Tag Archives: encourages

Final Fantasy Tactics director encourages fans begging for a remake to give Unicorn Overlord their support: “The market for tactical RPGs is small” – Gamesradar

  1. Final Fantasy Tactics director encourages fans begging for a remake to give Unicorn Overlord their support: “The market for tactical RPGs is small” Gamesradar
  2. Apparently ‘Unicorn Overlord’ Already Has Issues With Its Localization Forbes
  3. The Localization Labyrinth: Unicorn Overlord’s Controversial Adaptation Sparks Debate Medriva
  4. ‘Final Fantasy Tactics’ Director Responds To Western Localization Discourse Surrounding ‘Unicorn Overlord’: “It Is Unacceptable For Someone To Alter A Work Without Considering The Original Author’s Intent” Bounding Into Comics

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Blinken says decisions like Iran prisoner swap are “hard” ones to make, amid concerns it encourages hostage-taking – CBS News

  1. Blinken says decisions like Iran prisoner swap are “hard” ones to make, amid concerns it encourages hostage-taking CBS News
  2. What’s behind the US-Iran prisoner swap? | The Take Al Jazeera English
  3. Here’s the NJ backstory to Iran prisoner swap: It’s all about ‘frozen’ assets – Kelly NorthJersey.com
  4. Republicans wrong on prisoner release [letter] | Letters To The Editor | lancasteronline.com LNP | LancasterOnline
  5. US Grants Conditional Clemency to 2 Iranians Staying in US After Prisoner Swap; Status of 3rd Unclear Voice of America – VOA News
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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SAG-AFTRA Encourages Members to Promote Projects With Interim Agreements at Fall Film Festivals – Hollywood Reporter

  1. SAG-AFTRA Encourages Members to Promote Projects With Interim Agreements at Fall Film Festivals Hollywood Reporter
  2. Indie Film Producers Frustrated By SAG-AFTRA’s Interim Agreement Process, Fear Early-Stage Projects Will Vanish If They Can’t Lock Casts Deadline
  3. SAG-AFTRA Encourages Members to Promote Interim Agreement Productions Ahead of Fall Festivals Variety
  4. Why Strike Season Is a Great Time to Make a Short Film (Guest Blog) TheWrap
  5. SAG-AFTRA Encourages Actors to Promote at Fall Fests if Movies Have Signed Interim Agreements IndieWire
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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SAG-AFTRA Encourages Members to Promote Projects With Interim Agreements at Fall Film Festivals – Hollywood Reporter

  1. SAG-AFTRA Encourages Members to Promote Projects With Interim Agreements at Fall Film Festivals Hollywood Reporter
  2. Indie Film Producers Frustrated By SAG-AFTRA’s Interim Agreement Process, Fear Early-Stage Projects Will Vanish If They Can’t Lock Casts Deadline
  3. SAG-AFTRA Encourages Members to Promote Interim Agreement Productions Ahead of Fall Festivals Variety
  4. Why Strike Season Is a Great Time to Make a Short Film (Guest Blog) TheWrap
  5. SAG-AFTRA Tells Members It’s OK To Promote Their Movies With Interim Agreements At Film Festivals Deadline
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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CDC encourages people to wear masks to prevent spread of Covid, flu, RSV

The Centers for Disease Control Prevention on Monday encouraged people to wear masks to help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses this season as Covid, flu and RSV circulate at the same time.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, in a call with reporters, said wearing a mask is one of several everyday precautions that people can take to reduce their chances of catching or spreading a respiratory virus during the busy holiday season.

“We also encourage you to wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses,” said Walensky, adding that people living in areas with high levels of Covid transmission should especially consider masking.

The CDC director said the agency is considering expanding its system of Covid community levels to take into account other respiratory viruses such as the flu. The system is the basis for when CDC advises the public to wear masks. But Walensky encouraged people to take proactive action.

“One need not wait on CDC action in order to put a mask on,” Walensky said. “We would encourage all of those preventive measures — hand washing, staying home when you’re sick, masking, increased ventilation — during respiratory virus season, but especially in areas of high Covid-19 community levels.”

About 5% of the U.S. population lives in counties where the CDC is officially recommending masks due to high Covid levels. The CDC continues to recommend masking for anyone travelling by plane, train, bus or other forms of public transportation, Walensky said.

People with weak immune systems and those who otherwise face a heightened risk of severe disease should also consider wearing a mask, the CDC director said.

Walensky strongly encouraged everyone eligible to receive their flu shot and Covid booster. Flu vaccination coverage is lagging for at-risk groups — children under age 5, pregnant women, and at-risk seniors — compared with last year, the CDC director said. There is no vaccine for RSV.

“I want to emphasize that the flu vaccine can be life saving and importantly, there’s still time to get vaccinated to be protected against flu this season and its potential serious consequences,” Walensky said.

The flu has arrived early and hit the U.S. hard with hospitalizations at a decade high for this time of year. More than 8.7 million people have fallen ill, 78,000 have been hospitalized, and 4,500 people have died from the flu this season, according to CDC data. Fourteen children have died from the flu so far this season.

More than 19,000 people were hospitalized with the flu during the week ending Nov. 26, nearly double the previous week, according to CDC data.

People hospitalized with Covid also increased 27% during the week ending Dec. 2, according to CDC data. And respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, has been hospitalizing children at higher rate than in previous years. Walensky said RSV appears to have peaked in the Southeast and may be leveling off in the Mid-Atlantic, though circulation of the virus remains high in much of the nation.

“We now face yet another surge of illness. Another moment of overstretched capacity and really one of tragic and often preventable death,” Walensky said, as she thanked health-care workers for their service during the repeated surges of illness they have confronted since the Covid pandemic began.

Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, board chair of the American Medical Association, said the circulation of Covid, flu and RSV at the same is a “a perfect storm for a terrible holiday season.” Fryhofer said she understands many people are tired of receiving repeated Covid shots, but getting vaccinated is the best way to avoiding falling ill over the holidays.

“You could get really, really sick this year and ruin your holiday celebrations if you don’t get vaccinated,” Fryhofer said during Monday’s call.

The Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics last month asked the Biden administration to declare a public health emergency in response to the surge of pediatric hospitalizations from RSV and the flu.

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Hong Kong stocks extend rally as China encourages elderly vaccination

China says it is ‘closely watching’ virus developments when asked about shift in policy

Chinese health authorities said that officials are “closely watching” the developments of Covid when asked if protests in the region would lead to shifts in its zero-Covid policy.

“China has been following and closely watching the virus as it evolves and mutates,” officials said, according to a translation of Tuesday’s briefing.

– Christine Wang, Evelyn Cheng

China announces measures to boost elderly vaccination

China’s health authorities released a plan to boost elderly vaccination, according to a notice on the National Health Commission’s website.

Hong Kong-listed shares of CanSino Biologics extended gains in the afternoon session and rose as much as 18% shortly after the announcement was posted.

The notice said authorities should use multiple data points to accurately identify target groups for vaccination for the elderly.

Pinpoint Asset Management expects a positive message to be delivered at China Covid briefing

China’s state council is expected to deliver a positive message at the upcoming Covid press conference, but the announcement will not include a “milestone,” said Pinpoint Asset Management’s President Zhiwei Zhang.

“I think the message would be positive actually … there are quite many positive signals coming from the central and local governments,” said Zhang, who cited examples such as the government allowing residential compounds in Beijing to be opened.

However, he cautioned that the reopening will be a “long process” all the way leading up to March next year, and said the “medical system may not be able to support the transition” especially for the immediate winter season. 

— Lee Ying Shan

Currency check: Asia-Pacific currencies strengthen sharply, led by the Chinese yuan

Both the onshore and offshore Chinese yuan strengthened against the dollar in Asia’s session ahead of a press conference on Covid measures.

The greenback lost 1.09% against the offshore yuan and 0.65% against the onshore yuan, with both trading around 7.16-levels. The offshore yuan traded near 7.24 per dollar before it strengthened sharply.

Other Asia-Pacific currencies also gained against the dollar. The Australian dollar was up at $0.6701 after jumping from around $0.66-levels, and the Korean won was at 1,326.79 per dollar compared with around 1,340 earlier on Tuesday.

— Abigail Ng

Chinese indexes pop ahead of Covid briefing

Indexes in China jumped more than 2% as investors closely watched for developments in the nation’s zero-Covid policy after seeing losses in the previous session.

China’s CSI 300 index rose 2.97% in the morning session, while the Shanghai Composite climbed 2.2%. The Shenzhen Component Index gained 2.172%.

Local media reported that the Chinese State Council will hold a press conference on Covid measures at 3 p.m. local time, or 2 a.m. ET.

The nation saw a drop in the number of daily infections for the first time in more than a week.

– Evelyn Cheng, Jihye Lee

China’s Xi will likely continue to be ‘very pragmatic,’ including on Covid policy, strategist says

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been realistic and practical on Covid, domestic real estate issues and politics since the end of the Communist Party of China’s National Congress, said Andy Rothman, an investment strategist at Matthews Asia.

“He’s been pragmatic on Covid policy, announcing a change in direction more towards living with Covid rather than Covid zero,” he said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” when asked about how the government might respond to recent unrest in parts of China.

“He’s been pragmatic on property, he’s been very pragmatic on dealing with Joe Biden, so I expect that to continue,” Rothman said.

He added that he views the unrests related to the prolonged zero-Covid policies as largely in line with what is expected to come from the Chinese government.

“What the protesters seem to be asking for, are things Xi Jinping has already said he wants to deliver,” he said. “He wants to deliver a path out of zero tolerance for Covid, towards living with Covid like all the rest of the world.”

Rothman added that the latest announcements to ease quarantine measures for international travelers suggests that delivering shifts from the zero-Covid policy will be “relatively easier.”

“He’s not backing down, [or] giving in under pressure, he’s just delivering, on a more accelerated pace, what he’s already told these students that he wants to give them,” he said.

— Abigail Ng

Oil prices jump more than a dollar ahead of China briefing

Oil prices climbed ahead of a press conference which will be held by China’s State Council, as investors continue to monitor developments – paring some losses seen on Monday, when it reached the lowest levels in almost a year.

The West Texas Intermediate futures climbed up 1.76% to stand at $78.59 per barrel, while the Brent crude futures climbed 2.28% to stand at $85.00 per barrel.

However, oil markets may be “misjudging news of China’s lockdown,” Rystad Energy wrote in a note.

“[The latest lockdowns’] likely effect on China’s short-term oil demand, particularly in transportation, is likely to be minor,” the note added, citing the company’s own research of real-traffic activity in China.

Even with daily Covid cases continuing to climb, cities like Shanghai have not shown a slowdown in road traffic activity, according to Rystad Energy’s own research.

— Lee Ying Shan

China likely won’t make sudden changes to its Covid policy: National University of Singapore

The Chinese government is unlikely to make sudden changes to its zero-Covid policy as that will bring chaos, National University of Singapore Professor Wang Gungwu said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.”

“If you change the policy suddenly, I think the damage and the consequences would be even worse — it’d be really chaotic because I think the spread of Covid will be absolutely unprecedented,” said Wang.

He added that he expects Chinese leader Xi Jinping to make adjustments on more local levels to ease public dissent.

Wang said Xi doesn’t want to officially admit the “policy has been wrong for quite a while,” but also cannot change it immediately.

– Jihye Lee

Hong Kong-listed property stocks rise after China amends fundraising rule

Equities related to Hong Kong-listed property developers jumped after China’s regulator announced it would lift a ban on equity fundraising for the sector.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission announced five measures of support for the real estate market, including the removal of a multi-year restriction on property developers selling stocks to raise funding.

Cifi Holdings Group jumped 13.01% in the first hour of trade, Country Garden also rose 13.36%, Logan Group rose 10.23% and Longfor Group gained 9.88%.

— Jihye Lee

Hong Kong on pace for best month since April 1999

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index is on pace to post its best month since April 1999, when the index gained 21.85%.

The index rose more than 3% as of Tuesday morning, and is up around 22% for the month of November, according to Refinitiv data.

The HSI closed 1.57% lower on Monday, the worst day in a week, when the Hang Seng lost 1.87% on Nov. 21.

Gina Francolla, Jihye Lee

Japan’s unemployment rate unchanged, retail sales miss estimates

Japan’s unemployment rate for October was steady from September’s reading of 2.6%, according to official data. The figure is slightly higher than the mean expectation of 2.5% from economists polled by Reuters.

The jobs-to-applicant ratio, which measures active job openings per jobseeker, was at 1.35. That indicates that there are 135 jobs available for every 100 applicants, signaling a still tight labor market in Japan.

The nation’s retail sales rose 4.3% in October on an annualized basis, missing expectations of 5% increase predicted in a separate Reuters poll .

The latest reading marks the first softening in retail sales growth that it’s seen since June this year.

Jihye Lee

Fed should keep hiking into next year, Bullard says

James Bullard at Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

David A. Grogan | CNBC

St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said Monday that the Fed should continue to raise its benchmark interest rate in the coming months and that the market may be underestimating the chance that the Fed has to get more aggressive.

“We’re going to have to continue pursue our interest rate increases into 2023, and there’s some risk that we’ve have to go even higher than [5%],” Bullard said at a Barron’s Live webinar.

Bullard made waves in financial markets earlier this month when he said the Fed’s hikes have had “only limited effects” on inflation so far and that the benchmark interest rate may need to rise to between 5% and 7%.

Bullard, who is a voting member of the FOMC, said that the Fed will need to hold off any rate cuts next year even if the inflation picture starts to show consistent improvement.

“I think we’ll probably have to stay there all through 2023 and into 2024, given the historical behavior of core PCE inflation or Dallas Fed trimmed mean inflation. They will come down, I think. That’s my baseline. But they probably won’t come down quite as fast as markets would like and probably the Fed would like,” Bullard said.

— Jesse Pound

CNBC Pro: Asset manager names 9 ‘cheap’ stocks to buy as recession fears grow

It’s “critical” for investors to be looking at valuations right now as a recession is looming and inflation looks likely to continue, said Steven Glass, managing director of Pella Funds Management.

In this environment, Glass selected a list of nine stocks that he said, “look particularly cheap given their growth outlook.”

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Weizhen Tan

Cryptocurrency prices drop but quickly recover after BlockFi declares bankruptcy

The price of bitcoin took a dip on Monday after BlockFi officially announced it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the wake of FTX’s bankruptcy.

Bitcoin briefly dropped to as low as about $16,000 but has rebounded already. It was last lower by just 1% to above $16,300, according to Coin Metrics. The action in the ether price showed a similar bounce.

BlockFi has been in bad shape since the spring, following the blowup of the Terra project that led to the implosion of Three Arrows Capital. At that time, the company accepted a bailout from FTX that would help it stave off bankruptcy. Of course, FTX is now managing its own bankruptcy.

— Tanaya Macheel

CNBC Pro: Goldman Sachs names the global automakers exposed to a China slowdown

Many global companies are heavily exposed to China, including some of the world’s biggest automakers, which generate between 20% and 40% of their worldwide sales in the country, according to Goldman Sachs.

In a note to clients on Nov. 22 — before the latest protests — the investment bank mapped out the global auto industry’s exposure to Chinese consumers.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Ganesh Rao

Stocks end Monday’s session lower

After a winning Thanksgiving week, the three major indexes ended Monday down as investors sold off amid mounting concerns over supply chain disruptions amid Covid-related protests in China.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.45%, or 497.57 points, and closed at 33,849.46. The S&P 500 also shed 1.54% to end at 3,963.94. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 1.58% and ended at 11,049.50.

— Alex Harring

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U.S. encourages Ukraine to be open to talks with Russia, Washington Post reports

  • U.S. urges Ukraine to be open to talks with Russia-report
  • Refusal to talk to Putin risks Ukraine support-Washington Post
  • State Dept says Russia escalating war, not serious about talks
  • Russian retreat may mean surrendering Kherson city

WASHINGTON/KYIV, Nov 6 (Reuters) – The United States is privately encouraging Ukraine to signal an openness to negotiate with Russia, the Washington Post reported, as the State Department said Moscow was escalating the war and did not seriously wish to engage in peace talks.

The newspaper cited unnamed sources as saying the request by American officials was not aimed at pushing Ukraine to the negotiating table, but a calculated attempt to ensure Kyiv maintains the support of other nations.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials acknowledged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s ban on talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin had generated concern in parts of Europe, Africa and Latin America, where the war’s effects on costs of food and fuel are felt most sharply, the Post said.

“Ukraine fatigue is a real thing for some of our partners,” it quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying.

Zelenskiy signed a decree on Oct. 4 formally declaring the prospect of any Ukrainian talks with Putin “impossible” but leaving the door open to talks with Russia.

The White House National Security Council had no immediate comment on the accuracy of the report.

A State Department spokesperson responded: “We’ve said it before and will say it again: Actions speak louder than words. If Russia is ready for negotiation, it should stop its bombs and missiles and withdraw its forces from Ukraine.

“The Kremlin continues to escalate this war. The Kremlin has demonstrated its unwillingness to seriously engage in negotiations since even before it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”

The spokesperson also noted remarks by Zelenskiy on Friday, in which he said: “We are ready for peace, for a fair and just peace, the formula of which we have voiced many times.”

On Sunday Zelenskiy said on Twitter he had spoken to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about macro-financial aid for Ukraine and further sanctions on Iran.

“Noted the importance of continuing the grain initiative for world food security. Discussed increasing sanctions & opposing actions of Iran, which supports aggression,” Zelenskiy wrote.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said during a visit to Kyiv on Friday that Washington’s support for Ukraine would remain “unwavering and unflinching” after Tuesday’s midterm congressional elections.

The United States announced $400 million worth of additional security assistance for Ukraine, including refurbishing T-72 tanks from the Czech Republic and missiles for HAWK air defences that could be used against Russian drones and cruise missiles.

The new help brought the amount of U.S. military aid sent to Kyiv to more than $18.2 billion since the invasion.

FIGHTING

Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter that Ukraine would “stand” despite Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, adding that this would be done by using air defence, protecting infrastructure and optimising consumption.

“Today, the situation with the supply of electricity to consumers in the capital is difficult,” the deputy head of the presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, wrote on Telegram, but assured Kyiv residents that the outages were still controlled.

Citing emergency services, Russian news agencies reported on Sunday that Ukraine’s vast Russian-held Nova Kakhovka dam was damaged in shelling by Ukrainian forces. The reports provided no evidence to support the allegation, which could not be immediately verified by Reuters.

Russian state-owned TASS quoted an emergency services representative as saying that a rocket launched by a U.S.-made HIMARS missile system had hit the dam’s lock and caused damaged. The official quoted said it was an “attempt to create the conditions for a humanitarian catastrophe” by breaching the dam.

The dam, which blocks the Dnipro river upstream of the southern city of Kherson where Ukrainian forces have been making advances, has taken on strategic significance in recent weeks.

Since October both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each of planning to breach the dam using explosives, in a move that would flood much of the area downstream in what would likely cause destruction around Russian-held Kherson city.

In the latest sign of Russia’s retreat in one of the most bitterly contested areas, Putin publicly endorsed the evacuation of civilians from parts of the Kherson region on Friday.

Last week Russia said the evacuation zone would also include a 15-km (10-mile) buffer area on the east bank.

Kyiv says the measures have included forced deportations of civilians, a war crime, which Russia denies.

Putin’s comments came amid signs Russia could be preparing to abandon its military foothold on the west bank of the Dnipro, including Kherson city.

The regional capital is the only big city Russia has captured intact since its invasion in February. Its loss for Russian forces would be one of the severest blows of the war.

The Russian-installed administration in the Kherson region said a number of settlements, including Kherson city, had lost water and power supplies after what it said was a “terrorist attack” that damaged three power lines in the region.

It said that the attack had been organised by Ukraine, though it provided no evidence. Reuters was unable to immediately verify battlefield accounts from either side.

Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Michael Perry; Editing by William Mallard, William Maclean

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Master P Encourages Rappers To Hire Police For Security Following Takeoff’s Death – HotNewHipHop

Hip hop is still reeling in from the news of Takeoff’s death. The rapper was shot and killed at 28 in Houston, TX on Tuesday morning, sparking a renewed dialogue surrounding the safety of rappers.

Master P took to Instagram where he reflected on Takeoff’s death and the bigger issue of rappers dying. As an elder statesman who elevated from the streets to becoming one of hip-hop’s most iconic executives and rappers, he explained that artists need to take extra precautions to ensure their own safety.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 24: Master P speaks on stage for Assets Over Liabilities Live during REVOLT Summit x AT&T – Day 1 at 787 Windsor on September 24, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for Revolt Summit x AT&T)

“Man, hip-hop is dying too young,” he said. “Hip-hop has turned into the new streets. We used to be in the streets trying to get into the hip-hop game, which is crazy. The most important thing people always ask me and Snoop — how do y’all live so long? We realize love overpowers hate.”

While many rappers pride themselves on moving around without security, Master P explained that there isn’t anything wrong with hiring police to ensure one’s safety.

“We gotta move different. Don’t be afraid to hire the police for detail to get you home,” he said. “It don’t make you no less of nothing. If you making millions of dollars, that’s the whole key to living and surviving and getting back home to your families.”

Police are still investigating into Takeoff’s murder, which they confirmed happened during an altercation at a Houston bowling alley. They called on the public to help in their investigation, hoping to find more leads to secure an arrest. Houston Police chief Troy Finner also called on the hip-hop community, who he believes has a “bad name,” to work with the police on the matter.

“I’m calling up on everybody, all hip hop artists, in Houston and around the nation. We’ve got to police ourselves. We all need to stand together and make sure that nobody tears down that industry,” he said.

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Japan encourages young people to drink more alcohol

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Tax revenues from alcohol sales are lagging in Japan due to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the restaurant and nightlife industry, so the country is launching a new contest to try to boost consumption among young people dubbed, “Sake Viva!”

“The purpose of this announcement is to revitalize the industry,” Japan’s National Tax Agency said in announcing the plan, according to a translation. 

A bartender wearing a face shield makes a cocktail, amid the COVID-19 outbreak, at a night club in Tokyo, Japan August 6, 2020. 
(Reuters/Issei Kato)

Applicants between the ages of 20 and 39 are encouraged to submit business plans to boost alcohol sales to young people ahead of a contest in November. 

Tax revenues from alcohol plummeted about $800 million in 2020, according to the Japan Times. 

DRINKING MAY SHRINK THE BRAIN EVEN IN MODERATE AMOUNTS, STUDY SUGGESTS

“As working from home made strides to a certain extent during the COVID-19 crisis, many people may have come to question whether they need to continue the habit of drinking with colleagues to deepen communication,” an official from Japan’s National Tax Agency told the newspaper earlier this month. 

“If the ‘new normal’ takes root, that will be an additional headwind for tax revenue.”

Goldfish bowl-like acrylic screens used as part of new social distancing measures and prevention of infection against coronavirus in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan August 6, 2020. 
( Reuters/Issei Kato)

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Tax officials also blamed the country’s “declining birthrate and aging population” for the decline in alcohol sales. 

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7-Eleven encourages Los Angeles-area stores to close for a 2nd night following armed robberies at 6 locations

Authorities are still working to determine whether the robberies that happened Monday at six 7-Eleven locations are connected, police said.

“Our hearts remain with the victims and their loved ones, and our focus continues to be on Franchisee, associate and customer safety,” a 7-Eleven corporate spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday. “With that in mind, we have encouraged stores in the Los Angeles area to close again tonight.”

The robberies unfolded early Monday morning across stores in Santa Ana, La Habra, Brea, Riverside, Upland and Ontario, California, according to police.

Police in Brea and La Habra are “confident” the shootings in their jurisdictions are connected, saying they’re in communication with other agencies.

A store employee at the 7-Eleven in Brea was killed after he was shot, the police department said Monday. Another person was killed at the 7-Eleven location at Santa Ana, a police spokesperson told CNN.

“Based on the photo released we believe it is the same suspect,” the spokesperson said.

Two other people were shot during the robbery at the location in La Habra and taken to the hospital, police said during a news conference.

Meanwhile, a 7-Eleven customer was shot at after a gunman entered the store in Riverside, “brandished a firearm and robbed the clerk,” a police spokesperson said. That victim was taken to a local hospital, where they were in “grave condition.”

“Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones. We are gathering information on this terrible tragedy and working with local law enforcement,” 7-Eleven said Monday in a statement.

In Upland, police said no shots were fired and no one was injured during the robbery at 7-Eleven. And in Ontario, California, the gunman demanded money while showing a gun and didn’t fire his gun.

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