The Olympic torch relay continues along its difficult road, recently entering its 40th prefecture -- Miyagi, an area severely battered by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Japan has announced the easing of a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and six other areas from next week, with new daily cases falling just as the country begins final preparations for the Olympics starting in just over a month.

The Tokyo Olympics will have domestic spectators, it was decided Monday.

The Tokyo Olympics will limit the number of spectators to 10,000 people per venue to reduce the risk of the world’s biggest sporting games turning into a superspreader event.

Japan’s National Stadium, set to host the opening ceremony on July 23, will be at less than a sixth of its full capacity of 68,000.Organizers in March already announced overseas spectators will be barred from events. Pressure to reduce the number of domestic fans had been growing amid a resurgence…

The competition schedule remains unchanged.