From the Editors: New school term, new determination on the UAE roads

NEW SCHOOL TERM, NEW DETERMINATION ON THE ROADS: Dubai Police is aiming for ‘A Day Without Accidents’ on August 29 (Sunday). Coinciding with the reopening of schools, the campaign takes on an added significance this year. As motorists, we need to be extra cautious to ensure a smooth sail of traffic to and from schools - and elsewhere. This is not an option, but a must – and not just on that one day but every single day. Let the new school terms serve as an opportunity for us to demonstrate a new determination to keep ourselves and others safe on the roads. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

WARNINGS OF DAESH ATTACK ADD TO AFGHAN EVACUATIONS FIASCO: As though the existing problems with the desperate evacuation effort from Kabul airport were not enough, a new menace has now allegedly raised its head. The US and UK have urged people to move away from Kabul airport due to the threat of a terror attack by Daesh, which has in the recent past been in bloody conflict with the Taliban. Western nations are racing to evacuate as many people as possible before the August 31 deadline agreed with the Taliban. The bungled withdrawal of US troops has left in its wake a disastrous situation for Afghan nationals wanting to leave. After next week’s deadline, they will be on their own. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

EXCITING LAST FEW DAYS OF THE TRANSFER WINDOW EXPECTED: As we near the end of the August transfer window, there will likely be a host of big money moves for some of the best players in Europe. And one of those deals could involve Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain. The Spanish giants have made a £137 million bid to sign France forward Kylian Mbappe. The 22-year-old World Cup winner has scored 133 goals in 174 games for PSG and won three Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups. He cost the Ligue 1 side £165.7 million when he arrived back in 2017 from Monaco but his contract expires next year. PSG are keen to recoup most of their outlay on the player who says he wants to leave but Real’s offer falls short of what they deem acceptable. This transfer could well go down to the wire as both clubs, the player and all of the agents involved try to thrash out a deal that suits all parties. It will be very exciting to see what eventually happens and who PSG replace him with. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

MUSIC HAS NO BOUNDARIES; Filipino singer Lesha Liton recently released her new song ‘Sun Moon Rising’ and in an interview with Gulf News opened up about how her album is a collaboration with music producers from all over the world. The budding star also talked about how OPM (Original Pilipino Music) has the potential to gain popularity all over the world. The rise of K-Pop, Latin music, Afro beats and more has shown that understanding the lyrics is only one part of enjoying music — most of us can still relate to even the melody and the beat. If anything, music is breaking barriers and uniting people from all walks of life. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]