In a surprising development, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election in the upcoming party leadership vote in September. This decision paves the way for Japan to welcome a new prime minister.

In 2023, Japan experienced the largest population decline on record, with the number of Japanese nationals falling by 861,000, or 0.70 percent, from the previous year. This brought the total number of Japanese nationals to 121,561,801.

The stampede unfolded during a 'satsang' near Phulrai village in Sikandrarau, where thousands had gathered despite restrictions, resulting in a tragic loss of life.