From the Editors: Another breakthrough for UAE in COVID-19 treatment

ANOTHER BREAKTHROUGH FOR UAE: The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention’s approval of the emergency use of a new treatment for COVID-19 has come as yet another breakthrough for the country as it becomes the first in the world to both license and enable immediate use by patients. Just last week, the UAE topped the charts globally for the number of vaccination doses administered per 100 people in the total population. It was also the first country in the world to announce the commencement of the world’s first phase III clinical trials of a COVID-19 inactivated vaccine in June last year. That the new treatment from healthcare major GSK offers the prospect of reducing fatalities by 85 per cent is a welcome and reassuring development. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

IS NETANYAHU ERA IN ISRAELI POLITICS COMING TO AN END? Israel has had four parliamentary elections in two years. Opposition leader Yair Lapid was given four weeks to form a government. The deadline is on Wednesday, but Lapid is close to putting together a coalition. What does this mean for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? Fellow extremist politician Naftali Bennett, whose Yamina party has six key seats in the Knesset, holds all the cards. He is weighing his options, and it expected to make up his mind in the next two days. It is widely accepted that Netanyahu always benefits when there is a flare up with Palestinians - like the recent, devastating Israeli war on Gaza. But now, if Bennett backs Lapid, then it’s game over for Netanyahu, who has had a 12-year run as PM. Losing the premiership will also mean that Netanyahu can be more forcefully prosecuted for alleged corruption. [COMMENT BY Omar Shariff, International Editor]

CITY AND GUARDIOLA’S KRYPTONITE IS CHELSEA AND TUCHEL: Just like Superman has Kryptonite, Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea. Despite their apparent superiority on paper and a much stronger bench, City were once again left humbled by the Blues and their mastermind coach — and this time it really hurt. Chelsea and Tuchel had already out-thought Guardiola’s men on the field twice in the Premier League this season and did it again on Saturday night. A sole strike from Kai Havertz just before half-time denied Guardiola and City the piece of silverware they have coveted the most — the Champions League. Given their roster, pulling power and spending muscle in a vital transfer window, City — laden with silverware over the past 10 years — will surely be back on this stage before long, but this will go down as one that definitely slipped through their fingers.[COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

KIM KARDASHIAN SHOOT: MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHING? The outcry over Kim Kardashian’s photoshoot where the reality TV star is seen wearing earrings featuring the ‘Om’ symbol has sparked a debate that Twitter won’t let die. While one camp is accusing Kardashian of cultural appropriation, another has taken the religious route, accusing her of trivializing a symbol that is sacred to Hindus. A third faction doesn’t seem to understand the fuss considering the symbol is one that if often used in jewellery pieces. Whether or not you agree with any of these arguments, Kardashian appears to have already moved on with her life and perhaps so should we. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]