July 23, Friday, 2021 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline read by Ms. Keiko Kitagawa

1. The Olympic flame has reached the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building after a 4-month journey across Japan.
2. Emperor Naruhito has welcomed foreign dignitaries visiting Japan to attend the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. first lady Jill Biden were among the 12 dignitaries from 11 countries who visited the Imperial Palace on Friday. 3. The opening ceremony has kicked off for the world’s biggest sporting even, amid a pandemic. Japan’s Emperor came to welcome the opening of the Tokyo Olympics—the culmination of many years of preparations and set-backs.