Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Covid-19 - What's happening around the world (some) and at home

Paris bans nightime food and drink delivery to tackle worsening COVID-19 crisis



Greece ordered a nationwide lockdown on Thursday for three weeks to help contain a resurgence of Covid-19 cases, its second this year after a sharp increase in infections this week. “I’ve chosen to take drastic measures sooner rather than later,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.

In Hong Kong, social-distancing restrictions ease..



100,000 cases in a single day push the U.S. into new terrain.



Italy will lock down six regions and prevent many people from crossing between them.

The Italian government announced Wednesday night that it would lock down a significant portion of the country, including the northern regions that are its economic engine, in an effort to stop a resurgent wave of coronavirus infections.



At home here in Malaysia, we are in the third phase, that's right, and sadly more and more clusters of infections are showing up every day and worse, for the past few days we've had deaths every day. 

Of all the states, Sabah on the island of Borneo is hardest hit immediately after state elections were held on September 26. Then infections increased here in the peninsula as people came back after the election campaigning and such. No quarantine was required when they touched down back at the peninsula. Horrors! Right. No one saw the impending danger. Now we are getting the brunt of that action or inaction, rather. Below is current status:


Here's some advice found online..

What food should you avoid during COVID-19?
• When cooking and preparing food, limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce and fish sauce).
• Limit your daily salt intake to less than 5 g (approximately 1 teaspoon), and use iodized salt.
• Avoid foods (e.g. snacks) that are high in salt and sugar.
• Limit your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar (e.g. fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and syrups, flavoured milks and yogurt drinks).
• Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Are smokers at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus disease?
Smoking any kind of tobacco reduces lung capacity and increases the risk of many respiratory infections and can increase the severity of respiratory diseases.

COVID-19 is an infectious disease that primarily attacks the lungs. Smoking impairs lung function making it harder for the body to fight off coronaviruses and other respiratory diseases. Available research suggests that smokers are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 outcomes and death.

How to eat healthy in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Consume enough fibre because it contributes to a healthy digestive system and offers a prolonged feeling of fullness, which helps prevent overeating.

To ensure an adequate fibre intake, aim to include vegetables, fruit, pulses and wholegrain foods in all meals. Whole grain foods include oats, brown pasta and rice, quinoa and whole-wheat bread and wraps, rather than refined grain foods such as white pasta and rice, and white bread.

Good hydration is crucial for optimal health. Whenever available and safe for consumption, tap water is the healthiest and cheapest drink. It is also the most sustainable, as it produces no waste, compared to bottled water.

Can I drink alcohol during the coronavirus disease pandemic?
In particular, alcohol compromises the body's immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, people should minimize their alcohol consumption at any time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that is associated with mental disorders; people at risk or who have an alcohol-use disorder, are particularly vulnerable, especially when in self-isolation.

How long should I exercise for in self-quarantine?
WHO recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week for adults, or a combination of both. The guidance is intended for people in self-quarantine without any symptoms or diagnosis of acute respiratory illness.

Just an idea of the Covid-19 spread worldwide. Details on individual countries can be obtained on Tracking the spread of Covid-19..



Stay safe, everyone..


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Cargo ship slams into tower in Genoa, Italy

Ugly! Just read about this cargo ship that slammed into a tower in Genoa, Italy. Genoa is the capital of Liguria and the sixth largest city in Italy.


ROME, Italy: Three people died and several others were missing in the water in the port of Genoa on Wednesday, after a container ship smashed into a control tower in a night-time accident which revived painful memories in Italy of a deadly cruise ship disaster last year.

Part of the tower in which about 14 people were present at the time of the accident crashed into the water.

Rescue workers dived into the inky waters around the port - one of the busiest in Italy - in a frantic night-time search to find around 10 people believed to be missing.

Six others were reported seriously injured.

An employee of the Messina Line company based in Genoa which owns the vessel confirmed that "there was an accident when the ship was leaving the port. It ran into the tower, but we don't know why at this point, nor how many people are hurt."

The accident, which took place at around half past midnight (2230 GMT Tuesday), spooked Italians still reeling from the Costa Concordia night-time shipwreck off Giglio island in January 2012 which left 32 people dead.

More..Three dead, several missing in Italy shipping accident

Source: Wikipedia

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Mario Balotelli to take paternity test


One can't help reading about Mario Balotelli when he appears in the papers. His antics sometimes boggle the mind, to say the least. But this time, it's praise-worthy and responsible of him.

Manchester City and Italy football star, Mario Balotelli, told Italian press Wednesday that he will take a paternity test after he found out that his former fiancee is pregnant with his child.

Advancement in medical science has enabled a pregnant dna test to be risk-free and accurate. It is also non-invasive and is safe for both mother and baby.

21-year-old Balotelli in a statement said that he will assume full responsibility once it's been proven that he is the father of the child. He's disappointed that he had to learn about the pregnancy from third parties.

Raffaella Fico is a 24-year-old television celebrity and underwear model. She is four months pregnant.

The couple’s 18-month relationship ended in April.


Source: The Star

Monday, July 2, 2012

Spain - Winner of UEFA Euro 2012

Source: uefa.com

Source: The Star

Yes! I got it right on the winner prediction! Spain is the Champion of UEFA Euro 2012 retaining the title they won four years ago. Spain beat Italy 4 goals to nil. The goals came at

- 14' (D. Silva)
- 41' (Jo. Alba)
- 84' (F. Torres)
- 88' (J. Mata)

Fernando Torres wins the Golden Boot award scoring three goals in the tournament.

That ends another round of football and late nights or rather early mornings here in Malaysia, games being played at 2:45am either in Poland or Ukraine.

It has been fun while it lasted. See you four years from now in France!


Image source: uefa.com


Sunday, July 1, 2012

UEFA Euro 2012 - Spain vs Italy - Malaysia time


By now, you must be tired (*yawn!*) of reading about football here. I apologise but bear with me a little bit longer because we have almost come to the end of the UEFA Euro 2012. The finals between Spain and Italy will be played tomorrow morning at 2:45am Malaysia time.

Who do you think will win the European title? Here might be a hint though it's not scientifically proven.

Current/Past season results

1. Barclays Premier League
- Manchester City beat Manchester United

2. FA Cup
- Chelsea FC beat Liverpool FC

3. UEFA Champions League
- Chelsea FC beat Bayern Munich FC

If you put the above in color perspective, what does that tell you? That the team in Blue jerseys has won in all three of the leagues. What a coincidence, eh? If the trend is to follow, now who do you think will come out champion of UEFA Euro 2012?

Spain in red
Italy in blue

We shall see. Enjoy the game.



Image source: The Star


Friday, June 29, 2012

Italy beat Germany to advance to the final

Oh shoot! Germany vs Italy semifinal match - What an upset! I've lost on my prediction for Germany to be in the finals with Spain. The hunch in my comment in the previous post could come true now - that Balotelli could be the one with the broadest grin at the end of the day. This is in reference to Italy beating Spain in the finals on July 1. Incidentally, the two goals for Italy were put in by Balotelli at the 20' and 36' marks.


So, the UEFA Euro 2012 finals will be between Spain and Italy. After looking at how both teams played in the semifinals, I'm inclined to think that Italy may win the title. Well, left to be seen on July 1. What do you think and who are you rooting for?


Image source: uefa.com

Monday, June 25, 2012

England vs Italy Quarterfinals, 0-0, but..

Awshucks! England is out in the England vs Italy quarterfinals this morning. Italy will play Germany in the semifinals. The other pair of semifinalists is Spain and Portugal. The schedule of games is as below:
(Click to enlarge image)


As mentioned earlier in the Will it be England or Italy in the UEFA Euro 2012 semifinals post, my prediction of Germany and Spain in the finals is still good. Is the team or teams you picked still in the running?

Wayne Rooney and his dejected England team-mates come to terms with another loss on penalties, after being beaten 4-2 by Italy in the shootout in Kiev. Photograph: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images - Guardian.co.uk

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Useful art of David by Michelangelo

Meet David, the giant-slayer of Biblical times.

David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created by the Italian artist Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504. It is a 5.17-metre (17.0 ft) marble statue of a standing male nude.

You would have noticed certain parts missing, which is good in a way too as otherwise, it may not be posted here. It depends..

This is useful art, I call it. This image is actually on switch plates or some refer to them as wallplates or even light switch covers. Naughty play on the image, wouldn't you agree?

Back to David, many replicas have been made of David but the original statue of David is located at Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia (The Gallery of the Accademia di Belle Arti) in Florence.
Source: Wikipedia

Monday, January 16, 2012

Search of cruise ship resumes, hopes fade of finding more survivors

I imagine the view looking out to sea from homes and hotels on this island of Giglio must be a sight to behold before this carcass of the 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia cruise ship came along.
This holiday resort island just 11 miles off mainland Italy is normally busy from May to Sep but right now is hosting some 4200 passengers of the troubled cruise ship.

Night-time searches would be suspended from now on according to a Firefighters' spokesman. Another senior firefighter told Reuters that all the areas of the part-submerged liner that are above water had now been searched, indicating faint hopes of finding more survivors. Six bodies have been found so far, 16 missing people out of the 4,200 who were aboard.

The vessel's captain, Francesco Schettino, was arrested on Saturday. He is accused of manslaughter and abandoning his ship before all those on board were evacuated.

The vast hulk of the 290-metre vessel, lying on its side, loomed over the little port of Giglio, off the Tuscan coast.

A large gash could be seen in its hull but salvage experts said its fuel tanks did not appear to have been damaged, lessening the danger of an oil spill in the pristine waters.


Schettino, the captain, said the ship hit rocks that were not marked on maps and were not detected by navigation systems. He said the accident occurred some 300 metres from shore.

There was deep anger in Italy about the accident.



Source: The Star.. Search of Italian cruise ship resumes, hopes fade

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Italy Cruise ship accident

Source: bbc.co.uk

A cruise ship, Costa Concordia, carrying more than 4,000 people ran aground off the west coast of Italy. Latest reports say three people have died.

According to BBC, the Costa Concordia hit a sandbar on Friday evening near the island of Giglio and listed about 20 degrees, after which people tried to reach land in lifeboats or by swimming.

Rescue teams have been going from cabin to cabin, searching for survivors.

Italians, Germans, French and British were among the 3,200 passengers. There were also 1,000 crew on board.

Helicopters evacuated the last 50 people on the deck who were in a "worsening" situation.


Passengers were eating dinner on Friday evening, when they heard a loud bang, and were told that the ship had suffered electrical problems.

Rescued passengers are being accommodated in hotels, schools and a church on Giglio, a resort island 25km (18 miles) off Italy's western coast.

Location where CCosta Concordia, went aground..

You can read more about it on bbc.co.uk..Italy cruise ship Costa Concordia aground near Giglio

Source: bbc.co.uk


January 15 Update in pictures from CNN..
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Monday, May 30, 2011

Collette Vacations for Best deals on Europe tours

Travelling to a country in Winter on holiday is not exactly my idea of an ideal holiday. I prefer to travel light and dress light - no fuss about winter clothing or extra extra layers. Plus, who doesn't like some sunshine..

Beijing is one of my top destinations to visit in China but it won't be a Winter visit, mind you. Nowadays, there is no shortage of travel agencies selling packages for china tours. The other day, I was going through some sites for guided Beijing tours and was pleasantly surprised to find so many choices and packaged tours with varied destinations. I wonder what is the best time to travel to Beijing.

Italy is another country topping my travel list. I have no doubt should I start checking out on italy tours, there will be lots of choices. Watching Astro's TLC is a delight especially when they show Venice and Vatican City. They just showed one last night. Did you know that policemen in Rome are wearing uniform designed by Giorgio Armani? How cool is that! Italy is indeed the fashion capital of the world!

If you like history and art, Europe is a fabulous place to visit. Escorted tours are aplenty. You would be spoilt for choice for europe tours. I stumbled upon a travel site online that offers not only tours to Europe, but to other interesting parts of the world including Panama, the Land between the Seas, as it is called. Collette Vacations is offering some great discounts currently, so if you are looking for a good travel deal, Collette Vacations is where you could pick up some great savings and they do have lots of discounted packages and special offers, left, right and center. Check them out. You won't regret it.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Ides of March is Today - the day Julius Caeser was killed

Today is March 15 and in Roman times, it would be referred to as the Ides of March referring to the day of the full moon. Ides of March is best known as the date that Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Julius Caesar was stabbed (23 times) to death in the Roman Senate led by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus and 60 other co-conspirators. At least there is some sort of commemoration of this in Rome: The Ides of March is celebrated every year by the Rome Hash House Harriers with a toga run in the streets of Rome, in the same place where Julius Caesar was killed.

Today is not the fullmoon however. Full moon this month falls on this Saturday, March 19. Unlike other full moons, this one of the second lunar month will come closest to Earth and thus termed Supermoon.

This Saturday, the moon will swing around Earth more closely than it has in the past 18 years, lighting up the night sky from just 356,577km away. The full moon will appear bigger and brighter.

For astonomers and people who enjoy watching the sky, Saturn will also be visible to the naked eye on that night. What is rare is that there will also be a planetary alignment on that day. Of course, it does not mean that all the planets will be in a straight line.

“Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune will be very close to the sun within a 50° angle and this qualifies as a planetary alignment – it’s impossible for all the planets to be in a straight line”, according to Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) Astronomy Club academic adviser Assoc Prof Dr Chong Hon Yew.


A little diversion here. Watch this fun video of Toga run..

Ides of March Toga Hash Run, Rome 2002

Notes on this video from the source: Ides of March is when Julius Caesar was assassinated ("E tu, Brute?") and to commemorate this notorious event in the history of our great city, Rome H3 organizes a celebration weekend every year in mid-March: The weekend starts with a Friday Night Pub Crawl in downtown Rome to get us in the mood... On Saturday we run somewhere in the scenic surroundings of Rome through ancient ruins (you wish), beautiful landscape , some shiggy, and backyards of mad Italian landlords. Saturday night dinner in a local Italian restaurant with traditional Roman food (pasta, that is..) and copious amounts of nectar of the Gods wine, that is). Sunday morning is the time for the the Toga Run that gives you the unique chance to run through the world famous sights like Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Forum Romanum, Pantheon, Fontana di Trevi and Spanish Steps posing in a state-of-the-art toga !

And if you are interested, here's how to drape a Roman toga..


Sources:
- The Star..Earth’s satellite to appear larger and brighter on Saturday
- Wikipedia - Ides of March

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Italian Properties

A friend just got back from a trip to Venice, Italy. I wonder if he was there checking out Italian properties. I wouldn't be surprised as Italy is really a beautiful country and great real estate is in abundance. Plus, owning properties in Italy is not a hassle.

When you think of Italy, what comes to mind are its beautiful weather, great Italian food, wonderful holiday spots. Besides its many famous cities, Tuscany and Sicily come to mind. Even George Clooney has a villa in Italy. I believe it's even featured in the movie, "Oceans Twelve".