Railway staff pay tribute as China holds national mourning for those who died of the coronavirus disease, on the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival, at the Beijing Railway Station, April 4, 2020. Reuters
Railway staff pay tribute as China holds national mourning for those who died of the coronavirus disease, on the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival, at the Beijing Railway Station, April 4, 2020. Reuters
Workers observe a moment of silence at a construction site in Shaoyang, Hunan province. China Daily via Reuters
Workers observe a moment of silence at a construction site in Shaoyang, Hunan province. China Daily via Reuters
Volunteers hold a banner with the words "The most beautiful first responders" before a national moment of mourning for victims of coronavirus in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. AP Photo
Volunteers hold a banner with the words "The most beautiful first responders" before a national moment of mourning for victims of coronavirus in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. AP Photo
The Chinese flag flies at half mast on buildings to commemorate those who died in the coronavirus outbreak, in Shanghai. AFP
The Chinese flag flies at half mast on buildings to commemorate those who died in the coronavirus outbreak, in Shanghai. AFP
People bow during a three-minute national memorial to commemorate those who died in the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, in Wuhan. AFP
People bow during a three-minute national memorial to commemorate those who died in the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, in Wuhan. AFP
Visitors wearing protective masks gather in a public cemetery during the Qingming Festival in Shanghai, China. Bloomberg
Visitors wearing protective masks gather in a public cemetery during the Qingming Festival in Shanghai, China. Bloomberg
People holding flowers observe a moment of silence at a memorial event in Beijing as China holds a national mourning. cnsphoto via Reuters
People holding flowers observe a moment of silence at a memorial event in Beijing as China holds a national mourning. cnsphoto via Reuters
A resident presents flowers during a silent tribute to martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease outbreak and compatriots who died of the disease on April 4,2020 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Getty Images
A resident presents flowers during a silent tribute to martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease outbreak and compatriots who died of the disease on April 4,2020 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Getty Images
Police mourn while traffic stops during a silent tribute to martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease outbreak and compatriots who died of the disease on April 4,2020 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Getty Images
Police mourn while traffic stops during a silent tribute to martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease outbreak and compatriots who died of the disease on April 4,2020 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Getty Images
Police mourn while traffic stops during a silent tribute to martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease outbreak and compatriots who died of the disease on April 4,2020 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Getty Images
Police mourn while traffic stops during a silent tribute to martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease outbreak and compatriots who died of the disease on April 4,2020 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Getty Images

Asia

China honours virus victims with three minutes of reflection

Commemorations took place in all major cities, but were particularly poignant in Wuhan

The National

April 04, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

With air raid sirens wailing and flags at half-mast, China on Saturday held a three-minute nationwide moment of reflection to honour those who have died in the coronavirus outbreak, especially "martyrs" who fell while fighting what has become a global pandemic.

Commemorations took place at 10am in all major cities, but were particularly poignant in Wuhan, the industrial center where the virus was first detected in December.

Wuhan was placed under complete lockdown on January 23 in an effort to stem the spread of the virus and has been lauded as a "heroic city" by the nation's communist leadership for the sacrifices made by its 11 million citizens.

People get their temperature checked by health workers as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus in Bogota, Colombia. Latin America had more than 20,000 cases of Covid-19 as of April 1, 2020 - double the figure from five days earlier, according to an AFP tally. AFP
People get their temperature checked by health workers as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus in Bogota, Colombia. Latin America had more than 20,000 cases of Covid-19 as of April 1, 2020 - double the figure from five days earlier, according to an AFP tally. AFP
A worker performs a swab test on a desk at the Duduza Clinic that has been shut down after a nurse tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus in Ekurhuleni, South Africa. AFP
A worker performs a swab test on a desk at the Duduza Clinic that has been shut down after a nurse tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus in Ekurhuleni, South Africa. AFP
A municipal worker disinfects a quarantined homeless shelter in El Salvador's capital San Salvador. AFP
A municipal worker disinfects a quarantined homeless shelter in El Salvador's capital San Salvador. AFP
Japanese tuba player Kazuhiko Sato records himself at his home in Tokyo as members of the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra prepare for their latest recital. AFP
Japanese tuba player Kazuhiko Sato records himself at his home in Tokyo as members of the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra prepare for their latest recital. AFP
People maintain safe distancing while queueing to enter a supermarket in Grand Baie, Mauritius. AFP
People maintain safe distancing while queueing to enter a supermarket in Grand Baie, Mauritius. AFP
Protective masks bearing the names of medical staff are pinned to a wall at a field hospital for coronavirus patients, financed by US evangelical Christian disaster relief NGO Samaritan’s Purse, outside the Cremona hospital, Lombardy, Italy. AFP
Protective masks bearing the names of medical staff are pinned to a wall at a field hospital for coronavirus patients, financed by US evangelical Christian disaster relief NGO Samaritan’s Purse, outside the Cremona hospital, Lombardy, Italy. AFP
A woman wears a face mask as she takes a photo of blossoms at Yuyuantan Park in Beijing. AP Photo
A woman wears a face mask as she takes a photo of blossoms at Yuyuantan Park in Beijing. AP Photo
A shop window in Grosse Pointe Woods, in the US state of Michigan. AP Photo
A shop window in Grosse Pointe Woods, in the US state of Michigan. AP Photo
A municipal worker sprays disinfectant at a school in Dakar, Senegal. AP Photo
A municipal worker sprays disinfectant at a school in Dakar, Senegal. AP Photo
Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, wears a protective mask during a plenary session at the upper house of parliament in Tokyo. Bloomberg
Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, wears a protective mask during a plenary session at the upper house of parliament in Tokyo. Bloomberg
An employee holds up an Ichroma Covid-19 Ab testing kit at the Boditech Med headquarters in Chuncheon, South Korea. Bloomberg
An employee holds up an Ichroma Covid-19 Ab testing kit at the Boditech Med headquarters in Chuncheon, South Korea. Bloomberg
Police officers wear protective face masks as they direct traffic through a checkpoint in Barcelona, Spain. Bloomberg
Police officers wear protective face masks as they direct traffic through a checkpoint in Barcelona, Spain. Bloomberg
A medical worker takes a swap at a coronavirus drive-through testing centre in the car park of the closed Chessington World of Adventures Resort theme park in Chessington, Greater London. Bloomberg
A medical worker takes a swap at a coronavirus drive-through testing centre in the car park of the closed Chessington World of Adventures Resort theme park in Chessington, Greater London. Bloomberg
Pedestrians pull trolley bags along a nearly deserted street in Palermo, Italy. Bloomberg
Pedestrians pull trolley bags along a nearly deserted street in Palermo, Italy. Bloomberg

People have gradually been allowed to travel in and out of Wuhan under strict conditions. The quarantine on the city is to be formally lifted on Wednesday.

In Beijing, President Xi Jinping led other top officials, all dressed in black suits with white carnations, as they bowed before a flag at half-mast in the leadership compound of Zhongnanhai.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed tweeted the UAE's respects to China, calling doctors who had lost their lives "heroics".

"We will confront this challenge with determination, sheer will, and a spirit of solidarity," the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces wrote.

On Saturday, China reported one new confirmed case in Wuhan and 18 among people arriving from abroad, along with four new deaths, all in Wuhan. China now has recorded a total of 81,639 cases and 3,326 deaths, although those figures are generally considered to be understated because of a lack of testing and a reluctance to report the scale of the original outbreak.

China's slow, cautious emergence from the global pandemic comes as the US is struggling to deal with the outbreak that has taken more than 1,860 lives in New York City alone. Hard-hit European nations Italy, Spain and France are also seeing rising numbers of cases and deaths, although strict social distancing measures such as those adopted by China appear to be having an effect.

Workers in protective wear paused silently beside barriers at one residential community - a reminder that there are still tight restrictions on everyday life across Wuhan.

In the capital's Tiananmen Square, the national flag flew at half-mast, surrounded by heavier-than-normal security.

Pedestrians in one of the city's busiest shopping districts stopped walking and kept their heads low in a silent tribute ceremony, while police patrolling stood at the side of the road with their riot shields down and bowed heads.

Park-goers paused their activities too, some holding badminton rackets by their sides, others with hands together in prayer.

Officials said the observance was a chance to mourn virus "martyrs" - an honorific title bestowed by the government this week on 14 medical workers who died fighting the outbreak.

They include Li Wenliang, a doctor and whistleblower in Wuhan who was reprimanded by authorities for trying to warn others in the early days of the contagion.

Li's death from Covid-19 in February prompted a national outpouring of grief as well as anger at the government's handling of the crisis.

The ruling Communist Party has sought to direct criticism to local authorities in Hubei province and its capital Wuhan, who have been accused of downplaying the severity of the virus, possibly contributing to its spread.

A central government investigation into Li's death concluded he was "inappropriately" punished by Wuhan police.

Despite drastic measures to lock down Hubei in late January, the epidemic has spiralled into a global pandemic with more than one million cases.

Some restrictions in Hubei have been eased in recent weeks after the officially stated number of new infections in China dropped to near zero.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time

Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.

Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.

The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.

The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.

Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.

The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.

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Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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On Women's Day
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net

Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.

Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.

A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.

Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.

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