Sharjah's Ramadan aid campaign and Should we separate the art from the artist?, our editors comment on the top stories of Feb 26

SHARJAH’S RAMADAN DRIVE A BLESSING FOR THE NEEDY: In line with the spirit of giving that soars to its peak in Ramadan, Sharjah Charitable Society will spearhead a massive Dh125 million aid campaign during the holy month to provide 1 million meals and settle medical bills, tuition fees and other expenses of tens of thousands of people. We can support this community campaign, called ‘Joud’, through official channels – and every bit counts. Another welcome news is the return of Ramadan tents in Sharjah where all are welcome to partake of iftar, the meal taken to end the day’s fast at sunset throughout the special month. [COMMENT BY: Faisal Masudi, Assistant Editor]

SHOULD WE SEPARATE THE ART FROM THE ARTIST?: Will Smith, we are looking at you when we look for answers for this age-old conundrum. Last night, Smith won the NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture for his performance in ‘Emancipation’. It marks his first award win since the infamous 2022 Oscars fiasco when he walked up on stage and slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife’s baldness. His knee-jerk reaction has even resulted in the Oscars committee creating a crisis team for this year to handle such unexpected turns at their awards ceremony. It’s almost been a year, but Will Smith continues to be defined by those few seconds of his life. While violence should never be condoned or accepted, is it time to finally move on? Redemption is never on sale, but here’s hoping Will Smith is slowly being forgiven since he’s incredible at his work. [COMMENT BY: Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor]

GUNNERS NEED TO FIRE IN MORE GOALS: Following wins for leaders Arsenal and second-placed Manchester City last night, the English Premier League title race is shaping up for a fascinating run-in. The two teams are separated by just two points with Pep Guardiola’s troops having played a match more. The Gunners can extend the lead to five if they win their game in hand against Everton in midweek. Mikel Arteta’s side have been playing some scintillating football all season but City have registered more goals. It is not inconceivable that the title could be decided on goal difference and so it is imperative Arsenal find the back of the net more often with just a handful of games remaining. A case in point was last night’s results – Arsenal toiled in their 1-0 win over Leicester while City thrashed Bournemouth 4-1 to further improve their goal difference. If they do fall five points behind but continue to plunder in the goals, they will know all is not lost. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Sports Editor]