UK's Prince William Back to Work after Wife Kate’s Operation

Kate Middleton and Prince William visit Heredord on Sept. 14, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
Kate Middleton and Prince William visit Heredord on Sept. 14, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
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UK's Prince William Back to Work after Wife Kate’s Operation

Kate Middleton and Prince William visit Heredord on Sept. 14, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
Kate Middleton and Prince William visit Heredord on Sept. 14, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)

Britain's Prince William will return to official duties on Wednesday for the first time since his wife Kate spent two weeks in hospital after undergoing abdominal surgery, his office said.

William, 41, the heir to the throne, postponed engagements to help look after the couple's three children after Kate underwent surgery last month for a non-specified, but non-cancerous, condition.

He will attend the London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner on Wednesday on his first day back on official duties, Kensington Palace said, while the BBC reported he would also carry out an investiture at Windsor Castle earlier in the day.

After leaving hospital last week, the couple's office said Kate was making "good progress", but she is not expected to return to public work until after Easter while she recovers.

King Charles left the same hospital on the day Kate left having spent three nights there receiving planned treatment for an enlarged prostate.

He was pictured smiling and waving after attending church with his wife Queen Camilla on Sunday, his first public outing since his hospital treatment.



Heavy Rain in Northern Japan Triggers Floods, Landslides

A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
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Heavy Rain in Northern Japan Triggers Floods, Landslides

A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)

Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued emergency warnings of heavy rain for several municipalities in the Yamagata and Akita prefecture, where warm and humid air was flowing.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged the affected area’s residents to “put safety first” and pay close attention to the latest information from the authorities.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, one person went missing in Yuzawa city — in the Akita prefecture — after being hit by a landslide at a road construction site.

Rescue workers in the city evacuated 11 people from the flooded area with the help of a boat.

In the neighboring Yamagata prefecture, more than 10 centimeters (4 inches) of rain fell in the hardest-hit Yuza and Sakata towns within an hour earlier Thursday.

Thousands of residents in the area were advised to take shelter at higher and safer grounds, but it was not immediately known how many people took that advice.

Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train services were partially suspended on Thursday, according to East Japan Railway Company.

The agency predicted up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) of more rainfall in the region through Friday evening, urging residents to remain cautious.