From the Editors: Sharjah’s smart move to tackle drug menace

SHARJAH’S SMART MOVE TO TACKLE DRUG MENACE: The menace of narcotics is a major public health and social issue in the contemporary world. Over the years, countless lives have been lost to this addiction. In this regard, Sharjah Police’s launch of a smartwatch to track an addict’s movements is a noteworthy step. The device will keep note of the person’s vitals and can also trigger an emergency call in case of any signs of overdose. This innovation is surely going to help the addicts overcome their problems, and will go a long way in tackling the menace in the UAE.[COMMENT BY: Somshankar Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Editor]

ENGLAND TO JOIN US IN EASING RESTRICTIONS: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is preparing to lift most restrictions in England on July 19 with a final decision due on July 12. People will learn to live with COVID-19 as they do already with flu, Johnson is expected to say. More than 60% of the adult population of the UK has received two doses of a vaccine. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has said face masks would no longer be mandatory after the final step in lockdown easing. The English are awaiting for freedom and it’s coming soon. In the US, President Joe Biden all but announced an end to the pandemic there, celebrating what he called a “heroic” vaccination campaign on the country’s Independence Day holiday. But the West must do more to ensure poor countries also get enough vaccines. [COMMENT BY: Stephen N R, Senior Associate Editor]

VERSTAPPEN PUTS THE PEDAL TO THE METAL TO GO 32 POINTS CLEAR OF HAMILTON: Following another impressive win yesterday, Max Verstappen is in total control of this year's Formula One championship battle. The Red Bull driver stormed to victory at the Austrian Grand Prix to go 32 points clear of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. It is incredible to think that he was 14 points behind the Mercedes driver just two months ago. But he has won four of the last five races and would have won all five had his tyre not burst at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when he was leading with just five laps to go. There are nine races left and that is a long way to go - but it will take a monumental effort for Hamilton to pull it back. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

CELEBRATING ANOTHER SECRET CELEBRITY WEDDING: Wedding bells have rung for Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton who reportedly tied the knot on July 4th at the country singer’s ranch in Oklahoma. The couple met on ‘The Voice’ in 2015 and were officially dating by the following year. The pandemic has seen so many relationships fall apart, with Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez calling it quits earlier this year along with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, that it’s about time we celebrate the union of to two people in love. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]