Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday pledged in his New Year's address Wednesday to tackle pressing security, economic and demographic issues through his minority government, working with opposition parties "sincerely and humbly" to ensure better lives for the public.Ishiba, who took office in October, said a top priority will be protecting national interests amid the "severe and complex" international security environment, citing Russia's ongoing military aggression against Ukraine and North Korea's repeated missile launches.Calling the declining population a "silent emergency" that …READ FULL ARTICLE
