From the Editors: Destination Hatta is the latest tourist hotspot in the UAE

DESTINATION HATTA: Yesterday’s announcement of a masterplan to develop Hatta into a tourist hotspot is very welcome as the picturesque place lends itself to a great getaway. That a tourist beach, a new lake, advanced transportation systems for the mountain slopes and the longest mountain walk have been envisioned as part for the plan, in addition to hotel facilities holds so much promise and excitement. It must be said that the UAE keeps outdoing itself when it comes to the new offerings that it provides to both its residents and visitors. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

TOUGH MEASURES NEEDED IN EASTER EUROPE: As India achieved the milestone of one billion vaccine jabs last week, the situation in eastern Europe was not so heartening. Coronavirus cases in eastern Europe will soon surpass 20 million as the region grapples with its worst outbreak since the pandemic started. The reasons for this are many – chief among them being that countries in the region have the lowest vaccination rates in Europe, with less than half the population having received a single dose. Three of the top five countries reporting the most deaths in the world are in eastern Europe - Russia, Ukraine and Romania. Social gatherings indoors after curbs were lifted are also driving the rise in COVID-19 cases. The world cannot afford more shutdowns and cases going out of hand. Countries must accelerate the vaccination programme and impose necessary measures to keep the pandemic in check. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

ENGLAND MAKE FLYING START IN T20 WORLD CUP: T20 World Cup favourites England made a superb start to the tournament after bowling current champions West Indies out for just 55 and winning by 6 wickets last night at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The current top form team in T20 humiliated the defending champs to seal the win with more than 10 overs remaining. It was the type of performance that captain Eoin Morgan would have been dreaming of. With his star players all shining – particularly Adil Rashid who took an incredible 4-2 along with Moeen Ali and Tymal Mills claiming 2-17 – the skipper said after the game that it was “as good as it gets”. It sure was a statement of intent, but England will need to continue the good form if they are to reach the final just as they did last in 2016. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

COLD HARD TRUTH ABOUT THE ALEC BALDWIN SHOOTING INCIDENT: Pieces of what went down on that fateful day of the Alec Baldwin shooting are finally coming together, with the court affidavit stating that Assistant Director Dave Halls was the man who handed the gun to the Hollywood actor during a rehearsal, calling out “cold gun”, the industry code to indicate the weapon had a blank charge. The court document further states that Halls was unaware the gun was actually loaded before Baldwin fired. It still remains unclear who is ultimately responsible for the prop gun that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. But for a senseless tragedy to occur despite so many industry checks is hard to fathom for all. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]