25th Dubai World Cup: It’s all systems go at Meydan

25th Dubai World Cup: It’s all systems go at Meydan Kahayla Classic, a Group 1 Purebred Arabians race, will kickstart the 25th edition of the Dubai World Cup at 3.45 pm UAE time this afternoon at the Meydan. The Dubai World Cup is the ninth and final race scheduled at 8.50 pm – and 40 broadcasters will telecast an evening of enthralling racing to different corners of the globe. Godolphin, the racing operations founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will lead a three-pronged challenge for the big prize with Mystic Guide, Magny Cours and Gifts of Gold. (Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor)

A subdued Holi in UAE: With winter going away, Hindus all over the world, including those in the UAE, are preparing to celebrate Holi, the festival of colours that heralds the onset of spring. However, as COVID-19 continues to cast a shadow on our lives, the temples in Dubai have decided to cancel all celebrations related to the festival. As the celebration involves spreading colours on each other, the risk of infection would have increased manifold if the celebrations went ahead. While we celebrate the festivals in our homes, we pray that we can return to normal lives soon. (Somshankar Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Editor)

World's eyes on Egypt due to stuck ship: The Ever Given vessel could be stuck across the Suez Canal, Egypt, for weeks. The 224,000-tonne container ship ran aground on Tuesday due to high winds and a flotilla of dredgers and tugboats have been trying to set the 400 metre-long cargo ship free but with no success. And with more than 150 other freighters now backed up at the vital waterway with an estimated $9.6 billion worth of goods being held up each day, global trade will suffer. 5 to 10 percent of crude oil shipments pass through the canal and delays could mean a rise in fuel for us at the pumps. But just how will the giant ship be moved? Unloading the fuel on board was considered but the risks included it capsizing so this idea was quickly dropped. Reducing its weight by removing hundreds of containers might be an option but Egypt does not have a floating crane with the ability to reach up to such heights, so that's out too. All eyes are on Egypt now to see which method is adopted to resolve this situation but just how long it will take is anyone's guess. (Imran Malik, Assistant Editor)

Can Bollywood survive a second wave of COVID-19? The writing is on the wall, both figuratively and literally, as Bollywood appears to be hitting brakes on several projects in light of the spike in COVID-19 cases in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Yash Raj Films is the latest to postpone the release of ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’, citing a rise in coronavirus cases. The announcement comes a little over a month after the production house announced its slate of movies that would release in cinemas. Earlier, the Hindi version of ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’ was also pulled from cinemas in India, while Zee Studios announced the delay the release of its Punjabi film ‘Puaada’. The question that now needs to be asked is whether productions houses can afford any more delays in releasing projects that have been gathering dust for well over a year. Big budgets and starry salaries may get the axe if businesses are forced to shut shop once again. Only time will tell.