Japanese Emperor Akihito has started a day of ceremonies in the Imperial Palace as he prepares to step down from the throne on Tuesday.
It'll make him the first monarch to abdicate in more than 200 years.
His son, Crown Prince Naruhito, will ascend the Chrysanthemum throne the next day.
Akihito had expressed a desire to abdicate in 2016 due to his age and declining health.
Blasts rock Damascus during Macron visit
Bombs exploded in Damascus on Tuesday morning as French President Emmanuel Macron met his Syrian President counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa at the Syrian Presidential Palace.
Trump says there will either be a deal with Iran or US will 'finish the job'
President Donald Trump has stated on Monday that the US would either reach a deal with Iran or "finish the job", renewing his threat of military action.
Storms kill at least eight in central China as Typhoon Bavi looms offshore
At least eight people have been killed after thunderstorms battered central China's Hubei Province, state media said on Tuesday, as forecasters warned of more torrential rain across various parts of the country that are home to around 200 million people.
Landslide in China's Gansu province traps 16
Sixteen people remain buried in a mountainous county in China's western province of Gansu after a landslide on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Hamas dissolves Gaza government, Israel dismisses move as 'stunt'
Hamas has announced on Monday that it had dissolved its de facto government in Gaza and was ready to hand over to a group of Palestinian technocrats, a move it described as a step forward in a US-backed plan for the enclave, but Israel dismissed as a "stunt".
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