Our daily walk around the world

🇳🇪 Soldiers from Niger's presidential guard seized power in an apparent coup. President Mohamed Bazoum was detained on Wednesday by a group of soldiers, who blockaded the presidential palace and declared themselves in control of Niger’s government. On Thursday, Niger’s army published a statement on social media saying it would support the coup to avoid a “murderous confrontation” – though it’s unclear whether the statement was genuine, per the AP. President Bazoum was elected in 2021 as part of Niger’s first democratic transfer of power since gaining independence from France in 1960.

📵🏫 The UN’s education agency is recommending a global ban on smartphones in classrooms. That’s the conclusion of a UNESCO report published Wednesday, which cited international test score data indicating a “negative link” between excessive use of digital technology and student performance. UNESCO also said it found little evidence showing digital technology inherently adds value to education, and recommended resources instead be spent in other areas.

🇯🇵 Japan’s population declined for the 14th year in a row in 2022. New government data published Wednesday showed a record-high 1.56 million Japanese nationals died in 2022, compared to a record-low 771,000 births. And despite a sharp increase in foreign residents (+10% to 2.99 million) in addition to new government incentives encouraging citizens to have more children, Japan’s overall population declined by 0.65% last year to reach 125.4 million.