Latest news with #NationalInstitute
NHK
6 days ago
- Business
- NHK
Japanese births hit record low in 2024, below 700,000 for first time
The Japanese government says the number of Japanese births last year dropped below 700,000 for the first time since statistics were first compiled in 1899. The health ministry said 686,061 babies were born to Japanese nationals in 2024, down 41,227 from the previous year. The number has fallen for nine years in a row. National Institute of Population and Social Security Research had estimated that the figure would not drop to the 680,000 level until 2039. The ministry says the number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime fell to a record low of 1.15 last year, down 0.05 points from 2023. The number of deaths in the country was 1,605,298 in 2024, up 29,282 from the previous year and a record high. As a result, the overall population decline stands at 919,237, the largest-ever decrease. The ministry attributes the decline in births to smaller younger generations and the tendency for people to marry and have children later in life. It expressed a sense of crisis about years of sharp declines in births, and said it would continue to take measures to stop it.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK inflation jumps higher than expected to 3.5% amid bills increase
Inflation in the UK jumped by more than expected last month to 3.5% – its highest rate in more than a year – after dramatic increases in water bills, energy costs and council tax. A rise in employer national insurance contributions and a boost to the national minimum wage also put pressure on companies to raise prices by more than City analysts had forecast. The surge in the consumer prices index (CPI) recorded by the Office for National Statistics came after a decline in the rate over the first quarter of the year to 2.6% in March. Much of the increase was driven by higher payments for gas, electricity, water and transport, amid a number of bill rises that led to last month being dubbed 'awful April'. A spokesperson for the ONS said: 'Gas and electricity bills rose this month compared with sharp falls at the same time last year due to changes to the Ofgem energy price cap.' Water and sewerage bills also rose at their fastest rate since privatisation – increasing 26.1% – while vehicle excise duty also jumped, all of which pushed the CPI rate to its highest level since January last year. Interactive The Bank of England is likely to rebuff calls for faster and deeper interest rate cuts after the growth in prices proved to be stronger than financial markets expected. A poll of City economists had forecast a rise of 3.3% in April, while the central bank expected last month's inflation rate to hit 3.4%. Monica George Michail, an economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said inflation was likely to remain high for several months, forcing the central bank to delay interest rate rises. 'Businesses are experiencing cost pressures amid the rise in national minimum/living wage, employer's national insurance contributions, and regulated price increases. Some of these costs will be passed down to consumers through higher prices,' she said. 'We therefore anticipate just one further interest rate cut this year by the Bank of England.' Business groups said they were disappointed that cuts to interest rates were likely to be delayed. The British Chambers of Commerce said rising cost pressures and higher household bills meant businesses were facing 'a perfect storm'. The group said: 'While April's jump was expected, the scale, to 3.5%, is concerning. With the national insurance hike, minimum wage rise and global tariffs, our research shows 55% of businesses are expecting to put up prices in the coming months.' Financial markets reacted by reducing their forecasts for interest rate rises. Meetings of the Bank's monetary policy committee in June and August are not expected to cut rates, pushing back the next reduction, most likely from 4.25% to 4%, to September. April's rise was dampened by falling oil prices, which brought down the cost of petrol and diesel, while heavy discounting of children's clothes and women's footwear restricted the rise in clothing costs. Recent forecasts for energy prices have shown them falling, bringing down the price of the energy cap. Some analysts said this trend should limit the potential rise in inflation this year. Analysts at ING said an increase in services inflation from 4.7% to 5.4% played a crucial part in driving CPI above expectations but was spurred by a large uplift in vehicle tax and the timing of Easter. 'It should fall back from April's 5.4% figure to the 4.5% area this summer, keeping the Bank of England on track for quarterly rate cuts through this year and into 2026,' they said. The Bank forecast earlier this month that inflation would peak at an average 3.5% during the summer months. Officials at the central bank cut interest rates by a quarter point to 4.25% at their last meeting on 8 May but the vote by the nine-member monetary policy committee was split three ways, with two members voting to keep rates on hold while another two supported a half-point reduction. Rachel Reeves said she was disappointed with the inflation figures. 'I know cost of living pressures are still weighing down on working people. The chancellor added: 'We are long way from the double-digit inflation we saw under the previous administration, but I'm determined that we go further and faster to put more money in people's pockets.' The shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, said: 'This morning's news that inflation is up – and now well above the 2% target – is worrying for families. 'Labour's economic mismanagement is pushing up the cost of living for families – on top of the £3,500 hit to households from the chancellor's damaging jobs tax. Higher inflation could also mean interest rates stay higher for longer, hitting family finances hard … Families are paying the price for the Labour chancellor's choices.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Arab News
14-05-2025
- Science
- Arab News
Strong earthquake hits close to Egypt
CAIRO: A strong earthquake was recorded 431 km off the coast of northern Egypt on Wednesday, according to the country's National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research. The earthquake measured 6.4 on the Richter scale, at a depth of 76 km. It was felt throughout the Mediterranean, with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency stating that tremors were experienced in the Dodecanese islands and eastern Crete. There have been no reports of loss of lives or property damage.
Japan Times
14-05-2025
- Science
- Japan Times
Japan's meter and kilogram prototypes shown ahead of 150th anniversary
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) showed Japan's meter and kilogram prototypes to the press on Monday, ahead of the 150th anniversary later this month of the conclusion of the Meter Convention in 1875. Near the end of the 18th century, 1 meter was defined as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along the Paris meridian, and 1 kilogram as the mass of one liter of water. After the convention that standardized units of measurement, international prototypes of the meter and kilogram were created using a platinum-iridium alloy. Copies were delivered to Japan in 1890. As technology advanced, it revealed an unacceptable margin of error due to the gradual deterioration of the metal prototype. In 1960, the meter standard was redefined using the wavelength of light. In 1983, it was updated again to define 1 meter as the distance light travels in a specific amount of time. The kilogram standard was updated to one using the Planck constant, a minimum unit of light energy, in 2019. The original kilogram prototype has been kept in a temperature- and humidity-controlled steel safe at AIST, in the city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture. It showed the smallest change in mass in the past 100 years among the prototypes provided to countries across the world.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Item found among human skulls sheds new light on ancient civilisation: ‘Only one in the world'
Mystery surrounds an ancient 'scythe' or 'blade' discovered at a ceremonial offering site between two human skulls. The dark-green tool is one of almost 800 important artefacts from the Aztec Empire that archaeologist Diego Matadamas-Gomora has studied, and yet it's this one that stands out as unique. While associations between the scythe and the Grim Reaper gathering the souls of the dead date back to the fourteenth century in Europe, it's believed the object found inside Templo Mayor in modern-day Mexico City developed independently, despite its similar shape. 'Because it was located very close to these human skulls, it's probably something related to the dead or the underworld,' Matadamas-Gomora told Yahoo News Australia. 'There's only one in the entire world so far, and I'm very intrigued. It's beautiful and complex, and making it required a lot of specialisation. This artefact is not sharp, you can't cut anything with it, so it's a symbol. We call it a scythe for comparison, but we don't know what it is.' An indentation at the end of the 10cm-long miniature indicates the scythe once fastened onto a handle that's long since disappeared. It was crafted from material collected in the city of Pachuca, around 90km north of the city. Related: Lost Maya world discovered in 'race against time' to save ancient ruins from growing threat Tulane University PhD candidate Matadamas-Gomora led an international team that included Mexico's Templo Mayor Project and the National Institute of Anthropology and History. Together they investigated changes in Aztec artefacts between 1375 and 1520 CE, including how the strengthening of the empire in 1430 CE impacted what types of materials they used. The team focused exclusively on obsidian, a type of volcanic glass that was crafted into blades, jewellery and miniature objects that were placed inside graves and offering sites. 'This is the first compositional analysis of such a large sample of artefacts. In previous studies, scholars studied no more than 10 or 15, but we examined 788,' Matadamas-Gomora said. 'First of all, we are providing a large amount of quantitative data for future analysis. And second, we are exploring the use and consumption of obsidian by the Mexicas [the Aztec people] in their capital city, which was the most important city in Mesoamerica in the 16th century, just before the arrival of the Spaniards.' Ancient object used in 12,000 year old curse unearthed inside remote cave Unassuming discovery in rock rewrites understanding of life on Earth Fossil found near popular camping spot sparks delight Obsidian comes in a multitude of colours and strengths. By understanding where each sample was sourced from using a portable X-ray fluorescence machine, the researchers built a picture of the influence and power of the empire, and where its political alliances and economic trade routes stretched. 'We can explore different questions about how the Aztecs were organised within their city, but also in relation to the entirety of Mesoamerica. But not only in their territory, also beyond their political boundaries,' Matadamas-Gomora said. As the Mexica consolidated power, the researchers were surprised to learn the rulers didn't maintain a monopoly over prized green Sierra de Pachuca obsidian and instead continued to trade with other cities. Using eight different types of obsidian — more than any other city — they created objects divided into two main categories — ritual and everyday. The former were often miniature projectile points, sceptres, and clubs that were used to decorate effigies deposited into offering sites. 'The elements combined together to create a representation of a god. For example, if that god was holding a sceptre, it would be made of obsidian,' Matadamas-Gomora said. 'We found the symbol of the God of Wind, which is very common in the offerings. We also found funerary vessels, one of them very important, because it contained the ashes of a human, potentially an early Aztec ruler.' While items inside the offering sites had been placed with intention, the everyday tools found around their periphery were likely discarded or dropped. 'They were probably deposited during the labour construction by the same people, but used for completely different purposes than the rituals,' Matadamas-Gomora said. The research was published in the journal PNAS. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
