From the Editors: UAE leads the world in COVID-19 vaccination drive

UAE LEADS THE WORLD ON COVID-19 VACCINATION DRIVE: The UAE is leading the world in the COVID-19 vaccination drive as it has administered more than five million doses, reporting a distribution rate of 50.61 doses per 100 people - highest in the world. Crossing five million mark adds to the UAE's record of accomplishments and comes as part of the country's keenness to provide vaccines to all members of society. The rapid rollout of the vaccines is a testimony to the success of the National Vaccination Programme to help curb the disease. All UAE residents must receive vaccination jabs on their turn to help the government stem the tide of COVID-19 pandemic effectively. [COMMENT BY: Ashfaq Ahmed, Senior Assistant Editor]

60% OF SYRIANS DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT: With the political and security situation in their country reaching the abyss, more Syrians are slipping deeper into hunger, poverty and food insecurity than ever before. An unbelievable 12.4 million people in Syria don’t have enough to eat. That is 60% of the current population of the country. Let that sink in. This year, food prices in Syria have been 33 times higher than the five-year pre-war average, according to the World Food Programme. The ruinous 10-year conflict has brought terrible death, destruction and deprivation to Syrians. In the past, the regime has not shied away from even using food as a weapon of war. A decade on, ordinary Syrians continue to pay the price of war in every sphere of existence. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

USMAN THE MAN TO WATCH IN UFC: Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman looks as if he is well on his way to being the next long-time, dominant UFC title-holder. The Nigerian who fights out of Colorado shook off an early flash knock-down by Brazilian challenger Gilbert Burns on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 258 in Las Vegas before roaring back and dominating the rest of the way. [COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

CELEBRATE ROMANCE THIS VALENTINS’S DAY: As the world celebrates the day of love, Bollywood is gearing up for yet another wedding as Dia Mirza is set to tie the knot with Vaibhav Rekhi on February 15, mere weeks after Varun Dhawan married his childhood sweetheart Natasha Dalal. At a time when the Valentine’s Day celebrations remain low-key on account of a pandemic, a little bit of good news is just what we need to sprinkle that bit of cheer. And if your day remains as dark and grey, much like Dubai’s weather today, then grab your Valentine and hunker down with some romantic classics on your favourite streaming platform. We nominate ’10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘Serendipity’, streaming on Netflix and StarzPlay, respectively. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]