Japanese population sees record drop in 2024
AFP : The population of Japanese nationals fell by a record amount — more than 900,000 people — in 2024, official data showed, as the country battles to reverse its perennially low birth rates....
International
Higher US tariffs take effect on dozens of economies
The Guardian : Dozens of countries face higher levies on their exports to the US now that Donald Trump’s latest wave of country-specific tariffs has come into force. The sweeping “reciprocal” rates announced by...
InShort: Myanmar’s junta president dies
AFP : Myanmar’s military-appointed figurehead president — suspended from service since last year due to declining health — died on Thursday, a junta statement said. Former general Myint Swe was named Myanmar’s acting president...
InShort: Ghana declares mourning after 8 killed in copter crash
Al Jazeera : Ghana has declared three days of national mourning after two government ministers were killed in a military helicopter crash on Wednesday. A helicopter crash has killed all eight people on board,...
US human rights report to downplay allies’ abuse
AFP : The annual human rights report produced by the United States will scale back criticism of El Salvador, Israel and Russia, a report said Wednesday, as officials hinted it would focus instead on...
Next year’s election to mark major test for post-Hasina Bangladesh: Kugelman
UNB: South Asia affairs expert Michael Kugelman has said Bangladesh will go through a major test for a post-Hasina era as the interim government unveiled its plan to host the next national election in...
Modi to visit China for the first time in 7 years amid US tariff tensions
UNB: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China for the first time in more than seven years, according to a government source, marking a step toward improving diplomatic relations with Beijing...
Meta targets whatsapp scams
AFP : Meta on Tuesday said it shut nearly seven million WhatsApp accounts linked to scammers in the first half of this year and is ramping up safeguards against such schemes. “Our team identified...
Crisis warning at plastic treaty talks
AFP : More than 400 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year, half of which is for single-use items. While 15 percent of plastic waste is collected for recycling, only nine percent...
Dubai to launch world’s first flying taxi
WebProNews : Dubai plans to launch the world’s first commercial flying taxi service in 2026, partnering with Joby Aviation for electric eVTOL aircraft that cut travel times, like from the airport to Palm Jumeirah...
Myanmar-China: Floods kill 6 in border
AFP : Monsoon floods in a rebel-held Myanmar town on the country’s mountainous border with China have killed six people, a spokesman for the armed group controlling the area said Wednesday. The northern town...
80 years on, Hiroshima warns of nuclear threat
AFP : Japan marked 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Wednesday with a ceremony reminding the world of the horrors unleashed, as sabre-rattling between the United States and Russia keeps the...