From the Editors: Dubai move towards greater fire safety

MOVE TOWARDS GREATER FIRE SAFETY: The launch of a new government lab where construction products and building materials will have to be tested for fire resistance in Dubai augurs well for residents of the city. Emirates Safety Laboratory, which will conduct the tests, will also provide the necessary certifications. What’s more, the solutions of this first-of-its-kind lab are smart and will set a new benchmark for fire safety not only in the UAE, but also across the region. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

IS NETANYAHU’S POLITICAL CAREER FINALLY OVER? It is being reported that former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is negotiating a plea bargain to end his corruption trial. But even in these talks, the bone of contention is one thing that matters most to him: his poltical career. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud in three cases. The deal being discussed is one wherein the ex-PM pleads guilty in return for being spared jail and doing community service instead. But this deal would also require him to accept the charge of 'moral turpitude', which under Isreali law would ban him from politics for seven years. He will be almost 80 when that ban comes to an end. That would also mean that his political career would essentially be over. Hence the talks have hit a bump. Netanyahu sure wants to spring right back into top echelons of Israeli politics. It's too early to write him off. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

DJOKOVIC THREE-YEAR VISA BAN COULD END EARLY, SAYS AUSTRALIAN PM: Australia’s prime minister Scot Morrison has said that deported world number one Novak Djokovic could return to the country sooner than anticipated. The unvaccinated for COVID-19 tennis star lost his visa battle yesterday in court and under Australian immigration laws the 34-year-old cannot be granted another visa for three years. However, Australian law provides for compelling or compassionate reasons for the three-year visa ban to be waived. “The ban does go over a three-year period, but there is the opportunity for them to return in the right circumstances and that would be considered at the time,” said Morrison. This means that the 20-time Grand Slam champion could possibly take part in the tournament next year. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

BIDDING GOODBYE TO AN INDIAN LEGEND: The death of legendary Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj is another blow in a year that has already witnessed the deaths of beloved stars from Hollywood and India. The 83-year-old Kathak guru, who was also a talented Hindustani classical singer and percussionist, was one of those rare talents who also tasted success mainstream, garnering fans even in the commercial heavy Bollywood with his mesmerising choreography in the late Satyajit Ray’s ‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’, while giving grace to Madhuri Dixit-Nene in ‘Kaahe Chhed Mohe’ for ‘Devdas’. Most recently, he won the Filmfare Award for making Deepika Padukone look ethereal in ‘Bajirao Mastani’s ‘Mohe Rang Do Laal’. While mere pages won’t be enough to pay a fitting tribute to his legacy, Birju Maharaj’s legend lives on in the recordings he’s left behind for generations to imbibe. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]