From the Editors: World Government Summit Dialogues happening at a crucial time

WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT DIALOGUES HAPPENING AT A CRUCIAL TIME: The World Government Summit Dialogues, organised by the World Government Summit and to be held virtually between March 9 and 10, is a fantastic opportunity for thought leaders and experts from around the world to express their views and share their concerns about the global community in these challenging times. Launching the dialogues, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler Dubai, underscored the importance of global cooperation and promoting the spirit of open dialogue to design future directions and trends. The UAE as a nation has always been an epitome of open dialogue and a patroniser of global cooperation and friendship. Right from exploring possibilities of decentralising finance to expanding the global vaccination programme, these dialogues will serve as a harbinger of hope and confidence among the world community. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

AS US MULLS EXIT, AFGHANISTAN MUST GET ITS ACT TOGETHER: America wants to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by May 1, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has conveyed this to President Ashraf Ghani, asking him to speed up peace talks with the Taliban. Blinken said he will ask the UN to convene foreign ministers of Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, and the US “to discuss a unified approach to supporting peace in Afghanistan”. Often in the past, the Afghan government’s response to the intense Taliban insurgency has left a lot to be desired. As these withdrawal moves gather pace, the onus is increasingly on Kabul to get its act together and step up to its security responsibilities. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

THE FIRST STEP BACK TO NORMALITY: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that the reopening of England’s schools to all pupils from today is the first step back towards normality. It is, but we cannot afford to let our guard drop. The reopening of schools has been made possible thanks to the efforts of the public who have followed all of the restrictions which have brought COVID-19 infection rates down. Parents will be breathing a huge sigh of relief as they will no longer need to juggle their work while watching their kids’ education but studies prove children’s health, development and education is negatively impacted when schools are closed. Indeed, it has been a severely taxing period for all but now comes a little respite. However, the risk of any of us catching the virus when we leave the house is still there and so it is mandatory that masks are worn, social distance is maintained and when the opportunity to be vaccinated is presented, we take it.[COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

LIVERPOOL ARE NOT JUST LOSING, THEY’RE AT A LOSS: There’s a difference between losing and being at a loss. Losing is defeat, but being at a loss is not knowing what to say or do. Liverpool exhibited dire symptoms of the latter on Sunday evening, as they squandered another three points at home to relegation-threatened Fulham to mark their sixth defeat in a row. The Reds’ lack of conviction on the pitch cost them dearly. Their inability to make quick-fire decisions as a team, particularly in the frazzled final moments of the match, was baffling to watch. To put it simply: they choked. And there’s no room for that sort of hesitation — even the fraction-of-a-minute kind — in a game as unforgiving as football. It’s inconceivable, really, that the reigning league champions are conceding goals to a team that may not even make the cut next season. But we suppose that’s one thing Liverpool and viewers at home will have had in common. They’re at a loss, too. [COMMENT BY: Marwa Hamad, Assistant Editor]

BATTLE NOT OVER YET: On International Women’s Day today, news about Meghan Markle’s struggles with suicidal thoughts and personal battles amid a row with the British monarchy is gaining steam. Her interview to Oprah Winfrey, alongside husband Prince Harry, is as candid as it can get and showcases the sexism that many women – especially women of colour - still face, no matter their wealth or popularity. Apart from Meghan, there are probably hundreds of thousands of stories from ordinary women all over the world that might never be heard, and so for them the fight for equality must go on. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]