From the editors: Making work from home more efficient

WORKING FROM HOME WARRANTS CODE OF CONDUCT: Working from home has its pluses and minuses. For those who are conscientious, it perhaps makes no difference. But for the shirkers, there couldn’t have been a better time as remote working becomes the norm at several offices amid the pandemic. There are many things that are squeezed in between the calls for record and Zoom appearances – from household chores and workouts to even quick catch-ups with friends and family. While companies grapple with the situation, the need of the hour is a new set of ethics and code of conduct. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor)

A CHRISTMAS GIFT? Will it be a Christmas gift to mankind? Pfizer and BioNTech hope to secure the necessary authorisation for the COVID-19 vaccine after results showed it had a 95 per cent success rate. The news comes as US coronavirus deaths passed a quarter of a million people and New York announced the closure of schools to battle a rise in infections. But in Europe, there are protests against coronavirus-related restrictions. The success of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines augurs well in the fight against the global pandemic. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: We all know about the evils of social media, but on Wednesday night, the good side of the platform shone through as Ecuador defender Pervis Estupinan found his lost passport after fans responded to an internet appeal. Estupinan faced missing his match for Villarreal against Real Madrid this weekend after he lost his travel documents on Tuesday, the day he scored a goal in Ecuador’s 6-1 win over Colombia in Quito. Maybe - just maybe - there is hope for social media after a Twitter appeal helped him locate the passport and make his flight to Spain. If only there were more happy-ending stories to outweigh the hatred. [COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

THE VIRUS WAITS FOR THE CRACKS IN VIGILANCE. COVID-19 fatigue is setting in for us all, causing some to go on holiday, others to pay little heed to measures such as social distancing. But no one is immune to a global pandemic. Not even the stars. As Salman Khan becomes the latest actor to head into isolation as his staff test positive, it’s a grim reminder to us all – the precautions are there for a reason and must be followed to the letter. After all, just because you ignore it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. [COMMENT BY: Karishma Nandkeolyar, Assistant Online Editor]