August 16, Monday, 2021 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline

1. The four parties involved in organizing the Tokyo Paralympics say there will be no spectators at any of the venues.
2. Japan’s government plans to expand the coronavirus state of emergency to seven more prefectures from Friday. Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka are being added to the list as authorities fight the spread of the pandemic.
3. Japan recorded 14, 854 new cases of coronavirus infection across the country on Monday. The health ministry says the number of seriously ill patients, including those on ventilators and in intensive care, reached a record high of 1,603, up 40 from Sunday.