From the Editors: Rely only on official communication on COVID-19

RELY ONLY ON OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION: The National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority’s reminder to the public to go only by official communication for any information regarding COVID-19 is timely, especially on the eve of EXPO 2020 Dubai. As the authority has rightly pointed out, the spread of rumours can be damaging. Residents and tourists would do well to turn only to reliable sources for all relevant data, whether it is with regard to easing protocols on the pandemic or information on the vaccines. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

IT’S TRUE-AMERICANS ARE FED UP OF FOREIGN WARS: What many suspected, has now been confirmed by one respected survey. A majority of Americans want their country to increase diplomatic engagement and reduce the number of US soldiers stationed abroad. The survey, conducted by Eurasia Group Foundation, found that 58.3 per cent of Americans believe the US should engage more in negotiations. This survey will come as a relief to the Biden White House, and reaffirm the president’s believe that withdrawing from Afghanistan was a move that most Americans support. One of the reasons for this support was the total shambles that America’s ‘nation-building’ project in Afghanistan turned into, and the scandalous collapse of the US funded and trained ‘Afghan National Army’. The era of big-scale US foreign interventions could be coming to an end. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

NO MORE BOXING FOR MANNY PACQUIAO, PHILIPPINES’ GREATEST SPORTING ICON: In what he calls the hardest decision of his life, Philippine boxing legend and 2022 presidential hopeful Manny Pacquiao said on Wednesday that he is hanging up his gloves after a glittering decades-long career in the ring. The eight-division world champion and senator, who has his sights set on a high-stakes rumble to replace President Rodrigo Duterte, said: ‘’It is difficult for me to accept that my time for me as a boxer is over,’’ in a video message on Twitter that quickly went viral. The announcement comes weeks after Pacquiao lost his last professional fight against Cuban Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas. [COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

A ROYAL SENDOFF FOR DANIEL CRAIG’S JAMES BOND: The world premiere of ‘No Time to Die’ was a glittering affair reminiscent of the glory that was seen on the red carpet during those pre-pandemic golden years. British royalty rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s biggest stars with the James Bond film premiere delivering on the promise 18 months after the film was meant to screen in cinemas. The royal foursome, including The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were joined at the Royal Albert Hall by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, in a rare joint appearance looking every bit the celebrities of the night. Even as the world waits to tally the box office collection for ‘No Time To Die’ as it opens globally tomorrow, it can safely be said that lead star Daniel Craig commands enough star power to lure audiences back into cinemas for a sendoff he rightfully deserves. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai Entertainment Editor]