Diwali, one of the world’s biggest religious festivals, has started. That means that for about a billion people across the world, this week is being spent celebrating the triumph of light over darkness, at a time when this hope is needed more than ever.
Diwali is primarily a Hindu festival, but is celebrated in some form by other faiths, such as Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists, as well an increasingly large number of people from around the world.
While the core themes of the celebration remain the same, aspects of Diwali’s story are as diverse as the people who celebrate it. In northern India, part of the celebration focuses on homecoming, based on the Sanskrit epic Ramayana, a story about the return of Rama, one of the Hindu deities, following his defeat of a 10-headed demon-king after 14 years in exile.
The theme of homecoming has always moved people, but today probably more so than usual. All over the world, families and friends have been separated, often for more than a year, by Covid-19. India, the main centre of Diwali celebrations, was one of the worst-affected countries and has a large diaspora, two ingredients that have been particularly harsh to those wanting to see loved ones.
This is why today’s Diwali will probably be one for the history books, and an especially poignant one in people’s memories. There is much to celebrate, but also much to mourn. The official Covid-19 death toll in India is around 450,000 people. Worldwide, it is more than five million.
Today, parts of the globe are able to start thinking about, at least, the temporary end of the worst of the pandemic. Daily deaths lower than at peaks of the disease, vaccines, new drugs, increased understanding and a willingness to reopen are building confidence. While welcome, it is still not the case for many people, and in the partly triumphant atmosphere of this year’s Diwali, those still struggling must not be forgotten.
Nor is the battle against other ills over. The international community is gathered in the British city of Glasgow at the moment at Cop26, the most important climate change meeting of the year. Getting the world to act is the primary objective of the conference. There is a long way to go, but we can celebrate some good news. India, for example, has said it will commit to net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. And this year, Diwali, at least in India, is set to be greener than ever, after the country's top court upheld a ban on toxic firecrackers often used in celebrations.
At home in the UAE, this year’s Diwali will come at a special time, with large celebrations expected at Expo2020. And throughout the year, The National has been following progress at a massive new Hindu temple that is currently under construction in Abu Dhabi. Roughly 2,000 sculptors are working on the project, as well as many other construction workers, and the site will be spread across 55,000 square metres. It is expected to open in 2023.
It has been a difficult year for many around the world, and the numerous stories of enduring difficult times at the core of Diwali will seem more relevant than usual. But alongside the theme of resilience, Diwali is also about our knack for overcoming hardship, and that is why, this week, we should all be celebrating.
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
Dunbar
Edward St Aubyn
Hogarth
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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The biog
Fast facts on Neil Armstrong’s personal life:
- Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio
- He earned his private pilot’s license when he was 16 – he could fly before he could drive
- There was tragedy in his married life: Neil and Janet Armstrong’s daughter Karen died at the age of two in 1962 after suffering a brain tumour. She was the couple’s only daughter. Their two sons, Rick and Mark, consulted on the film
- After Armstrong departed Nasa, he bought a farm in the town of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1971 – its airstrip allowed him to tap back into his love of flying
- In 1994, Janet divorced Neil after 38 years of marriage. Two years earlier, Neil met Carol Knight, who became his second wife in 1994
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
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Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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More on Coronavirus in France
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
