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Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Japan population decline continues as birth rate drops by 5.1%

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 27 Feb 2024 21:39
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

The drop in births, amounting to 41,000 fewer newborns compared to the previous year, represents the largest gap recorded since such data has been documented.

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  • AP photo
    A Japanese supporter holds a baby as she cheers for her team prior to the start of the Asian Cup Group D soccer match between Japan and Vietnam at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024 (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) 

Official figures released by the Japanese Health Ministry on Tuesday revealed a significant decline in the number of births in Japan last year, reaching a record low of 758,631.

This marks a 5.1% decrease from the previous year, indicating a concerning trend in Japan's demographic landscape.

The drop in births, amounting to 41,000 fewer newborns compared to the previous year, represents the largest gap recorded since such data has been documented.

This decline below the 760,000 mark has occurred much earlier than anticipated, as forecasted by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, which had projected such a decline to happen by 2035, the Kyodo news agency reports.

Read more: Japan faces a double challenge: an aging population, reclusiveness

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In the late 1940s, the country experienced a baby boom, resulting in nearly 2.7 million births. A similar boom occurred in the 1970s. However, since then, Japan's population has been steadily declining, with the birth rate dropping below 1 million in 2016.

The first time Japan took notice of its low fertility rates was in 1989 when the country's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) was found to be 1.57, much lower than the 2.1 needed for a population to sustain itself.

Japan's "biggest crisis"

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Tuesday said that the ongoing decline in the birth rate has reached a "critical state."

"The period over the next six years or so until 2030s, when the younger population will start declining rapidly, will be the last chance we may be able to reverse the trend," he said. "There is no time to waste."

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has described the low birth rate as "the biggest crisis Japan faces," and has proposed a set of measures aimed at providing increased support and subsidies, primarily targeting childbirth, children, and their families.

However, some observers express skepticism regarding the effectiveness of the government's initiatives, as they have predominantly focused on individuals who are already married or have plans for children, without adequately addressing the concerns of a growing segment of young people who are hesitant to pursue such life choices.

Read more: Japanese gov't to adopt measures to raise birth rate

  • Japan
  • birth rates
  • population decrease

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