Japanese Emperor Akihito has started a day of ceremonies in the Imperial Palace as he prepares to step down from the throne on Tuesday.
It'll make him the first monarch to abdicate in more than 200 years.
His son, Crown Prince Naruhito, will ascend the Chrysanthemum throne the next day.
Akihito had expressed a desire to abdicate in 2016 due to his age and declining health.
Iran sends proposal for negotiations with US to mediator Pakistan
Tehran has submitted its latest proposal for negotiations with the United States, Iranian state media and a Pakistani official said on Friday, a move that could offer hope for breaking a deadlock in efforts to end the Iran war.
Iran threatens painful response if US renews attacks
Iran said on Thursday it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on US positions if Washington renewed attacks and restated its claim to the Strait of Hormuz, complicating US plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway.
Ukrainian drones hit Russian port of Tuapse for the fourth time
A fresh Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse, the fourth in the past week, sparked a fire at the sea terminal but caused no injuries, local officials said early on Friday.
Detained Myanmar ex-leader Suu Kyi to meet legal team this weekend
The legal team of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi plans to meet the detained former leader this weekend after she was transferred to house arrest in the capital by the military-backed government, a representative said on Friday.
The UAE has welcomed a new resolution adopted by the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee during its 84th session.
At the United Nations Security Council, the UAE has called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, urging that Iran be held fully accountable for obstructing international navigation.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has praised the efforts of the first batch of Emirati government officials to secure scholarships to study at the world's top universities.
