A tragedy in RAK, despite a father's brave attempt

Despite a father's brave attempts, a double tragedy in Ras Al Khaimah

With reference to the report Father and son drown after heavy flooding in Ras Al Khaimah (December 28): This is very sad and it sounds like the father made a really brave effort and tried his best to save his son. May they both rest in piece

Adam El-Balawi, Dubai

Tragic news. In the blink of an eye, precious lives are lost. It was also very sad to read about the floods in the Philippines having claimed 25 lives, and seeing the videos of submerged towns. My sympathies are also with survivors who've lost their homes in the heavy rains.

Atinga Dominic, Accra, Ghana

Heartbreaking to read and to think about what the rest of the family must be going through.

Neethu Rajath, Solihull, England

India's not willing to risk being unprepared this time around

With regard to Taniya Dutta's article India's hospitals conduct Covid drills amid rise in cases (December 27): The Indian government’s preparedness to face the crisis is sensible. The country suffered greatly last April and May when there was a real fight for oxygen cylinders in the country's capital. Those scars will take a long time to heal. The Indian health authorities do not want a repeat of that and are presumably being extra cautious to face all possibilities in large numbers. With India's population of nearly 1.4 billion and considering the mutating nature of virus, realities on the ground tend to shift quickly. Along with the government’s implementation of new rules, such as random testing for international arrivals, it is important that people follow the instructions. Perhaps in the end these will all just have been preventative measures and everything will go smoothly. Panic doesn't help.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India

People may want to believe it but does art really affect the climate?

About Hareth Al Bustani's report How will the arts address climate change in 2023? (December 28): The writer makes an interesting point about the conversation around art being broadened to encompass elements of sustainability. The world needs that, sure. But I remain skeptical about the extent to which art can really challenge the affects of climate change. This year has been full of activists all over the world, in museums, on high streets, destroying or attempting to destroy works of art. I really don't know how much they're helping. I agree it gets attention but beyond that, does it really make a difference to lower global temperatures?

Tom Langston, Minot, North Dakota, US