From the Editors: Cutting food waste is an individual responsibility

CUTTING FOOD WASTE IS AN INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY: The revelation that Dh6 billion worth of food ends up in landfills in the UAE should serve as an eye-opener for every resident who must strive to do his or her bit not to waste food. No doubt, the authorities have introduced an initiative to drastically cut down wastage, but at the end of the day, it is only individual responsibility and commitment that can make a collective difference. The sooner we realise it, the better off we will be. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor].

DUBAI KEEPS THE IPO WHEELS SHINING BRIGHT WITH TECOM OFFER: Want to check the health of Dubai’s property market? Then, just wait for the response to the IPO from Tecom Group, one of the emirate’s most systemically important master-developers – and landlords. Tecom’s portfolio of 10 business hubs is a combination of the ‘New/digital Economy’ mixed with the more traditional, as represents by Dubai Industrial City and , to an extent, Dubai Science Park. In many ways, Tecom is thus a proxy for all that Dubai represents – a window to the region and beyond, a full-scale ‘smart city’ in the making, and a destination that keeps setting benchmarks for the ease of doing business. Investors who sign up for the Tecom IPO from June 16 will keep some or all of these factors in mind. Plus, the Dh800 million dividend payout sweetener…[COMMENT BY: Manoj Nair, Business Editor]

T20 SERIES: WOULD PANDYA HAVE BEEN A BETTER CHOICE THAN PANT? As the Indian cricket team get down to business against South Africa in the first match of their T20 series later today, the choice of Rishabh Pant as the stand-in captain for an injured KL Rahul seems to have polarised the fans. The dashing wicketkeeper-batter had been the BCCI’s preferred choice as a future captain alright, but that was still the last IPL. No words of praise would be enough for the manner Hardik Pandya grew into a leader’s role with the Gujarat Titans – and many feel it is an opportunity wasted to experiment with him. Pandya has been named the vice-captain alright, and Pant lost no opportunity to say in his press conference that he would be picking the allrounder’s brains. It will be, nonetheless, quite an acid test for Pant against the well-balanced Proteas. [COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

CELEBRITIES SUFFERING FOR THE SAKE OF FASHION: Urvashi Rautela is the latest celebrity who has confessed to enduring ‘pain’ like she had ‘never imagined’ when she wore a designer couture on the IIFA green carpet in Abu Dhabi last weekend. While Rautela looked exquisite in a glittering Michael Cinco gown, the heavy embellishments left her bruised and scarred, while the corset itself left deep indentations on her back and stomach. Her story echoes of another time when Kim Kardashian – who appears to be a veteran at suffering for the sake of beauty – wore that memorable Thierry Mugler dress at the Met Gala in 2019 and struck pose after pose, all through the pain of the tight corset she wore. Her half-sister, Kylie Jenner, has also suffered in the name of fashion, specifically at the 2016 Met Gala where she wore an embellished Balmain couture gown and posted pictures of her bleeding feet and bruised legs hours later. At what point does one draw the line and ask, ‘Is it really worth it?’ While all three celebrities, and countless others before them, probably have similar stories to share, but does this silent suffering also toe the line at setting unreal standards of fashion and beauty? The jury is still out on this one. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]