Briefly

SWITZERLAND

IOC, China make jab deal for Olympians

The International Olympic Committee and China have teamed up to offer vaccines to athletes and teams preparing for the upcoming games in both Japan and China. The collaboration with Chinese Olympic officials was announced on Thursday during an online IOC meeting."We are grateful for this offer, which is in the true Olympic spirit of solidarity," IOC President Thomas Bach said. Bach said the IOC would "pay for extra doses" for Olympic and Paralympic participants.

ISRAEL

Netanyahu forced to reschedule UAE visit

Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it was forced to reschedule the Israeli prime minister's visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, citing disagreements with the Jordanian government. The office said in a statement that "because of difficulties in coordinating his flight in Jordanian airspace the visit was postponed" until further notice. Commentators deemed the historic visit to the UAE as a chance for Netanyahu to tout his diplomatic credentials ahead of Israel's March 23 election. And earlier on Thursday, Netanyahu's wife Sara was hospitalized with an appendix infection.

UNITED KINGDOM

Murder case triggers fears among women

Cressida Dick, the head of London's police force, has sought to reassure women it is safe to walk the streets of London at night after one of her officers was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering a 33-year-old woman. Sarah Everard's disappearance and the announcement that human remains had been found prompted women to flood social media with posts about the steps they take when out alone at night to keep safe, including clutching keys to use as a weapon and wearing trainers to help them run. Dick said:"I know Londoners will want to know that it is thankfully incredibly rare for a woman to be abducted from our streets."

Agencies - Xinhua