure that the virus did not leak from a Chinese lab. The mission is an initial step in the process of understanding the origins of the virus. Although it has come more than a year after the first cases were announced, a beginning has been made and it is important for scientists to continue probing the origins so that mankind is safe in future. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

UNITED SCRAPE THROUGH TO KEEP HOPES ALIVE: Manchester United’s season of restored hope is still alive after they reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for the seventh straight season thanks to Scott McTominay’s extra-time winner over West Ham United on Tuesday. Both sides have been enjoying a renaissance in the English Premier League, but this was far from a cup classic, with United spurning many chances in front of goal and West Ham offering little in attack. “I think we got about 15 to 17 shots in the end but we need to be more clinical,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said. “We should have finished the game off earlier and finished in 90 minutes but sometimes it doesn’t happen.” [COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

BOLLYWOOD BIDS GOODBYE TO ANOTHER KAPOOR: Rajiv Kapoor’s death served another blow to the Bollywood film industry that was still coming to terms with the loss of his older brother, Rishi Kapoor, who died last year after a long battle with cancer. Known by his nickname Chimpu, Rajiv was a member of a Bollywood acting dynasty, with legendary actor- filmmaker Raj Kapoor as his father, the late Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor as his uncles, along with nephew Ranbir Kapoor and nieces Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan joining the profession as well. Rajiv may not have earned the fame that his late father or brother commanded, but his legacy remains intact as a Bollywood veteran who had raw talent but never got his due. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]