Pandemic-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympic Games kick off to empty stadiums

Opening ceremonies kick off as the host city sees a six-month high in COVID-19 cases. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Pandemic-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympic Games kick off to empty stadiums [Athletes are introduced during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, July 23, 2021.] Credit: Morry Gash/AP Olympics Opening ceremonies for the long-awaited Summer Olympic Games kicked off on Friday in Tokyo. The event opened to a mostly empty stadium amid precautions against COVID-19, as cases in the host city hit a [six-month high](. Meant to take place in 2020, the games were delayed by a year because of the pandemic. Nino Salukvadze of Georgia became the first female athlete to appear for her ninth Olympic Games. And 12-year-old table tennis player Hend Zaza of Syria is the [youngest]( at this year’s competition. Also, two-time Olympic medalist [Mohamed Sbihi]( became the first Muslim flag bearer for Team Great Britain. Haiti Haiti lays President Jovenel Moïse to rest, who was assassinated in his home on July 7, in a [state funeral]( on Friday. The ceremony takes place amid tight security, with plans for Moïse’s widow and government officials to attend, as well as a US [delegation](. In the early morning hours, protesters took to the streets to express their anger and frustration. [Ariel Henry](, who was appointed by Moïse before his death, is set to become the country’s next prime minister. Tibet Chinese President Xi Jinping made an unannounced [visit to Tibet](, in his first trip as president. Xi addressed Tibetans in front of the Potala Palace — the former winter home of the now-exiled Dalai Lama. “As long as we follow the Communist Party, as long as we adhere to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we will surely be able to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation…” [he said](. China annexed Tibet in 1950, and continues to exert control over the border region, this year marking [70 years]( of Communist Party rule of the area. [Sports of Olympic past: Where are they now?]( [The Belgian men's team competes in a tug of war competition.]( Credit: Courtesy of Eddie van Raamsdonk Securing a spot at the Olympics isn’t a lifelong promise. The [International Olympic Committee has cut sports]( like plunge-for-distance, tug of war and rope climbing out of the Games, but competitions have continued outside the Olympic ring. [In Thailand, new abortion freedoms face spiritual resistance]( [A one-month dosage of hormonal birth control pills is displayed. Early-stage abortions are legal in Thailand, but many doctors and nurses there refuse to do them.]( Credit: Rich Pedroncelli/AP As of February, anyone seeking an abortion in Thailand can get one legally — at least in the first trimester. Yet, they may still face resistance when turning up to a clinic. “Many doctors and nurses don’t want to do it, even though it’s now totally legal,” [said longtime abortion rights advocate Supecha Baotip](. “That’s about more than just a feeling. It’s about belief on the spiritual level.” --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot Ice cream is becoming [hugely popular in China]( and entrepreneurs are experimenting with the frozen treat. If you're in Shanghai, you can now find popsicles shaped like the Great Wall of China, boba tea-flavored ice pops and even peppercorn-flavored ice cream! 🍦 [Various ice cream flavors — with Shanghai scallion noodle featured in the middle — which are a part of China's booming ice cream industry.]( Credit: Rebecca Kanthor/The World --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it from The World --------------------------------------------------------------- - [A new space race, in Africa]( - [Hungary’s Aida Mohamed to become 14th woman in history to compete in 7th Olympic Games]( - [China’s ice cream boom]( - [Why did the US change its stance on Nord Stream 2?]( - [Migrant hunger strike in Belgium suspended, for now]( - [How green is the post-COVID recovery shaping up to be?]( - [Syria’s rise in trafficking illegal drugs]( - [In Thailand, new abortion freedoms face spiritual resistance]( - [Interpreting the change in COVID restrictions at US land borders with Canada and Mexico]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.