From the Editors: Big boost for agriculture in the UAE

BIG BOOST FOR AGRICULTURE IN THE UAE: The UAE President’s visit to the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture on Sunday helped bring to the fore the role of the centre in finding solutions to biosaline agriculture and soil problems. Its modern methods to optimally use water for agriculture and develop agricultural strains capable of adapting under challenging climatic conditions is indeed noteworthy. The ongoing research and development work will no doubt help in stimulating the pace of climate action, and explore new options to enhance food security. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

INCREDIBLE MESSI SCORES FIVE GOALS FOR ARGENTINA: Lionel Messi was in blistering form last night as he scored all five goals for Argentina who thrashed Estonia in a friendly in Spain. The Paris Saint-Germain star now has 86 international goals from 162 matches and has climbed above Ferenc Puskas - who scored 84 goals for Hungary - in the records books. The 34-year-old is now the fourth highest international goal scorer in world football. Leading the way is Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo with 115 goals, Iran’s Ali Daei with 109 and Malaysia’s Mokhtar Dahari with 89. Messi, who will be training with Argentina in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Qatar World Cup, is currently in hot form. In his previous match for his country against Italy he provided two assists as they won the Finalissima 3-0 at Wembley Stadium. But his five-goal blast was extraordinary to say the least. It was the second time in his career he scored five in a match with the first coming in 2012 in Barcelona’s 7-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. If he can keep up this sort of form then Argentina will fancy their chances when the world’s biggest sporting event kicks-off in November. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Sports Editor]

BOLLYWOOD BATTLES COVID- 19 ONCE AGAIN: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Kartik Aaryan and Aditya Roy Kapur are reportedly the latest celebrities from Bollywood battling COVID-19, underscoring the fact that the pandemic is far from over. Aaryan was forced to cancel his performance at the IIFA Awards Abu Dhabi over the weekend after he tested positive, while Kaif was also reportedly set to fly down to cheer for her husband, Vicky Kaushal, who won the award for Best Actor for ‘Sardar Udham’. Khan’s status was seemingly confirmed by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who tweeted concern over his health, while wishing the actor a speedy recovery. This news comes weeks after Akshay Kumar also tested positive a second time and was forced to cancel his trip to the Cannes Film Festival. The Indian state of Maharashtra recorded over 1,000 Covid-19 cases on Saturday, forcing the government to bring back the mandatory mask rule while fearing a fourth wave. Now is clearly not the time to be complacent, but the time to stay safe and well.[COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]