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Japan's Emperor Akihito considers abdicating throne

Wednesday, 13 July 2016 1:36 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 13 July 2016 1:36 PM ]

This file picture taken on January 2, 2016 shows Japanese Emperor Akihito waving to well-wishers gathered for the annual New Year's greetings at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. (AFP)

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

A Bahraini court has denied bail to the prominent rights activist Nabeel Rajab after charging him with insulting state institutions. Rajab was arrested last month as the Al Khalifah regime intensified crackdown on dissent. Amnesty International has dismissed his trial as a farce.
UK’s outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron has defended his policies at the conservative party after six years in power. Cameron was at parliament to answer questions from the leader of the opposition Labour party Jeremy Corbyn. Cameron will tender his resignation to the Queen later today.
Amnesty International has criticized what it calls an unprecedented rise in disappearances and torture of activists in Egypt. The rights group says most of the disappeared are supporters of the ousted president Mohammad Morsi. The Egyptian government accuses the body of spreading lies and supporting terrorist groups.
President Hassan Rouhani stresses that Tehran adheres to its commitments under the nuclear deal with the P5+1. He made the comment on the first anniversary of the signing of the nuclear agreement. Rouhnai says anyone who breaches the JCPOA will come out as the loser on the international arena.
Thousands of South Koreans have marched against the government’s decision to install a US missile system in the country. The rally was held in the small town of Seongju, the site of the missile batteries. Seongju residents say the THAAD system has potential risks to local environment and security.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has handed over control of the country’s five biggest ports to the military. Maduro says it’s an effort to guarantee the smooth distribution of food supplies. Venezuela’s spiraling economy has worsened this year with rampant shortages of food and other basic supplies.
In an unprecedented move in Japan’s modern history, Emperor Akihito says he’s considering abdicating the throne in the coming years. Akihito has recently handed down some of his official duties to Crown Prince Naruhito. The aging monarch suffers from heart problems and prostate cancer.
Beijing says it has the right to set up an air defense zone in the South China Sea. A Foreign Ministry official noted that establishing the zone will depend on the levels of threats against China. On Tuesday, the International Court of Justice rejected China’s claim to parts of the sea.