BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) — Around 2.48 million investors in China opened accounts to trade in stocks on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses in March, industrial data showed.

The figure marked an increase of 31 percent from the same period last year, according to the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited (CSDC).

By the end of March, the number of investors with A-share accounts topped 183.9 million, CSDC data showed.

The country saw about 18.02 million new investors in its stock market in 2020, according to the CSDC. The amount increased 36.04 percent from 2019 and hit a record high since 2017. Enditem

Five thousand miles away, how Meghan must be longing to be by Harry’s side today of all days as he walks behind the coffin of his beloved grandfather.

How he, too, must wish that his wife — unable to fly as she’s heavily pregnant with their second child — could be here to offer counsel and comfort as he grieves.

To help him navigate the desperately fractured Royal Family . To help heal the rift with his brother William, not to mention Kate.

The Duchess of Sussex will still take part in the mourning. She will reportedly make ‘private arrangements’ to honour Prince Philip during his funeral.

Let’s just hope that doesn’t include sharing her innermost thoughts with Oprah Winfrey .

This is a time for quiet reflection, not public declaration of the deep bond she claims she had with Prince Philip, who she had little time to get to know and probably met only a few times.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are interviewed by Oprah Winfrey

I hope for her sake she will let discretion be the better part of valour and not repeat her and Harry’s very public Remembrance Day performance of last year, when they conducted their own ‘private’ service for the fallen in a Los Angeles military cemetery. He had been denied the ‘right’ for his wreath to be laid at the Cenotaph in absentia.

They have no royal rights now, they gave them up for a life of luxury not duty in LA.

And I dearly hope Meghan will not have a celebrity photographer conveniently on hand — as the couple did on Remembrance Day — to capture her ‘private’ grief for the Duke and post it on their website.

Her ‘private arrangements’ should remain just that, private.

Our thoughts are with Philip’s close family, his children, his grandchildren and his Queen.

Is it too much to hope that, after the incendiary interview with Oprah that cast such a cloud over the Royal Family as the Duke died, the Duchess of Sussex has finally learned that silence can be golden?

Prince Harry, Prince Philip and Prince William at Twickenham Stadium in October 2015

Someone should point out to her that ‘silent’ is an anagram of ‘listen’ — and this is the moment to listen to the senior royals, understand their pain and follow the example set by Philip of quietly, privately supporting the monarchy.

How tragic that in her brief stint as a royal she failed to recognise the dignity and power of silence — that less is more, and particularly so when a family is deep in mourning.

As a fan of Jeremy Vine, I was surprised when he said of the funeral that ‘it will be 30 people who are all white’ and asked if that was ‘a problem’.

What has race got to do with this sad occasion? Just let Philip’s loved ones mourn.

Why super Sophie was forgiven

The Countess of Wessex during a visit to Vauxhall City Farm in London

Some wonder why the Duke of Edinburgh was able to forgive Sophie, Countess of Wessex for her early blunders in royal life, while not Fergie, the Duchess of York.

Sophie fell from favour in 2001 when she had her own PR company after a News of the World undercover operation led to her uttering shocking indiscretions about politicians and the royals.

As Gyles Brandreth explained in his exquisitely personal book serialised this week in the Mail, Philip believed Sophie was ‘set up’ and through the decades has been a loving wife to his son Edward and closest of confidantes to the Queen.

Plus she has never been photographed topless in a tabloid newspaper having her toes sucked by a man who was not her husband.

We will all miss Helen

Helen had been married to fellow actor Damian since 2007 and shared two children with him – daughter Manon, 14, and 13-year-old son Gulliver (the couple pictured in February last year)

How shocking that Peaky Blinders actress Helen McCrory has died of cancer, aged just 52 and with two children, Manon, 14, and Gulliver, 13.

Her husband Damian Lewis said she died ‘surrounded by peace and love’. Until the end she was fighting for her charities, yet the family kept her illness secret. Barely a year ago I passed her in the street and said: ‘You are wonderful.’

She gave me that dimpled smile, which we will all remember.

As her husband said: ‘Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you.

The news agency Associated Press decrees the word ‘mistress’ archaic and sexist, saying it should no longer be used when referring to a woman ‘in a long-term sexual relationship with, and supported by a man who is married to someone else’.

Instead we must use non-pejorative terms like ‘companion, lover or friend’.

Jolly good, but perhaps women whose husbands engage in such liaisons might prefer the much simpler and apt term: home-wrecker.

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Amanda Abbington, 47, reveals that the separation from her husband of 16 years Martin Freeman, 49, has taken a terrible toll on their two children.

We have given them ‘irreparable damage’, she says, while Martin strolls around with his new girlfriend, Rachel Mariam, 28.

What a shame for his kids that the diminutive Freeman didn’t have the other qualities of Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit he played in J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel — who was famously hairy and short, yet towering in his loyalty.

Lady of the Rings

Jennifer Lopez at the NBC/Universal Upfront Presentation in New York, May 2017

Despite declaring enduring love with a £3.8million engagement ring, Alex Rodriguez has separated from his unlucky-in-love fiancée Jennifer Lopez amid rumours he became enamoured with a reality TV star.

Surely the canny J-Lo has the last laugh, though — five fiancés, three of whom she wed, handed her a total of nearly £10 million in engagement rings between them, including a £1.8 million rock from Ben Affleck.

I hope feminist icon Jen had the integrity to give them all back.

Strictly Come Dancing are desperate to get one of our Covid scientists on their next series, with an insider saying Professor Chris Whitty is their top target.

A clever choice to bolster their viewing figures as, with every cha cha cha, this doomsayer could chant: ‘Stay home and watch TV, or you’re all going to die.’

Westminster wars

Close observers of David Cameron are unsurprised by Lobbygate, in which he bent the ear of the Chancellor and ministers to get millions in state cash for Greensill Capital, who employed him. There always was something about Dave, an innate belief that privilege and power belonged to him and his few cronies, not the many.

What is most curious about the top civil servant Bill Crothers being a part-time director of Greensill while on a Government salary of £149,000 to run one of our biggest departments is how he found the time for his extra-curricular activities while responsible for the spending of £40 billion of taxpayers’ money.

Much mirth is made over the girth of Lord (Eric) Pickles, head of the Advisory Committee investigating jobs for former ministers and civil servants. Yet the plain-speaking Pickles has more integrity in one of his chins than the chinless wonders who have profiteered from simultaneously working in Whitehall and in the private sector.

As the world’s economies tank, isn’t there something rather galling about China boasting an astonishing 18.3 per cent rise in their economic growth for the first three months of this year, given that they’re the country that gave us coronavirus in the first place?

Well done the BBC for not donning sackcloth and ashes after a record 110,000 viewers complained when EastEnders and other shows were dropped to cover the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Give me an hour of Prince Philip’s life over 30 minutes of Phil Mitchell beating the hell out of people in the Queen Vic any day.

You are what you eat?

Despite huge success as Luther in the TV series, Idris Elba’s character is criticised by the Beeb’s diversity chief for ‘not being black enough’ — among other sins, he didn’t eat Caribbean food.

I am duly shamed as the last time my Jamaican friend Noel and his son came here for lunch we shared macaroni cheese and spag bol, at their request.

Next time it will have to be jerk chicken, whether they like it or not.

Coronation Street legend Bill Roache reportedly hopes to return back to the cobbles in May after successfully battling coronavirus .

The veteran actor, 88, was forced to take time away from the ITV soap after testing positive for Covid and previously said he is looking forward to returning.

According to new reports, Bill is said to be ‘feeling loads better’ and is ‘itching to get back’ to Coronation Street.

Return? Coronation Street legend Bill Roache reportedly hopes to return back to the cobbles in May after successfully battling coronavirus (pictured in 2019)

A source told The Sun : ‘Bosses told Bill to take as long as he needed, but he is already feeling loads better.

‘He’s recovered remarkably well, is itching to get back and is hoping to return to the set by the start of May.’

They added: ‘Bill has really missed seeing everyone but now he wants to get back to doing the job he loves.’

MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.

Break: The veteran actor, 88, was forced to take time away from the ITV soap after testing positive for Covid and previously said he is looking forward to returning (pictured in 2017 still)

It was announced last month that Bill had been taking some time away from Coronation Street after testing positive for coronavirus .

In a statement, it was revealed that the actor had recovered well and was looking forward to returning to the long-running soap as soon as possible.

A spokesperson said: ‘Following recent reports about his health, William Roache has asked us to clarify that he took time off work after testing positive for Covid.

‘He has recovered well and is looking forward to returning to the cobbles as soon as possible.’

MailOnline understands that due to the way the show is scripted there can be a lag between actors leaving the show and when they return if they are written out.

While scripts for Bill are still being produced the soap is also currently limiting filming time with the more elderly cast during the pandemic.

Bill, who plays Ken Barlow, is the only remaining character who still appears on the show since it first began in 1960.

During his time on the ITV programme, Ken has been married four times to three different women, as well as being embroiled in several love affairs.

He was also involved in a long-standing feud with arch rival Mike Baldwin, who was played by the late Johnny Briggs until in 2006.

Bill previously told how he wants to say on the soap as long as possible, and insisted at its 60th anniversary: ‘While I can do it and they want me, I will be there.

Statement: A spokesperson said last month: ‘Following recent reports about his health, William Roache has asked us to clarify that he took time off work after testing positive for Covid’

‘Retirement is not on the radar at all. I have no plans for that.

‘I don’t even like to think about how they’d write Ken out if I did leave. Because hopefully that is never going to happen.’

In November last year, Bill admitted that he believes he is getting younger every year due to thinking positively.

Bill told The Sun : ‘I’m getting younger every day. A lot of it is just belief.

‘It’s a collective consciousness, ”Oh I am too old for this”. It’s all in the mind. I wasn’t joking when I said I was getting younger every year.

Way back when: In November last year, Bill admitted that he believes he is getting younger every year due to thinking positively (pictured in dated soap still)

‘If you think positively, your cells will renew themselves all the time. If you go down, the renewal process will go down. If you stay up, the renewal process will go up. You don’t have to age as much as people think. I’m not, anyway.’

In January filming on Coronation Street was suspended for two weeks ‘as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic’.

ITV bosses made the decision to halt shooting on Corrie so the cast and crew could have a short break due to the pressures of filming during the Covid crisis.

Several scenes for Coronation Street were rewritten to accommodate the break, in a bid to keep the storylines creative going forward.

Halted: Filming on Coronation Street was suspended for two weeks ‘as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic’ in January

An ITV spokersperson told MailOnline at the time: ‘Coronation Street will pause filming from next Monday, 25 January for two weeks to undertake some rewriting of stories and scripts as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.

‘We will also be taking the opportunity to review all health and safety requirements to ensure we continue to provide a safe working environment for the cast, crew and production team.

‘This pause in filming won’t affect our ability to deliver six episodes of Coronation Street each week.’

Shows: At the start of the pandemic last year, shooting was halted and the transmission schedule was reduced to ensure episodes could air until filming resumed

At the start of the pandemic last year, shooting was halted on the soap and the transmission schedule was reduced to ensure episodes could continue to air until filming resumed with new health and safety measures in place.

Following the unprecedented break for the soaps, Coronation Street went back into production in June with strict social distancing employed and testing.

They are now airing six episodes a week after previously showing three throughout the first lockdown.

Social distancing: Following the unprecedented break for the soaps, Corrie went back into production in June with strict social distancing employed

Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale have previously confirmed that filming wouldn’t be affected by the government’s third COVID-19 lockdown.

The soaps confirmed production will continue despite the introduction of new restrictions, after resuming filming with strict social measures over the summer.

An EastEnders representative told MailOnline: ‘In accordance with the government guidelines, EastEnders will continue filming during lockdown.

‘Production will continue to strictly adhere to the social distancing and safety measures in place.’

The new normal: All of the UK’s biggest soaps were forced to suspend production in March 2020, and gradually resumed filming over the summer (Corrie filming pictured)

An ITV spokesperson also confirmed to MailOnline that both Coronation Street and Emmerdale are ‘continuing to film in accordance with government guidelines.’

This is mainly due to sets have strict social distancing and testing measures in place, making them far safer then during the first lockdown in March.

Coronation Street and Emmerdale aired just three episodes a week, while EastEnders and Hollyoaks reduced to two.

Emmerdale was the first to resume filming in May with a series of lockdown-themed episodes, while Corrie stars returned to set in June.

Business as usual: The soaps confirmed production would continue despite the introduction of new restrictions, after resuming filming with strict social measures (Emmerdale pictured)

This meant both ITV soaps were able to continue airing without a gap in the television schedule, and have both since returned to airing six episodes a week.

Cast members also have their temperature checked and are ordered to regularly sanitise their hands during filming.

EastEnders was forced to take a three-month break from screens due to the delay in filming, and since returning in September has aired four times a week, with shortened episodes.

Hollyoaks resumed filming in July, after cutting down to just two episodes a week, and after going off-air that month returned in September, airing four episodes a week.