Show Director of Olympics Opening Ceremony Dismissed

The show director of the Olympics opening ceremony has been dismissed, one day before the event is due to be held.

Footage of Kentaro Kobayashi from the 1990s recently emerged in which he appears to be making jokes about the Holocaust.

Japan's Olympic chief Seiko Hashimoto said the video ridiculed "painful facts of history".

All in all things are not going well for Tokyo 2020.

 

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The Covid Games - All a Bit Naff!

Olympic protests in Hiroshima & Tokyo. A Nigerian athlete hospitalised for Covid-19. An unprecedented ban on spectators. And now, winning athletes will have to put on their own medals. The bizarre & surreal #Tokyo2020 games are just one week away... @EarlyStart @PoloSandovalCNN pic.twitter.com/NFIf58N7Nc

— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) July 16, 2021

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Japan Declares State of Emergency in Tokyo During Olympics

Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the fourth state of emergency in the host city of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures to curb a rise in COVID-19 infections. 

Under the new restrictions, which will start on July 12 and run until August 22, bars and restaurants will be asked to suspend alcohol sales and workers will be asked to stay at home if possible. 

A decision will soon be made on whether spectators will be allowed at Olympic venues.

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Tokyo Olympics Covid Rules Updated

Japan's government on Thursday approved lifting Tokyo's virus emergency just over a month before the Olympics, but set new restrictions that could sharply limit fans at Games events.

The state of emergency in place in Tokyo began in late April and largely limits bar and restaurant opening hours and bans them from selling alcohol.

What this will mean for the Olympics is: 

1. The measures will slightly relax the rules on alcohol, allowing sales until 7:00 pm, but still asks restaurants and bars to shut at 8:00 pm.
2. With just five weeks until the pandemic-postponed Games open, Tokyo is likely to maintain strict limits on the number of spectators allowed at large events.
3. The current state of emergency allows only 5,000 people or 50 percent of venue capacity, whichever is smaller. And on Wednesday, the government approved an upper limit of 10,000 spectators for areas not under any restrictions. Those rules are likely to guide Olympic organisers when they decide in the coming days how many domestic fans, if any, will be allowed to attend.
   
4. Overseas fans have already been banned from the Games for the first time, and organisers said they would wait to rule on domestic spectators until the emergency was lifted.
5. Olympic organisers have given up on selling any more tickets and are weighing a lottery system to determine which ticketholders will be able to attend events, Kyodo news agency reported.
6. Newly updated virus rulebooks released this week warn athletes they could be expelled from the Games if they violate requirements like mask-wearing and daily testing.Organisers say more than 80 percent of athletes will be vaccinated and they will be barred from interacting with the Japanese public.

 

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The Meaningless Games

 

Kaori Yamaguchi, a former Olympic medallist and executive board member of the Japan Olympic Committee, accused the IOC of ignoring public opinion, and said that Japan has been “cornered” into a situation in which it is “damned” whether it cancels or goes ahead.

She says that the Games have lost all meaning, and has called upon athletes to mutiny. 

"The games have already lost meaning and are being held just for the sake of them. We have been cornered into a situation where we cannot even stop now. We are damned if we do, and damned if we do not. ... But this also presents a good opportunity for athletes to confront the Olympics."

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Boris Backs The Olympics

NEW-

UK PM Boris Johnson call with Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga.

Downing St:

“The Prime Minister expressed his support for the Tokyo Olympics, and noted Japan’s efforts to ensure the Games can take place safely."

— Olly Barratt (@ollybarratt) May 28, 2021

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CDC Nixes Travel To Japan

#Japan Travel Advisory: Level 4 - Do not travel due to COVID-19-related restrictions. The CDC issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in Japan. There are restrictions in place affecting U.S. citizen entry into Japan. https://t.co/Soq2SIfeMJ pic.twitter.com/UTQAQqQC5O

— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) May 24, 2021

Only two months to go until the Olympics, if they go ahead!

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Looks Like Olympics Are Off Again!

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT THOMAS BACH'S VISIT TO JAPAN EXPECTED TO BE CANCELLED - NHK

Don't worry, though, we can't cancel the Games ...

— Martin Baccardax (@mdbaccardax) May 7, 2021

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