From the Editors: ‘Dubai Heart Safe City’ a timely initiative

‘DUBAI HEART SAFE CITY’ A TIMELY INITATIVE: A new initiative called ‘Dubai Heart Safe City’, that was launched at Arab Health 2022 on Monday, aims to train people and provide devices to prevent fatalities from heart attacks by addressing the key medical issues during those ‘golden’ four minutes after a cardiac arrest. Dubai Health Authority, in conjunction with Dubai Police and Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, has launched this novel initiative. For a city that sees nearly 1,600 episodes of cardiac arrests annually, the benefits of this initiative are undeniable. Health experts have said this time and again that without proper medical intervention during those ‘golden’ minutes after a heart attack, chances of survival are slim. That is why ‘Dubai Heart Safe City’ is a path-breaking initiative, befitting of the emirate’s stature as a pioneer in health-care facilities and medical infrastructure. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

LEBANON HAS BEEN CAST INTO PATH TO THE UNKNOWN: The departure from the political scene of Lebanon's most powerful Sunni Muslim family has come as a shock to many, especially the Sunni community in the country. Former prime minister Saad Hariri said Monday he and his party would be leaving political life and would not run in the upcoming parliamentary polls. The immediate question is: Who will take on the mantle of representing the Sunni community in the country, given its system of sect-based power-sharing? Besides, what real impact would his departure have on Lebanon's current horrific economic situation? What was Hariri trying to achieve? Was he abandoning a sinking ship, thereby shirking responsibility for the current situation? It also remains to be seen what effect his exit will have on the calculations of the other political barons who have run Lebanon into the ground. There are too many questions but very few answers. Lebanon is well and truly on the path to the unknown. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO FOR DUBAI’S PROJECT-DRIVEN GROWTH: The Uptown Tower is entering the home stretch of its completion, with the date set for the third quarter this year. The most visible aspect of the construction of any super-tall structure – the topping out – has just got complete, adding another towering destination in a city that has got a few of those. What the Uptown Tower – and the wider Uptown Dubai District – signifies is the steady tempo of development that is a key pillar of Dubai’s economic expansion. Each new project heading towards the finish-line can be a catalyst for new ones to take their place in the city. Whether it is new construction or regeneration of existing urban centres, Dubai has used project-driven activity to great effect. In 2022, the same script of creating new and remaking the old still holds good. [COMMENT BY: Manoj Nair, Business Editor]

WATFORD SACK COACH RANIERI AFTER LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS IN CHARGE: Managers these days hardly get any time to work their magic at their respective football clubs and the latest to bite the bullet is Claudio Ranieri. He has been sacked as Watford manager after just 14 games in charge of the English Premier League strugglers. The Italian coach was appointed as the Hornets’ boss less than four months ago but a string poor results has seen the 70-year-old given the boot. He was hired on 4 October but only managed seven points from a possible 42. And when Watford were soundly beaten by fellow relegation strugglers Norwich City 3-0 in their last match, it prompted the former Leicester City and Chelsea manager’s departure. Watford have released a club statement saying a new coach is needed to lift the team out of trouble but whoever takes the reins will find the going very tough at Vicarage Road what with only 18 games remaining of the season. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

IS KARTIK AARYAN THE NEW BAD BOY IN BOLLYWOOD? Kartik Aaryan has found himself at the centre of yet another controversy in Bollywood, with a film producer now accusing him of bad behaviour and threatening to walk out of a project. Producer Manish Shah, who wanted to cash in on the Allu Arjun craze in Bollywood after the success of ‘Pushpa The Rise’, snapped up the rights to dub the Telugu star’s hit film ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’ and give it a theatrical release Hindi this month. However, the producer has now cried foul, saying he’s unable to do so as the makers of ‘Shehzada’, who own the official rights for the Hindi remake, have claimed their lead star Aaryan has threatened to quit their film should this happen. With Rs400 million already spent on ‘Shehzada’, Shah said that he was left with no choice but to scrap his plans. While Aaryan has kept mum over this latest scandal, the drama echoes the controversy that surrounded him when he was ousted from ‘Dostana 2’ last year by Dharma Productions. Should this keep up, then Aaryan may be at risk for earning a bad rep in Bollywood, where personal relationships are everything. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]