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South Korea has the lowest fertility rate among the OECD members, with low birth rates and an aging population becoming a national crisis. According to the latest report, Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, has become the first major city in the country to enter the "at risk of extinction" stage, as the population over 65 years old accounts for 23% of the entire city.

This report uses an "extinction risk index," which evaluates the number of women aged 20 to 39 divided by the population over 65 years old. An index below 0.2 indicates "high extinction risk," 0.2-0.5" is at risk of extinction," 1.0-1.5” is normal, and above 1.5 is low extinction risk. Busan's index is 0.49, categorizing it as "at risk of extinction."

The Busan city government is actively taking measures to address this trend and encourage young people to settle and live in the area. The changes in Busan's population structure affect not only social welfare, healthcare, and elderly care but also have an impact on the economy, employment, and the real estate market. With the increasing proportion of the population over 65, Busan needs to develop more comprehensive policies to ensure the well-being of the elderly and promote employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for the youth.

Moreover, Busan needs to improve its education system to address the challenges of an aging population. Enhancing education quality, encouraging young people to learn new skills, and creating more job opportunities will help mitigate the impact of population aging on the economy and society.

The leaders of the 27 EU member states reached an agreement at the summit on the 27th to nominate Ursula von der Leyen for another term as President of the European Commission. Additionally, they nominated former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa as the next President of the European Council and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Although these three key EU leaders have the support of the majority of EU member state leaders, von der Leyen and Kallas still need to secure the approval of a majority of European Parliament members to assume their positions, while Costa only requires the consent of the EU leaders. It is expected that this process may not be easy. Despite von der Leyen's party, the center-right European People's Party (EPP), being the largest bloc in the European Parliament, it still needs allies' support to ensure von der Leyen's reappointment.

The EU leadership trio represents a balanced position both politically and geographically. Von der Leyen belongs to the center-right, while Costa belongs to the center-left, and Kallas to the European liberal camp. As she aims for a second term, von der Leyen is expected to first address how the EU can continue to support Kyiv in its fight against Russian forces amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Additionally, her continued implementation of the EU's "Green Deal" will be closely watched. While this was a major achievement of her first term, it has faced criticism from farmers, some political groups, and voters, sparking political controversy.

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, president of FOWPAL, left, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople had a meaningful interaction during the 27th Eurasian Economic Summit in Istanbul.

The first televised debate of the 2024 U.S. presidential election concluded on the 27th. According to a survey commissioned by CNN, Donald Trump received approval from 67% of voters, while 33% thought the current president, Joe Biden, performed better.

The debate lasted 90 minutes. After it ended, CNN conducted a survey via text message of 565 registered voters from before the debate. The results showed that 57% had no confidence in Biden's leadership abilities, compared to 44% for Trump. These figures were not significantly different from pre-debate polls, which showed 55% lacked confidence in Biden and 47% in Trump.

This poll only reflects the views of voters registered before the debate, with a sampling error of approximately ±5.5 percentage points, and cannot represent the opinions of all voters. Political analysts stated that the two candidates participating in the debate were merely performing for their supporters. They did not change voters' opinions, and overall, there was no winner in this debate.

The 29th Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) for the year 2024 is scheduled to take place at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, starting from the 27th of July until the 1st of August. The exercise will involve 40 surface ships, 3 submarines, land forces from 14 countries, over 150 aircraft, and more than 25,000 personnel.

RIMPAC, which began in 1971, is currently one of the largest global maritime military exercises. China was invited to participate in RIMPAC in 2014, but since 2018, due to China’s rising comprehensive national power threatening U.S. hegemony, the U.S. has stopped inviting China to this international military exercise.

Despite Taiwan expressing its willingness to participate in RIMPAC multiple times, and with U.S. lawmakers advocating for Taiwan’s inclusion, Taiwan is not among the 29 participants in this year’s exercise. Former U.S. President Trump’s National Security Advisor, Robert O’Brien, recently published an article in Foreign Affairs calling for Taiwan’s inclusion in future RIMPAC exercises.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet is hosting this edition of RIMPAC, with Rear Admiral John Wade, the newly appointed commander of the U.S. Third Fleet, serving as the Combined Task Force commander. Before the exercise officially begins, several surface task groups will depart from their respective homeports and sail to Hawaii in a multinational formation.

According to a news release from the U.S. Third Fleet provided to Voice of America, the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), an aircraft carrier, arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on the 26th. The Carl Vinson is the largest participating vessel in this year’s RIMPAC, capable of carrying over 5,000 crew members and more than 60 aircraft.

The U.S. Navy emphasizes that RIMPAC, as the world’s largest international maritime exercise, showcases the integrated capabilities of participating forces in dynamic maritime environments, demonstrating enduring interoperability in comprehensive military operations.

The participating aircraft in this edition include F-35 Lightning II fighters, P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, and V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. They will conduct flight exercises outside Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii.

The exercise scenarios cover anti-submarine warfare, multi-ship surface combat, multinational amphibious landings, and carrier strike group operations against live missile threats in various multi-domain warfare scenarios. The “Sink Exercise” (SINKEX) is a highly anticipated segment of RIMPAC, where participants use anti-ship weapons to engage target vessels with live ammunition.

This year’s SINKEX target is the decommissioned 40,000-ton Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship, often referred to as a quasi-aircraft carrier due to its nearly 40,000-ton displacement. According to reports from The War Zone and the U.S. Naval Institute, this marks the first time in 10 years that an amphibious assault ship has been used as a target in RIMPAC. Additionally, it is the first time in almost 20 years that a large vessel resembling an aircraft carrier has been selected for SINKEX since the sinking of the USS America (LHA-6) during RIMPAC 2005. Compared to the 26 countries and 38 ships in the 2022 lineup, this year’s RIMPAC is even more massive.

Barcelona, located in northeastern Spain, is one of the most visited cities in Europe, renowned for landmarks such as the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, and the Picasso Museum. In 2023 alone, it attracted over 12 million tourists, solidifying its status as a global tourism hotspot. However, this influx has exacerbated local housing shortages, prompting municipal authorities to take drastic action.

Today, the Barcelona city government announced plans to completely ban short-term rentals for tourists by late 2028. This initiative aims to reclaim housing from the tourism sector for local residents. According to Jaume Collboni, the left-wing mayor, there are currently 11,101 apartments authorized for short-term rentals, and their permits will expire by November 2028 without renewal. He emphasized that these tourist apartments, as they are known today, "will disappear from Barcelona" starting in 2029.

Cities like Berlin, Paris, and Barcelona have all pointed to platforms offering shared housing for tourists as contributors to the difficulty locals face in finding long-term rentals, thereby driving up housing prices. Collboni stated that Barcelona's short-term rental boom has contributed to a 68% increase in rents and a 38% rise in property purchase costs over the past decade.

The Spanish central government's Housing Minister, Isabel Rodriguez, fully supports Barcelona's policy, aimed at ensuring affordable housing for its citizens, particularly the youth.

"In the Islamic holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Hajj pilgrimage began on the 14th day, attracting believers from around the world. Due to scorching weather, with temperatures reaching 51 degrees Celsius (123.8 degrees Fahrenheit), over a thousand pilgrims died from heat-related causes. According to Saudi Arabian officials, nearly half of the deceased had not registered for the pilgrimage. Egypt has established a crisis management team to investigate the situation.

The Hajj is a sacred activity for Muslims, and it is obligatory for them to complete this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation allocates the number of pilgrims each Muslim country can send. Participants must register and obtain permits to participate.

The timing of the annual Hajj is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar. This year, it coincided with the intense summer heat in Saudi Arabia, resulting in unusually high temperatures. On Arafat Day (June 15), pilgrims gathered on Mount Arafat, approximately 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from Mecca, for prayers and preaching. Pilgrims with permits could stay in air-conditioned tents and use buses for transportation to and from the holy sites, along with access to medical services.

Many pilgrims traveled through unofficial channels without obtaining permits, leading to their inability to use cooling equipment during the pilgrimage. The lack of adequate facilities and the large number of participants contributed to this unfortunate situation.

Saudi Arabia’s official registration for this year’s Hajj exceeded 1.8 million people, with an estimated additional several hundred thousand pilgrims traveling through unofficial means. As of the 17th of this month, over 2,700 people were hospitalized due to heatstroke, and more than 1,000 deaths were reported from over 20 countries, with Egyptians constituting the majority of fatalities.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has instructed the establishment of a crisis team to address the deaths of Egyptian pilgrims. Investigations and penalties are also planned for companies involved in illegal pilgrimage arrangements."

"Boeing faced significant consequences due to design flaws in the 737 Max aircraft, resulting in fatal crashes shortly after takeoff for Lion Air in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines in March 2019, claiming a total of 346 lives. All aircraft of the same type were grounded until the cause was identified and addressed. Families of the victims collectively pressured the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute Boeing and impose a $24.8 billion fine.

On the 18th, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun testified before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Senate, admitting the company’s mistakes and acknowledging retaliation against whistleblowers. He stood to apologize to the families of the victims, stating that lessons had been learned and employee feedback would be heeded. Families, some traveling from other countries, emphasized ongoing pressure on the U.S. government to hold Boeing and its executives criminally responsible for the 346 deaths. They also believed that part of the fine should be allocated to an independent oversight body for Boeing.

Paul Cassell, an attorney representing some victims, urged the Justice Department, emphasizing that Boeing’s actions caused significant loss of life, and the proposed fine was reasonable and appropriate.

According to The Wall Street Journal, there is still no consensus within the Justice Department on whether to prosecute Boeing. The case is highly sensitive due to Boeing’s significant impact on future U.S. defense weapon and aircraft sales, prompting Attorney General Merrick Garland to personally modify the prosecution’s court filings.

In 2021, Boeing reached a deferred prosecution agreement with authorities, but a safety incident involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 in January 2024 (where a cabin door detached mid-flight) led to Boeing violating the previous agreement. Prosecutors must decide by July 7 whether to proceed with criminal charges against Boeing, negotiate a plea agreement, or potentially extend the prior deferred prosecution agreement for another year."

Thailand’s parliament has passed an amendment to the Civil and Commercial Code, allowing same-sex couples to enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples.

The legislation, which received strong public support, will now go to King Maha Vajiralongkorn for assent. Once published in the royal gazette, it will take effect 120 days later.

Thailand will become the third Asian jurisdiction, after Nepal and Taiwan, to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill replaces gender-specific terms like “men” and “women” with gender-neutral language, ensuring equal rights for LGBTQ couples, including inheritance and adoption rights. The minimum marriage age for same-sex couples will be 18 years old. This historic step marks a victory for activists, civil society organizations, and lawmakers who have tirelessly fought for marriage equality in Thailand.

The 2024 South Korean doctors’ strike is an ongoing strike, which began on February 20, 2024. Doctors in South Korea expressed dissatisfaction with the announcement of new government policies significantly increasing the medical student quotas.

Despite the government’s insistence, thousands of interns and resident doctors have resigned and gone on strike to protest this plan. The strike has severely impacted South Korea’s healthcare system, with over half of the medical professors at Seoul National University Hospital participating in an indefinite strike.

The Korea Medical Association continues to support the strike, urging authorities to reconsider the policy of expanding medical student admissions. This prolonged strike has put the South Korean healthcare system in a difficult situation.

While some healthcare workers believe that increasing medical school enrollment will only marginally help address doctor shortages in rural areas, nearly 80% of the public opposes the strike according to a recent Nownsurvey poll. Violating the government’s return-to-work order could result in license revocation or other legal consequences for doctors. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed disappointment over the strike by physicians.