In-depth News Features | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

South Korea is grappling with an ultralow birthrate and declining population, prompting the government to consider expanding the number of foreign nationals it allows to work in the country. Last year, Seoul announced plans to establish an immigration agency to oversee immigration and residency procedures and help them adjust to life in South Korea.

A year of conflict in Sudan has left thousands dead and forced millions to flee their homes. As fighting continues intermittently in the capital and elsewhere, the United Nations says the need for aid is urgent.

Over 3,000 victims of the massive earthquake that struck Japan's Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day are still living in evacuation shelters in Ishikawa Prefecture, even as many others have moved into temporary housing. They worry they may not get the support they need, as fewer municipal workers are dispatched to such shelters and volunteers have dwindled.

In South Korea, more than 30 percent of women in their 30s are single. For men, the figure tops 50 percent. The country's marriage rate is slumping, and the shifting social landscape represents both a business challenge and an opportunity.

It's a sight to behold ― three young women working intently on a pair of centuries-old, towering wooden statues. They are chipping away at a sun-faded coat of paint in one corner of the workshop, and using resin to fill in a pocket of wormholes in another.

More than 25,000 babies have been born in Gaza since fighting between the Israeli military and the Islamic group Hamas began in October. They immediately face harsh conditions and some do not survive. A cameraman at NHK's Gaza office met with some of the babies' families and doctors.

A critically acclaimed film about a woman's illegal abortion has hit screens in Japan. 'Happening' is based on an autobiographical novel of the same name by Annie Ernaux, last year's winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The director of the film, Audrey Diwan, and the writer explain why the story, set in 1960s France, is still relevant today.

When the Vladivostok Ballet performed ''Sleeping Beauty'' in Pyongyang during March to mark the 75th anniversary of an agreement on mutual economic and cultural cooperation, it underscored how Russia's ties with North Korea are deepening in an era of conflict and geopolitical confusion.

An appeals court in Japan has for the first time upheld a lower court ruling that the lack of legal recognition for same-sex marriages in the country is unconstitutional. The decision marks a major victory for LGBTQ advocates on an issue that has divided legal opinion.

Japanese doctor and humanitarian Nakamura Tetsu was shot dead in Afghanistan in 2019. Despite the tragedy, his legacy endures through Peshawar-kai NGO in Fukuoka Prefecture. As the group marks its 40th anniversary, an irrigation engineer shares how Nakamura inspired him to join their cause, using traditional Japanese technology.