Philippines, U.S. kick off largest-ever joint military drills amid criticism

STORY: Philippines, U.S. kick off largest-ever joint military drills amid criticism SHOOTING TIME: April 22, 2024 DATELINE: April 22, 2024 LENGTH: 0:02:09 LOCATION: Manila CATEGORY: POLITICS/MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the opening ceremony 2. various of the protest 3. SOUNDBITE (English): ANNA MALINDOG-UY, Vice president of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute STORY: More than 16,700 Philippine and U.S. troops started their largest-ever annual joint military drills on Monday amid criticisms that the drills threaten regional peace and stability. According to the Philippine military, the 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 U.S. troops, making it the largest iteration of the Philippines-U.S. joint drills conducted in decades. Contingents from the Australian Defense Force and, for the first time in Balikatan's history, the French Navy will also join the exercise as participants. A total of 14 nations, including Japan and In

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

(240422) -- QUEZON CITY, April 22, 2024 (Xinhua) -- People holding placards are pictured during a protest rally against the Philippines-U.S. joint military drills in front of the gate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters in Quezon City, the Philippines, April 22, 2024. More than 16,700 Philippine and U.S. troops started their largest-ever annual joint military drills on Monday amid criticisms that the drills threaten regional peace and stability. According to the Philippine military, the 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 U.S. troops, making it the largest iteration of the Philippines-U.S. joint drills conducted in decades. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

(240422) -- QUEZON CITY, April 22, 2024 (Xinhua) -- People holding placards are pictured during a protest rally against the Philippines-U.S. joint military drills in front of the gate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters in Quezon City, the Philippines, April 22, 2024. More than 16,700 Philippine and U.S. troops started their largest-ever annual joint military drills on Monday amid criticisms that the drills threaten regional peace and stability. According to the Philippine military, the 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 U.S. troops, making it the largest iteration of the Philippines-U.S. joint drills conducted in decades. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

(240422) -- QUEZON CITY, April 22, 2024 (Xinhua) -- People holding placards are pictured during a protest rally against the Philippines-U.S. joint military drills in front of the gate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters in Quezon City, the Philippines, April 22, 2024. More than 16,700 Philippine and U.S. troops started their largest-ever annual joint military drills on Monday amid criticisms that the drills threaten regional peace and stability. According to the Philippine military, the 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 U.S. troops, making it the largest iteration of the Philippines-U.S. joint drills conducted in decades. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

(240422) -- QUEZON CITY, April 22, 2024 (Xinhua) -- People holding placards are pictured during a protest rally against the Philippines-U.S. joint military drills in front of the gate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters in Quezon City, the Philippines, April 22, 2024. More than 16,700 Philippine and U.S. troops started their largest-ever annual joint military drills on Monday amid criticisms that the drills threaten regional peace and stability. According to the Philippine military, the 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 U.S. troops, making it the largest iteration of the Philippines-U.S. joint drills conducted in decades. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

(240422) -- QUEZON CITY, April 22, 2024 (Xinhua) -- People holding placards are pictured during a protest rally against the Philippines-U.S. joint military drills in front of the gate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters in Quezon City, the Philippines, April 22, 2024. More than 16,700 Philippine and U.S. troops started their largest-ever annual joint military drills on Monday amid criticisms that the drills threaten regional peace and stability. According to the Philippine military, the 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 U.S. troops, making it the largest iteration of the Philippines-U.S. joint drills conducted in decades. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

THE PHILIPPINES-QUEZON CITY-U.S.-JOINT MILITARY DRILLS-PROTEST

(240422) -- QUEZON CITY, April 22, 2024 (Xinhua) -- People holding placards are pictured during a protest rally against the Philippines-U.S. joint military drills in front of the gate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters in Quezon City, the Philippines, April 22, 2024. More than 16,700 Philippine and U.S. troops started their largest-ever annual joint military drills on Monday amid criticisms that the drills threaten regional peace and stability. According to the Philippine military, the 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 U.S. troops, making it the largest iteration of the Philippines-U.S. joint drills conducted in decades. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

Mongolian sekiwake Ama beats ozeki Kaio at Nagoya sumo

Mongolian sekiwake Ama beats ozeki Kaio at Nagoya sumo

NAGOYA, Japan - Mongolian sekiwake Ama (R) pushes Ozeki Kaio out of the ring in the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya on July 19, day seven of the 15-day tournament.

Asashoryu, Ama stay locked in tie for lead at Autumn sumo

Asashoryu, Ama stay locked in tie for lead at Autumn sumo

TOKYO, Japan - Sixth-ranked maegashira Ama of Mongolia pushes 11th-ranked maegashira Homasho out of the ring in the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on Sept. 19, day 10 of the 15-day tournament.

Kotooshu beats Iwakiyama at New Year sumo

Kotooshu beats Iwakiyama at New Year sumo

TOKYO, Japan - Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu sends No. 5 Iwakiyama to the ground in the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on Jan. 19, day 12 of the 15-day tournament.

Sapporo seeks registration for record number of snowmen

Sapporo seeks registration for record number of snowmen

SAPPORO, Japan - People view on Feb. 12 some of the 12,379 snowmen made by citizens and tourists in Sapporo, Hokkaido, over a 19-day period that ended the same date. A committee that organized the making of the snowmen for the just-ended Sapporo Snow Festival said Feb. 13 it will seek registration in the Guinness Book of Records as the number of snowmen in the city topped 12,000 the previous day.

Asashoryu, Ama stay locked in tie for lead at Autumn sumo

Asashoryu, Ama stay locked in tie for lead at Autumn sumo

TOKYO, Japan - Sixth-ranked maegashira Ama of Mongolia pushes 11th-ranked maegashira Homasho out of the ring in the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on Sept. 19, day 10 of the 15-day tournament. (Kyodo)

Mongolian sekiwake Ama beats ozeki Kaio at Nagoya sumo

Mongolian sekiwake Ama beats ozeki Kaio at Nagoya sumo

NAGOYA, Japan - Mongolian sekiwake Ama (R) pushes Ozeki Kaio out of the ring in the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya on July 19, day seven of the 15-day tournament. (Kyodo)

Kotooshu beats Iwakiyama at New Year sumo

Kotooshu beats Iwakiyama at New Year sumo

TOKYO, Japan - Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu sends No. 5 Iwakiyama to the ground in the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on Jan. 19, day 12 of the 15-day tournament. (Kyodo)

Promoting Japanese rice in China

Promoting Japanese rice in China

People try out food samples at the opening ceremony of a 19-day event to promote Japanese rice in China, on Jan. 24, 2018, in Beijing. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Promoting Japanese rice in China

Promoting Japanese rice in China

People try out food samples at the opening ceremony of a 19-day event to promote Japanese rice in China, on Jan. 24, 2018, in Beijing. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Promoting Japanese rice in China

Promoting Japanese rice in China

Japanese actress Nanami Sakuraba attends the opening ceremony of a 19-day event to promote Japanese rice in China, on Jan. 24, 2018, in Beijing. Japanese cuisine has become popular in China, with the number of Japanese restaurants in the country quadrupling in four years to some 40,000 outlets in 2017. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Sapporo seeks registration for record number of snowmen

Sapporo seeks registration for record number of snowmen

SAPPORO, Japan - People view on Feb. 12 some of the 12,379 snowmen made by citizens and tourists in Sapporo, Hokkaido, over a 19-day period that ended the same date. A committee that organized the making of the snowmen for the just-ended Sapporo Snow Festival said Feb. 13 it will seek registration in the Guinness Book of Records as the number of snowmen in the city topped 12,000 the previous day. (Kyodo)