Our daily journey around the world

🇬🇧 The UK’s Princess Kate Middleton is cancer free. In a three-minute video message released yesterday, the Princess of Wales said she completed several months of chemotherapy to treat an unspecified type of cancer, which was discovered following abdominal surgery in January. Princess Kate also announced plans to return to work and undertake “a few more public engagements in the coming months.”

🇰🇷 In South Korea, sales of dog strollers outstripped baby strollers last year. South Korea features the world’s lowest birth rate of 0.72 births per woman, or about one-third of the level needed to maintain the current population. On the other hand, the number of registered dogs in South Korea has doubled since 2018, with dog stroller sales quadrupling since 2019. Pet-friendly venues are also increasing across the country, while a growing number of restaurants and cafes are declaring themselves no-kid zones.

🇯🇵 Japan is building a $2 billion defensive satellite constellation. The plan involves launching hundreds of small satellites into low-altitude orbit to monitor ships and military sites across the globe, with full-scale operation set to begin by early 2028. Japan’s new satellite constellation is part of a larger government initiative aimed at nearly doubling the country’s defense budget in the coming years.