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BBC OS: 2021/07/19 16:06 GMT: Heading for the Tokyo Olympics

Discussion & Talk

Covid: Restrictions lift in England as cases rise

2021/07/19 16:06 GMT

2021/07/19 16:06 GMT: Heading for the Tokyo Olympics

Heading for the Tokyo Olympics

BBC World Service - BBC OS, Heading for the Tokyo Olympics

Three athletes on their paths to the pandemic postponed games

As we near the start of the postponed Tokyo Olympics this Friday, we speak to three athletes who are heading to the Games. Adeline Gray is a wrestler for the United States, Catharine Pendrel is a mountain biker for Canada and Ankita Raina plays tennis for India. How do they feel about the prospect of no spectators and living in athlete bubbles?

Today is being called "Freedom Day" by some people in England. Nearly all legal limits on social contact end.  Groups of any size can now meet both inside and outside. Face coverings are no longer required by law. The British government has defended its decision to go ahead with lifting Covid restrictions in England, despite a sharp rise in covid-19  infections from the Delta variant.  We hear how people in England are feeling about the lifting of restrictions and we talk to our regular health experts.

And we go to South Africa where former president Jacob Zuma has appeared on a video link from prison today to attend his corruption trial. The decision to sentence Mr Zuma to 15 months in jail sparked protests which quickly turned violent – leading to more than 200 deaths, and widespread looting and arson.  We bring together three journalists who covered the protests in different parts of the country.

Picture: Canada's Catharine Pendrel during the Olympic Mountain Biking test event in Izu, Shizuoka in October 2019 (Takashi Aoyama / Getty Images)

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2021/07/19 16:06 GMT: Heading for the Tokyo Olympics

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