Tokyo Olympics organisers on Monday unveiled virus countermeasures for test events that will resume later this week for the first time since the Games were postponed by the pandemic.
Tokyo 2020 chiefs pledged to hold the remaining 18 test events – which function as dress rehearsals for each sport – in a "safe and secure" manner, to see what they can "learn as we work towards the Games".
Test events were halted after the sport climbing event was held from March 6-8 last year, with Tokyo 2020 staff replacing athletes because of infection concerns.
The first test event since the unprecedented postponement of the Games will be wheelchair rugby on April 3-4, with water polo to follow one week later.
Tokyo 2020 Games delivery officer Hidemasa Nakamura said countermeasures would be based on the virus rulebooks unveiled by organisers earlier this year.
"We're trying to limit contact, avoid handshakes and other physical contact, and keep distance between athletes – one metre if two isn't possible," he said.
Cheering will be banned and rooms and common spaces ventilated every 30 minutes.
Fourteen of the test events will be organised by Tokyo 2020, with the other four run by international federations.
Nakamura said the athletics test event at Tokyo's National Stadium on May 9 will be the only event organised by Tokyo 2020 where overseas athletes will participate and spectators will be present.
He said fans and overseas athletes will likely be involved in the four events organised by international federations – diving, water polo, artistic swimming and the marathon.
"Athletes coming here for the events organised by the international federations will have to go through immigration controls, so of course they're important test events for the organising committee," said Games official Yasuo Mori.
Earlier this month, Olympic officials announced that overseas fans will be barred from the Games, which open on July 23, to help limit the virus risk.
A decision on how many domestic spectators will be allowed to attend is expected in April.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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