From the Editors: Dubai Fitness Challenge – get set, go!

DUBAI FITNESS CHALLENGE - GET SET, GO!: Thirty minutes of activity for the next 30 days. The fifth edition of Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) got off amid a lot of fanfare and enthusiasm on Thursday, October 29. With Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council – the brain behind the 30x30 challenge – himself inviting people to participate in DFC, the mood has been set just right for the next 30 days for all Dubai residents and visitors to lace up their running or training shoes and put their best foot forward – literally! The best part about this 30x30 challenge is that in all likelihood, those participating in this annual event will not like to restrict themselves to just 30 days of fitness activities, but stretch it well beyond the duration of the challenge. And that’s the whole idea behind the exercise. So -- get set, go! [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

ALL EYES ON COP26 MEET IN GLASGOW: The deadly heat waves, floods and droughts that are upending the lives of millions of people, from the American West to southern Europe and central China, will likely only get worse as global temperatures continue to rise, More than one world leader says humanity’s future, even survival, hangs in the balance when international officials meet in Scotland starting tomorrow. Ahead of the COP26 meeting, there’s some good news coming from leaders of the 20 richest countries (G20) meeting in Rome, who will pledge to take urgent steps to limit global warming. Six years ago, nearly 200 countries agreed to individualised plans to fight global warming in the historic 2015 Paris climate agreement. Now leaders in Glasgow have to take the next step dictated by that pact: Do more and do it faster. What happens in Glasgow will either steer the world away from the most catastrophic scenarios or send it careening down a dirt road with tight curves and peril at every turn. [COMMENT BY: Stephen N.R., Senior Associate Editor]

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN UNABLE TO PLAY IN ITALY AFTER CARDIAC ARREST: Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark against Finland during Euro 2020 in June, has been told he cannot play in Italy. The Inter Milan midfielder has been temporarily withdrawn by the Italian medical authority from any sporting activity this season. It is said that the current physical condition of the 29-year-old former Tottenham player does not meet the requirements of sporting fitness in the country, but he might be allowed to play in another country. Eriksen had life-saving treatment on the pitch and later had an operation to have a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) device - a type of pacemaker - fitted. Inter have said they will allow him to leave the club as he cannot play for them. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

SHAH RUKH KHAN IS NOT JUST A SUPERSTAR, HE'S ALSO A FATHER: We have laughed, danced and cried with Shah Rukh Khan through the decades, living his pain of being separated from his parents in ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham…’, while losing our hearts to the endearing and ever-respectful suitor in ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’. Despite his superstar status, Shah Rukh Khan became a part of our lives, celebrating our highs and lows through his larger-than-life presence on the silver screen. Today though, as his son Aryan Khan returned home after 28 days of incarceration, Shah Rukh Khan is no superstar. Today, he is just a relieved father who has lived out the darkest chapter of his life amidst a media frenzy and deserves our respect and privacy. Today, let’s just let them grieve and celebrate together in peace. Tomorrow can signal the return of the storm. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]