President Biden on Sunday left Seoul for Japan, kicking off the second leg of his first presidential trip to Asia.
When asked prior to his departure what message he had for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Biden offered up a simple, "Hello ... period," a response perhaps reflecting his administration's "so-far-unsuccessful attempts at restarting diplomacy with Pyongyang," CNN writes. South Korean and American intelligence had indicated North Korea to be planning a nuclear or missile test coinciding with Biden's visit.
And before stepping aboard Air Force One, the president said the U.S. is looking into available vaccines for monkeypox, a relatively rare, small pox-like virus that's been detected in a number of countries where it is not endemic. "We're working on it hard to figure out what we do and what vaccine if any might be available for it," Biden told reporters, noting that advisers "haven't told me the level of exposure yet, but it is something that everybody should be concerned about."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"It is a concern in that if it were to spread it would be consequential," he added.
So far, the World Health Organization says it has been notified of 92 lab-confirmed monkeypox cases and 28 suspected cases in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and some European countries. Israel and Switzerland, which aren't on the WHO's list, reported their first confirmed cases on Saturday, notes The Washington Post.
Biden landed in Tokyo early Sunday evening, local time.
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Google: A monopoly past its prime?Feature Google’s antitrust case ends with a slap on the wrist as courts struggle to keep up with the tech industry’s rapid changes
-
Patrick Hemingway: The Hemingway son who tended to his father’s legacyFeature He was comfortable in the shadow of his famous father, Ernest Hemingway
-
‘We must empower young athletes with the knowledge to stay safe’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Kim Jong Un’s triumph: the rise and rise of North Korea’s dictatorIn the Spotlight North Korean leader has strengthened ties with Russia and China, and recently revealed his ‘respected child’ to the world
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
Why are Trump's health rumors about more than just presidential fitness?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Extended absences and unexplained bruises have raised concerns about both his well-being and his administration's transparency
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
