Japan is currently experiencing a period of political uncertainty, amid rising tensions with China and a strained relationship with its US ally.

Japan is pivoting from aid to strategic investment in Africa to compete with China and Russia while boosting development and Japanese business engagement.

In a new move aimed at addressing the crisis of declining birth rates and population aging, the Japanese government has recommended adopting a policy that would make childbirth completely free.

On November 26, 2024, Saudi Arabia approved its 2025 budget, projecting a $26.4 billion deficit and allocating $72.5 billion to defense, a 5% increase from 2024.

Japan's political future hangs in the balance after voters delivered a historic rebuke to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's scandal-tainted ruling coalition in a weekend snap election.