The number of people aged 100 or older in rapidly greying Japan has hit a record high for the 41st consecutive year.

Tuition fees at New Zealand universities are among the highest in the world, according to a new report. New Zealand had the seventh-most expensive tuition fees for universities, with entrants paying more than $3600 a year.

Japan's economy shrank an annualised 1.3 per cent in the latest quarter, beating market expectations of a 2.7-per cent contraction.

From bonfire celebrations to dance displays, summer in Japan sees the staging of some unusual festivals.

The Independent's Yasmin Alibhai-Brown on the shocking realities of human trafficking.