News Headlines - 24 May 2021

▽Tokyo Olympics: anger in Japan at IOC call to make ‘sacrifices’ | The Guardian

The International Olympic Committee’s insistence that “sacrifices” must be made to ensure the Games go ahead in Tokyo regardless of the coronavirus situation in Japan has sparked a backlash and more calls for them to be cancelled.
John Coates, an IOC vice president, drew criticism in Japan after saying the Games would proceed even if the host city was still under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus. “The answer is absolutely yes,” Coates, who is overseeing preparations, said when asked on Friday if he thought they could be delivered despite the restrictions... On Saturday, Bach, who has been criticised for referring to the “resilience” of the Japanese people, told a meeting of the International Hockey Federation: “The athletes definitely can make their Olympic dreams come true. We have to make some sacrifices to make this possible.”
While it was not clear to whom Bach was referring when he called for sacrifices to be made, many assumed he had the Japanese public in mind.

▽UN chief says world at ‘war’ against COVID-19 | Al Jazeera

The world is “at war” against COVID-19, the UN chief says, calling for the application of wartime logic to the inequitable access to the weapons needed to fight the pandemic.
Addressing the opening of the World Health Organization’s annual assembly of member states on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres decried the “tsunami of suffering” sparked by the coronavirus crisis.
He pointed out that more than 3.4 million people have died and some 500 million jobs have disappeared since the disease first surfaced in China in late 2019.

▽Black fungus: India reports nearly 9,000 cases of rare infection - BBC News

India has reported more than 8,800 cases of deadly "black fungus" in a growing epidemic of the disease.
The normally rare infection, called mucormycosis, has a mortality rate of 50%, with some only saved by removing an eye.
But in recent months, India saw thousands of cases affecting recovered and recovering Covid-19 patients.
Doctors say there is a link with the steroids used to treat Covid. Diabetics are at particular risk.

▽Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court in person for first time since coup | The Japan Times

Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in person at a court hearing on Monday for the first time since her government was overthrown by the military in a Feb. 1 coup, her lawyer said.
Suu Kyi appeared to be in good health and held a face-to-face meeting with her legal team for about 30 minutes before the hearing, lawyer Thae Maung Maung said.

▽'Demon Slayer' film tops 40 bil. yen at box office | NHK WORLD

The Japanese animated film "Kimetsu no Yaiba," or "Demon Slayer," has earned a record 40 billion yen, or about 370 million dollars in domestic box office sales.The film's distributor says nearly 29 million people have watched the movie in theaters across Japan from October 16 to Sunday.