May 19 brought the end of the largest election in the world, with around 900 million people voting in India. The huge, six-week election will decide who will lead the country for the next five years.
Published in “Asia”
Last week, almost every country in the world except the United States signed a new agreement to control plastic waste. The new agreement should help track plastic waste and make sure more of it actually gets recycled.
Since the 1970s, people in many countries have been taught to recycle. Now, many places are cutting recycling programs, and often items that are sent off for recycling are never recycled at all.
Two Asian countries officially get new royal leaders this week. Crown Prince Naruhito has taken over as Emperor of Japan, and King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be crowned King of Thailand in a three day event beginning Saturday.
Mitsuhiro Iwamoto has been blind since he was 16. He wanted to prove that his blindness didn't limit what he can do. Last week Mr. Iwamoto became the first blind person to sail non-stop across the Pacific Ocean.
Over 350 people were killed and at least 500 people were hurt when bombs went off at churches and hotels across Sri Lanka on Sunday. The government has made several arrests and is still investigating the attacks.
Recent elections in Israel and Finland were both very close, but had different results. In Israel it looks like the current government will carry on, but for Finland's Social Democrats, it was the first win in many years.
In 2017, over 700,000 Rohingya people left Myanmar, chased out by violence. The Rohingya ran to Bangladesh for safety. Now, they are crowded in camps, trying to prepare for the coming rainy season.
Today, museums around the world are holding "Slow Art Day" in order to encourage their visitors to take their time and appreciate art more deeply.
On May 1, Japan's king, Emperor Akihito, will step down. His era - his time as emperor - will end, and the era of the next emperor, his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, will begin.
Today NFK looks at three very different recent or upcoming changes in leadership in Europe and Asia.