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.
UN rights chief says uncovered remains in Gaza raise concerns of war crimes
The recovery of hundreds of bodies from the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in Gaza during the war that began nearly three years ago has raised fresh concerns about possible war crimes, the UN human rights chief said on Tuesday.
Italian NATO jet downs suspected Russian drone over Lithuania
An Italian fighter jet deployed on a NATO mission shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace on Tuesday that "most probably" came from Russia, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said.
Indian police to query Google over 500,000 fake Gmail IDs linked to bomb hoax
Indian police will question Google over a lack of safeguards after smashing a criminal network that set up and managed more than 500,000 fake Gmail accounts to send hoax bomb threats to government offices, a police official told Reuters on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia says danger passed in six cities, including Yanbu
The Saudi Arabian Civil Defence has issued an all-clear on Tuesday after issuing alerts about potential danger in six cities, including Yanbu, the kingdom's main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded.
The United Arab Emirates has condemned the attacks launched by the Houthi group on civilian facilities in the cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif in Saudi Arabia.
Etihad Airways and Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s National Rail Network, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore opportunities to create an air-to-rail travel experience across the UAE.
Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE has allocated $8 million to support Chad in addressing the humanitarian impact of the El Nino climate phenomenon.
