Japan's aging trend is swelling the number of vacant houses in the country: There were 3.47 million vacant private homes in Japan last year, up 9.1% since 2013. That's 5.5% of the total number of houses, according to Tomohiro Ebuchi and Shohei Nomoto of Nikkei.
The context: That's a lot, but the surge of housing vacancies — for varying reasons — is a global trend.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is expected to announce Wednesday that Tehran may withdraw in whole or in part from the 2015 nuclear deal, potentially by resuming production of high-grade centrifuges for nuclear fuel and limiting inspections of nuclear facilities.
Why it matters: If Iran were to withdraw even partially from the deal, it could see its economy plummet further while military tensions with the U.S. ratchet up. Its internal power balance could also tilt more toward hardliners, who oppose any policies seen as accommodating the West.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an abrupt trip to Baghdad on Tuesday amid escalating tensions with Iran and reported security threats involving U.S. presence in the region, the Washington Post reports.
Details: The State Department reportedly said the unscheduled visit was due to "pressing issues," and according to AP, Pompeo explained that his trip was meant to reaffirm U.S. support for "a sovereign, independent" Iraq, free from the interference of neighboring Tehran. Pompeo also met with Iraq’s president and prime minister.
The Trump administration last week renewed 5 of 7 sanctions waivers to continue permitting international civil nuclear cooperation with Iran — a selective approach that appears to acknowledge concerns of European allies.
Why it matters: Keeping most waivers in place risks signaling irresolution on the part of an administration that has made “maximum pressure” against the Islamic Republic a centerpiece of its foreign policy.
A China-linked espionage group weaponized an NSA hacking tool for its own uses a year before that tool was leaked by a group of hackers called the Shadow Brokers, Symantec reports.
Why it matters: There's a delicate balance governments have to weigh when they develop high tech hacking tools: Every tool relies on a security flaw that a company could fix if the government chose to notify them rather than exploit it for espionage. If third parties like China co-opt the tool or make use of the same vulnerability, that opens the way for other attackers to follow the same route.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has claimed the U.S., Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are spreading false accusations on alleged Iranian plots against U.S. interests in the Gulf.
Why it matters: Iranian officials are pushing back on claims made in the last 24 hours by the White House, State Department and Pentagon that new intelligence shows Iran is planning attacks against the U.S. and its allies in the Gulf. Zarif responded to the accusations in a tweet that included a photo of a story published yesterday by Axios about Israel passing intelligence to the U.S. about an alleged Iranian plot.
Iran on Monday dismissed U.S. national security adviser John Bolton's announcement that the U.S. is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to send it "a clear and unmistakable message."
"In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force."
Israel passed information on an alleged Iranian plot to attack U.S. interests in the Gulf to the U.S. before national security adviser John Bolton threatened Iran with "unrelenting force" last night, senior Israeli officials told me.
Why it matters: Bolton's unusual and aggressive statement included news that the U.S. would move an aircraft carrier to the region. The officials said intelligence gathered by Israel, primarily by the Mossad intelligence agency, is understood to be part of the reason for Bolton's announcement.
China has detained an estimated 1 million to 2 million Uighur Muslims in the region of Xinjiang, and millions more live one step away from detention under the watchful eye of the Chinese Communist Party.
Why it matters: It has been two years since the internment camps first came to light internationally, and a series of reports from Xinjiang have made vivid the scale of the abuses. Yet foreign governments and corporations are content to pretend it isn't happening.
At least 41 people died after a plane operated by Russian airline Aeroflot burst into flames during an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow Sunday, investigators said.
The latest: The Sukhoi SSJ100 was carrying 73 passengers and 5 crew members when it landed and sped down a runway, billowing huge flames and black smoke. Russian Investigative Committee spokesperson Yelena Markovskaya told state-run news agency Tass that 37 people had survived, including 4 crew members. Aeroflot published a list of survivors.
Israel's army lifted security restrictions, as Palestinian leaders said they had agreed to a ceasefire following 2 days of deadly violence in the region, Reuters and AFP reported Monday, citing officials with knowledge of the agreement.
Details: Israel didn't confirm the Palestinian report, but the Times of Israel noted that the lifting of restrictions at 7 am local time for people living along the Gaza border and schools announcing they would open indicated "a truce had indeed been reached." Palestinian medical officials reported 25 deaths, including 3 women, 2 babies and at least 10 militants, per AP. AFP reports 4 civilians in Israel were killed.
