From the Editors: Rare surgery reflects UAE’s commitment to cutting-edge medical care

A RARE FIRST BY DOCTORS IN UAE: UAE became the first country in the Arab world when a team of 20 medical professionals at Dubai’s Latifa Hospital recently conducted a successful surgery on a 25-week-old foetus weighing only 700gm to rectify a rare condition in the spinal cord that could have had life-threatening implications. That this was an extremely complicated and risky procedure can be easily understood from the fact that since 1995, there have been only 250 such procedures conducted in the entire world. This surgery bears testimony to Dubai and the UAE’s commitment to cutting-edge medical care for lives around the world – and even those yet to be born! [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

BUSY TRANSITION PERIOD FOR BIDEN: US President-designate Joe Biden will be in the White House only on January 20, 2021, but over the next two months his transition team will be busy. With more than 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day, public health officials have warned that the nation is entering the worst stretch yet for coronavirus as winter sets in and the holiday season approaches. So far, the US has recorded more than 9.8 million infections and more than 237,000 deaths from COVID-19. In his first major decision, Biden has set up a coronavirus working group that will be rolled out on Monday, tasked with taking the virus proposals released during the campaign and turning them into a blueprint to be enacted after inauguration. The transition period will see more such decisions giving us an idea of what lies ahead. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

MARCUS STOINIS IS A GAMECHANGER: The Australian blazed away to give the Delhi Capitals their best start in IPL 2020 and returned to claim three wickets that broke the back of the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The 17-run win puts Delhi in their first final, bringing them within a sniffing distance of their maiden title. [COMMENT BY: Shyam Krishna, Senior Associate Editor]

Dubai Design Week 2020 makes it grand return today, the first major cultural event in the region since the pandemic hit. The festival will feature numerous exhibitions, pop-ups and outdoor installations at d3 alongside new virtual elements. The event has been on everyone’s social calendar in past years, whether you’re an art lover or someone who just wants to see something new and interesting. This year won’t be any different, and due to the current circumstances, it might be ever more poignant than ever before. Witnessing the art, design and creativity can be an inspiration for many.[COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]