From the Editors: Dubai’s wheel of pride

DUBAI’S WHEEL OF PRIDE: The opening of the much-awaited Ain Dubai, the world’s tallest and largest observation wheel, on October 21 adds yet another feather in the cap of Dubai. At nearly twice the height of the London Eye, this new attraction will certainly be a huge hit with residents and visitors alike as it can take them up to a height of 250 metres, from where they can soak in the magnificent skyline of Dubai. It is a matter of great pride for every Dubai resident that the city keeps pushing the envelope to offer something more, something better all the time. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

ALGERIA-MOROCCO RIFT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL: In a move that took many by surprise, Algeria suddenly cut diplomatic ties with Morocco. A litany of causes were listed as reasons for the severing of relations, but the rift is alarming, and could have implications for broader security in the Sahel region, especially in the fight against Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. Both Algeria and Morocco are major Arab states, and regional powers in their own right. And, at a time when Tunisia is facing political uncertainty and Libya is still unstable, this new development doesn’t bode well for Arab unity. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

GRIM TIMES FOR PALACE AND VIEIRA: All the talk has been of Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta being the first Premier League manager to get the chop this season, but there is someone waiting in the wings to take the unwanted title. Patrick Vieira and Crystal Palace are looking like a complete shambles. Vieira’s winless start as Palace manager extended to three games as the Eagles suffered a 1-0 defeat at Watford in the League Cup second round on Tuesday. Vieira replaced the popular Roy Hodgson as Palace boss in the close-season, but the former Arsenal and France star has yet to click as a coach. Palace were beaten 3-0 at Chelsea in their Premier League opener before being held to a dour 0-0 draw by minnows Brentford on Saturday. No goals, no points and out of a tournament already, it won’t get any easier for Vieira and it looks like Arteta has company in the unwanted waiting room.[COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

MUSIC’S MESSY RELEASES: Rapper Megan Thee Stallion has collaborated with BTS for a remix of the K-Pop artists’ track ‘Butter’. However, it almost didn’t see the light of day because of an issue with Stallion’s record label 1501 Certified Entertainment, who were attempting to prevent its release because they didn’t feel the song would be good for her image. In the middle of all these contractual issues, the artist suffers the most as they aren’t allowed to exercise their creativity and do the thing they joined the music industry for in the first place.[COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]