From the Editors: US President Joe Biden has begun his second year in office - looking back and ahead

US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS BEGUN HIS SECOND YEAR IN OFFICE-LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD: It has been a tough first year in which he had to tackle the coronavirus, economy and racial tensions. The persistence of the pandemic, rising inflation and congressional gridlock have taken a toll on Biden's approval rating. But the nearly two hours that Biden spent at a press conference on Wednesday showed that he is not giving up. Instead he will be looking at the coming year with determination to complete what he has started. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

ABU DHABI SCHOOLS RETURNING TO PHYSICAL LEARNING IS VERY GOOD NEWS: Following three weeks of mandatory distance learning, students in Abu Dhabi are now set to return to their school and university campuses in phases, starting from January 24 onwards. The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee for the COVID-19 Pandemic announced that the decision to return to educational institutions, in phases, for in-classroom learning is in line with the directives of the National Crisis, Emergencies and Disaster Management Authority. This decision will definitely serve as a major confidence-boosting measure as students can now look forward to in-classroom studies after several months of remote studies. As Abu Dhabi and the UAE take all necessary steps to ensure a gradual return to normality, in strict adherence with all the prescribed safety measures, it is indeed heartening to see all stakeholders in the academic sector now getting ready for normal classes. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

ALGERIA FAIL TO SHINE AT AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS: Algeria came into the Africa Cup of Nations on the back of a 34-match unbeaten run and much was expected from the defending champions. However, after a poor campaign they found themselves needing to win to stay in the tournament but following a 3-1 loss to Ivory Coast, they have crashed out. They finished at the bottom of Group E. In their last game they were 3-0 down and captain Riayd Mahred missed a penalty. Sofiane Bendebka’s late goal inspired a brief rally but it was not enough as Djamel Belmadi’s team became the third holders to exit at the group stage in the past five Nations Cup finals. As for Ivory Coast, they finish top of the group and will now meet Egypt in the last-16 next week. It should be a mouth-watering clash.[COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

MORE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT NEEDED: Mumbai police have confirmed that Bollywood filmmaker Remo D’Souza’s brother-in-law Jason Watkins took his own life on Thursday, leaving the family in utter grief. Watkins worked as an assistant director with D’Souza. Incidentally, the tragedy came a day before the birth anniversary of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who had committed suicide in June 2020. These instances highlight the importance of easy access to proper mental health services and destigmatisation of illnesses. People need to be able to seek help that can prevent them from taking such an extreme step.[COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]