The country where dog strollers now outsell prams for babies

The sale of pet carriers in South Korea has surpassed that of baby strollers for the first time, underlining the country’s worryingly low fertility rate.

The East Asian country’s fertility rate declined to a historic low of 0.78 in 2022, the lowest globally and well below the replacement rate.

The trend is reflected in stroller sales.

According to Gmarket, an e-commerce platform operator, 57 per cent of the strollers sold in 2023 were for pets compared to 43 per cent for babies, the Korea Times reported. The corresponding figures were 33 per cent and 67 per cent, respectively, in 2021.

As fewer children are born in the country, the newspaper noted, more people are opting to raise pets. More than six million households in South Korea had pets in 2022, up from 3.6 million in 2012.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has called the plummeting birth rate a “national emergency” and announced the creation of a “Ministry of Low Birth Rate Counterplanning”.

“We will mobilise all of the nation’s capabilities to overcome the low birth rate, which can be considered a national emergency,” he said in May.

“I think the important thing going forward is indeed the economy. Corporate growth and job creation are important too but what I think is more important is to try harder to look for what is inconvenient in the life of each and every person and to resolve them.”

South Korea’s demographic crisis is blamed on a number of factors, but frustration with the rising cost of living and declining quality of life is considered to be the primary reason.

The federal government offers financial incentives to encourage couples to have children, paying 35m to 50m won (£20,566 to £29,380) from birth until the child turns seven.

It was reported in March that the number of marriages had dropped by 40 per cent over the past decade. The number of marriages recorded in 2023 was 193,673 as against 322,807 in 2013.

According to the Population Trends Survey by Statistics Korea, South Korea last year experienced significant demographic shifts characterised by declines in marriage and birth rates.

Philippines allies call summit amid fears of war in South China Sea

Twenty allies of the Philippines are meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York amid fears that one “wrong move” could escalate tensions in the South China Sea.

The summit is aimed at finding ways to “talk some sense” into China and send a message to president Xi Jinping, Manila’s envoy to America said on Tuesday. Jose Manuel Romualdez did not name any of the countries that are likely to attend.

The Philippine Navy claims China is deploying ever more maritime vessels and warships in the disputed waters amid increasing skirmishes between the two countries.

The Philippines and China have exchanged accusations of intentionally ramming coast guard vessels in the disputed waters in recent months, including a violent clash in June in which a Filipino sailor lost a finger.

The tensions are centred around the Sabina Shoal, a coral atoll in the disputed Spratly Islands which is closer to the Philippines than the earlier flashpoint of the Second Thomas Shoal.

The new flashpoint emerged after the two countries made a deal to try to stop dangerous confrontations at the Second Thomas Shoal.

A series of clashes around Sabina Shoal has caused fears that any misstep at sea could unintentionally spill over into an armed conflict, potentially drawing in the US, the chief ally of the Philippines.

“The more countries band together and give a message to China that what they are doing is definitely not on the right side of history, then we have a better than even chance that they will not make the wrong move that we are all fearing,” Mr Romualdez was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Mr Romualdez told the New America think tank in Washington that the Philippines “has never faced this type of challenge since World War II”, referring to the Chinese actions in South China Sea.

“As of today they have about 238 ships or militia vessels swarming in the area, and they continue to do this day in and day out,” he claimed.

The upcoming summit, he said, is meant “to give a signal to China, that we are not just one but we are many that are not happy with what they’re doing today in the Indo-Pacific region”.

Mr Romualdez said the summit would take place on the sidelines of the annual General Assembly in New York in the week of 22 September.

China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. Both countries have had clashes over competing claims at several atolls in the sea, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, reported the largest presence ever of Chinese ships in the disputed waters for the third consecutive week.

He said some of the Chinese vessels withdrew during tropical storm Enteng but they were soon replaced. The deployment of 207 ships was more than 203 vessels recorded between 27 August to 2 September.

Prince Hisahito turns 18 – highlighting a big problem for Japan royals

Japan’s Prince Hisahito, who turned 18 last week, became the first male from the royal family to reach adulthood in nearly four decades, casting a spotlight on the existential problems also facing the rest of the nation – an ageing population and declining birth rate.

Hisahito, who is the nephew of the present Japanese Emperor Naruhito, 64, is the youngest in his all-adult, 17-member imperial family. He is also one of the four men in the family and the second in line to the throne after his father, Crown Prince Akishino.

Akishino, 58, was the last male member of the family to reach adulthood in 1985. According to the existing Imperial Household Law, only men can succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

The only other member eligible to succeed is Emperor Naruhito’s uncle, Prince Hitachi, who is 88 years old and third in line to the throne.

The law not only states that the women cannot succeed, but that women who marry commoners will also lose their imperial status.

This isn’t the first time that Japan’s succession has become such a talking point. From 2001 to 2006, there were several discussions in the Japanese parliament to consider amending the law and allowing women to succeed. This would have allowed Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako’s daughter, 22-year-old Princess Aiko, to ascend to the throne. But the debate was shelved after Hisahito’s birth in 2006.

Running out of heirs isn’t the only problem the royal family is facing. With several members of the family over 60, it also has a deficit of young royals who can perform duties such visiting schools, receiving ambassadors and dignitaries, as well as participating in traditional Japanese ceremonies.

In June this year, Emperor Naruhito made a rare public acknowledgment of the issue, saying: “The number of male members of the imperial family is decreasing, they are ageing, and female members of the imperial family leave the imperial family upon marriage.”

“Due to these factors, the number of members of the imperial family who can take on public duties is decreasing compared to before. This is a problem that relates to the future of the imperial family, but I would like to refrain from commenting on matters related to the [legal] system.”

According to a poll by Kyodo News conducted in March and April 2024, 90 per cent of the respondents said they supported the idea of an empress and 72 per cent felt a “sense of crisis” about the stability of the succession.

Despite the rousing support for a woman ruler, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) largely opposes the change. Debates were held to find solutions, which included options such as allowing princesses to remain royal after marriage, and bringing into the royal fold descendants of far-off branches of the family who lost their royal status after World War II. However, this doesn’t help the current problem, as the LDP continued to hold to their point that the ruler must only come from the male line and not female.

An ageing and shrinking population isn’t a crisis just plaguing Japan’s royal family, it’s one that looms over the entire country. According to health ministry data, the number of births in Japan for the first half of the year dropped to the lowest since 1969.

According to the latest data, Japan’s fertility rate – the average number of babies a woman is expected to have in her lifetime – also reached another record low, with only 727,277 births recorded last year. It brought the fertility rate down from 1.26 to 1.20 – well below the 2.1 rate needed for a stable population.

The government has earmarked 5.3 trillion yen (£28.33bn) as part of the 2024 budget to beef up financial support for parents raising or expecting babies, as well as to widen access to childcare services and expand parental leave benefits. The government even suggested initiatives that aimed to entice women into moving to rural areas with financial incentives to boost the low marriage rate, which many say is the reason for the failing birth rate.

Critics of these initiatives have pointed out that they are largely aimed at married couples who plan to have or who already have children, and do not look at trying to figure out why young people are reluctant to get married.

“Simple economic measures such as increase of subsidies are not going to resolve the serious problem of declining births,” Takahide Kiuchi, an executive economist at Nomura Research Institute, wrote in an analysis report, adding that a conservative mindset espousing traditional gender roles at home and at the workplace also needs to change.

Surveys have shown that younger Japanese men and women are having a hard time deciding to get married or raise children due to bleak job opportunities and the high cost of living.

Conventional and rigid beliefs around gender roles are carried over into the workplace, with few workplaces offering flexible hours or parental leave, especially to men, placing a disproportionate burden on working mothers.

Japan’s population will likely decline by about 30 per cent to 87 million by 2070, with four out of every 10 people aged 65 or older, according to estimates by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

Kim Jong-un says North Korea will grow nuclear arsenal exponentially

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in a surprise speech on Monday that his country would exponentially increase its stockpile of nuclear weapons.

In a speech marking the 76th anniversary of the founding of North Korea, Mr Kim said there would be no limit on the expansion of the country’s military prowess, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday.

It was Mr Kim’s first founding day speech since he assumed power in 2011, South Korea’s unification ministry noted.

South Korea’s defence minister warned in July that Pyongyang could be considering conducting a nuclear test close to the US presidential election in November.

“North Korea has completed preparations to conduct a nuclear test when a decision is made,” Mr Shin Wonsik said.

North Korea on Monday unveiled a new mobile missile launcher with 24 wheels for the first time, indicating a new intercontinental ballistic missile development.

Mr Kim had pledged a new policy to counter South Korea’s attempt to boost trilateral cooperation with the US and Japan after the three countries signed a military training pact in July.

“We are now perfectly carrying out the policy on building the nuclear armed forces, on increasing the number of nuclear weapons by geometrical progression,” Mr Kim said.

He reiterated that North Korea was “a responsible nuclear weapons state” and characterised the new policy as a “duty and right to existence.” A strong military presence was needed to face “the various threats posed by the United States and its followers”, he added.

This year, the leader said, the country “secured wonderful military strength by making important achievements in national defence studies and production”. He did not elaborate on the achievement.

Mr Kim said North Korea was facing a “grave threat” from a US-led nuclear-based military bloc in the region.

In Seoul, top defence officials of Japan, South Korea and the US met on Tuesday to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening trilateral cooperation and deterring North Korea‘s nuclear and missile threats, according to a joint statement released by the US State Department.

Cho Chang-rae, South Korea‘s deputy defence minister for policy, and his US and Japanese counterparts condemned Pyongyang’s recent diversification of nuclear delivery systems, tests and launches of multiple ballistic missiles.

They also agreed to hold a second trilateral military exercise, known as Freedom Edge, in the near term.

North Korea last month said it had moved 250 new mobile launchers for ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads to the frontline. The military also unveiled its new suicide attack drones, something South Korea said was happening for the first time.

Australia’s iconic tourist destinations at threat from climate crisis

Nearly two-thirds of Australia’s most famous tourist attractions, from Bondi Beach to Uluru, may be under threat from the climate crisis by 2050, a new report says.

The Climate Risk Index report, released by Zurich Financial Services Australia and economics consulting firm Mandala Partners on Monday, shows that at least half of the 178 major tourism spots across the country already face high risk from disasters.

These include national parks, beaches, and airports, with the situation expected to worsen as global temperatures rise. By 2050, the number of sites at risk could rise to between 55 per cent and 68 per cent, depending on the scale of warming.

If global temperatures rise by 2C, as projected by moderate scenarios, 55 per cent of the country’s tourism sites will be vulnerable. If the planet warms by 3C, an extreme scenario, up to 68 per cent of the sites could experience severe climate impacts by mid-century.

Queensland’s Daintree Rainforest is one area facing extreme peril. Rising temperatures and flooding are already affecting the delicate ecosystem. The risks posed by bushfires, floods and extreme weather could permanently alter the landscape and make some areas inaccessible to tourists.

The Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, a Unesco World Heritage site, is also at risk, with flooding and bushfires threatening its unique biodiversity.

The popular Bondi Beach is one of the many coastal areas at risk from the combined effects of rising sea levels, storms, and coastal erosion.

“Australia’s tourism assets not only play a significant role in an increasingly diverse visitor economy but are collectively central to our national identity,” Justin Delaney, CEO of Zurich Australia and New Zealand, said.

The tourism industry contributes $170bn a year to the economy and supports over 620,000 jobs. If a disaster like the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires struck again, the country could lose up to 176,000 such jobs, some 65 per cent in regions where many of the natural attractions are located, the report says.

“In Australia we have focused a lot on how to reduce carbon emissions but less on how to prepare for the physical impacts of climate change that we are already seeing: tourist attractions destroyed by bushfires, tourism sites made inaccessible by floods, manmade attractions damaged by hail and airports closed because of extreme winds,” said Adam Triggs, partner at Mandala Partners.

The report classifies all 31 of Australia’s busiest airports as high-risk for climate disasters, with 94 per cent in the most extreme risk category.

Airports, essential for transporting tourists to and from these iconic locations, face severe threats from storms, winds, and extreme heat, which can cause flight disruptions, damage to infrastructure, and broader impacts on supply chains. These issues will only grow as the climate crisis intensifies, it warns.

Tourism sites in Queensland are particularly at risk, with 79 per cent of the state’s sites falling in the high-risk category, the most of any region in the country.

From rainforests and national parks to beaches, Queensland’s natural beauty is also its greatest vulnerability. The states of Western Australia and the Northern Territory are similarly vulnerable, with 69 per cent and 63 per cent of their tourism assets, respectively, at high risk from the climate crisis.

Beyond airports and transport infrastructure, vineyards, botanic gardens, scenic roads, and railways are also highly susceptible to the impacts of the climate crisis.

South Australia’s Barossa Valley, renowned for its wine, faces significant risks from heatwaves, droughts and bushfires, all of which threaten the region’s wine production.

According to the report, all of Australia’s wine-growing regions fall in the highest risk category, making them among the most vulnerable manmade tourism sites.

While museums and galleries in cities like Sydney and Melbourne face lower risks due to their urban locations, natural attractions across Australia are far less resilient.

In many cases, building climate resilience in natural settings is more difficult due to the delicate ecosystems involved. For example, the Daintree Rainforest’s complex environment relies on the very climatic conditions that are changing. A hotter, drier future could drastically alter the landscape, with far-reaching consequences for both wildlife and tourism.

During the Black Summer bushfires, tourism revenues dropped by 35 per cent, costing the sector $2.8bn almost immediately. If a similar disaster struck now, the report warns, the long-term impact could be even worse.

“This analysis serves to highlight the quantum of data and insights available to understand the prevailing risk environment and to shape and prepare our collective response,” Mr Delany said.

The Independent will be revealing its Climate100 List in September and hosting an event in New York, which can be attended online.

Pope Francis’s Mass attended by half of East Timor’s population

Pope Francis’s mass in East Timor has been attended by around 600,000 Catholic faithful – nearly half of the country’s population – despite local anger over a demolition drive and the high cost associated with his visit.

The pontiff completes the penultimate leg of his marathon tour through Asia and the South Pacific on Tuesday before he heads to Singapore for his final stop.

A sea of yellow and white umbrellas – the colours of the Holy See flag – was seen at Tasitolu Peace Park in the capital Dili, where the pope received a rockstar’s welcome in scorching 32C heat.

A Vatican spokesperson said 600,000 people attended the first part of the mass in the tiny country with a population of just 1.3 million, the vast majority of whom are Catholics. The Vatican cited crowd estimates provided by local organisers in Tasitolu Peace Park and surrounding areas.

It is the same site where St John Paul II celebrated a liturgy during the nation’s fight for independence from Indonesia.

If confirmed, it would make for the largest gathering of people to attend a papal event proportionally to a country’s population.

The pontiff’s three-day visit to one of the world’s poorest countries was overshadowed by controversy over the budget of $12m (£9.1m) allocated for it by the Council of Ministers in February.

At least $1m was spent on erecting a papal mass altar, allegedly after the demolition of a number of homes and the eviction of dozens of people, sparking public anger.

The expense for the visit was criticised as the country is facing one of the world’s worst food security challenges and nearly 42 per cent of the population live below the poverty line.

Nonetheless, there was huge excitement ahead of Tuesday’s event, as attendees began filling the seaside park from 4am local time – more than 12 hours before the mass was set to begin. The crowd, made up of young and old alike, broke into cheers of “Viva Papa Francisco”, or “Long live the Pope” as he arrived and sat under an umbrella to escape the heat.

Reverend Pedro Amaral, one of hundreds of priests celebrating the Mass, told Reuters he came with 800 of his parishioners from Zumalai, a village around 85 miles away.

“I am so happy because we never thought we would see the Pope,” he said.

After the Vatican itself, East Timor is the most Catholic country in the world based on the percentage of the population who are counted as believers, with the Vatican saying approximately 97 per cent of Timorese are adherents to the faith.

Francis is the first pope to visit East Timor since it gained independence in 2002, and the only pope to make a trip there at all apart from John Paul II, whose visit 34 years ago gave the country’s independence movement a historic boost.

The Pope’s visit also put a spotlight on the issue of sexual abuse within the church. Activists and observers had called on Francis to address the issue directly during his time in East Timor, as he did in other countries.

Arriving on Monday, the Pope urged the people to do “everything possible to prevent every kind of abuse and guarantee a healthy and peaceful childhood for all young people”.

The Pope did not directly address any specific case. But his visit comes after the Vatican admitted that it had secretly sanctioned Timorese Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, a Nobel laureate, following allegations he sexually abused boys in the country in the 1990s.

The Pope is making the long foreign trip of his papacy even as he faces a number of health challenges and uses a wheelchair due to knee and back pain. He has appeared in good spirits despite the long air travel and social engagements in three countries he has covered so far.

He began his trip in Indonesia before flying to Papua New Guinea, and will conclude his 12-day tour in Singapore. He will return to Rome on 13 September.

Imran Khan’s party says top politicians arrested after clashes

Top politicians from Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested from outside parliament, a day after the party issued a two-week ultimatum for the release of the jailed former prime minister.

Tens of thousands of supporters came out on the streets around Islamabad on Sunday to demand the release of Mr Khan. The rallies, which were mostly peaceful, turned violent after some of the members clashed with the police, according to reports.

On Monday, an Islamabad police spokesperson confirmed that they arrested PTI president Gohar Khan, lawmaker Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, and advocate Shoaib Shaheen.

PTI told The Independent that at least 13 politicians were arrested in what they condemned as a “despicable” and “vicious” act.

Videos circulating on social media showed police taking Gohar Khan out of his vehicle before whisking him off to a police station.

“The way this illegitimate military government violated the sanctity of the House of Pakistan on 10 September, once again trampling on the constitution and law of Pakistan, is condemnable,” PTI said in a statement on X.

Mr Khan is lodged in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi while he contests a series of legal challenges mostly involving corruption charges, all of which his supporters denounce as being politically motivated. He has been acquitted or granted bail in many of the most serious cases.

Mr Khan was cleared of exposing state secrets for disclosing a diplomatic cable at a 2022 political rally, and he and his wife were acquitted of unlawful marriage charges in July.

However, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested him in a new case this July relating to the illegal sale of state gifts.

The PTI alleged that the ruling coalition government was involved in an “unconstitutional and undemocratic process to maintain their illegitimate power”.

The crackdown on the PTI leadership came after the lawmakers issued an ultimatum to the government in their fiery speeches, saying the people will march on Lahore if Mr Khan is not released in two weeks time.

“These people, who erected the containers, whose police charged you with batons, I want them to listen [that] we are coming to Lahore,” Mr Marwat had reportedly said at the rally.

Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, the chief minister of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, reportedly told a charged crowd: “If Imran Khan is not released within two weeks, then we ourselves will have him released.”

Authorities said charges will be brought against Mr Gandapur for the two-week ultimatum and allegedly inciting people to violence.

Zulfi Bukhari, Mr Khan’s spokesperson, condemned the crackdown on the party’s top leaders and supporters, calling it “a knee-jerk reaction” to the gathering of people in “huge numbers”.

He said Mr Gandapur became incommunicado for over six hours after reports of him being picked up by the police. He has now returned to Peshawar.

He also said the party leaders were arrested because they “took a firm stance” demanding the politician’s release.

Mr Khan’s PTI is at odds with the ruling Shehbaz Sharif government since the former star cricketer, 72, was ousted in a no-confidence motion. He alleged that his ouster was orchestrated by Pakistan’s powerful army at the behest of the US. The army and the US denied the allegation.

He was the prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022.

Mr Khan and his party were barred from contesting the national election in February which was alleged to have been rigged. Candidates aligned with the party, forced to contest independently, still won most seats in the parliament but not enough to form the government.

Pakistan’s parliament hurriedly passed the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024 last week to regulate and ban public gatherings in Islamabad. The bill, which was made into law in less than a week after being tabled in Senate, has been criticised as “draconian legislation” to crackdown on protesters.

Amnesty International said the law is “to criminalize peaceful protest and suppress the expression of dissent” and demanded that the Pakistani government repeal it.

“Rather than attempting to bring the existing restrictive legal framework in line with international human rights law and standards, the Government of Pakistan has shown inordinate speed in ensuring the passage of the new bill,” said Babu Ram Pant, deputy regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International.

“The law expands the power of the authorities to restrict or ban assemblies in Islamabad on overbroad grounds, including the ‘disruption of daily activities’, and significantly increases the maximum penalty for taking part in an ‘unlawful assembly’ from six months to three years imprisonment,” Mr Pant said.

Bizarre Australian campaign asks you to visualise Taylor Swift pooing

The Queensland health department is getting praise online for its latest campaign to tackle a potentially embarrassing problem – what to do when you need to poop at work.

The campaign was launched on various social media platforms and received enthusiastic response everywhere. A video on Instagram, featuring the statement “It’s okay to poo at work” overlaid on a montage of Lisa Frank images of dolphins, rainbows and unicorns and set to Neick Sanders’s song “Symphony”, received over 25,000 likes and thousands of comments.

The campaign on Facebook took a simpler approach. A post simply said: “Pooing at work. Discuss.”

And discuss people did, as the post got over 5,000 likes and 3,600 comments.

Despite the novel approach, the health department’s messaging is fairly direct. The posts carry important public health messages in their captions, cautioning that “ignoring your need to poop” can lead to “serious issues”.

“Lots of people find it difficult to poo in public toilets. But we’re here to tell you it’s definitely okay to go number 2 at work!” reads the caption.

“Consistently ignoring your need to poo can lead to stool getting stuck in your colon, haemorrhoids and other serious issues. So, it’s better to let it out than hold it in.

“If you find it extremely difficult to poo around other people, you might have parcopresis. Sometimes called ‘poo paranoia’, people with this condition have an overwhelming fear of being judged by others because of the sounds or smells associated with pooing. As a result, they may experience symptoms like increased heart rate, sweating or nausea.”

Along with the safety messaging, the health department gave tips so readers can have a “stress-free public toilet poo”.

They include remembering that everyone poops and trying to “visualise someone famous on the toilet (like Taylor Swift)”.

Other suggestions include bringing a small fragrance spray into the toilet, avoiding eating foods that “might trigger your bowels”, and breathing deeply or doing a short meditation exercise to rid oneself of the anxiety.

The health department’s quirky messaging seemed to have landed well with its audience, with a Facebook user even suggesting, “All workplaces should have a radio at a good volume in bathrooms”.

“Do it on company time and get paid to poop,” commented one Instagram user.

“In the words of the great Whitney Houston, it’s not right but it’s okay,” said another.

Several commenters recommended that the health department’s social media manager be given a raise.

Some users, though, were left unsure about what to do with the knowledge that Swift, like everyone else, poops.

“I don’t know who the dedicated Instagram person is for QLD health but, my god, you are doing a great job and you need a pay rise,” said one Instagram user.

Another said: “Did the government just put an image of Taylor Swift pooping in my brain?”

Dee Madigan, the founder and creative director of advertising agency Campaign Edge, described the health department’s social media account as “world-leading”.

“Just starting to talk about it, everyone has those secret conversations with people. I think what it shows is a department where the staff feel not scared to do stuff like this because often government departments’ social media is so safe, it’s actually just bland and boring,” she told The Guardian.

“It is actually a serious message, they’re just using social media in the correct way to deliver it … Just because something’s a serious topic doesn’t mean you can’t use humour to get into it.”