Magnet comments

You can cut and snip and take as many hormones as you can stomach, but it will NEVER change your natural biology. XX = female, XY = male. Anything else is an chromosomal anomaly or a mental disorder. Irrefutable fact.

Meanwhile, the actual citizens of Australia have been left to handle the flood catastrophe on their own. Shame on ScuMo and the Liberal Nationals Coalition.

At this stage of the pandemic, I agree. The train has left the station (or plane in this case). No putting the virus back in the bottle now.

To anyone defending this guy... What possible good could an explosive vest be used for? There is absolutely nothing tragic about this end.

Good riddance. Hopefully any likeminded individuals will have the same fate.

Something most politicians seem to be overlooking. In order for the economy to grow or even maintain the status quo, you need a healthy workforce. We're experiencing this massive oversight now in Australia. Can't even buy groceries since the supply chain workers are sick with COVID. Epic fail by world "leaders" at a global scale.

2 years and counting of this and the NSW and Australian Federal Government haven't learned a thing. Not from Australia's experience nor from any other country on the planet. Total and complete ineptitude.

Merry Christmas, fellow JT combatants! I mean... commenters. A happy New Year to us all and may 2022 be better than the last 2 nightmares.

Generally yes. Older generations have more respect and manners than the younger ones. Japan is a bit of an anomaly in this regard. Respect and manners are overall better in Japan than in most other countries. It's a cultural thing I suppose.

"Human rights" are a cultural construct. (And yes, I'm very much aware how many down-votes this comment will get).

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We need more news like this. Nice heartwarming story Japan Today. :)

Disney content has seriously taken a turn for the worst over the past 2 years.

"there has only been a 45 percent decrease in PCR tests". That's almost half the testing. Seems like a pretty significant red flag to me.

100% no. What some may think is patriotism could quickly turn to xenophobia and racism. Experienced it a lot in high school in Australia.

While it was a nice short-term distraction from the current global pandemic situation, that's literally all it was. A short-term distraction. A very costly short-term distraction which will cost Japan both financially and from a COVID recovery perspective. Short-term gain for long-term loss.

As of today, August 26th:

Sweden stats:

Population: 10.29 Million

Cases: 1,120,628

Deaths: 14,674

Deaths per million: 1,426.68

VS

Australia:Population: 25.36 Million

Cases: 47,840

Deaths: 989

Deaths per million: 38.99

I believe the numbers speak for themselves. Lockdown unquestionably works. Even at this late stage where we no longer have the option of COVID-zero.

At the absolute very least, it buys our healthcare system time to respond.

(https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/)

Claiming lockdowns don't work at this stage of the pandemic is the same as complaining that the brakes on a runaway train barrelling off a cliff aren't working. Applied way too late, with way too many cases already in the wild. Lockdown is a tool. An early prevention tool. And at this stage, it's the only tool left to keep the cases manageable from a healthcare system perspective. Once that gets overrun, that's when the fatalities really start to rise.

It's already paid for and happening whether or not we wanted it to happen. Might as well try to enjoy it at this point! :)

So awesome to see such young talent shining in these chaotic times. Congratulations Nishiya! Congratulations Japan!

Hoping this will be the last Olympics. The movement has completely lost its way. Political and social activism is out of control as it is.

Bunch of thugs.

Hey, they railroaded right through Japan's Prime Minister, what's an Aussie state Premier to do? A sports organisation dictating politics, in the midst of a global pandemic. What a time to be alive...

Well, it's happening. Might as well bring out the popcorn and enjoy this little escape from reality for the next few weeks. All the best to the athletes! Stay safe everyone!

Nice to see the media social distancing in the press con photos. Great example of things to come under Suga's and Bach's watch.

Interesting... I thought the Prime Minister of Japan was Suga, not Bach. Who's really in charge of Japan?

So much time COVID-free where NSW could have been vaccinated. Instead, there aren't enough Pfizer vaccines to go around, less than 10% are vaccinated, and it's starting to look a whole lot like the UK and US around their peaks back in 2020. What a wasted opportunity. Gladys Berejiklian and the rest of the Liberal Government are an absolute joke. Totally tripped at the finish line. I'll be surprised if NSW doesn't end up going through the full breakout that the UK and US experienced at this stage. Too little action, too late.

They get paid for their ability and talent, not their conversational skills. The media can go feed off something else.

"Around 60 Japanese companies plowed a record $3.3 billion into the event" the true reason the Olympics are still being forced to continue.

The Olympics have lost all credibility IMHO. Even before the pandemic, all that the Olympics left in its wake was economic disaster. Time to end the Games, for good.