The UNESCO world heritage city of Verona in northern Italy was the stage for the closing ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games on Sunday. Athletes and volunteers carrying the flags of participating countries and territories marched into the arena. They included Japanese figure skater Sakamoto Kaori, who won two silver medals, and Japanese speed skater Morishige Wataru.
Ukraine says Russia’s forces attacked railway and water facilities in the country ahead of the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s military invasion. The Ukrainian Air Force says Russia’s forces launched an attack on the capital Kyiv and other places through Sunday morning. It notes the forces used 50 missiles and nearly 300 drones.
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito turned 66 on Monday. Ahead of his birthday, he spoke to reporters at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. This year marks 15 years since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and 10 years since the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. The Emperor said his heart aches even now to think that the disasters caused enormous damage in various places.