From the Editors: Digital School initiative enhances UAE’s role as incubator of innovation

THE DIGITAL SCHOOL INITIATIVE ENHANCES UAE’S ROLE AS INCUBATOR: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday inaugurated the first operational phase of The Digital School in Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Mauritania and Colombia as part of The Digital School campaign. The Digital School programme aims to train 500 teachers, establish 120 learning centres and provide world-class academic content in Arabic, French and Spanish. In the first year, more than 20,000 students will be enrolled, with the aim to increase the number of students to one million in the next five years. This new initiative is yet another instance of Dubai and the UAE’s commitment to digital learning and expanding the scope of digital education so that its benefits can be made available to maximum number of students – not just in UAE, but well beyond its borders. Whether it is health care, tourism, education or entertainment Dubai has always been a standard-bearer of innovation and cutting-edge technology. The Digital School initiative further strengthens Dubai’s role as a facilitator of holistic growth and learning and an incubator for innovation. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

WINDOW OF OPPURTUNITY FOR CLIMATE ACTION RAPIDLY CLOSING: Is our future at risk? A landmark UN report has warned that we are running out of time if we do not take care of the environment. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that species extinction, ecosystem collapse, insect-borne disease, heatwaves and megastorms are worse due to rising temperatures. Such events will accelerate in the coming decades even if we do our best. ”The cumulative scientific evidence is unequivocal: Climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and planetary health,” the report concluded. Further delays in cutting carbon pollution and preparing for impacts already in the pipeline “will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.” The UN chief Antonio Guterres has called it a “damning indictment” of failed leadership. We must heed these warnings and press towards ambitious climate action. [COMMENT BY: Stephen N R, Senior Associate Editor]

WILL THIS BE A TORRID SUMMER FOR AIRLINES AND TRAVEL DEMAND? Planning to travel this summer? If yes, it could be a whole lot expensive than it has been at any point in recent years. That’s because airlines are facing up to a situation they last encountered back in 2014 – oil at around $100 or over. At a time when travel is just – again – starting to pick up steam after the Omicron pause, the prospect of soaring fuel prices is shaking up the airline industry. Because it will not end there, each ticket issued will bear the cost ascent and travellers need to be prepared for that. Higher airline ticket prices will only be the latest cost addition consumers everywhere will have to plan and pay up for. Inflation is showing more signs of breaking off all shackles, and the higher oil prices are just a part of that. If travel is going to get ultra-expensive and dents demand, then this summer will prove to be a hot and painful one for airlines. [COMMENT BY: Manoj Nair, Business Editor]

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: CAN HE DO ONE BETTER THAN KAFELNIKOV, SAFIN? Daniil Medvedev of Russia, on Monday, became the toast of the tennis world when he ended the hegemony of the ‘Big Four’ on the men’s No.1 spot since 2004. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray had been ruling the roost in turns – with the Serbian holding on to for a record period of 361 weeks. The onus is now on Medvedev, the talented but implosive player to extend his run as the two Russian men to take the top spot before him - Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin – were there for six and nine weeks, respectively. Let’s see how the 2022 plans out for Medvedev.[COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Ask Bollywood naysayers: Days after ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ pushed ahead with its worldwide release despite a court petition placing a hurdle over its title, Akshay Kumar’s ‘Prithviraj’ to was subjected to similar roadblocks in the lead up to its rollout. A petition filed by an NGO in the Delhi High Court claimed the current title of the film is an affront to the Hindu king who reigned over India in the 12th century. The case was effectively thrown out by the court, which further threatened to impose costs on the petitioner, who promptly withdrew the case. This isn’t the first time the Yash Raj Films productions has faced flak over the name. At what point do these actions stop being about preserving history and fall down the slippery slope of harassment? A movie, which on a large part takes fictional liberties, surely has some leeway in projecting a story without being pushed into a corner over it? [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]