長寿化と少子化がもたらす社会的・経済的影響が、世界中の国々に及んでいます。適応が鍵となります。Japanでは、孤独死して数週間から数ヶ月間発見されなかった高齢者のアパートの清掃を専門とする企業が現れており、大人用おむつの売上は10年以上前から乳幼児用おむつの売上を上回っています。Italyでは、人口減少が進む村々が、新たな住民を呼び込みサービスを維持するために住宅を€1で販売しています。UKでは、生徒数の減少によりLondonの一部ですでに学校や教室の閉鎖が始まっています。これらは単なる珍しい事例ではなく、先進国の多くで起きているより広範な変化の兆しです。「2024年のEUでは、27カ国中21カ国で死亡数が出生数を上回った」と、Oxford Institute of Population Ageingの所長であるProf Sarah Harperは述べています。AsiaやAmericasにおいても、JapanやSouth KoreaからCubaやUruguayに至るまで、多くの国が同様のパターンに直面しています。続きを読む...
Regime used its isolation after closing borders to escalate killings when global scrutiny disappeared, NGO claimsNorth Korea dramatically increased its use of the death penalty after closing its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic, using its isolation to escalate killings when international scrutiny disappeared, according to a report mapping 13 years of executions under the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un.The number of documented cases of executions and death sentences increased by 117% in the nearly five years after North Korea sealed its borders in January 2020 compared with an equal period before the closure, according to a report by the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), a human rights NGO in Seoul. Continue reading...
There are now 3,110 billionaires but analysis shows ‘deep structural acceleration’ in wealth creation around worldThe number of billionaires in the world could reach nearly 4,000 by 2031, figures suggest, as the super-rich accumulate wealth at an accelerating rate.There are now 3,110 billionaires globally, according to analysis by the estate agent Knight Frank. This is forecast to rise by 25% over the next five years, taking the total to 3,915. Continue reading...
CSIRO researcher says there are reports of up to 4,000 mouse burrows per hectare in parts of Western AustraliaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGrain growers are on high alert as mouse numbers in Western Australia reach plague proportions and numbers surge in South Australia.Steve Henry, who researches mice and their impact on the grain industry at CSIRO, says more than 800 mice per hectare is considered a plague. Continue reading...
Iran war drives demand for solar panels, heat pumps and EVs, with energy bills expected to rise 18% from JulyBritish households are turning to green home energy upgrades in record numbers to try to keep bills down as the Iran crisis sends global oil and gas prices soaring, data from leading energy suppliers suggests.Figures show demand for solar panels, electric vehicles and heat pumps in Great Britain has leapt since the war began on 28 February, as households brace for a sharp increase in monthly payments when the next energy price cap takes effect in the summer. Continue reading...