Japan’s population has officially shrunk. According to The Washington Post: “The 2010 census showed a population of 128,057,352, but the 2015 figure, released Friday, shows just 127,110,000.” This change marks the first time a developed country’s population has shrunk. To maintain a constant population, the birth rate of a country needs to be around 2.1 births per woman; Japan’s birth rate is currently around 1.4 and almost a third of the population is older than 65 years. Japan’s experience is not unique, however, According to the UN about 48 countries will see their populations decline by 2050.
The refugee crisis in Europe manifests itself in different ways in different countries. There have been large protests in Germany; fences have been built in Hungary; and some countries, like Norway, are passing laws that are inconsistent with a long historical and humanitarian tradition. In Italy, some cities are passing laws to inhibit the development of non-Italian eateries, such as kebab restaurants, as well as the building of mosques.
One of the unanticipated consequences of the US’s preoccupation with terrorism has been the expansion of its military activities in Africa. With some important exceptions, the US very rarely sent troops to Africa, instead relying on European militaries to deal with security matters. However, the issue of terrorism, as well as the US inability to act effectively in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, led the US to establish USAFRICOM which was established in 2008 in order to give the US a military platform in Africa. Recently, the US has been increasing its special operations forces in western Africa, and has just decided to send troops to Nigeria to join the fight against Boko Haram.
World Politics News 
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