The liberal daily, an official sponsor of the Games, says public health should be a priority while the coronavirus is still spreading

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A major Japanese newspaper has called for the cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics, warning that the Games pose a threat to public health and will place additional strain on the country’s health service as it struggles to contain the latest wave of coronavirus.

In an editorial on Wednesday, the liberal Asahi Shimbun – an official Olympic partner – urged the prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, to “to calmly and objectively assess the situation and decide on the cancellation of the event this summer”.