
First golds up for grabs as Tokyo 2020 Paralympics gets underway as Japan battles covid increase
CNN
Athletes will compete for dozens of gold medals in Tokyo on Wednesday as the 2020 Paralympics, delayed by a year due to the pandemic, finally gets underway as new coronavirus cases surge in Tokyo.
There will be 16 medal events in the swimming alone on Wednesday, while four gold medals each are up for grabs on the cycling track and in wheelchair fencing. Speaking after qualifying for the men's 400 meters freestyle final on Wednesday afternoon in Japan, Australian swimmer Alexander Tuckfield said getting into the water after the long postponement felt like having a "weight lifted from my shoulders."
Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, arrives in Washington this week for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump on the future of Venezuela following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro. The meeting comes after Trump surprised many by allowing Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control, dashing opposition hopes for a new democratic era.

Most Americans see an immigration officer’s fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good as an inappropriate use of force, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds. Roughly half view it as a sign of broader issues with the way US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is operating, with less than one-third saying that ICE operations have made cities safer.











