Top Asian News 6:36 p.m. GMT

Emperor and Empress of Japan arrive in the UK ahead of a long-awaited state visit

LONDON (AP) — Emperor Naruhito of Japan and his wife Empress Masako arrived in the U.K. on Saturday ahead of a long-awaited official state visit originally scheduled for 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic delayed those plans. The smiling couple, who landed late afternoon at Stansted Airport north of London, will spend seven days in the U.K. carrying out private engagements before the official state visit begins on June 25. The couple have connections to the U.K., having studied at the University of Oxford at different times. The trip was intended to be the 64-year-old emperor’s first overseas visit after he ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019.