Japan's low birth and marriage rates would suggest that the country's citizens have given up on love. That assumption could not be further from the truth. Many Japanese are indeed searching for that special someone, just not the conventional kind. Despite Japan still lagging behind on LGBT+ rights (same-sex weddings are still illegal) the country has become a laboratory for new types of relationships – digital, solitary or even devoid of sex.

Today the World Water Forum starts in Bali, where world leaders will discuss the sustainability of water resources for a week. To illustrate the issue of water management, we head to Panama. The Panama Canal, one of the world’s major maritime trade routes, has suffered a decline in its water levels ever since drought affected the country last year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has wrapped up his two-day visit to China, where he and his counterpart Xi Jinping pledged a "new era of strategic partnership". The two leaders had tea together and celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations at a gala, with the Chinese leader giving his guest a warm hug.