Wellness goes beyond physical fitness and UAE’s preparations for COP28, our editors comment on the top stories of Jan 16

BEYOND PHYSICAL FITNESS: Wellness goes beyond physical fitness and that’s why ‘Abu Dhabi 360’ — the community initiative of Abu Dhabi Sports Council — takes a “whole-person” approach. The campaign’s wider goal is to get the whole community physically active, while also taking care of themselves emotionally and eating right. Residents must use a combination of these three streams — fitness, nutrition, mood — to make wellbeing a priority in their daily lives. (By Faisal Masudi, Assistant Editor)

UAE GEARS UP FOR COP28 AND NET ZERO: Commitments in the billions of dollars are being made as the UAE sets off on a clear pathway towards the COP28 event and the vital targets in the longer journey to Net Zero by 2050. Renewables are getting the attention they need to make their next phase of expansion count, as will the many clean energy initiatives being formulated. All the goal-setting will be matched by real-time investment commitments. This is where COP28 will differ decisively from its peers of the past — words will be met by action. And funds. (By Manoj Nair, Business Editor)

MAMTA MOHANDAS’ LEADS BY EXAMPLE: South Indian actress and cancer survivor Mamta Mohandas took to Facebook to reveal her battle with vitiligo (a disease that causes discoloration in your skin) in the most spirited manner. She posted two unfiltered images of her enjoying the morning sun, imploring it to be kind towards her. The way she broke the news to her army of fans was commendable and reflects her never-say-never attitude. Now, remember she’s cancer survivor who has relapsed three times and bounced back to films and life. (By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor)

NEPAL CRASH — WAIT FOR REPORT BEFORE LAYING BLAME: A day after a Yeti Airlines plane with 72 people crashed in Nepal, officials say chances of finding any survivors are 'nil'. Sunday’s crash near Pokhara is Nepal's worst aviation disaster in 30 years. It is too early to find out the cause of the crash, and commentators will do well to resist the temptation of blaming the airline, the pilots and the aircraft till a preliminary report is out. With the flight data and voice recorders retrieved, the process to find out what went wrong will begin soon. Till then, all help must be given to families of the victims to cope with their grief. (By Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor)