From the Editors: UAE takes the lead on COVID-19 vaccine

TAKING THE LEAD IN COVID-19 VACCINE DEPLOYMENT: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has shown us the way once again as he took the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. While we are still awaiting the results of the Phase III trials of the vaccine, it has amply been proven already that it is safe and is being administered on an emergency basis to all healthcare workers in the UAE as well as airport staff. We will win this war soon! [COMMENT BY: Somshankar Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Editor]

WORLD BRACES FOR RESULT OF US ELECTIONS: Some countries want him to win, some shudder at that possibility. To put it mildly, the presidency of Donald Trump has been unique, and this election campaign has garnered extreme international attention. The poll is not a faraway occurrence for most nations; governments and peoples worldwide realise it could have a very direct impact on them. Especially in these pandemic-hit times, where the need for countries to work together has never been greater. Whoever wins this election, will have not only the weight of American expectations on his shoulders, but also the world’s hopes. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

CHINA’S NEW GROWTH TARGETS TO RIDE ON ‘DUAL CIRCULATION’: Last week Chinese President Xi Jinping said the economy can double in size by 2035. China’s latest target is similar to the current goal to double its GDP from 2010’s levels by 2020. The country is the world’s second-largest economy, estimated at $14.3 trillion by the World Bank. In response to tensions with Washington, Beijing has also changed the tack. Its new “dual circulation” strategy is a new development approach in which domestic and foreign markets boost each other, with emphasis on consumption. Clearly, trade war and China bashing has not deterred Chinese policy makers from moving their eyes off ambitious growth targets. [COMMENTS BY: BABU Das Augustine, Business Editor]

If you’re on social media at all, you must have seen memes about singer Britney Spears and her Instagram posts. If the public didn’t know about her struggles, they might look like the sometimes awkward and bizarre but otherwise innocuous postings of a middle aged pop star. But fans have taken those posts to assume she’s trapped and in danger. Now, she has told worried fans that she’s fine and happy. Maybe it’s time the public stops speculating and leaves Britney alone once and for all. Let her live her life the way she sees fit. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]