Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan’s aging, shrinking population was not a burden, but an incentive to boost productivity through innovations like robots, wireless sensors and Artificial Intelligence. Abe’s comments on Wednesday came days after official data showed that Japan has 34.6 million people aged 65 and older, or 27.3 percent of the population – the highest proportion among advanced nations. Source Reuters
China would considering sending troops into the disputed border region between Djibouti and Eritrea, the Chinese envoy to the African Union said, as tension between the two East African countries mounts. Beijing would consider intervening if border tensions between the two countries exploded, Kuang Weilin told the Associated Press on Friday, adding that he hoped the dispute would be “solved amicably.” Source RT
Saudi Arabia’s National Water Co. is seeking financial advisers to arrange the sale of parts of the country’s water distribution network, according to people familiar with the matter. Source Gulf News
The military standoff between China and India along their border should be resolved by September before the BRICS summit in Xiamen, Chinese experts said, but how the standoff is resolved depends on India. “The ongoing border tension is testing China’s patience, and if the border tension remains until September, it would be very embarrassing for Indian leaders to come to China to attend the BRICS summit. Source Global Times
