From the Editors: Will Lebanon finally get a new government?

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO STOP COVID-19 SPREAD: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to plague our lives, a certain degree of fatigue is generally being observed as people are dropping their guard to prevent the spread of the virus. To act against this trend, Dubai Municipality on Sunday announced that it has fined and closed 25 food establishments within 45 days from the beginning of September to mid-October due to noncompliance with the precautionary measures. It is critical that we remain vigilant against the virus till a vaccine is available for everyone. We are all responsible for each other’s safety. [COMMENT BY: Somshankar Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Editor]

WHEN WILL LEBANON GET A GOVERNMENT? Will Lebanon finally get a new administration? The talks to form a new government have been repeatedly delayed, plunging the country into total paralysis. To no one’s surprise, Saad Hariri hoped to make a comeback. But the two main Christian parties, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and Lebanese Forces, said this week they would not back his nomination. Consultations to find a new premier, due to be held last Thursday, were ‘postponed’ by President Michel Aoun after he received requests from some parliamentary blocs. These obstructions are only making a terrible situation in Lebanon totally unbearable. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

HOPE AMIDST DESPAIR: As COVID-19 cases rise again in some countries, targeted measures are being used to contain the spread of the coronavirus, especially in Europe and the US. Travel is limited in some parts of the world, hotspots are being contained and at the same time scientists are warning that cases could rise in the winter months. On the other hand, while some countries are still trying to grapple with COVID-19, China has reported that its economy grew 4.9% between July and September, compared to the same quarter last year. Tight lockdown measures to control the virus combined with government stimulus appears to have worked well. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

A Super Over in cricket is like a tie-breaker in football. So what happens when the game goes into the second Super Over? It’s like sudden death in football, where you keep going until there’s a winner. That’s what happened in the IPL on Sunday. Kings XI Punjab picked up full points against the Mumbai Indians, after prevailing in the second Super Over. The Super Over isn’t part of the game. The match ended in a tie. That in itself is exhilarating. More so since Mumbai’s batting first stumbled against some steady bowling from Punjab, who followed it up with a riveting chase against a classy attack. It was indeed a giant-slaying act. [COMMENT BY: Shyam Krishna, Senior Associate Editor]

Bollywood actor Saqib Saleem has come up with an interesting way to deal with people on social media who harass him; he wants to hold an online meeting with them. Recently, the ‘Race 3’ actor invited trolls to join him for a virtual conversation. To outsiders, this might seem quite funny. It’s probably Saleem’s way of finding the humour in a terrible situation. But the reality is much grimmer. Online trolls are getting more brutal, more organised and more influential. It’s unlikely many of them would engage in civilised conversation with their ‘victims’, because it would defeat their purpose of spreading chaos and hate.[COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]