Key words : three more serious
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210514_12/
The Japanese government plans to add three more prefectures to its state of emergency as coronavirus cases continue to surge nationwide.
Six prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, are under a state of emergency until the end of this month.
The government plans to add three more prefectures -- Hokkaido, Okayama and Hiroshima -- to the state of emergency, starting Sunday. Those prefectures are experiencing surges and their medical systems are strained.
Intensive measures, which don't fall under a state of emergency, are currently in place in eight prefectures, including those that neighbor the capital.
Hokkaido is one of those prefectures, but it will be upgraded to the state of emergency on Sunday.
And the government will add three other prefectures, including Gunma, Ishikawa and Kumamoto, to the intensive measures list from Sunday.
On Friday morning, officials consulted with the government's expert panel about the plan.
Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi, who is in charge of the coronavirus response, said, "The number of new cases is rising not only in the capital but across the country. That includes the Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu regions."
Nishimura expressed concern over transmissible variants, noting that young generations are particularly at risk of developing serious symptoms.
Researchers at Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases say that variants carrying the N501Y mutation are likely to account for about 90 percent of new cases.
On Thursday, over 6,800 new infections were confirmed nationwide.
Key words : seven &
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210515_12/
Major Japanese retailer Seven & i Holdings says it has completed the purchase of a US refinery's chain of gas stations with convenience stores.
Marathon Petroleum Corporation's Speedway unit runs around 3,800 outlets across the United States, making it the country's third largest convenience store chain.
Seven & i announced that the 21 billion-dollar deal had been completed as of Friday.
The Japanese retail giant is already the leading convenience store operator in the US with more than 9,000 outlets. But it hopes to widen the lead by further expanding the number of outlets.
It is aiming to bolster its overseas business amid poor prospects for growth in the domestic market, due partly to Japan's shrinking population.
Gasoline currently accounts for more than half of Speedway's sales. But Seven & i is looking to boost sales from convenience store operations by taking advantage of its expertise in retailing business.
In response to the announcement, two US Federal Trade Commission officials said, "We have reason to believe this transaction is illegal." In a statement, they warned that the move could raise "significant competitive concerns in hundreds of local retail gasoline and diesel fuel markets across the country."
The statement is not legally binding and cannot block the deal. However, it has revealed a lack of consensus in the FTC, which could affect the US operations of Seven & i, depending on the outcome of future investigations.
Seven & i issued a comment, saying it has been working closely with relevant parties over the acquisition of Speedway. It added that it is currently collecting information.
In a separate comment, the US subsidiary of Seven & i expressed disappointment. The company said the acquisition was "legally allowed" and that "statements or implications to the contrary are false."
Key words : researcher oxygen
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210515_08/
A group of researchers in Japan says experiments using rodents and pigs have shown oxygen delivered through the rectum can be effective against respiratory failure. The group says if the procedure is applied to humans, it could help patients who need artificial respirators.
The group based its study on the fact freshwater fish called loaches can absorb oxygen through their hindgut to survive in environments where oxygen is scarce. The scientists studied whether mammals' intestines could do the same.
The experiments were conducted on laboratory mice, pigs and rats induced with respiratory failure. An oxygen-rich liquid was infused into the rectum via the anus.
The researchers say they confirmed oxygen levels in the bloodstream increased significantly in both rodents and pigs. They say that in pigs, an infusion of 400 milliliters of the liquid improved the condition of respiratory failure for 20 minutes.
The group says the experiments suggest the oxygen was absorbed through the intestines from the liquid.
Group member Professor Takebe Takanori of the Tokyo Medical and Dental University says he hopes to conduct further studies so the method may be applied to humans suffering respiratory distress. He pointed out some patients lose their lives due to a shortage of ventilators and other devices amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Key words : probe on mars
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210515_11/
China says it has successfully landed a probe on Mars, becoming the third country to do so after the Soviet Union and the United States.
The China National Space Administration announced that the Tianwen-1 spacecraft landed on Mars after 11 p.m. UTC, on Friday.
A rover carried by the spacecraft is expected to be deployed to explore the planet's surface. Only the US has succeeded in planetary exploration on Mars.
Tianwen-1 was launched in July last year, and has been orbiting Mars since February.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a congratulatory message to the people involved that their efforts have placed China among the world's advanced countries in planetary exploration."
China is accelerating its space development efforts in a bid to become a major space power. Beijing is expected to tout the achievement in the lead up to celebrations for the Chinese Communist Party's 100th anniversary in July.
Space activities around Mars have intensified since the planet moved closer to Earth in July last year. A US rover has been on the surface of Mars since February. The United Arab Emirates has also put a spacecraft into orbit around the planet.
Key words : hong kong freeze
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210515_04/
The Hong Kong government has frozen assets belonging to media tycoon Jimmy Lai, citing the territory's national security law.
The government announced on Friday that it was freezing shares and property in local bank accounts. Hong Kong media outlets say the assets are worth tens of millions of dollars.
Lai is the founder of the Apple Daily newspaper, which is known to be critical of Beijing.
He was sentenced to prison last month for taking part in unauthorized assemblies during pro-democracy protests. He is also on trial for allegedly colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security.
The Apple Daily says Lai holds a 71-percent stake in its parent company, but that the asset freeze will not affect the paper's publication or finances.
Some citizens are concerned about the future of the newspaper due to rapidly increasing pressure on media critical of Hong Kong authorities.
This is believed to be the first time that assets have been frozen under the national security law.
Key words : explosion afghan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210515_03/
An explosion at a mosque in Afghanistan has killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 20 others.
The blast took place during Friday prayers on the outskirts of the capital Kabul.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
On May 8, a vehicle laden with explosives detonated near the entrance gate of a school in Kabul, followed by more blasts nearby.
More than 80 people including students were killed.
US troops are in the process of withdrawing from Afghanistan by September 11.
Key words : israeli military responding
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210515_06/
At least 10 Palestinians have reportedly died in clashes with Israeli security forces in the West Bank amid an escalation in violence.
Airstrikes by the Israeli military and rocket attacks by the Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas have left 122 people dead in the Gaza Strip and seven in Israel.
The violence has spread to West Bank cities including Ramallah and Bethlehem.
The Israeli military is considering a possible ground invasion of the Gaza Strip as it continues to launch air and ground attacks. Hamas is responding with rockets and drones.
On Saturday, Palestinians commemorate Nakba, or the Catastrophe, which saw them displaced in their hundreds of thousands following the founding of Israel in 1948.
There are concerns that growing anti-Israel sentiment could lead to further unrest.
Key words : gas shortage
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210515_09/
Gas shortages continue to hit pumps across the south of the US following a cyberattack on one of the country's largest pipeline networks.
The breach one week ago by a Russia-based hacker group known as DarkSide forced Colonial Pipeline to shut down operations over its roughly 9,000 kilometers of pipelines spanning the south and east of the US.
The firm was able to restart operations on Wednesday, but many gas stations in southern states are still running low on supplies or have none at all.
A tracking service website shows that about 65 percent of gas stations in North Carolina are empty. Forty-eight percent in South Carolina and 47 percent in Georgia are also without supplies.
Bloomberg has reported that Colonial Pipeline paid a ransom of 5 million dollars to the hacker group.
Other media have reported that DarkSide lost access to its public website and was shutting down.
The New York Times reported DarkSide as saying in its statement, "Due to the pressure from the US, the affiliate program is closed."
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