Ichiro hit record

Those needing critical care in the capital also reached a record 113 people, according to the metropolitan government. Toshio Nakagawa, head of the Japan Medical Association, called the situation "extremely serious" but stopped short of criticizing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for acting too slow to contain the latest outbreak, as some have suggested. "Please take this virus seriously, and don't think it's just another flu," Nakagawa said, warning hospital care was getting stretched thin. Japan has confirmed more than 250,000 cases, including over 3,700 deaths. Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, China's Hebei is enforcing stricter control measures following a further rise in coronavirus cases in the province adjacent to the capital Beijing that's due to host events for next year's Winter Olympics. The National Health Commission on Wednesday reported another 20 cases in Hebei, bringing the province's total to 39 since Sunday. The top provincial official said ... » Learn More about Tokyo cases hit record as govt mulls emergency

In this file photo taken on Jan 22, 2021 relatives of a Covid-19 victim mourn during a funeral at the Nossa Senhora Aparecida cemetery in Manaus, Brazil. BRASILIA: Brazil registered a record of Covid-19 deaths for the second straight day Wednesday, with 1,910 lives lost to the pandemic. With a surge in cases currently pushing health systems to the limit in many areas, Brazil has recorded a total of 259,271 deaths, according to the health ministry -- the second-highest death toll worldwide, after the United States. "For the first time since the pandemic began, we are seeing a deterioration across the entire country," public health institute Fiocruz said before the latest figures were published. "The situation is alarming." Brazil's 24-hour death toll had just set a new record Tuesday, at 1,641. The sprawling country of 212 million people is having its deadliest week of the pandemic, with an average of 1,331 deaths per day. Brazil has struggled to control Covid-19 ... » Learn More about Brazil reports 2nd straight day of record Covid deaths

A powerful series of undersea quakes struck north-east of New Zealand on Friday, but tsunami waves that forced many people on the country's North Island to flee to high ground passed without causing substantial damage. Officials had warned that waves could reach three metres (10 feet) above high tide levels after the quakes - the strongest a magnitude 8.1 - but the threat had passed by the afternoon, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said. "It's hard not to feel like our country is having a run of bad luck, when you have an earthquake, tsunami and pandemic to contend with all in one day," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. Video footage posted on social media showed surges of water entering a marina in Northland and on the North Island's East Cape region. Earlier on Friday, workers, students and residents in areas like Northland and Bay of Plenty, on the northern coast near Auckland, fled beachside towns for higher ground after the three quakes, ... » Learn More about Huge quakes hit near New Zealand, tsunami threat passes

Even if you’d been living under a rock you’ve probably heard someone mention the band BTS. The South Korean group has risen up through the ranks of K-Pop – a Korean musical blood sport – since 2013. From very humble beginnings indeed, they’ve risen from pimply youngsters with a dream into a 7-member powerhouse in the world’s pop industry. How big? Whilst there’s been ‘Beatlemania’, the stand-out genius of Michael Jackson, the YouTube-upstart Justin Bieber and the half-century run of The Rolling Stones, there’s never been anything quite like BTS. Everything about their rise to the top has broken the mould of pop music culture. Forgetting the thousands of ‘western’ pop hits to make it to the top of the Billboard Top 100, BTS boasts the most non-English-language top 10s at four, two more so far than their fellow South Korean, Psy. The last Asian performer to have a #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart was in 1963… ‘ Sukiyaki ‘, sung by Kyu Sakamoto. Even Psy’s phenomenal hit ‘Gangnam ... » Learn More about How BTS became the biggest band in the world

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya: The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) is facing a second wave of African swine fever (ASF) that has so far affected more than 7,000 farmers in the region. Narciso Edillo, DA Region 2 executive director, said the regional office adopted measures to combat the spread of the virus under the DA’s Bantay ASF sa Barangay program, also called BABay sa ASF. Except for the island province of Batanes, which remained ASF-free, the region is looking at rising cases of ASF, with Isabela province being the hardest hit with 31,669 culled pigs; followed by Cagayan province with 6,335; Quirino with 3,047; and Nueva Vizcaya with 2,707 as of February 19. Since February 1, Edillo said 7,354 farmers have been affected by the spread of ASF in 67 municipalities and 540 barangay (villages). Of the estimated 262,875 hog population in the region, 74,415 died. To control the spread of the disease, Edillo said the agency pushed for the immediate ... » Learn More about Region 2 fights 2nd wave of ASF

Since an association that cares for the community; its members have contributed cash donations and basic food supplies to help the underprivileged communities throughout the year. Since the donations have been both personal and corporate, the association has decided not to list them out of respect for some of our members privacy. The latest figures have recorded over 1 Billion MMK. This has been in monetary value as well as in kind. To assist the government in its efforts in achieving its financial aims for the people of Myanmar, its member companies have also paid out taxes especially the specific goods tax (SGT) and Commercial Tax (CT) where they have been recorded as consisting of 90% of the top 10 and 50 taxpayers for the 2018-2019 assessment year. The association’s plead to the government is that for 2021 to reconsider the increase in taxes as both our internal economies as well as the external trade have been deeply affected by the economic turmoil that the covid-19 ... » Learn More about Myanmar Liquor Association (MLA) announces year-end activities for 2020

The outbreak of the African swine fever (ASF) was first officially recorded in September 2019 in one of the backyard hog raisers in Rodriguez, Rizal. Animal scientists hypothesized that the ASF virus must have originated from leftover food (kaning baboy or swill in the local language) collected by backyard hog raisers from major restaurants and hotels in Metro Manila and then fed to their pigs. From there, the virus spread to Bulacan and other Central Luzon provinces where carcasses of infected animals were sold or used by meat processors. At present, around half of the country’s provinces located in nine regions have been hit by the ASF. Most of those affected are located in the island of Luzon, particularly Central Luzon and the Calabarzon regions which produced 18.2 percent and 17.2 percent, respectively (more than 35 percent), of total hog production in 2019. Impacts on supply and prices As a result, total hog population, which is estimated by the Philippine Statistics ... » Learn More about ASF and the recovery of our local hog industry

The two "black boxes" could supply key clues as to why the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 plunged about 10,000 feet in less than a minute before slamming into the Java Sea soon after take-off on Saturday, taking with it 62 people. Divers just off the coast of Jakarta had hauled the data recorder to the surface Tuesday, with the hunt now focused on finding a voice recorder on the wreckage-littered seabed. The discovery came as a team from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) prepared to join the investigation in the capital, along with staff from Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration and jet engine producer GE Aviation. While dozens of boats and helicopters searched for wreckage, poor conditions forced divers to temporarily suspend their hunt. "It was called off...due to bad weather. All divers are now on standby," said search and rescue agency spokesman Yusuf Latif. A remotely operated underwater vehicle was still searching the ... » Learn More about Hunt for cockpit tapes after Indonesia jet crash

Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks drives to the net against Bobby Portis #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden on December 27, 2020 in New York City. Mike Stobe/Getty Images/AFP Julius Randle recorded a game-high 29 points and 14 rebounds Sunday night as the New York Knicks led almost the entire way in a stunning 130-110 win over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks. The win by the Knicks snapped a five-game losing streak against the Bucks dating back to Dec. 25, 2018. Milwaukee won the three games between the teams last season by a combined 91 points. Elfrid Payton had 27 points and seven assists for the Knicks, who won for the first time under new head coach Tom Thibodeau. Alec Burks scored 18 points off the bench while RJ Barrett added 17 points and eight rebounds for New York, which shot 54.1 percent (46-of-85) from the field, including 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from 3-point range. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks, who were just ... » Learn More about Randle, Knicks stun Bucks in rout

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is likely to maintain an accommodative monetary-policy setting this year as the country’s headline inflation rose for another month. This is according to analysts from ANZ Research, ING Bank Manila, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and HSBC. ANZ Research economist Kanika Bhatnagar and chief economist Sanjay Mathur believe there is no compelling reason for the central bank to stray from its current monetary policy stance this year. The BSP retained its key interest rates at their record low last month. Overnight borrowing, lending and deposit rates remained at 2.00 percent, 1.50 percent and 2.50 percent, respectively. “However, we are cognizant of a possible ‘second-round’ impact of higher food and fuel inflation on inflation expectations and spillover effects on the prices of other goods and services,” the ANZ economists warned. The Philippine Statistics Authority announced on Friday that ... » Learn More about BSP to maintain rates amid higher inflation