First lady Jill Biden to meet Japanese emperor and prime minister
CBSN
First lady Jill Biden is set to meet later this week with Japan's emperor and prime minister and come face-to-face with U.S. diplomats based in Tokyo as she leads the U.S. delegation to the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics amid a state of emergency there due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The White House announced the first lady's itinerary on Wednesday morning as she begins a trip that also is set to take her to Alaska and Hawaii to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations. Administration officials said in recent days that there were no plans to cancel or curtail Biden's trip amid a spike in cases around Tokyo and positive test results for a handful of American athletes and dozens of other competitors. The head of Japan's Olympic organizing committee on Tuesday didn't rule out canceling the games if the COVID-19 surge continues. The organizing committee and Japanese government have already banned spectators from attending competitions, but say select groups of VIPs will be able to attend in person.Noumea — France's president held a flurry of meetings with local representatives in the restive Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Thursday, urging calm after deadly rioting, and vowing thousands of military reinforcements will stay in place to quell what he called an "unprecedented insurrection."
Kathmandu — Nepali climber Phunjo Lama on Thursday reached Mount Everest's summit in 14 hours and 31 minutes, smashing the record for the world's fastest ascent of the mountain by a woman. Climbers usually take days to reach the top of the 29,032-foot mountain, spending nights on its different camps to rest and acclimatize.
New Delhi — Indian justice officials have changed course amid outrage over the bail terms set for a teenager accused of killing two people while driving a Porsche at high speed while drunk and without a license. The 17-year-old son of a wealthy businessman had been ordered to write a 300-word essay and work with the local traffic police for 15 days to be granted bail — a decision that was made within 15 hours of his arrest.
Zurich — A woman jogger was killed by a naked man who was screaming and attacking people in a lakeside park in Switzerland, police said Wednesday. The attack happened Tuesday evening in Mannedorf on Lake Zurich, around 12 miles southeast of Switzerland's biggest city, the Zurich cantonal police said.
Norway, Ireland and Spain said Wednesday they are recognizing a Palestinian state in a historic move that drew condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. Israel immediately ordered back its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland and appeared ready to do the same with its ambassador to Spain.