From the Editors: Dubai's diabetes statistics are a cause for concern

Diabetes levels are a cause for concern: In a rather disturbing study released on Friday, the Dubai Health Authority announced that around 30 per cent of the emirate’s population are diabetic or pre-diabetic. The 2019 survey also revealed almost 13 per cent of those aged 25-45 have pre-diabetes. These numbers show how physical inactivity is vastly contributing to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes. It is imperative that we become more responsible to ourselves, by eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis, thus being able to enjoy the quality of life that Dubai offers us. Somshankar Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Editor

RBI attempts another round of heavy lifting: Faced with a collapse in private consumption, investment demand and job losses, the Reserve Bank of India has gone ahead with another attempt to get the short-term growth back on track by keeping interest rates unchanged. But India’s inflation has consistently been higher than the upper end of the target range (2 to 6 per cent) every month except in March. October’s annual retail inflation remained above 7 per cent for a second consecutive month. Clearly, rising inflation could potentially limit the central bank’s ability to implement monetary policy to revive economic growth. In addition, the risk of another wave of infections and the ongoing farmer protests could throw a spanner in the RBI’s work. - Babu Das Augustine, Banking Editor

Saving Tolkien's house: One of the most impactful films to have come out in the recent past has been the ‘Lord of Rings’ series, based on the books by JRR Tolkien. It was pure art, even if you had never read the books. So it’s no surprise that actors Ian McKellen and Martin Freeman have joined a fundraising campaign to buy the Oxford home of Tolkien and turn it into a museum. What is surprising is that there is no such museum already in existence. The late author made an indelible mark on the world and on modern pop culture, so this tribute is a long time coming. - Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor - Features

No room for complacency on COVID-19: As countries gear up for a massive roll out of vaccines to battle the dreaded COVID-19 disease, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel. However, there is no room for complacency. As the WHO has warned, vaccines “do not equal zero COVID”. And the pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down; the US, for instance, saw a record number of coronavirus cases for a second day in a row yesterday. So, while the positive news about vaccines is a major boost in the war on COVID-19, it is no magic solution. The need for taking precautions is as great as it has ever been. - Omar Shariff, International Editor

Fears grow for South Africa v England series: The shadow of coronavirus struck again as England’s tour of South Africa has been thrown into chaos due to a player for the hosts testing positive for COVID-19, meaning the first ODI in Cape Town was postponed. While the ODIs have been scheduled for Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, more tests will need to be conducted for both teams, and fears are growing that more players may return a positive result after the close contact between the players during the T20 on December 1. With it being next to impossible to call up replacements, any more casualties could force a cancellation of the series. - Matt Smith, Sports Editor