From the Editors: Dubai redefines bus travel

BUS TRAVEL REDEFINED IN DUBAI: The launch of a swanky bus station at Oud Metha by the Road Transport Authority yesterday has set a new precedent for bus travel in Dubai. The station, which has a multi-level parking for 350 vehicles and can handle 10,000 passengers per day, is integrated with the Dubai Metro and taxi services as it is located just 300 metres from the Metro station. The transport authority has outdone itself in designing this state-of-the-art facility, which boasts of a plush waiting area, convenient retail outlets, office spaces and more. Kudos to RTA. [COMMENT BY: Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

LEBANON HAS BECOME A TICKING TIME BOMB: The Lebanese pound, pegged to the dollar at 1,507 since 1997, is now trading at 17,500 to the greenback. Weeks before it reached this new low, the World Bank had said Lebanon’s crisis was the worst in the world since the mid-19th century. In fact, according to latest reports, Lebanon’s economy is performing worse than that of war-torn Yemen. Things have reached a stage where daily life is becoming impossible for ordinary people. Their savings in the local currency are worthless; they have no access to US dollars, and have resorted to bartering. Relying on the country’s politicians to fix the problem is like tying your hands behind your back and jumping into the sea. The situation in the country has become untenable. Lebanon is a ticking time bomb. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

WE ARE STILL LEARNING IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19: When it comes to fighting the coronavirus, we keep learning every day. Australia has been more successful in managing the COVID-19 pandemic than many economies. In the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, the country closed its borders quickly and ensured protocols were followed. But of late Australia has seen an increasing number of small outbreaks. Sydney began a two-week lockdown on Sunday after a cluster of cases of the highly infectious coronavirus Delta variant rose to 110. The lesson to be learnt is that we need to continue to be careful while fighting COVID-19. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

MANCINI’S MEN MADE TO WORK BY AUSTRIA: Italy may have set a national record of 31 games unbeaten in their Euro 2020 win over Austria, but it was very nearly a different story as their opponents pushed them all the way and Roberto Mancini’s men required extra-time strikes from substitutes Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina at Wembley Stadium to progress to the quarter-finals. The Italians have impressed so far in the tournament with three comfortable wins and no goals conceded in the group stage, but they had to fight all the way against Austria and scraped through 2-1. They also survived an earlier scare when Marko Arnautovic’s strike 20 minutes into the second half was ruled out by VAR for the narrowest of offsides. The bonus for Italy is that they were given a real test to help them prepare for the final-eight clash against Belgium or Portugal, and the depth of their squad will stand them in good stead for the challenges ahead. [COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

IT’S TIME VIN DIESEL HITS THE BRAKES ON HIS ‘FAST AND FURIOUS’ FRANCHISE: Vin Diesel wants his monster ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise to whip out a musical next. While we’re sure he made the remark in jest (at least we hope), perhaps the ‘F9’ outing should also be a moment of self-reflection for the actor who has been revving up the action in the franchise since 2001, albeit sitting out a couple of outings. The fact that the thrill of the ‘Fast and Furious’ films is waning isn’t lost on anyone, with ‘F9’ drawing polarised reviews at the box office since its release in May in the UAE and on June 25 in the US. And even though there are some die-hard fans who will continue to show up in solidarity, every actor and filmmaker worth their mettle should respect their viewers just enough to bow out with grace when the time is right. Diesel had best remember that. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]