On Tuesday, the eve of his inauguration, Joe Biden held a vigil at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington to honour those who lost their lives in the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn into office in Washington on Wednesday amid fears of renewed violence by supporters of departing President Donald Trump, and after the US passed a grim milestone of 400,000 Covid-19 deaths.
Across the country, candles were lit in windows, church bells rang and landmark buildings were illuminated as images of the commemoration were shared by social media users on the #CovidMemorial hashtag.
“To heal, we must remember,” Mr Biden said in a brief and sombre ceremony. “It’s hard sometimes to remember. But that’s how we heal.
"It’s important to do that as a nation. That's why we're here today. Between sundown and dusk, let us shine the lights in the darkness ... and remember all who we've lost.”
As the president-elect spoke, 400 lights were lit around the reflection pool.
Across the US, landmarks such as the Empire State Building in New York City and the Space Needle in Seattle also lit up.
The US has been the most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with about 24.2 million infections and a death toll nearly equal to the number of Americans killed in the Second World War.
The death rate has increased in recent months and reached record levels in January.
A University of Washington model projects the toll will reach 567,000 by May 1.
While the Trump administration has been credited with Operation Warp Speed, the programme to develop and distribute Covid-19 vaccines, the president's handling of the crisis has been judged a failure by public health experts.
In his farewell address, Mr Trump defended his record against the pathogen, saying his administration’s nearly $4 trillion economic relief package “saved or supported over 50 million jobs”.
“We grieve for every life lost, and we pledge in their memory to wipe out this horrible pandemic once and for all,” he said in a video address on Tuesday.
After his inauguration, Mr Biden is set to impose mask-wearing rules on all federal property as well as planes and buses, reverse Mr Trump's decision to exit the World Health Organisation and seek a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package.
The new funds will be used to speed up the distribution of coronavirus vaccines while providing economic support to struggling businesses and relief to millions of Americans affected by the pandemic.
Mr Biden is also expected to quickly extend rules barring travel by most people who have recently been in parts of Europe and Brazil, reversing another decision from Mr Trump, who lifted those requirements effective from January 26.
An opinion survey released Tuesday by the Pew Research Centre found that 79 per cent of adults in the US said they thought another Covid-19 relief package was needed, compared to 20 per cent who said no new bailout was necessary.
Earlier on Tuesday, EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell called on Mr Biden to show global leadership and make the US “an engine of the world” for distributing vaccines across the globe.
“The world will face this year one of the biggest challenges to vaccinating humankind,” the EU foreign policy chief told Reuters.
“This will require a lot of solidarity, a lot of co-operation and quite a lot of resources.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- 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
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
More on Quran memorisation:
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway
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Canada
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
