From the Editors: Time to soak up the Diwali festivities

TIME TO SOAK UP THE DIWALI FESTIVITIES: After rather sombre and to some extent even muted celebrations in many parts of the world last year, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hindus all over the world are set to celebrate Diwali this time around with reasonable fervour and community participation, though following the basic health safeguards will still be the buzzword. The best part about Diwali celebrations is that though primarily a Hindu festival, celebration of the ‘festival of lights’ – as it is known the world over – has traditionally seen the active involvement and participation of people across religious and social strata. And what better place than Dubai and the UAE to experience a slice of the Diwali festivities as people from various communities join the Indian expatriate community here to celebrate the festival. As spectacular fireworks light up the night sky above Dubai to mark the occasion, let us hope and pray that during this Diwali and the ones to follow, the world will have taken giant strides away from the shadow of the pandemic and usher in normality. Here’s wishing everyone a ‘Happy Diwali!’[COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

INDIA’S BATSMEN FINALLY SHOW UP AT T20 WORLD CUP: Having made a poor start in the Super-12s of the T20 World Cup, India finally recorded their first win with a huge 66-run victory over Afghanistan. It was a match India needed to win or else they would have been eliminated from the tournament. They still need a minor miracle to make the semifinals as they must win their last two matches and are relying on other results going their way. Rohit Sharma hit a fabulous 74 off 47 balls while KL Rahul got a superb 69 off 48. It looks like India’s batsmen have regained form and they will need to be on fire in their final two matches for the team to have any chance of advancing having started the tournament in a disappointing fashion.[COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]

COMING WITH A DIFFICULT PAST: We all know Hollywood actor Will Smith as a bit of a comedian and jokester. He is best know for his happy and bubbly roles in projects such as ‘Men in Black’ and ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’, but in his new book he’s hoping to shed light on the dark parts of his life. In a new excerpt from ‘Will’, the actor talks about wanting to kill his father who used to be abusive towards his mother. It might surprise most people that a person like Will might have gone through such a tragic time. However, his admission might help others gain inspiration to break out of a horrible situation and build a productive and fruitful life no matter what. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]