ABU DHABI’S NIGHT TIME RESTRICTIONS IN EVERYONE’S INTEREST: As the UAE makes rapid progress towards inoculating its entire eligible population against COVID-19, Abu Dhabi has reintroduced the national sterilisation programme. This will run from midnight to 5am every day. This move is necessitated by previous experience of a rise in cases after major public holidays. As the almost week-long Eid Al Adha holidays came to a close on Saturday, there was a distinct possibility of a repeat of that phenomenon. The timely action will result in curbing the number of cases as well as keeping the larger population safe. [COMMENT BY: Somshankar Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Editor]
Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News
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TOO EARLY FOR US TO CELEBRATE COVID-19 VICTORY: Dr Anthony Fauci, the top medical adviser in the US, has warned that the country is moving in the wrong direction, with COVID-19 cases fuelled by unvaccinated Americans. With the Delta variant blamed for rising cases around the world, some countries, including the US, have allowed people to move around without masks under certain conditions. Fauci says mask guidelines could be altered. More than 163 million people, or 49% of the total US population, are fully vaccinated, according to CDC data. But the problem lies with a large part of the remaining population that does not want to be inoculated. This is an 'unnecessary predicament', especially at a time when many countries are struggling to get enough doses to vaccinate their people. It is too early for the US to celebrate its victory over the coronavirus. There is still a long way to go. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]
Image Credit: Reuters
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ADAM PEATY WINS FIRST GOLD FOR GREAT BRITAIN IN TOKYO AND MAKES HISTORY: Adam Peaty didn’t just win the first gold for Great Britain in the 100m breaststroke today at the Tokyo Olympics, the world record holder also wrote his name into the history books. The 26-year-old has become the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title. Incredibly, he has not lost over this distance in over seven years. He won gold in Rio in 2016, and has won this event at the last three World Championships. That’s not all – Peaty has broken the world record five times and is the only man to have ever gone under 57 seconds. He has recorded the 16 fastest times in the event and even though he was expected to win gold today the pressure on him was still immense. “This victory wasn't mine, it was the British team's and my family and friends'. I am just so relieved,” he said. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]
Image Credit: Reuters
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HOLLYWOOD FANS, STOP WITH THE INTOLERANCE: At a time when Hollywood is finally being lauded for promoting diversity in film, it is alarming to see a star like Mindy Kaling being forced to defend herself against social media trolls who are hung up over the colour of her skin. Kaling’s role as Velma Dinkley in the spin-off of ‘Scooby-Doo’ on HBO Max has subjected the talented star to online abuse and being called out for not being ‘white enough’ to play the animated sleuth. Should that even be a thing at a time when the industry and its fans are finally woke enough to look past such biases? As we celebrate films such as ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ for pushing the envelope for diversity, when ‘Black Panther’ has become a cultural phenomenon and where the upcoming ‘Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings’ will create another landmark moment on celluloid, how is that we still have to deal with intolerance that is so unnecessary, and frankly, shameful? [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor, Gulf News]
Image Credit: Los Angeles Times/TNS
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