With the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics fast approaching, the Japanese authorities have decided to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo.The Olympics begin on 23 July, and the Paralympics starts on 24 August but events in the capital will take place without any spectators.What Is The Situation With Infections In Japan?New infections across Japan have been slowly edging up since late June.On 7 July, the Ministry of Health reported 2,182 new cases, up by more than 524 on the previous day.Howeve

China on Sunday announced it had administered its one-billionth shot in the world's biggest coronavirus inoculation drive as Brazil's death toll from the pandemic passed 500,000.The global death toll from COVID-19 is now more than 3.8 million and many nations are still battling outbreaks, but vaccine drives in some countries are allowing activities that were unthinkable a few months ago.China's vaccine milestone comes after the number of shots administered globally passed 2.5 b

Kaori Yamaguchi, an Olympic medallist in judo and an executive member of the Japanese Olympic Committee, made an astonishing statement – astonishing, that is, for an Olympic official. She said that Japan had been “cornered” into holding this year’s Games during a pandemic: “What will these Olympics be for, and for whom? The Games have already lost meaning and are being held just for the sake of them. I believe we have already missed the opportunity to cancel.” She is not alone.

Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto is "100 percent" certain the Games will go ahead, despite a state of emergency in the city.When And Where Are The Olympics?The 2020 Summer Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in the Japanese capital between 23 July and 8 August. The Paralympic Games are between 24 August and 5 September.They were postponed last year because of COVID.The Olympics involve 33 competitions and 339 events, held across 42 venues.

Tokyo's governor on Saturday asked Japan's central government to declare a new state of emergency as the country battles a third wave of the coronavirus, with record numbers of new cases.Yuriko Koike, joined by the governors of three neighbouring regions, called for the measure to be imposed in their areas during a meeting with Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the coronavirus response.Japanese officials have in recent weeks asked restaurants and businesses to close ear

Buoyed by the success of hosting the Asian Games 2018, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo affirmed Indonesia's bid to host the 2032 Olympics, and is set to compete with Australia, Germany, India, Qatar, and a unified (North and South) Korea in the bidding process.“The 2018 Asian Games and Asian Para Games have been successfully held. It has improved our confidence and is an eye-opener for the world that Indonesia is capable of hosting international events.

Here are the latest developments in Asia related to the novel coronavirus pandemic:Olympics delayAfter days of mounting pressure, Tokyo 2020 organisers bowed to the inevitable and postponed the Games to next year due to the rapidly-spreading outbreak.Now Japan faces the unenviable task of re-organising the event - with every aspect thrown into chaos, from venues to security and accommodation.Tokyo's governor also urged residents to stay home this weekend, warning of a "critical stag

Thai weightlifter Sarat Sumpradit eats up to 10 egg whites for breakfast, works out four hours a day, and is banned from his smartphone at night as his training shifts into high gear for the world championships.However, the muscle-bound 25-year-old has a problem: Thailand is under a self-imposed ban from weightlifting for doping, meaning the hosts may be unrepresented at next month's world championships on home turf in Pattaya.After nine Thai lifters were suspended following drug tests,