Micro edits: Caring for nature, Bieber’s illness, Football transfer shocks, Iran nuclear crisis

UAE’S PIONEERING ROLE AS FACILITATOR OF NATURE AND NURTURE : Around midnight on June 1, a hawksbill turtle landed on Sir Bu Nair Island in Sharjah, which features on the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The turtle was one of the many that arrived to nest on the island. Declared a nature reserve by a government decree, Sir Bu Nair Island is one of the most important breeding grounds for the endangered hawksbill turtle and features on the International Union for Conservation of Nature list. This island is a haven for multiple types of birds, animals, turtles, corals and other marine creatures and even holds secrets to curing certain types of diseases. No wonder, Sir Bu Nair Island bears testimony to the UAE’s pioneering role in acting as a facilitator for Nature and nurture in the true sense of the term. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

BIEBER’S ILLNESS HAS FANS WORRIED : Canadian singer Justin Bieber has shocked fans with the revelation that he’s been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which is causing him partial facial paralysis. The 28-year-old singer took to Instagram to share the update and show fans the paralysis. Because of his illness, he has hit pause on his Justice World Tour, which was also scheduled to arrive in Dubai in October. While fans must be upset at the possibility of not seeing Bieber on tour, most will agree that his health and well-being takes priority. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor - Features]

TRANSFER WINDOW TO THROW UP MANY SHOCK MOVES : With the Premier League transfer window officially opening yesterday, all 20 teams can now register new summer signings. July 1 is when most players’ contracts run out at their old clubs and this is when the action will really pick up. The window will shut on 1 September and between now and then there will be many big moves as teams prepare their squads for the new 2022/23 season. The big transfer saga of the summer looks likely to involve Liverpool striker Sadio Mane who has been linked with a move to the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. Bayern need a new forward as their star man Robert Lewandowski wishes to leave with Barcelona keen on the Polish international. There tends to be a snowball effect during the transfer window as when one player moves on another is immediately signed but there will no doubt be several big moves that catch everyone by surprise. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Sports Editor]

IRAN’S ACTIONS DEEPEN NUCLEAR CRISIS : Iran’s actions over the past few weeks have been self-defeating. First, it refused to give the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) satisfactory explanations for traces of uranium found in sites that Iran had failed to declare. This made it inevitable that the agency’s board of governors would vote to censure Iran. Then, Tehran threatened unspecified retaliation if the censure vote went through. In addition to the US, 29 members were in favour of the censure in the 35-member board. As if this was not enough Iran had begun removing IAEA surveillance cameras from nuclear sites. This defiant attitude will only bring more misery to the Iranians who have been bearing the brunt of the sanctions. Iran knows the only outcome of such a path will be a deepening nuclear crisis and further economic and political isolation. So where’s it all headed? Only time will tell. [COMMENT BY: Stephen NR, Senior Associate Editor]