From the Editors: Opening of Dubai Safari, Delhi Capitals serious contenders in IPL UAE, Trump and Bollywood actress Tamannaah battling COVID-19

DUBAI SAFARI IS GOING TO BE A MAJOR ATTRACTION THIS WINTER: Reopening of Dubai Safari, which aims to be one of the top ten zoos in the world, brings joy amongst residents who are looking forward to visit this exciting facility this winter. Dubai Safari, opened on October 5, has been upgraded with a lot of new attractions including a wide range of interactive, educational and entertainment experience for visitors. It is not only going to be a leading tourist destination in the UAE but also a haven for some 3,000 animals, which are kept in their natural habitat in a massive 119-hectare wildlife reserve. Visitors must not forget to follow COVID-19 guidelines while touring the unique zoo. [COMMENT BY: Ashfaq Ahmed, Senior Assistant Editor]

THE CASE FOR CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM: Following an international peace conference on Libya in Berlin, global diplomats voiced ‘cautious optimism’ about ending the conflict in the country. The UAE has given its backing for moves to bring about a ceasefire and seek a peaceful settlement. This optimism didn’t come from nowhere. It stems from the momentum gained through a series of negotiations held by the two warring sides in the past few weeks. This goes to show that every conflict can be resolved if there is a will amongst the belligerents to do so. This civil strife has to end - the Libyan people have suffered enough. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

DON’T BE AFRAID OF IT: ‘Don’t be afraid’ can be very reassuring words, especially when spoken by the leader of a country during troubled times. But when US President Donald Trump removed his mask at the White House after returning from hospital and told the people not to let the coronavirus dominate them, it has led to a fresh backlash. "I'm better, and maybe I'm immune - I don't know,” Trump said. Biden quickly hit back on Twitter with side-by-side images of himself donning a mask and Trump removing his. This is not the time for bravado, but for caution and reassurance. A country, and indeed the entire world, is looking to the words and actions of the US President. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

ABU DHABI IS PERFECTING ITS CONSOLIDATION DRIVE: Abu Dhabi clearly is paying a lot of attention to its food industry, whether through adding more assets in the ensuring present and future food security or in bulking up investments in the agritech space. Now, one of the emirate’s systemically important holding companies ADQ has gone in for a rearrangement of shareholding at two of its entities – the Agthia Group and Al Foah, which is the world leader in date processing. The deal is much more than just finding a new owner of a majority stake in Al Foah. ADQ’s intent is to create synergies and create what it calls a national and regional F&B ‘champion’. All through the last two years and more. Abu Dhabi has been intent on consolidation and working on generating synergies. It’s been apparent in banking, energy and, of course, on the utility front with Taqa. Now, the same principles are in play in F&B. It will not be the last one either…[COMMENT BY: Manoj Nair, Business Editor]

DELHI CAPITALS EMERGE AS SERIOUS TITLE-CONTENDERS: Delhi Capitals underlined their title credentials with an emphatic 59-run win over Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore to move to the top of the IPL table on Monday evening. Chasing an imposing target of 197, the RCB chase never got going as Kohli waged a lone battle with a fluent 43 off 39 balls. Kagiso Rabada leds Delhi’s charge with four wickets as he received excellent support from compatriot Anrich Nortje and their spinners Ravi Ashwin and Axar Patel. [COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

Bollywood actress Tamannaah Bhatia has announced she contracted COVID-19 after returning to production sets, and the release of the latest ‘Batman’ movie has been delayed in part due to production issues owing to the pandemic. Its lead star, Robert Pattinson, had caught the virus while filming for the movie. Production companies, crew and cast members all over the world are taking these risks to get back to work. But are these risks worth it? Major stars might bounce back from the illness, but they’re likely to infect members of the crew who might not be able to afford the best treatments. And the cycle repeats. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]