Suez Canal trouble, Passover, NCAA tournaments: 5 things to know this weekend
More attempts will be made to free vessel stuck in Suez Canal
Japanese firm Shoei Kisen KK, which owns the giant container ship stuck sideways across the Suez Canal in Egypt, said an attempt will be made to refloat the vessel later on Saturday by taking advantage of tidal movements. The Ever Given turned sideways in a blinding sandstorm and got wedged Tuesday in a single-lane stretch of the canal, about 3.5 miles north of the southern entrance. At a news conference Friday night, Yukito Higaki, the company's president, said 10 tugboats were deployed and workers were dredging the banks and sea floor near the vessel's bow to try to get it afloat again as the high tide starts to go out. "We apologize for blocking the traffic and causing the tremendous trouble and worry to many people, including the involved parties," he added. A maritime traffic jam grew to around 280 vessels Saturday outside the Suez Canal, according to canal service provider Leth Agencies.
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Another Passover during the pandemic
Saturday marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday Passover, which will be observed until Sunday, April 4. In the first two nights of Passover, Jews customarily gather with their families for traditional Seder suppers. Part of the evening's ritual is the youngest child asking a series of questions; the answers tell the story of the Jews' liberation from slavery in Egypt some 3,333 years ago. One year ago, the Jewish community had to make major adjustments to observing the holiday, which included Zoom Seders and socially distanced gatherings, or none at all. Now, with vaccinations rolling out but COVID-19 cases still ongoing, the community has found various ways to celebrate. fatima wrote, kb edited
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NCAA men's and women's tournaments resume with Sweet 16
The NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments resume Saturday, when the Sweet 16 tips off. On the men's side, the action gets underway at 2:30 p.m. ET (CBS), when first weekend surprises No. 8 seed Loyola Chicago – and star player Cameron Krutwig – take on No. 12 seed Oregon State in a Midwest region matchup. Oregon State is one of four Pac-12 teams still in the field, with Oregon, USC and UCLA all playing games on Sunday. However, the weekend's most anticipated matchup doesn't involve a Pac-12 team, as the East's No. 1 seed Michigan goes up against No. 4 seed Florida State on Sunday afternoon on CBS. On the women's side, all four No. 1 seeds – UConn, Stanford, South Carolina and N.C. State – will try to advance in tough matchups. The UConn-Iowa matchup is particularly intriguing as it will feature two of the best freshmen players in the country vying for a spot in the Elite 8, the Huskies' Paige Bueckers and the Hawkeyes' Caitlin Clark.
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Mar-A-Lago starts reopening after coronavirus outbreak
After COVID-19 cases shuttered parts of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, last week, the resort announced it plans to partially reopen Saturday before fully operating by April 1.Both the property's Beach Club and Dining Room were closed after an undisclosed number of employees tested positive for the coronavirus, while banquet and event services remained open. Trump, former first lady Melania Trump and son Barron have been living at the mansion since they left the White House in January. Nisha
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The worm moon rises
Get ready for the full "worm" moon, which will rise Sunday evening in the eastern sky. The moon will look most spectacular just as it appears above the eastern horizon early Sunday evening, even though the precise moment the moon is full is a few hours earlier, at 2:50 p.m. EDT. Its name likely refers to the earthworms that appear in the soil as the weather gets warmer, inviting hungry birds to feed on them. For millennia, people across the world, including Native Americans in the eastern and central USA, named the months after nature’s cues.
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Contributing: The Associated Press