Briefly

EUROPEAN UNION

Germany, France clash over fiscal reforms

France and Germany clashed on Friday over how to reform the European Union's fiscal rules and both claimed they had the backing of many other EU governments in a dispute that is unlikely to be resolved before the end of the year. The fiscal rules, called the Stability and Growth Pact, aim to prevent excessive borrowing by governments sharing the euro. At the heart of the dispute is whether there should be numerical benchmarks and automatic rules for all on annual debt reduction, or if each country should individually negotiate its debt cuts with the EU's executive arm, the European Commission.

SOUTH KOREA

Elderly population to reach 30% by 2070

South Korea was expected to be one of the world's oldest countries in 2070 due to the fastest population aging, statistical office estimate showed on Friday. The proportion of people aged 75 or higher to the country's total population stood at 7.7 percent in 2023, according to Statistics Korea. It was forecast to rise to 16 percent in 2037 and 30.7 percent in 2070. The South Korean figure in 2070 was estimated to be the highest among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the statistical agency said, citing the United Nations World Population Prospects 2022.

JAPAN

Age of consent raised from 13 to 16 years old

Japan's age of consent was raised from 13, among the world's lowest, to 16 years old on Friday as lawmakers passed key reforms to sex crime legislation. A new bill, which also clarifies rape prosecution requirements and criminalizes voyeurism, cleared parliament's upper house in a unanimous vote. The age of consent — below which sexual activity is considered statutory rape — is 16 in the United Kingdom and 15 in France. Japan's had been unchanged since 1907, with children aged 13 and above deemed capable of consent.

Agencies - Xinhua