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Tokyo Olympics postponed until summer of 2021
Japanese Prime Minister Abe and IOC President Bach confirm delay
The Tokyo Olympic Games will be postponed until the summer of 2021, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters Tuesday after speaking by phone with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
The much anticipated decision comes after weeks of uncertainty for athletes, fans, sponsors and the Japanese public over an event that has cost the country $12.6 billion to stage. The chinavirus pandemic had raised questions about the safety of athletes and spectators convening in Tokyo this summer – and whether they could even travel amid border closures and visa restrictions. Local media polls showed that around 70% of Japanese did not expect the Games to be held as scheduled. "We agreed to host the games at the latest by next summer," Abe said. "I requested that the IOC consider delaying the Games for about a year so that athletes throughout the world can attend under the best conditions and spectators feel safe," Abe said, adding that Bach "agreed 100%." The IOC and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee said in a statement Tuesday that they agreed it is impossible to hold the Games in July this year as scheduled or even by the end of the current calendar year. They also said that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan, and the Games will "keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020."
Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo committee, told reporters that Japan would cancel the start of the torch relay scheduled for March 26. The IOC, meanwhile, will hold an emergency Executive Board meeting to discuss the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, according to Reuters. Pressure to delay the Olympics became insurmountable when the Olympic committees of Canada and Australia announced their withdrawal from the 2020 Games on Monday. The U.S. was among other nations that called for a postponement.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Tokyo-2020-Olympics/Tokyo-Olympics-postponed-until-summer-of-2021
Kenya Seeks $1.2 Billion From IMF, World Bank Amid Virus
Budget support expected by early May will boost forex reserves. State still in talks with IMF for a standby credit facility.
A staff member of Kenya's Ministry of Health sprays disinfectant on a rock which people sit on to curb the spread of the chinavirus at the Gikomba Market in Nairobi. Kenya is in talks with the World Bank for budget support of $750 million and the International Monetary Fund for $350 million in emergency assistance.
The East African nation also expects to receive $50 million from the World Bank to support its efforts against the brunt of the chinavirus pandemic, central bank Governor Patrick Njoroge said in a briefing held a day after policy makers cut the benchmark interest rate to an eight-year low.
Talks between Kenya and the IMF for a standby credit facility are ongoing on, he said. Kenya has 16 confirmed cases of the chinavirus.
The funds could start flowing by end-April or early May and “will undoubtedly also support our reserves,” Njoroge said. Kenya has $8.25 billion in reserves, sufficient for five months of imports, according to the central bank. Apart from the monetary measures that include a drop in the cash reserve ratio to increase liquidity, the government is also expected to announce some fiscal actions, Njoroge said. While the dollar has appreciated against most currencies, other factors have been driving a slide by the Kenyan shilling, Njoroge said, blaming a “misunderstanding” by some dealers about the central bank’s plans to shore up its reserves by buying as much as $100 million monthly. There are also some “malicious actors in the market,” he said.
The Kenyan shilling has weakened 5% so far this month to its lowest yet against the dollar. It touched a record 107.20 in earlier trade on Tuesday.
“Our exchange-rate policy hasn’t deviated,” Njoroge said. “It’s always been a flexible exchange-rate regime, but we intervene to minimize volatility.”
https://www.bloomberg.com//news/articles/2020-03-24/kenya-seeks-more-than-1-billion-from-imf-world-bank-amid-virus
formerly MAGMA88 and 89 skirting Cuban and Mexican airspace and likely heading to Honduras
VENUS44 G5 out of JBA and south heading for southern florida most likely. MacDillAFB/Palm Beach or Miami is my guess.
I'll take never for $1000 Alex…excepting WW1 and 2 but much different environment them
I also 'member Putin saying that WW3 would not be fought with conventional weapons.
glad to hear that. Tap for us. Always good. not many days I am not in the last 2 plus yrs. Prior not so much kek!
00000000 P-8 action in southeast
am grateful for all of it now. sometimes darkness makes you a better person. Spouse would say that in my case