South Korea: 2 dead, aquatic athletes injured in nightclub collapse

South Korea is boosting efforts to recycle plastics in the country. At special centres, used PET bottles are recycled and transformed into products such as clothes, food containers, and cosmetic bottles.

Syrian weightlifter Maan Asaad and high jumper Majd Eddin Ghazal are preparing to participate in the Tokyo Olympics after a 2 year hiatus from competing internationally because of COVID-19. The lack of international participation has impacted Maan according to his brother and trainer, Qays.

Yoko Nishimura, a Japanese mother and housewife, recreates a dish to be served at the Olympic village. She was one of the winners in the Olympic village food recipe contest, in which her recipe was selected to bring the taste of Japan to athletes competing at the Games. The athletes will also be able to enjoy typical Japanese dishes such as tempura, ramen and wagyu beef -- but only at cafeterias inside the village due to tough virus restrictions.

Gym-goers work out in Seoul, where Covid restrictions have been brought in that include banning upbeat songs during group exercises and applying a speed limit on treadmills in a bid to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Tokyo residents react after two athletes tested positive for Covid-19 in the Tokyo Olympic Village, raising fears of a cluster just days ahead of the opening ceremony.

Athletes from teams across the globe were filmed arriving at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Thursday, ahead of the Olympic games. Footage shows delegations from USA, Great Britain, Brazil and others greeted by the organising committee employees. The Tokyo 2020 games will be held between July 23 and August 8 after being postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Tokyo residents share their support for athletes and coronavirus concerns as Olympic Games enters its Day 4 and Japan taking leading positions on the medal table. "So as long as we try to minimise contaminations, I want to see the athletes perform," said one resident.

At a serene zen garden in a Tokyo park, abstract lines inspired by the movements of Olympic athletes are carefully traced in the gravel -- not by monks, but by robots. The newly installed artwork, titled "The Constant Gardeners", features four large industrial robotic arms that work together to sculpt a traditional Japanese rock garden.

As the US and other countries withdraw development staff and aid, China's regional rivals are watching whether Beijing can extend its sphere of influence by building ties with a new Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Members of the women's national football team were among a group of female athletes successfully evacuated from Afghanistan. The news was confirmed by FIFAPRO, the association for professional footballers, on Monday.

South Korea's ministry of defence releases footage of a successful a submarine ballistic missile launch, making the country the seventh in the world with the advanced technology and raising the prospect of a regional arms race. The test, supervised by President Moon Jae-in, comes hours after nuclear-armed North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea, according to the South's military, and as China's foreign minister visited Seoul.

Pyongyang last cut off the hotline in August after joint US-South Korea military drills. The move comes amid a series of weapons tests by the North.