Japan's Emperor Naruhito proclaimed his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne on Tuesday, appearing in a brownish-orange ceremonial robe in a ritual attended by representatives of more than 180 countries.

The elaborate, 30-minute ceremony formalizes the transition from Naruhito's father, Akihito, who abdicated in April. The following month, Naruhito officially assumed the throne. He is the 126th emperor in a line of hereditary monarchs that is believed to go back 1,500 years in Japan.

Better vaccines, nutrition and disease control have cut the global death rate for children in half over the past 20 years. But even within countries that have made major progress, children can face greatly different fates.

"Where you're born substantially impacts your probability of surviving to five," says Simon Hay, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington who is the lead author of a new study on childhood mortality in Nature.

For the past decade, Frances Quinlan has built a reputation as an expertly narrative songwriter and a peerless singer in the indie-rock world with her band, Hop Along.

With less than five months until the 2020 census is fully underway, the federal government is already seeing signs of potential hurdles to staffing up in time for the national head count.

The low unemployment rate and delays in processing background checks have hindered hiring this year for early rounds of census jobs, including positions at local census offices and those involved with setting up outreach partnerships with local organizations.

Former President Jimmy Carter suffered a "minor pelvic fracture" after falling down in his home in Plains, Ga., Monday night, the Carter Center says. It's the second time Carter has been hurt in a fall this month; he got a black eye from a fall days after he turned 95 on Oct. 1.

Carter "has been admitted to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center for observation and treatment of a minor pelvic fracture," the Carter Center said in an announcement Tuesday. The center adds, "He is in good spirits and is looking forward to recovering at home."