Japanese
Coronavirus figures mount in Tokyo ahead of Olympics
The July 23 commencement date for the summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, is under increasing threats from a steady rise in daily cases of the coronavirus in the city. The recent spike has also triggered fears of a possible fifth wave of infections, which will not be ideal for the Games. Coming this close to the opening of the Games, there are palpable concerns raised for many athletes who will be contesting for honours in the Asian city and their crew members who will be with them all the way. On Monday alone, Tokyo reported 317 infections, a figure that represents an increase of 81 from the same account of the week before. The increment marks the ninth week-on-week, consecutive same-day rise in infection rates in a row even with the availability of vaccines. There has also been evidence to ...
Senegal readies for first LNG-powered electricity
Senegal is set to be partly powered by liquefied natural gas for the first time with the arrival at the capital, Dakar, on Wednesday of a floating gas facility from Singapore, the West African nation’s state power company, Senelec, said. The floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) is the result of a joint venture between Japanese shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd (MOL) and Turkey’s Karpowership, which supplies power from its fleet of ships mainly to eight African nations. Once up and running, the unit will supply LNG to a Karpowership vessel, which covers around 15% of Senegalese supply and has until now run on oil like most of the country’s power plants. “This project aims to provide reliable, affordable and cleaner power,” Senelec said. It did not say when the FSRU would be opera...
More than 90 killed in Myanmar in one of bloodiest days of protests
Security forces killed more than 90 people across Myanmar on Saturday in one of the bloodiest days of protests since a military coup last month, news reports and witnesses said. The lethal crackdown came on Armed Forces Day. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the junta leader, said during a parade in the capital Naypyitaw to mark the event that the military would protect the people and strive for democracy. State television had said on Friday that protesters risked being shot “in the head and back”. Despite this, demonstrators against the Feb. 1 coup came out on the streets of Yangon, Mandalay and other towns. The Myanmar Now news portal said 91 people were killed across the country by security forces. A boy reported by local media to be as young as five was among at least 29 people killed in...
Japan releases softball squad for Tokyo Olympic Games
Japanese softball team head coach Reika Utsugi has urged her players to capture Olympic gold on home soil after naming a 15-strong squad for Tokyo 2020. The team features Yukiko Ueno, captain Yamada Eri and Yukiyo Mine who helped Japan clinch softball gold at Beijing 2008 – the last time the sport featured at the Games. Pitchers Yamato Fujita and Miu Goto, who was named Most Valuable Player in last season’s Japan Women’s Softball League, as well as star outfielder Saki Yamazaki are other notable names. Haruka Agatsuma, Nayu Kiyohara, Mana Atsumi, Yuka Ichiguchi, Hitomi Kawabata, Minori Naito, Yu Yamamoto, Nodoka Harada and Sayaka Mori have also been chosen. “Of course, skills and physical competence are the necessary elements,” said Utsugi. “But in selecting the 15 members, we also took th...
Tokyo 2021: Japan, medical experts disagree over safe Olympics
Japanese infectious disease specialist Atsuo Hamada wants to see the Olympics happen in Tokyo this summer, but admits if they were being held anywhere else, he’d probably support a cancellation. “Even without the coronavirus pandemic, the Olympics as a mass gathering fosters all sorts of infectious diseases,” Hamada, a professor at Tokyo Medical University, told AFP. With less than six months until the pandemic-postponed Games, organisers say they’re confident the event will be safe. But some medical experts aren’t so sure, and think cancellation is safer. “I do understand the athletes’ sentiments,” said Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at Britain’s University of Southampton. “But I think from… the global public health point of view, there’s nothing about the Olympic...
Japan to halt all new entries from abroad next week
Japan will halt all new non-resident foreign arrivals coming from overseas from Monday until late January, Tokyo said Saturday, as the country reported its first cases of a new strain of the coronavirus. Japan currently restricts entry for foreigners from most countries over fears of the virus, requiring all visitors to undergo mandatory quarantine upon arrival. Tokyo now plans to strengthen those requirements: Japanese travellers and foreign residents from countries where the new coronavirus strain has been reported must take tests within 72 hours ahead of their departure for the country and again upon arrival at Japanese airports. It will also strengthen quarantine requirements on all travellers returning to Japan. Citing the Japanese government, the Jiji Press and Kyodo agencies said th...
European Union backs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for WTO role
The European Union has endorsed former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director-general of the World Trade Organisation, Bloomberg reported. The business news outlet cited anonymous officials familiar with the matter that all the 27 EU member countries agreed on Monday in Brussels to support Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala. Bloomberg also reported that the United States has decided to back Yoo Myung-hee, South Korea’s trade minister, for the role. The position has been fiercely contested amongst candidates of different countries since Roberto Azevedo resigned in August. Last month, Okonjo-Iweala and Myung-hee were selected as the last two candidates in the contest. The EU’s endorsement is seen as a significant boost for Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy, with the final winner expected...
Thomas Bach urges organisers to ignore Tokyo 2020 doubters
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Thomas Bach, has urged organisers to focus on the preparations for next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo as a virtual Coordination Commission meeting got underway. The Coordination Commission, chaired by IOC vice-president John Coates, is set to discuss ways to stage Tokyo 2020 during the pandemic with Tokyo city, Government officials and members of the Organising Committee. Virtual meetings held in two days are expected to focus on simplification measures to reduce the cost of the postponed Games and coronavirus countermeasures. Bach addressed organisers over a video conference call. “Nobody can expect from us that we know already, exactly what needs to be done in 10 month from now to ensure a safe environment for everybody,” he...
Arsenal beat Liverpool on penalties to lift FA Community Shield
Arsenal beat Liverpool 5-4 on penalties on Saturday to lift the Community Shield, the curtain-raiser for the English domestic season, after the two sides played out a 1-1 draw on a chilly afternoon at Wembley. Gunners captain and match goal-scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang blasted home the final penalty of the afternoon to complete the north London side’s second win over the league champions in the space of six weeks following a shortened summer break. “We are improving. There is still work to do but I’m really happy and it’s an exciting time to be an Arsenal player,” Aubameyang told BT Sport after the match. It was the Gunners’ second trophy within a month following the side’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea on Aug. 1. The game was a very even and at times rather slow affair, with Liverpool...
Japan’s premier returns from hospital, says to do his best at his job
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on Monday, said he wanted to do everything to maintain his health and do his utmost at his job. Abe made the brief remarks following his return from a second hospital visit that has stoked concern about his health. Abe, who has been the target of deepening speculation that he may resign due to his health issues, on Monday visited a Tokyo hospital for the second time within days. He was speaking to reporters after returning to his official residence from the hospital. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing phot...
BTS Serenade with Sweet “Stay Gold” Single: Stream
BTS are releasing a new Japanese-language album next month titled Map of the Soul : 7 ~ The Journey ~. The 13-track effort expands on the excellent Map of the Soul : 7 from earlier this year, boasting two new original songs. One of those, “Stay Gold”, has been released today and it features the K-pop boyband in full serenade mode. “Stay gold, even in a dream/ Stay gold/ I’ll find you,” BTS sing during the swooning chorus. “Stay gold, gold/ I want to see you/ Stay gold/ You are everything/ Stay gold/ For everyone.” It’s the perfect sweet morsel of love and warmth the world needs right about now. Hear it for yourself below. This new offering comes just as BTS made chart history in Japan. According to Forbes, newly released mid-year reports show that BTS topped the country’s 2020 album ...
Naomi Osaka overtakes Serena Williams as world’s highest-paid female athlete
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has become the world’s highest-paid female athlete, making US$37.4 million (S$50 million) in the past 12 months for an earnings record, Forbes magazine reported on Friday. The 22-year-old Asian star, a two-time Grand Slam champion, edged US rival Serena Williams by US$1.4 million in prize money and endorsement income over the past year. Both shattered the old single-year earnings mark of US$29.7 million set in 2015 by Russia’s Maria Sharapova, who retired in February with five Grand Slam titles, including a career Slam. “To those outside the tennis world, Osaka is a relatively fresh face with a great back story,” University of Southern California sports business professor David Carter told Forbes. “Combine that with being youthful and bicultural – two attri...
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