county is pushing hardest for inclusion on the world heritage list. this area lies along the east asian fly away for my great re water bird species. some of them endangered. and it's teeming with new arrivals right now on their summer migration . north kept body one antonio with these much flux, are not an infant 3 sorana. our focus should be to preserve them for future generations. so we can enjoy the benefits they provide to me in their natural benefits. the tower enjoyed along the shores and also far beyond them. rob mcbride al jazeera, she and i'm county south korea. ah, this is algebra, these are the top stories. molly's new interim president has been invited to an emergency meeting, being held by west african leaders to discuss the country's political crisis,

the constitutional court named colonel as see me going to as a country's leader days after we let a military coup, nicholas hack has more for money's capital barnacle. he will absolutely attend this meeting. it gives legitimacy and credence to this latest move made by following the constitutional court that confirmed that he has been you president of molly. but before attending this meeting, surely he'll also announce, and you prime minister, he's asked the, the opposition, the 5 who made the civil society movement that was behind the protest movement that led to the downfall of the president of our work, our k, to in august to to, to, to find a prime minister in fears of a possible 2nd. volcanic eruption in eastern democratic republic of congo have force tens of thousands to leave their homes in search of safe refuge last week and yet gone, go erupted, killing dozens of people. a bus exposure, enough canister has killed at least 4 people. 13 others were injured in the blas

targeted a vehicle carrying teachers and the all but only university in the background. just as a part of 11, we call the cease fire between israel and homeless people injured in. the israeli bombardment in garza are being moved to hospitals in the occupied westbank. thousands of people are still without power and running water. demonstrators in brazil are demanding president jack both scenarios, impeachment angry about the government's handling of the cone of august pandemic both or not has been criticized for repeatedly downplaying the risk of covered 1900 . and it's not being investigated by a senate commission. republicans in the us senate have blocked an inquiry into the january 6 attacking capitol hill by donald trump, supporters. democrats on some moderate republicans that wanted to set up an independent commission to look into the attack. those are the headlines. the news continues here and after inside story, by me

the reality of a 4th covert 19 wave is raising questions about july's tokyo olympics. japan is now under the spell of another pandemic emergency opposition to the mega event is growing, but the organizers don't agree. so should the games go ahead? this is inside store. ah, ah, ah. hello and welcome to the program. i'm hammer, jim john, in about 7 weeks. if all goes according to plan. arguably, the world's biggest sporting event will get underway in tokyo. but under the dark

shadow of the corona virus pandemic me, the torch is being related across japan. but amid growing calls for the games to be called off, the doctors union says it is dangerous to hold the olympics and the paralympics, a sponsor. the symbol newspaper says the decision to carry on with the games is beyond reason. opinion polls say a majority of the japanese do not want the event. and there have been protests on the streets. but the organizers and government are competent. they will be able to pull it off. so during pick i'm of air that many have these concerns and bodies about the olympics. i will take such weiss as seriously and cooperate with stakeholders. i'm trying to hold a safe and secure games. i will live to state of emergency and your course and then apply and develop measures to at leads and stakeholders, protecting life and health of the nation is a top priority. all right, let's take

a look at the situation in japan. when the games were postponed in march, last year, there were less than a 1000 active cobra, 1900 cases in japan. it now has more than $70000.00 active corona virus cases, as it struggles to contain a 4th wave. japan is one of the least vaccinated among developed countries. the inoculation process has been slow. just over 2 percent of the population have had the jap, the us of issued and advisory against traveling to japan. foreign fans are banned and a decision on domestic spectators is pending. but there's a lot riding on the games. it's estimated japan stands to lose more than $40000000000.00 if they are canceled. the international olympic committee is pressing ahead because close to 70 percent of its revenue comes from tv rights and sponsorships. and the lympics is being seen as a test for prime minister or she he days to get the handling of the pandemic. a cancellation could lead to a leadership challenge in japan. the now right, let's introduce our panel today in tokyo, where you say it's like

a harshly national correspondent for the japan times and also liter porter on the tokyo games and a new delhi. now lean meta, a social scientist and olympic historian a warm welcome to you both read say, let me start with you today. from your perspective, how likely is it that the olympic and paralympic games will go ahead? or conversely, how likely is it that they will be canceled? i wish i had a satisfying answer the question. there's a lot of power and money at play. but there's a lot of stake. there's a lot at stake as well. expansion of the state of emergency in japan, as you know, is really heightening anxiety over in japan. now lean a few months back, fans from abroad were ruled out from attending the games due to the risk that it posed. now it seems to be looking more and more like even local fans may be bored

from vineyards. do you think that that is a possibility? i think as far as my understanding goes, the decision on local funds being allowed into the game has been deferred until june. found your right deduction funds were bought already at the moment. at least could, can come in, but that's part of the precautions i think we are seeing this was why you didn't international events that are going forward. where events continue for the sake of the event. because there's so much more writing on it on the broadcast event and it takes away the expected thing because i think that's sensible to i don't think it be a good idea to box indians with a whole bunch with thousands of people then they will become super better events, but if we, but if you put in place reasonably restrictions of the kind that we've seen, but that in the i b l in, in india, in the last couple of months, which is not what a resume in, in the, by the next couple of months i think i think that's reasonable. the japan selectric

goal on domestic domestic view was for them begins re a say one of japan's most influential newspapers, the ice boon, which is also a sponsor of the tokyo games. they published and editorial calling for the games to be called off. let me ask you how significant is that? how much weight does this newspaper carry with in society? and does this editorial and the fact that this major newspaper is calling for the games to be cancelled? does this worry the government so public opposition to the tokyo games has been all time high for several weeks now and you know, but yeah, that be awesome. he added tauriel, i woke up that morning and read the headline and i was pretty surprised. i think we've seen public polls. ready and surveys that show anywhere between 60 to 80 percent of the japanese public believes it's not safe to hold the games. they need

to be postpone again or cancelled altogether. and we've seen some public officials sort of voice the same concern, but it was in that added tauriel. i felt that we were provided very striking example of that growing public opposition to the games. like you say, i thought he seemed going to one of the biggest newspapers in japan and they are a, an official partner up until games. so i think to call that that at a tory a significant loss is almost an understatement. there was, there was a press conference following and executive the end of an executive board meeting. the day the editorial was, was cancelled and, and i was watching the press conference remotely. but a good chunk of questions were all about the editorial. and i think we seen officials sort of brush time similar concerns perhaps not brush aside,

but do their best to deflect those concerns or, or point to the many countermeasures that are being taken to prepare for the tokyo games. but yeah, like i said, i think that a tauriel was a, was a significant manifestation of the concern in japan right now about pulling against malin, from your vantage point, what must the level of concern be among olympic and paralympic athletes right now? first of all, do you believe that these athletes are going to be able to perform at their peak with the fear of their health constantly, you know, hovering around right now. and secondly, what does this do to them? i mean, the fact that there's been so much of a question mark for you know, a year now about if these games are actually going to go on. how does that impact so moment though, i have been speaking to a few athletes from india who are all if i to go for the games. in fact,

some of the shooters are already have already left a new job for training and croatia and they will be eventually progress or directly . they go to tokyo. if the games are continue as planned right now, i can tell you that, that among the athletes that i had spoken to the officials that i have spoken to. but they are very keen that the games will forward to your question directly on. how does this change everything with the filter enter your 4 digit have in there is before one and there's an optical woodward. the games are supposed to happen last year. it's already been a year. the got to spend pretty much the significant part of the last 5 years in particular of basically preparing for this moment and the moment of going forward and forward in time. i think everybody understands the stakes in bold. the point is now even in japan, a number of a number of cities and they're not going through from hosting division captain. so one of those things are, are there. but i think i agree with us to gold who are given

a few days back that look, there is no question that most at least will not be will limit ice in the way that they would have in a normal him does not in normal game, this is not a normal time the world if we know what has changed, but everybody is going to be in the same board. the question really is knowing, knowing that, do you go ahead with the games or not and see, look what is that to take? and i speak to from the capital of a country, which is right now it's offering from the worst 2nd wave in the world, which is lost, at least over more than 320-0000 debt to go with and more than 27000000 cases. so i don't think anybody can minimize the impact of go where the potential danger, if this was of, if there was better event or things going out of hand. but look at what is that stick. the point is the wound also has to go on with reasonable restrictions. what is the money that japan has budgeted for this for this, for this event,

all this time? the budget was originally, it went up from about $6.00 to $7000000000.00. wanted $1000000000.00 visually now it's gone up to about $15400000000.00, which is an additional $2800000000.00 because of the delay. you're not going audit office in japan. so the, actually, the budget maybe somewhere around $25000000.00 more than doubled or double what the official figured out. you have at least somewhere around the world. what currently will be preparing now? there are other events in, in the, in the world which had gone ahead. most recently, the goal must be australian open with keeping in mind, reason will restrictions. of course the olympics is much greater event, not there are many, it's a more complex, they're far more likely that $200.00 countries participating. so yes, will it be a probably the big without big in the stance on inspector does already not allow.

perhaps the large japanese spectators in the stadium as well. and if that's the price to go ahead at some point, the world also has to return to some semblance normal thing, keeping in mind reasonable restrictions where you are with what doors concern you. that's the goal that your city is also taken for the work up, or at least looking at dick and you have the, the, the, the window olympic scheduled in beijing in early 22. so the point is that this is not just about one thing. the entire world economy is going to adopt. we know that in between several countries because of this building is a sporting event, but it's also a huge commercial event. it's also he would not fill in global rent. and at some point you have to come towards some kind of normalcy. re a say you heard now lean there speak for a moment about the dangers of potentially creat some kind of super spreader event. now on thursday, and they had a doctor's union in japan,

warned that holding the olympics could lead to the spread of variance of the corona virus. he said the games could create an a limpid strain of the corona virus. you know, a few days before that you have a new england journal of medicine. they said in the commentary, we believe the ios, he's determination to proceed with the olympic games is not informed by the best scientific evidence. does this not worry organizers? i mean, what is the level of concern in japan among the organizers versus among the general public? so the only thing i can do, the only thing we can do is compare the public comments made by organizers and the public surveys conducted by media companies. and private thing takes another such organizations. but i guess that's sort of the big courtesy, a lot of journalists are trying to get behind right now. about what organizers are . i guess what level organizer is truly gauged the risks

in terms of the virus. if we are to go forward with hosting games, like you said, be the chairman of the japan doctors and you said there's a possibility that new variance of coping 19 could emerge when tens of thousands of people from more than $200.00 countries come to japan. 2 months from now, after the leading up to the opening ceremony in july, i think that's just one of the many concerns we already have highly contagious, deadlier. difficult to detect variance in japan right now. the final one, why variant that emerged in the u. k. late last year the the variance currently coursing through india right now causing thousands and thousands of lives and casualties. we already have these dangerous variance that are sort of

getting ahead of public officials in japan. most of the screening percent variance is retroactive, so we can only find out how many p c r test that already tested positive were carrying those variance and to think of the possibility that an even more contagious debbie or variant could result or emerge during the tokyo games and then be spread back to the rest of the world. it's a, it's difficult to say how likely that is. but it's a scary thought. now lean, if the olympic in paralympic games were to be cancelled. and i know that's a very big if at this stage who would ultimately bear responsibility for making that decision. would it be the japanese government or would it be the io see who has the ultimate power in that potential decision? so the whole city contract, my understanding is, is that it's very clear that is the i will see that can cancel,

the whole city cannot cancel. that's what the host of the contract essentially says . so if there is a dispute and somebody will this arbitration, if somebody goes to court about it, then that's what it says. but, you know, having said that, japan is a sovereign state. japan is one of the breed powers in the world. japan. and this ben demik is a once in a 100, you're kind of brand demick. this is, this is an extraordinary situation. and if japan was to take a decision in the interest of a citizen, which is to cancel the games, there are ways that it could be argued should at the moment the japanese government so far, i've been clear that i didn't have the line and it said that we will all the games well, and we will be a see if games and they were the only thing in the face of public opinion. and i think the fact that the leading japanese people and a couple of responses have also come with, remember the, the, out of the budget for what is happening until q or the other 2 q will be games.

most of it comes from different public agencies of the government there about of the several companies joined war. but the depth of portion of the ship is very small as part of the overall money that comes in. so this is a solvent decision that japan will eventually make along with the i o c. no horse there is, there's been a lot of criticism of the ios see in terms of that the, i was, he is overbuilding. that the i was the depend so much on the lympics for sustenance, but it's funding 70 percent of its earnings comes from what goes right. there's been a lot of talk around that. but look, if japan really wanted to order the japanese government, let me say more clearly, really wanted to do. it took a call, it does not look for us in the interest of what it is and that's, and that's the case they can argue. legally though, let me re emphasize the contract is that only that he can take that division. so they'll be an semantics and the under the least legality inside. but remember, this is an extra extraordinary once in a 100 years kind of situation is not

a normal situation. i don't mean to say you heard now lean talk a couple of times there about the economics of all of this. how big of an economic hit would japan take if the games are canceled? how devastating would this be? it's hard to measure the economic impact of cancelling the games, but i think it's worth mentioning that if they are canceled the i o. c has access to a host of insurance on whereas the japanese government would most likely be expected to reimburse a large amount of investment and money from local and international sponsors. so i think it, if the games are canceled, the japanese government would shoulder a much bigger economic loss than the i'll see just based on how the the contract is

made on at the moment. now in the i o. c has said that it expects the majority of those in the olympic village will be vaccinated. is it clear yet, based on these playbooks that the i o. c, have issued based on these guidelines that they've issued, how the ios see expects, they will keep track of athletes and staffers and members of delegations who have been vaccinated. so if you see the ios, he's playbook for safety, and it's a large one of them, while luminous document, beautifully produced. see these things look very good on people. but we've seen a not experience with hosting big events internationally with it was which are much lower minute. you don't big support of there's the golfing moscow, the where does the i, b, l and so on. there is something that looks very good and people and then there is the practicality of it,

the devil. it lies in the detail. it really depends on how things are organized on the ground. so you could have this, i mean, this whole thing is pretty good on being on it, creating a bubble on the i please. right. so everybody, most people are vaccinated. i think the japanese organizers have said that they expect around 70 to 80 percent of the people who are involved in this to be vaccinated in at once. several countries was convenience. are coming in. they've said that they would, they would probably be 100 percent fascinated by the time that they both fall for japan. but the point is that on the ground, you know that when you have large congregations athletes, village by definition is a place where at least congregate. so, so to make sure that you have enough for distancing and so on the rules look good on paper. it is how they are implemented practically what we determine in the past . we've had both examples of both sides, certain bottom ones that have going on very well with a bubble, didn't boast, but don't want to bubble where i'm sitting in delhi, the ideal continued for about

a month in the bubble. then a few players got it and then it stopped. and now do you mean again, sometime in july or august? so, so you know, a lot of this because this tournament we go on for a very, very long time and start is scheduled to start on the 23rd of july, the olympics and then the barrel and bigs towards the end of august. if that's a very long time, it only takes one dominant one person to get infected for the old dominos to start falling. so, you know, there's a lot of there's a lot of a lot will depend on, on the, on the ground ology all, it's impacted on how it's implemented. i would say that he, japan as box and he did the roughly around 4.5 percent of its population. if you look for single jobs and about 3 percent, it was population board for, for double jobs. i understand that there is a plan to vaccinate most of the elderly, at least by june, that the defense ministry has been mobilized to to increase the piece of

explanation of the problem in japan. for vaccinations from my understanding over this is neither supply nor demand. it really is the implementation of it so that you get the, the, the boots on the ground to get the vaccinations done. there. having, having to vaccination is ready and people vaccinate vaccine has been around. that's not an issue. we're moving compared to many other countries in the world. really say it looked to me like you were nodding along to some of what now lean was saying there, did you want to jump in? now i agree with everything he just said. a lot of the countermeasures laid out in the 2nd version of the playbook, look good on paper. but as you brought up, there is an issue or questions regarding how people are going to be tracked during their stay in japan. whether the athletes coaching staff, political guess, things like that. and there is discussion about using the japanese health

ministries, application tracing application which was introduced in the, in the japanese public sometime in the 2nd half of last year. and the roll out of that was dysfunctional to put it lately, after a few months, only a couple dozen people had actually downloaded the app. and there were big questions about whether it was accurately detecting contact inspection or tracing the locations of the users. and like what was just brought up about athletes being roughly 80 percent vaccinated. i think the allison is there in the room is we don't know how many of the rest of the olympic delegations, paralympic delegations are going to be fascinated. i mean, outside of the 15000, actually there's still tens of thousands of other people and that's not counting the 80000 volunteers,

most of whom will not be vaccinated by the opening ceremony. so wow. like i said, it does sound good on paper, but there are questions about how many people in japan are going to be vaccinated and what risks that poses to the local population nellin. i just want to ask you once again about the impact of having on, on athletes because, you know, the olympics isn't just about athletics is also there's an exchange, there's a cultural change that goes on. it's not yet clear when the athletes will be able to arrive in japan, correct. and when they do, based on the guidelines we've seen, they will be in these bubbles in the limbic village. they won't be able to go and interact with the members of the community. and towns they might have otherwise been staying. and what does that do and what does it do? the fact that, you know, the athletes are well aware that most of the japanese public don't want them. they don't want these games to be going on. i think that's a very good question. i think at least the,

the lim big's the idea of the live. this is always been about solidarity. it always been about the cultural part of it as much as it has been about the competition. not a lot of doc, basically is not going to happen in the game to just gone handling. one of the great things about the lympics is that you would be be somebody was just not known anywhere from a small country not known. or you will be starting in line, right? they do it up in the olympics village. and one of the great magic or the great jobs are open. olympics village literally, that's not going to happen. this time was going to happen this time is if, if everything goes, so he's a very functional competition which is about the competition to, to get this done. and the joyce really is that idea. and of course, it's not ideal, but it's sensible to do it that way. it's not sensible to not do it that way and it's not safe. certainly you really have a choice between cancelling the event altogether and that has its,

has many medications outside of that or doing it in this manner, right? if you do it in this manner, a, basically this entire generation of at least olympic athletes, mrs. out on the magically living. but if you ask them, would you, would you treat the johns of driving participated in an lympics of this guy and are not going to be ever, i think many of them would say, well, we would still go to the lympics. all right, well we have run out of times, we're going to have to leave the conversation there. thank you so much to our guest, reinstate takahashi, and now lean matter and thank you to for watching. you can see the program again any time visiting our website or dot com. and for further discussion, go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha, inside story. you can also join the conversation on twitter. our handle is at ha, inside storage, lima. how much is room and the whole thing here for now? the

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