From the Editors: Take weather alerts seriously

TAKE WEATHER ALERTS SERIOUSLY: The fog season is here and nothing is more disconcerting than having to venture out in the wee hours during such days. Heavy fog on Tuesday morning resulted in a 19-vehicle collision in Abu Dhabi, claiming one life and injuring eight others. With the National Centre of Meteorology predicting that fog and mist can be expected in the UAE during the coming days too, motorists would do well to heed weather alerts and take all precautionary measures when they hit the road, just as morning walkers and joggers should take due care to protect themselves. [COMMENT BY: By Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor]

LEBANON HAS NO CHANCE OF HANDLING COVID-19 ON ITS OWN: With Lebanon battling one disaster after another for more than a year, it is hardly surprising that the COVID-19 crisis - which has tested the world’s richest and most powerful countries to the limit - is wreaking havoc in the tiny nation. Its daily infection rates have sky rocketed in the last week to the highest levels in the region. Hospitals are out of emergency rooms and ICU beds, and medical staff are themselves getting infected at alarming rates. Most of the problems Lebanon faces can be blamed on the failure of its political leadership. But, as things stand, the country is in desperate need of international assistance. That is the priority. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

VACCINES NEEDED FOR THE POOR TOO: The coronavirus vaccine has been rolled out in many countries around the world, but some nations have received only a handful of doses. This fact was highlighted by the head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who cautioned that the world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure. While many rich nations have been able to sign early deals for millions of doses of the vaccine, one country has had to be content with just 25. It is another example of the inequality that divides nations and human beings around the world. Those on the medical frontlines and the elderly around the world deserve to be inoculated first in the battle against COVID-19, irrespective of the country they belong to. Only then can we truly defeat the menace of the pandemic. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

INDIAN TEAM SHOW EXEMPLARY CHARACTER DOWN UNDER: The latest edition of the Gavaskar-Border Trophy, which saw India complete a dramatic turnaround to win the series 2-1, clearly showed why a India-Australia Test series is now being billed as one of the prized contests in the game. India, who scored a momentous series win in Australia in the 2018-19 series, did one better this time without skipper Virat Kohli – arguably the best batsman in the game today – and more than nine injuries. Looking down and out after their infamous 36 all out in the first Test at Adelaide, a depleted India picked themselves up under the quiet and efficient leadership of Ajinkya Rahane to win the Melbourne Test in a most dramatic fashion, fought with their backs to the wall to draw it Sydney and then breach the Australian fortress at the Gabba, Brisbane. Well played! [COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

TIME FOR A BIG FAT BOLLYWOOD WEDDING: As we swing into a new year with hope and a promise, a celebrity wedding can only bring good tidings for all. Varun Dhawan and Natasha Dalal’s upcoming nuptials come at a time when Bollywood fans need something to cheer about. While details of the big day have been closely guarded, sources have stated the big fat Bollywood affair will take place on January 24 in Alibaug, a small coastal town outside Mumbai. While the pandemic may not permit the Dhawan-Dalal wedding to perhaps be as grand as the Priyanka Chopra Jonas-Nick Jonas affair or the Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh festivities, but fans can still rejoice in the celebration of true love. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]