From the Editors: COVID-19 vaccine jab in the UAE for tourists a good step

COVID-19 VACCINE FOR TOURISTS IN UAE: Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) has announced that tourists to Abu Dhabi will now be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine. However, they must have visit visas issued by the Abu Dhabi authorities, or a visa-on-arrival stamped at any Abu Dhabi entry point. This is indeed great news not only for tourists who want to be vaccinated against COVID-19 but also for the tourism industry in the country. The vaccine rollout to visitors follows a widespread vaccination campaign in Abu Dhabi. The vaccination campaign in the UAE has been very successful, as more than 14,631,482 doses have been given so far, with a rate of vaccine distribution of 147.94 doses per 100 people. [COMMENT BY: Ashfaq Ahmed, Senior Assistant Editor]

IRAQ’S SHIITE MILITIAS ARE A STATE WITHIN A STATE: The Popular Mobilisation Units - or Hasd Al Shaabi - are a conglomeration of pro-Iran Shiite militias in Iraq that now dominate the Iraqi state. After the war against Daesh, in which the PMUs played a major role, they were integrated into the Iraqi armed forces, as a sort of auxiliary force. In fact, they have also penetrated the mainstream security apparatus in Iraq - the police, the border guards, the army - with their agents at all levels. In other words, the militias are a law unto themselves, answerable only to their handlers in Tehran. And the election of ultra-conservative politician Ebrahim Raisi in Iran will come as a further boost to the Iraqi militias. All this does not bode well for Iraq, which finds itself getting pulled inextricably into Iran’s embrace. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

AFTER COVID-19, COULD THE NEXT BIG KILLER BE HEATWAVES? That sounds improbable. But UN’s climate science advisers have warned just that, painting a bleak picture for the future of our warming planet: Widespread disease, unliveable heat, species extinction and coastal cities swallowed up by rising oceans. The report says prolonged warming on Earth beyond even the most ambitious target of 1.5 degrees Celsius could lead to “irreversible consequences”. And the impact could hit sooner than once feared: Many will be felt by children born today before they turn 30. The searing, unrelenting heat scorches large swathes of the Earth, killing millions who have no means to escape. All countries and all sectors of society must act now. It may not be too late to avoid or limit some of the worst effects of climate change. [COMMENT BY: Stephen N R, Senior Associate Editor]

JAPAN IS GEARING UP FOR OLYMPIC GOLF: And the man of the moment is leading the way. Spaniard Jon Rahm’s thrilling victory at last weekend’s US Open vaulted him past American Justin Thomas and into the top spot in the final Olympic Golf Rankings. There will be a strong American contingent as they rounded out the top five with Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau expected to represent Team USA this summer in Tokyo. World No. 2 Dustin Johnson declined to compete in the men’s tournament, which will be held from July 29 to August 1 at the Kasumigaseki Country Club, clearing the way for DeChambeau to take the fourth US spot. No other country has more than two qualifiers in the 60-player field. Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, Norway’s Viktor Hovland, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Great Britain’s Paul Casey and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer are all heading to Tokyo. Rahm’s countryman and Dubai resident Adri Arnaus completes the Spain team [COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

SO WHAT IF SNOW WHITE IS PLAYED BY A PERSON OF COLOUR? In a win for representation, Disney has named Rachel Zegler as its new princess who will play Snow White in the studio’s upcoming live-action remake of the children’s fairytale. With the news, Zegler, who is half Colombian and half Polish, has also found herself at the centre of a social media storm for not having ‘skin as white as snow’ to play the titular character with ‘conviction’. While the young actress responded to the criticism in a now deleted tweet, the argument raging on social media also serves as a window into the racial bias that very much exists in the world today. The 20-year-old, who will make her Hollywood debut with Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ later this year, is at the cusp of realising her dreams of showbiz. Let’s give her the break she deserves while removing those glasses of colour that still blind the many. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai Entertainment Editor]