French Montana raps in Punjabi. So what?

This week, I'm looking to Japan's (ex-)agriculture minister, who resigned after saying he never buys rice. He might get divorced, too (jk, but I'd get it). Plus, some good news from Vietnam (maybe bye bye, death penalty?), Suriname had elections, Argentina is officially out of the WHO, a tribe in Brazil is suing the New York Times, and students from Nigeria built an app to know just what second you should eat your avocado, and so much more.

Japan's agriculture minister resigned after saying he never buys rice. Why?

What happened:
Taku Etō, Japan's agriculture, forestry, and fisheries minister, has stepped down after casually admitting he never buys rice because he gets so much of it for free from supporters. In a country where rice prices have nearly doubled in the past year, the comment did not go down well.

Why this matters:
Rice is getting really expensive in Japan. A 5kg bag now costs about ¥4,268 (US$29), nearly twice what it did a year ago. So when the man in charge of food policy jokes about getting rice for free, people are going to be furious. And they were.

Tell me more:
Etō made the comment at a fundraiser, saying: "I've never bought rice myself because my supporters donate so much to me that I can practically sell it." Not a great look, especially when your job is to manage food supplies during a cost-of-living crisis. He resigned and was quickly replaced by Shinjirō Koizumi, a former environment minister. Etō apologized, admitting his words were "extremely inappropriate"---and added that even his wife was angry. "She told me she does buy rice when the donated stuff runs out." (So, he doesn't just sound out of touch with working-class families, he's out of touch with his own as well.)

So, how bad is it?
Very bad. The government is scrambling: earlier this year, it released 300,000 tons of rice from emergency stockpiles and even imported rice from South Korea---for the first time in 25 years---to try to stabilize prices.

But public frustration is only growing. A Kyodo News poll in May showed 87% of people were unhappy with how the government is handling the rice situation. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had to issue his own apology, and his approval ratings have dropped to their lowest since he took office.

What's the reason behind this "food crisis"?
A mix of poor harvests due to extreme heat in 2023, panic-buying after a major earthquake warning, and possible hoarding by distributors expecting future shortages. And with upper house elections coming up in July, this isn't just about food anymore.

Some info on the upcoming election in Japan
Japan has a two-chamber parliament called the National Diet. It's made up of the Lower House (House of Representatives) and the Upper House (House of Councillors). The Lower House is the more powerful of the two. If there's a disagreement between the two chambers, the Lower House usually gets the final say. It also chooses the Prime Minister. So when there's a general election in Japan, this is the one to really watch.

On July 13, Japan is set to hold its House of Councillors (Upper House) election. This one is meant to provide a check on the Lower House, meaning less drama, more stability. It can't be dissolved and has longer terms. So while the Upper House doesn't have the same raw power as the Lower House, it can slow down legislation, block controversial bills, and be a headache for any Prime Minister without a majority there (Shigeru already lost it in the Lower House election last October).

what else happened

Namibia:
Three young girls were found dead in the town of Okahandja within weeks of each other. The exact motives are not known as yet. There's been national protests ever since. (BBC Africa)

Argentina:
President Javier Milei confirms the country is pulling out of the World Health Organization. (The Guardian)

South Africa:
Eyewitness and human rights groups have told the BBC that child sexual abuse is widespread in South Africa's illegal mining sector. (BBC)

Cambodia / Thailand:
A Cambodian soldier was killed after a short gunfight with...