Japan currently has a population of about 128 million, but by 2060, the population is expected to shrink by one-third and seniors will make up 40 percent of people. This scenario will place a greater burden on the working-age population to support the social security and tax systems. The statistics on just how fast Japan's population will shrink were released on Monday by the Health and Welfare Ministry.

Japan will have 87 million people in 2060, and the number of people 65 and over will nearly double to 40 percent. The national work force of people between the ages of 15 and 65 will shrink down to about half of the total population, according to estimates by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

The total fertility rate (or expected number of children born per woman during lifetime) in 2060 is estimated to be at 1.35, which is down from 2010's 1.39. Both figures are well below the 2 needed to keep Japan's population from declining.

Adding to the situation, the average Japanese will continue to live longer. The average life expectancy for 2060 is projected at 90.93 for women and 84.19 years for men, up from 86.39 and 79.64, respectively, in 2010.

According to doctors in India, at least a dozen people are infected with a strain of tuberculosis that is resistant to all antibiotics that are used to treat the disease.

The journal Clinical Infectious Diseases published a report in December that documented four of the cases, but this past weekend news outlets in India reported that there were at least 12 people with the lung disease.

Study co-author Zarir Udwadia of the Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Mumbai told New Scientist:

"It's estimated that on average, a tuberculosis patient infects 10 to 20 contacts in a year, and there's no reason to suspect that this strain is any less transmissible. Short of quarantining them in hospitals with isolation facilities till they become non-infectious – which is not practical or possible – there is nothing else one can do to prevent transmission."

North Korea's long criticized ruler, Kim Jong Il, has died at the age of 69.

Kim took over absolute control of community North Korea in 1994 following the death of his father. In recent years, Kim had been suffering from numerous health issues, and had nearly touched off a number of wars with his hatred of the world an love of accumulating weapons of mass destruction.

The dictator who infamously let his people starve while he built nuclear bombs, died of a heart attack at the age of 69 while riding aboard a train Saturday during a "high-intensity field inspection."

He was believed to have also suffered a stroke in 2008, and was a notorious drinker and chain smoker. He was mocked for his crazy hair and love of movies and choreography, but posed a real danger to the world as he was in control of the fifth largest military force in the world.

Kim's youngest legitimate son, Kim Jong Un, who is believed to be in his 20s, was announced as his successor in September 2010.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of people in Moscow, as well as thousands more in cities across Russia, assembled to demand an end to Vladimir Putin's rule and a rerun of a parliamentary election. These demonstrations mark the biggest opposition protests since Putin first rose to power 12 years ago, and the largest protest rally since the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.

The largest protest was in Moscow, where riot police were ready and watching as protesters shouted and waved flags. The protests showed an outpouring of anger over the December 4 election, which the opposition claims was rigged to favor Putin and United Russia, and to show discontent with the current prime minister three months before Putin tries to reclaim the presidency at the polls.

Former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who now leads an opposition movement that was banned from the election, said to a huge crowd at Bolotnava Square across the Moscow River from the Kremlin:

"Today 60,000, maybe 100,000 people, have come to this rally. This means today is the beginning of the end for these thieving authorities."

On Thursday morning, a strong earthquake struck near the Japanese nuclear power plant that was badly damaged by a devastating tsunami earlier this year.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a magnitude 5.9 quake struck just before 4:30am local time about 62 miles east of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant and 151 miles northeast of Tokyo. It struck at a depth of 23 miles.

No immediate reports of damage or injuries were made, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not immediately issue a tsunami alert.

Since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami on March 11 which left more than 20,000 people dead or missing, similar quakes have struck the region. The tsunami also kicked off a nuclear crisis when it the Fukushima plant was heavily damaged and forced about 100,000 to evacuate their homes. They still do not know when they can return.

ATMs are best known for dispensing cash, but some allow you to purchase things like stamps. Even more rare, however, are the ATM machines that dispense gold. Those have started popping up all over the world this year, as gold prices soar and economies falter. Now, you can add diamond-dispensing ATMs to the list as Mumbai, India, became the first city in the world to launch a diamond-dispensing ATM.

The Gitanjali Group, which claims to be the world's largest integrated manufacturer of branded jewelry, opened the diamond ATM in a luxury shopping mall in the city on Sunday. A rep for the group says that it has already served "a substantial number of people."

Gitanjali Group is hoping to roll out 75 addition ATMs that dispense diamonds, in addition to gold and silver coins. They will be opened in shopping malls, airports, and Hindu temples.

Prices range from 1,000 to 30,000 rupees, and customers can pay by cash or credit.

On March 11, 2011, Japan was devastated by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the subsequent tsunami that was triggered. Now, months later, there are some 5 to 20 million tons of debris that were sucked into the Pacific Ocean moving rapidly across the Pacific. The wreckage -- which includes furniture, boats, and even refrigerators -- is being tracked by researchers at the University of Hawaii who estimate that it may approach the U.S. West Coast in the next three years.

Jan Hafner, a researcher at the University of Hawaii, says:

"We have a rough estimate of 5 to 20 million tons of debris coming from Japan."

Last month, crew members on the Russian training ship the STS Pallada said that after passing the Midway Islands last month, they "spotted the debris 2,000 miles from Japan."

More than 20,000 were left dead or missing when the quake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan in March.

Samsung is asking courts in both Japan and Australia to block sales of Apple's new iPhone 4S in their respective countries as a part of an ongoing patent battle between the two companies. The preliminary injunctions were filed in Tokyo District Court and the Federal Court in Australia on Monday.

Samsung claims that Apple continues to violate its patent rights and "free ride on our technology."

Meanwhile, Samsung is also appealing a ruling in Australian court last week to temporarily ban sales of the Samsung Galaxy tablet computer. In this instance, Apple accused Samsung of copying the iPad and iPhone, as well as violating Apple patents.

A new fast-food restaurant in Beijing called "Obama Fried Chicken" is raising eyebrows here in the United States for its use of a caricature of President Barack Obama and alleged racism. The restaurant's sign features a grinning cartoon version of President Obama on a skinny version of Colonel Sanders' body.

Below the image is the slogan written in Chinese, which roughly translates to "We're so cool, aren't we?" in English.

Rev. Al Sharpton, many of the president's supporters, and others are outraged by the fast-food restaurant that they claim is trying to sell chicken by making fun of the U.S. president.

There is actually an Obama Fried Chicken restaurant in the U.S., however it is not at all associated with the Chinese restaurant, and its owners say that they had renamed their restaurant to honor the country's first black president.

Vladimir Putin, Russia's top leader from 2000 to 2008, is seeking to regain his title as President. On Saturday, Putin agreed to run for the Russian presidency in 2012, virtually ensuring his return to office. In addition, the United Russia party approved Putin's proposal that current president Dmitry Medvedev take over Putin's role as prime minister.

During Putin's reign last decade, he was widely criticized for his steely command, which many in the West said was a retreat from democracy. Constitutional powers have also extended the presidential term from four years to six, and as such, Putin is likely to have even more power in this position.

Putin's nomination at a congress of the United Russia party put an end to months of speculation about whether he would seek to return to the Kremlin or allow the milder Medvedev to seek another term in 2012.

The United Russia party has such an overwhelming presence in Russian politics that the election of Putin to president and Medvedev's switch to prime minister is virtually guaranteed. Putin's personal popularity is very strong among Russians, and genuine opposition parties have been marginalized.