JAPAN’S ElDERlY HIT RECORD IN CHAllENGE TO lABOUR MARKET
Swinging dumbbells and chewing gum, several elderly Japanese gathered at a shrine in downtown Tokyo last Monday in sweltering temperatures, belying their age and importance in one of the world’s most rapidly aging societies. The event to mark Respect for the Aged Day in Japan drew over 200 people in an exercise meant to increase their body strength and balance.
The exercise was more than just symbolic, as the number of people aged 65 and above has risen to a record high of 27.7 per cent of Japan’s population, Government figures showed. Significantly, those in this age category who still work has also hit a record, highlighting efforts by the public and private sectors to keep more elderly in the workforce longer to battle labour shortages.
The Government estimates are a stark reminder of the challenges posed by years of a declining birthrate, which is now at 1.45 births per woman. Many economists say a developed country needs a birth rate slightly above 2.0 to prevent its population from shrinking.
Japan has been struggling with a declining workforce for decades, and its elderly ratio is the highest among Group of Seven nations, followed by Italy at 23.0 per cent, Germany at 21.5 per cent, and France at 19.7 per cent. Official figures showed 35.14 million Japanese people were 65 or older, with 7.7 million of them holding down jobs. The number of people aged 90 or above also topped two million for the first time.
Natsu Naruse, a participant in the exercise who is 100, encapsulated Japan’s challenge: “I think my children would have trouble if I lived longer.”
(Reuters)
MYSTERIOUS SEA CREATURE ON TEXAS BEACH IDENTIFIED
A mysterious sea creature that washed onto the shore of a Texas beach in the wake of Hurricane Harvey was identified. Preeti Desai shared photos of the unusual creature and discovered in Texas City and called on “biology Twitter” to identify it. “Okay, biology Twitter, what the heck is thisIJ” she wrote.
Desai told EarthTouch News she originally mistook the creature for a sea lamprey, but changed her mind and began searching for a second opinion when she got closer. “It was just so unexpected,” she said. “When I saw the mouth I thought no way was it a lamprey. It looked like something that came from deeper waters. So I took a couple photos and put it out into the Twitterverse, figuring it would deliver. And it did!”
Responses to Desai’s challenge poured and many believed it to be an eel in the Opichthidae family, also known as snake eels. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History biologist Dr Kenneth Tighe identified the creature as a fangtooth snake-eel or “tusky” eel, but said it also might belong to the garden and conger eel family.
“It might be Bathyuroconger vicinus or Xenomystax congroides,” he said. “All three of these species occur off Texas and have large fang-like teeth. Too bad you can’t clearly see the tip of the tail. That would differentiate between the ophichthid and the congrids.”
Desai told the BBC she left the eel on the beach “to let nature take its course,” but was glad the scientific community came together to identify it.
(UPI)
TOWN MIGHT CHANGE BOARD OF SElECTMEN TO SElECTWOMEN
A Massachusetts town says it will consider changing the name of its governing body from the Board of Selectmen to the Board of Selectwomen. Brookline Town Meeting member Michael Burstein tells NECN under his proposal all members of the board, whether male or female, would be referred to as selectwomen. A second proposal would create gender-neutral language for the board and its members.
Board members will take up the proposals at their November meeting. Board member Heather Hamilton says she believes titles and symbols matter and she’s looking forward to an “interesting hash out” on the proposals.
Town residents say the titles should be all-inclusive. They suggest using terms such as “selectpeople” and just “person” because that probably “would make everybody happy.”
(AP)
GAS STATION ROBBER’S CAR RUNS OUT OF FUEl
Authorities say an Indiana man who robbed a gas station made off with food, drinks and cigarettes. What he didn’t steal was gas. The Northwest Indiana Times reports that a state trooper arrested 33-year-old Sean Harris last Wednesday after finding him stranded by the side of a two-lane highway with his vehicle out of fuel. Police say the South Bend area man’s blood alcohol level was above the legal limit.
Authorities say Harris was arrested not long after he entered the lacrosse gas station, implied he had a gun and took the items. Records show Harris is being held in laPorte County jail. He made a preliminary appearance last Friday in laPorte County Circuit Court on a felony robbery charge. Attorney information for Harris was not available.
(AP)
CAlVIN KlEIN OFFERS $1,650 ‘SlEEVES ONlY’ SWEATER
Fashion brand Calvin Klein has released a sweater that appears to simply be a pair of sleeves. The $1,650 “multicolour wool cheerleader sweater” features a semi-sheer stretch nylon and wool material that creates the illusion that the garment has no torso. A thin line of blue contrast stitching along the side breaks the illusion, leading into off-white and blue rib knit sleeves seemingly floating in thin air. The unusual garment is listed on Canada-based online retailer Ssense, but is currently sold out.
(UPI)