Japanese Emperor Akihito will end his three-decade reign this week when he abdicates on Tuesday.
His son Crown Prince Naruhito will become emperor on Wednesday.
Akihito has cited concerns about his age and declining health and is the first Japanese emperor to abdicate in 200 years.
James Lindsay from the Council on Foreign Relations says it's a huge transitional moment for the Japanese people.
UN Hormuz vote now expected next week
The UN Security Council is now expected to vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats said on Friday, but veto-wielding China has made clear its opposition to authorising any use of force.
Eight dead after earthquake strikes Afghanistan
Eight people were killed and one child was injured on Friday when a house collapsed in Kabul following an earthquake in Afghanistan, the National Disaster Management Authority said.
Iran downs US fighter jet, raising stakes in war
Iran shot down a US warplane on Friday in the first such known incident of the five-week war, officials from both nations said, with one of the crew members rescued after ejecting and the other still missing, according to a US source.
Zelenskyy accuses Russia of 'Easter escalation'
A large-scale daytime Russian strike killed at least two people in Ukraine on Friday, officials said, in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced as an "Easter escalation", as Moscow shifts tactics to avoid Ukrainian air defences.
Kuwait reports Iranian attack at power, desalination plant
Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy has reported material damage to a power and water desalination plant due to an Iranian attack on Friday.
In an update on a previously reported incident at Habshan gas facilities, Abu Dhabi authorities have confirmed one person has died and four others sustained minor injuries.
The UAE has become the second country in the world to approve Foundayo (orforglipron), a new oral treatment for chronic weight management.
Dubai Municipality has announced a major initiative to expand electric vehicle infrastructure across the city, with plans to install EV supercharging stations in 600 parking spaces at public parks, beaches and recreational areas.
