Monday, May 24, 2021

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India virus death toll passes 300,000, 3rd highest in world

Posted: 24 May 2021 12:46 AM PDT

NEW DELHI -- India crossed another grim milestone Monday, Mays 24, of more than 300,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of infections appeared to be easing in big cities but was swamping the poorer countryside.

The milestone, as recorded by India's health ministry, comes as slowed vaccine deliveries have marred the country's fight against the pandemic, forcing many to miss their shots, and a rare but fatal fungal infection affecting Covid-19 patients has worried doctors.

India's death toll is the third-highest reported in the world, accounting for 8.6 percent of the nearly 34.7 million coronavirus fatalities globally, though the true numbers are thought to be significantly greater.

The health ministry Monday reported 4,454 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing India's total fatalities to 303,720. It also reported 222,315 new infections, which raised the overall total to nearly 27 million. Both are almost certainly undercounts.

From the remote Himalayan villages in the north, through the vast humid central plains and to the sandy beaches in the south, the pandemic has swamped India's underfunded health care system after spreading fast across the country.

In the capital, New Delhi, residents have died at home with no oxygen as hospitals exhausted limited supplies. In Mumbai, Covid-19 patients have died in crowded hospital corridors. In rural villages, fever and breathlessness took people before they were even tested for coronavirus.

While the megacities have seen signs of improvement in recent days, the virus isn't finished with India by any means. It appears to have already taken a ghastly toll in the country's vast rural areas, where a majority of the people live and where health care is limited.

In recent weeks, hundreds of bodies have washed up on the banks of the Ganges River in Uttar Pradesh state. Many others have been found buried in shallow graves along its sandy banks. It has prompted concerns that they're the remains of Covid-19 victims.

India's vaccination drive has also slowed recently, and many states say they don't have enough vaccines to administer.

The world's largest vaccine-producing nation has fully vaccinated just over 41.6 million people, or only 3.8 percent of its nearly 1.4 billion population.

The first known Covid-19 death in India happened on March 12, 2020, in southern Karnataka state. It took seven months to reach the first 100,000 dead. The toll hit 200,000 deaths in late April. The next 100,000 deaths were recorded in just 27 days after new infections tore through dense cities and rural areas alike and overwhelmed health care systems on the brink of collapse.

Average daily deaths and cases have slightly decreased in the past few weeks and the government on Sunday said it is conducting the highest number of Covid-19 tests, with more than 2.1 million samples tested in the previous 24 hours. (AP)

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Booker, Ayton lead Suns past Lakers in playoff debuts

Posted: 23 May 2021 10:15 PM PDT

PHOENIX — Devin Booker scored 34 points, Deandre Ayton had 21 points and 16 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns won their first playoff game in 11 years, beating the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers 99-90 on Sunday.

It was the first playoff game for several Suns players, including Booker, Ayton and Mikal Bridges, but they didn't look like postseason rookies against LeBron James and the Lakers. They helped Phoenix offset a tough game for Chris Paul, the All-Star point guard who didn't look healthy after a right shoulder injury in the second quarter.

The Suns led 86-70 early in the fourth, but the Lakers cut it to 86-77 with 9:02 left.

That's about the time things got rowdy. L.A.'s Alex Caruso and Phoenix's Cameron Payne got into an altercation near the sideline after Payne knocked Caruso to the ground. L.A.'s Montrezl Harrell jumped into the fray and both teams had to be separated. Caruso and Harrell were each given a technical foul, and Payne was given two and ejected.

But Booker kept making shots and Ayton was a force on the glass, finishing with eight offense rebounds and shooting 10 of 11 from the field.

James had 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Anthony Davis shot just 5 of 16 from the field and had 13 points. The Lakers shot 7 of 26 (27%) from 3-point range.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Phoenix.

HAWKS 107, KNICKS 105

NEW YORK — Trae Young made a runner in the lane with 0.9 seconds left to lift Atlanta past New York in a thrilling postseason return for both teams.

Young finished with 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He frustrated the Knicks with his ability to draw fouls and made all nine free throws when he did.

Bogdan Bogdanovic added 18 points for the Hawks in their first postseason game since 2017.

Alec Burks scored 27 points for the Knicks, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Derrick Rose scored 17 points, but Julius Randle shot just 6 for 23 while finishing with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Knicks host Game 2 on Wednesday night.

GRIZZLIES 112, JAZZ 109

SALT LAKE CITY — Dillon Brooks had 31 points and seven rebounds in his playoff debut and eighth-seeded Memphis held off Utah in Game 1.

After Utah trailed by 17 in the fourth quarter, Bojan Bogdanovic hit five free throws in the final minute to cut it to 110-109 with 6.4 seconds left. Brooks made a layup, and Bogdanovic badly missed a long 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds to go.

Ja Morant added 26 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Kyle Anderson added 14 points.

Bogdanovic scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. Mike Conley had 22 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds, and Rudy Gobert added 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

76ERS 125, WIZARDS 118

PHILADELPHIA — Tobias Harris scored 37 points, Joel Embiid had 30 and Philadelphia beat Washington in Game 1.

Harris scored 28 points in the first half, making a case Philly has — with All-Stars Embiid and Ben Simmons — three big stars that could rival the superstar trio of Kevin Durant-James Harden-Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn.

Bradley Beal scored 33 points for Washington. Russell Westbrook had 16.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Philadelphia. (AP)

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Drake, Pink, The Weeknd win big at Billboard Music Awards

Posted: 23 May 2021 08:55 PM PDT

NEW YORK — It was a family affair at the Billboard Music Awards: Pink twirled in the air in a powerful performance with her daughter, and Drake was named artist of the decade, accepting the honor alongside his 3-year-old son.

Drake, who extended his record as the most decorated winner in the history of the awards show to 29 wins Sunday, was surrounded by family and friends who presented him with the Artist of the Decade Award. He walked onstage outside the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles with his son Adonis holding his hand.

"I wanna dedicate this award to my friends, to my longtime collaborators ... to my beautiful family, and to you," he said, looking to Adonis and picking him up to kiss him.

Drake placed his first song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2009, and since has logged the most songs ever on the chart, with 232 entrees. He's also logged a record 45 Top 10 hits on the Hot 100 and a record 22 No. 1s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart.

He was also named top streaming songs artist Sunday.

Pink received the Icon Award and was joined onstage by her 9-year-old daughter — showing off their powerful gymnastic skills as they spun in the air in a jaw-dropping performance. Known for her signature aerial and acrobatic moves, Pink was matched by Willow Sage Hart as "Cover Me In Sunshine" played in the background, Pink's song featuring vocals from her daughter.

"Willow, you nailed it," Pink said after the performance. "I love what I do and I love the people that I get to do it with, and we're pretty good at what we do, but it wouldn't matter if no one came to see us and play with us. So all you guys out there ... thank you for coming out!"

Pink's performance was one of several pre-taped moments at the awards show, which aired on NBC and was hosted by Nick Jonas. Live performances were held outdoors, in front of feverish audience members wearing masks.

The Weeknd was on hand to accept the most wins of the night — 10. He walked into the show with 16 nominations, winning honors like top artist, top male artist, top Hot 100 song for "Blinding Lights" and top R&B album for "After Hours."

"I wanna take this opportunity to thank you, my parents," he said. "I am the man I am today because of you. And thank you to my fans, of course. I do not take this for granted."

The late rapper Pop Smoke was also a big winner: He posthumously earned five honors, including top new artist and top rap artist, while his debut — "Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon" — won top rap album and top Billboard 200 album, which his mother accepted onstage.

"Thank you to the fans for honoring the life and spirit of my son, so much that he continues to manifest as if he was still here in flesh," Audrey Jackson said.

Another late rapper was also honored during the show. Before presenting top rap song to DaBaby, Swizz Beatz dedicated a moment to those who have recently died in hip-hop, including his close friend and collaborator DMX. And Houston rapper and activist Trae Tha Truth, who earned the Change Maker Award, ended his speech with a powerful sentence: "We still gon' need justice for Breonna Taylor."

Other winners Sunday included Bad Bunny and BTS, who both won four awards and also performed. Breakthrough country singer Gabby Barrett won three awards, including top female country artist and top country song for the hit "I Hope." The song's remix featuring Charlie Puth won top collaboration.

"Oh my gosh. Thank y'all so much. This means so much to me," Barrett said as she broke into tears. "I've been performing for 10 years really hard. ...We've worked so hard to get here."

Another country star also won big Sunday though he wasn't allowed to participate in the show.

Morgan Wallen, who was caught on camera using a racial slur earlier this year, won three honors, including top country artist and top country album for "Dangerous: The Double Album," which has had major success on the pop and country music charts despite his fallen moment.

Wallen was nominated for six awards, and Billboard Awards producer dick clark productions said it couldn't prevent Wallen from earning nominations, or winning, because finalists are based on album and digital sales, streaming, radio airplay and social engagement. The producers did ban Wallen from performing or attending the show.

The Billboard Awards kicked off with a collaborative performance by DJ Khaled, H.E.R. and Migos, who brought the concert vibe back to life a year after live shows were in the dark because of the pandemic. Doja Cat and SZA — accompanied by futuristically dressed background dancers — sang their big hit "Kiss Me More" inside the venue, where the seats were empty. Alicia Keys, celebrating the 20th anniversary of her groundbreaking debut "songs in A minor," sang songs from the album including the hit "Fallin'." The performance was introduced by former first lady Michelle Obama.

Other performers included Karol G, twenty one pilots, Duran Duran, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jonas Brothers and Glass Animals.

Stars like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Kanye West won honors at the show though they didn't attend. Machine Gun Kelly, who started in rap but has had recent success on the rock charts, won top rock artist and top rock album.

"I released my first mixtape 15 years ago and this is the first big stage I've ever been invited to accept an award on," he said, kissing his actor-girlfriend Megan Fox before walking to the stage.

"To the box that society keeps trying to put me, you need stronger material because you can't keep me in it," he proclaimed. (AP)

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Japan opens mass vaccination centers 2 months before Games

Posted: 23 May 2021 08:33 PM PDT

TOKYO — Japan mobilized military doctors and nurses to give shots to elderly people in Tokyo and Osaka on Monday as the government desperately tries to accelerate its vaccination rollout and curb coronavirus infections just two months before hosting the Olympics.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is determined to hold the Olympics in Tokyo after a one-year delay and has made an ambitious pledge to finish vaccinating the country's 36 million elderly people by the end of July, despite skepticism it's possible. Worries about public safety while many Japanese remain unvaccinated have prompted growing protests and calls for canceling the Games set to start on July 23.

Suga's government has repeatedly expanded the area and duration of a virus state of emergency since late April and has made its virus-fighting measures stricter. But with Covid-19 cases still persistently high, Suga says vaccines are key to getting the infections under control.

At the two mass inoculation centers staffed by Japan's Self-Defense Forces, the aim is to inoculate up to 10,000 people per day in Tokyo and another 5,000 per day in Osaka for the next three months.

People inoculated at the centers on Monday were the first in Japan to receive doses from Moderna Inc., one of two foreign-developed vaccines Japan approved on Friday.

Previously Japan had used only Pfizer Inc., and only about 2% of the population of 126 million has received the required two doses.

Japan began vaccinating health care workers in mid-February while sticking to a standard requirement of clinical testing inside Japan — a decision many experts said was statistically meaningless and only caused delay.

Vaccinations for the next group — the elderly, who are more likely to suffer serious Covid-19 effects — started in mid-April but has been slwed by bureaucratic bumbling including reservation procedures, unclear distribution plans and shortage of medical staff to give shots.

Completion of Japan-developed vaccines is still uncertain, but Japanese government officials hope the approvals Friday of Moderna and AstraZeneca will help speed up the rollout.

Progress is still unclear because of the dire shortage of medical staff who can give shots while they are already busy treating Covid-19 patients. AstraZeneca's plans are also pending due to concerns about its rare blood-clotting in a country known for low confidence in vaccines.

Separately, several local governments, including Aichi in central Japan and Gunma near Tokyo and Miyagi in the north, were also to open their own large vaccination centers on Monday. (AP)

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