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​Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema reacts during the announcement of provisional results of the 2025 Gabonese presidential election by the Ministry of the Interior, at the headquaters of the Rassemblement des Batisseurs (RdB), in Libreville, Gabon, April 13, 2025.
Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: Gabon suspends social media, Bulgaria to hold yet another election, Japan puts some money on the table, Philippine vice president declares presidential run

2.5 million: The population of Gabon who can no longer get onto certain social media platforms, like YouTube and TikTok, after the government suspended access on Tuesday.

​Bad Bunny performs during the Super Bowl halftime show at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, 2026.
Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: Bad Bunny steals the show, Hong Kong democracy activist sentenced to 20 years in jail, Japanese markets split on Takaichi’s success, Socialist wins in Portugal

​Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), appeals for a candidate during a street speech of the House of Representatives Election Campaign in Shintomi Town, Miyazaki Prefecture on February 6, 2026. The Lower House election will feature voting and counting on February 8th.
What We're Watching

What We’re Watching: Big week for elections, US and China make trade deals, Suicide bombing in Pakistan

Japanese voters head to the polls on Sunday in a snap election for the national legislature’s lower house, called just three months into Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s tenure.

​U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hold up signed documents regarding securing the supply of critical minerals and rare earths, at a bilateral meeting at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan, October 28, 2025.
What We're Watching

What We’re Watching: US critical minerals summit, Rafah crossing reopens, Border violence in Pakistan

Representatives from the European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, and others will meet in Washington this week to discuss a strategic alliance on critical minerals.

A teenager poses holding a mobile phone as a law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect, in Sydney, Australia, on December 10, 2025.
Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: Australia tries to enforce social media ban, Japan’s opposition unites, Millions dodge Ukrainian draft, & More

US President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the Federal Reserve Board building in Washington, D.C., USA, on July 24, 2025.
What We're Watching

What We’re Watching: Trump’s DOJ probes Fed’s Powell, Iran cracks down on protestors, Japan’s PM consider snap election

Graphic Truth: Japan set for dramatic population decline
Graphic Truth

Graphic Truth: Japan set for dramatic population decline

The number of Japanese births continues to plunge, and is set to fall short of the government’s most pessimistic targets this year. That will hit the population, and exacerbate the economic challenges that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faces.

​Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visit a kindergarten in Tokyo on May 21, 2024.
Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: Japan’s birth rate sinks to record low, Executions set to double in Iran, Sudan’s soccer team provide rare moment of joy, & More

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., USA, on Dec. 5, 2025.
Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: Canada’s Carney faces spelling backlash, US unemployment hits four-year high, Iran shows off its missiles, Japan-China spat means pandas are coming home

​Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo, Japan, on December 10, 2025.
Analysis

Japan’s leader has had a tricky start. But the public loves her.

Sanae Takaichi has faced plenty of turbulence in the 50 days since she took office, yet her approval rating is sky-high.