News Headlines - 09 March 2021

▽Italy's coronavirus death toll passes 100,000, situation worsening | Reuters

Italy’s coronavirus death toll passed the 100,000 mark on Monday and Prime Minister Mario Draghi warned that the situation was worsening again with a jump in hospitalisations.
Italy is the seventh country in the world to reach the bleak milestone, following the United States, Brazil, Mexico, India, Russia and Britain... It took nine months for Italy to register its first 50,000 deaths, and just 3-1/2 months to double it.

▽Japan's Terumo says makes syringe to draw seven doses from Pfizer vaccine vials | Reuters

Japan’s Terumo Corp said on Tuesday it has developed a new syringe that can get seven doses out of each vial of COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer Inc, at least one more than accessible with existing syringes.
The health ministry approved the design on Friday, and Terumo will begin production at the end of March, a Terumo spokesman told Reuters. The Kyodo News agency, which first reported the development, said Terumo is aiming to make 20 million units this year.

▽Japan Cabinet approves bill to reduce plastic waste, encourage recycling - The Mainichi

A bill aimed at improving Japan's plastic recycling practices and cutting down on waste was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday.
The bill, expected to come into force in April 2022, will promote a series of new measures ranging from recycling a wider range of waste to reducing the use of plastic at restaurants and retail stores.
Currently, many local governments only allow certain types of plastic waste to be recycled, like food takeout trays and bottles, and collect them separately. But the bill will urge them to collect a wider range of plastic waste, including stationery and toys, and pick the different types of plastic up from households at one time.

▽Breathtaking moment a Russian ballerina dances real ‘Swan Lake’ on ice - Classic FM

The wintry backdrop of Swan Lake is usually an expertly designed set with frost-tipped props. But for Mariinsky Theatre dancer Ilmira Bagrautinova, her performance of Tchaikovsky’s timeless ballet was a little more ecologically authentic.
Taking to the bitter ice on the frozen Gulf of Finland in a feathered tutu and ballet shoes, the Russian dancer pirouetted and twirled before the breathtaking glacial landscape, in freezing temperatures of -15C.
The performance wasn’t just a moment of beautiful ballet, but an eco-activism statement to protect the species that nest in this snowy setting, an area now jeopardised by the potential construction of a new port.

▽Jack Dorsey is offering to sell the first tweet as an NFT

The Twitter CEO shared a link Friday afternoon to a platform called “Valuables,” where his March 21, 2006 tweet “just setting up my twttr” was up for bidding. The highest offer is from Sina Estavi, CEO of Bridge Oracle, for $2.5 million as of Saturday afternoon, according to the website.