From the Editors: Will Man City fans accept Cristiano Ronaldo if he signs?

Will Man City fans accept Cristiano Ronaldo if he signs?: English Premier League champions Man City failed to tempt Tottenham into selling them Harry Kane but they are now on the verge of getting someone far better - Cristiano Ronaldo. If this deal goes through – and it seems very likely as the Portuguese forward has said he wants to leave current club Juventus – it would be controversial to say the least. But City coach Pep Guardiola will be a very happy man as his team would dominate on all fronts and they will have their best chance ever to win the Champions League. Ronaldo has a year left on his Juventus contract and the cash-strapped Italians are prepared to sell the five-time Ballon d'Or winner now rather than let him go for nothing in 2022. But will he fit at City having starred for their rivals Man Utd under Sir Alex Ferguson and be accepted by the fans? Surely the answer to that is a resounding yes. Several players have crossed the divide in the past such as Peter Schmeichel, Andy Cole and Michael Owen and City fans will be desperate to see Ronaldo, one of the greatest players of all time, in blue. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

Making weekly PCR tests mandatory for unvaccinated students in UAE a pragmatic step: The decision to make RT-PCR tests mandatory for all unvaccinated school students aged between 12 and 18 years on a weekly basis in order to attend in-classroom learning, as announced by the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority on Thursday, is indeed a very sensible and pragmatic step. Along with this, the decision to allow distance learning option for all age group of students, irrespective of whether they are vaccinated or not, will go a long way in answering whatever doubts there may still remain in our minds as schools all across the country get set to welcome students back to their classrooms. Right from the beginning of this pandemic, UAE’s implementation of the preventive and precautionary measures has been a sound mix of pragmatism and caution. The latest protocol regarding return-to-school safety measures yet again prove that point. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

Controversial move: Kanye West has faced negative comments on social media for inviting rocker Marilyn Manson and rapper DaBaby to his listening party held for upcoming album ‘Donda’. Manson has been accused by multiple women of sexual and mental abuse, while DaBaby has made hateful comments about people with HIV/AIDS. Both these musicians have been ‘cancelled’ due to their alleged transgressions and West’s move to give them a platform at his event seems to absolve these musicians. It might be West making a statement about cancel culture, but it’s disrespectful to those who have been affected by Manson and DaBaby’s actions. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor - Features]