From the editors: Dubai sees fewer road deaths, dealing with pandemics need a shift in thought

TRAFFIC FATALITIES LOWER ON DUBAI ROADS Thanks to a rigorous vigil on the roads, Dubai Police has managed to reduce traffic fatalities in the emirate by 42 per cent since January this year. The number of traffic accidents recorded during the same period has also dropped by 46 per cent. Increased surveillance has resulted in Dubai Police issuing 262,940 serious traffic fines in the past nine months. Strict action by the authorities has resulted in making the emirate’s road safer for motorists. We hope motorists themselves also show greater responsibility as well. (COMMENT BY: Somshankar Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Editor)

UPHILL BATTLE AGAINST COVID-19 Europe is facing an uphill battle against COVID-19, and so is the rest of the world. Just when things looked to be getting under control, a surge in cases has forced countries like France, Italy, Spain and Germany to take drastic measures to fight the virus and protect the people. And in a further warning, the UN has said that future pandemics will be more frequent, deadly and economically damaging, without a fundamental change in the way humans treat nature. Where does that leave us? A change in outlook and in the way we live is essential if we need to overcome this pandemic. (COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor)

CHANGE IS COMING Finally, with nothing to lose, Chennai Super Kings came good in the Indian Premier League. MS Dhoni’s men — led by a swashbuckling 72 off 53 balls by Ruturaj Gaekwad — overcame Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in Dubai. However, the writing was on the wall for Chennai long before this belated win and they are still bottom of the standings. Dhoni’s form with the bat has been a big let-down and CSK were never going to thrive when their skipper was departing the crease way to early time after time. Roll on next year, and a major overhaul of an ageing Chennai squad. (COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith Sports Editor)

THE WEDDINGS MUST GO ON At a time there’s so much uncertainty and news of death, it’s nice to come across some positive stories. Weddings, for instance, may have become less thunderous than before, but the union of two people is always fun to celebrate. This week, we’ve had two such happy snippets – the wedding of Neha Kakkar and Rohanpreet Singh and Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost. Good luck to the couples - may the cheer live on. (COMMENT BY: Karishma Nandkeolyar, Assistant Online Editor)