Dubai Municipality wins kudos, and Qatar eying buyouts of English Premier League clubs, our editors comment on the top stories of Jan 10

WELL DONE, DUBAI MUNICIPALITY: The swiftness with which Dubai Municipality responded to a public alert about a tree uprooted during the rains deserves praise. No sooner was a picture and video of the uprooted tree uploaded by a tourist on Twitter than the authorities swung into action to save the tree. After identifying its exact location in Al Nahda, Dubai Municipality managed to reinstate the tree within a short period of time and even posted an image of the replanted tree for all to see. The branches of the tree had also been duly pruned. Kudos to the civic body – and the tourist who brought the issue to its attention. (By Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor).

QATAR EYEING BUYOUTS OF ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS: Several top English Premier League clubs are being eyed by Qatar over a possible purchase. Qatar has been buoyed from hosting the FIFA World Cup and now the Middle East country is planning a sensational swoop of either Manchester United, Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur. Qatar Sports Investments chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi has already held talks with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy. QSI is also considering a takeover in The Red Devils or the Reds. QSI wants to at least one investment in the EPL after hosting a successful World Cup having spent over $200 billion in the past decade redeveloping the infrastructure to host the tournament. (By Imran Malik, Assistant Sports Editor)

KATE WINSLET SHOWS US HOW IT’S DONE LIKE A SUPERSTAR: Interviewing celebrities and public figures who often live in their insular worlds can be a daunting task. For instance, no years of work experience as an entertainment journalist can equip you to deal with mercurial stars like Salman Khan or Katrina Kaif. They often revel in making a journalist assigned to cover them uncomfortable. Kaif, for instance, is notorious for being a glacial glamazon who refuses to even look up from her phone if you greet her. Salman is no better as he shows his utter lack of interest to being interviewed. But Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet is cut from a different cloth. A short video clip of her making an inexperienced journalist feel comfortable has won my heart. In my sixteen years of journalism, I have had the fortune and misfortune of meeting some true-blue, tantrum-prone divas and dudes. But Kate Winslet has reminded us that humility can go a long way in capturing our hearts. Here’s hoping that more stars are inspired by how Kate made someone feel at home. She didn’t have to be nice, but she chose to be good and that young journalist will always be her fans. We are in her corner too. (By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor)