Japan’s 85-year-old Emperor Akihito announced his abdication in his final official address to his people Tuesday, ending his three-decade reign. Akihito, the son of Japan’s wartime…
Japan’s 85-year-old Emperor Akihito announced his abdication in his final official address to his people Tuesday, ending his three-decade reign. Akihito, the son of Japan’s wartime emperor Hirohito, is the first emperor to abdicate in 200 years. In 2016, Akihito told the nation he was concerned about his age and declining health and wanted to abdicate while he was still capable. With no legal framework to allow a reigning emperor to abdicate, the Japanese government had to pass a one-time law allowing it. The throne will pass on Wednesday to Prince Naruhito, 59, the elder of Akihito’s two sons, who will receive the Imperial sword and jewel as proof of his ascension.
Mark Zuckerberg is expected to lay out his vision for the future of Facebook when the CEO gives the keynote address at the company’s annual conference for software developers. The speech, a must-watch in the tech industry, comes in the wake of repeated privacy and security scandals that have damaged the company’s reputation since the 2016 presidential election.
