From the Editors: UAE price freeze during Ramadan a laudable move

UAE PRICE FREEZE DURING RAMADAN A LAUDABLE MOVE: With Ramadan round the corner, the UAE authorities have put an end to unscrupulous trading as the Ministry of Economy has announced a complete freeze on price hikes of commodities during the Holy Month. This measure will surely help consumers in the country as some traders seek to take undue advantage of the increased demand. With the government also assuring that sufficient stocks will be available, there will be no scope as well for hoarding as the authorities have announced regular inspections. Thus UAE shoppers can breathe easy without fearing undue price hikes.[COMMENT BY: Somshankar Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Editor]

ONUS ON PEOPLE TO STOP SPREAD OF COVID-19: India’s daily COVID-19 cases has hit a record high, in fact it is the highest since the start of the pandemic. This is also the first time that cases are crossing 100,000. The vaccination drive in the country is picking up and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked states to take stringent measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Some states have even been deemed those of “grave concern.” The fact is that the new wave of COVID-19 around the world is a reality and unless the people take necessary precautions it will continue to spread. With election campaigning in five states in full swing in India, the onus is on the people to take care of themselves and others. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

ENGLAND TO TRIAL VACCINE PASSPORTS: With the government trying to figure out how to reopen the economy and host mass events safely, England will trial its controversial vaccine passport at a comedy club, a nightclub and FA Cup matches at Wembley stadium in the coming weeks. It sees these COVID-19 ID cards as ideal for the short term. That maybe so, but this has the potential to do more harm than good. It may be divisive and would possibly create an underclass of people who are not vaccinated – some due to medical reasons. A vaccine passport might be discriminatory and counterproductive. As England starts to get the virus properly under control, a vaccine passport feels like it may take us in the wrong directions. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

TROUBLES IN LA LIGA: On a day dominated by Valencia saying they felt threatened into resuming their interrupted game after an alleged racial insult, Atletico Madrid risk seeing their once-comfortable La Liga lead cut to a point after losing to Sevilla. Valencia stopped playing at Cadiz and walked off the field after defender Mouctar Diakhaby said he was insulted by Cadiz’s Juan Cala. Sevilla beat Atletico 1-0, opening the door for Barcelona to inch closer to the top with a win at home against relegation-threatened Valladolid on Monday. At Cadiz, Cala denied any wrongdoing and was defended by teammates. The game resumed after more than 20 minutes. Valencia said their players felt threatened after the referee told them about the potential consequences of not returning to the field — which would be the likely loss of points. They said the decision to return was made after a request to do so by Diakhaby. [COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

AFTER THE SAG AWARDS, THE OSCAR RACE IS THROWN WIDE OPEN: The Screen Actors Guild Awards, which concluded last night, serves as a precursor to the Academy Awards that will be held on April 25. If history serves us well, previous winners at the SAG Awards have gone on to take home the Oscar and this year may not be so different. Late actor Chadwick Boseman, who was awarded the Best Actor trophy for ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ almost appears a shoo-in for the Oscar this year, but the Best Actress race looks a little more interesting. Viola Davis may have won the SAG Award for Best Actress ‘Ma Rainey’, but the more conservative Academy could turn towards Frances McDormand and her dramatic turn in ‘Nomadland’. Carey Mulligan’s ‘Promising Young Woman’ is also a hot contender. While ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ took home the SAG for Best Film, the Oscar race still has ‘Mank’ and ‘Minari’ as strong candidates. In a few weeks the world will know how things might shake out, until then, we can enjoy the guessing game. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]