July 9, Friday, 2021 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. Japan’s minister for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games has announced that no spectators will be allowed at Olympic venues in Tokyo and the three surrounding prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.
2. Olympic organizers say there will be no fans cheering on the world’s top athletes when they compete in Tokyo-area venues. The Games will kick off in just two weeks. Reaction to the news of the spectator ban has been mixed—both at home and abroad. The organizers decided not to allow spectators at events in Tokyo and the neighboring prefectures of Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa. But a limited number of fans will be allowed in four prefectures, including Fukushima.
3. The United Nations General Assembly has called on all member countries to observe a truce during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The tradition of an Olympic Truce dates back to Ancient Greece. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to renew the practice in 1993.