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Protest against Japan PM Takaichi

A protester holds up a placard reading "This dissolution is meaningless" at the venue of a stump speech by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026. Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives on Jan. 23 for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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[Breaking News]Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Noda

TOKYO, Japan, Jan. 23 Kyodo - Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Yoshihiko Noda speaks to pedestrians in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8. (Kyodo)

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Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C) and other lawmakers from her Liberal Democratic Party raise their fists in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after she dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C) and other lawmakers from her Liberal Democratic Party raise their fists in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after she dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Photo taken on Jan. 23, 2026, shows a street television reporting news that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Photo taken on Jan. 23, 2026, shows a street television reporting news that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Parliament building in Tokyo

Photo taken on Jan. 23, 2026, from a Kyodo News helicopter shows Japan's parliament building in Tokyo after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Parliament building in Tokyo

Photo taken on Jan. 23, 2026, from a Kyodo News helicopter shows Japan's parliament building in Tokyo after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Preparation for general election

Photo taken on Jan. 23, 2026, shows a board set up for candidates' posters in Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Preparation for general election

Photo taken on Jan. 23, 2026, shows a board set up for candidates' posters in Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Preparation for general election

Photo taken on Jan. 23, 2026, shows a board set up for candidates' posters in Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Noda

Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Yoshihiko Noda (R) speaks during a pep rally for alliance members in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Noda

Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Yoshihiko Noda speaks to pedestrians in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows people listening to a politician's speech in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows people listening to a politician's speech in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Saito

Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Tetsuo Saito (back, C) raises his fist during a pep rally for alliance members in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM dissolves lower house for snap general election

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows people listening to a politician's speech in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Saito

Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Tetsuo Saito speaks to pedestrians in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives earlier in the day for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

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Japan's lower house dissolved for snap electionn

Yoshihiko Noda (L) and Tetsuo Saito (R), co-leaders of the Centrist Reform Alliance, leave parliament after a House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house during the session for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan's lower house dissolved for snap election

Yoshihiko Noda, co-leader of the Centrist Reform Alliance is pictured in parliament ahead of a House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house during the session for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan's lower house dissolved for snap election

Yoshihiko Noda, co-leader of the Centrist Reform Alliance is pictured in parliament ahead of a House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house during the session for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan's lower house dissolved for snap election

Yoshihiko Noda (R) and Tetsuo Saito (C), co-leaders of the Centrist Reform Alliance, are pictured in parliament ahead of a House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house during the session for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM Takaichi dissolves lower house

Japanese lawmakers leave the House of Representatives chamber in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house during its plenary session for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM Takaichi dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi leaves the House of Representatives chamber in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after the lower house was dissolved at the outset of its plenary session for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM Takaichi dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C) bows in parliament in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after the House of Representatives was dissolved for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM Takaichi dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C) bows in parliament in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after the House of Representatives was dissolved for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM Takaichi dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi bows in parliament in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after the House of Representatives was dissolved for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM Takaichi dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (blue) looks on during a House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after the lower house was dissolved for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM Takaichi dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (blue) looks on during a House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after the lower house was dissolved for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM Takaichi dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi bows while lawmakers throw their arms in the air for a customary "banzai" in parliament in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026, after the House of Representatives was dissolved for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan's lower house dissolved for snap election

Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga reads out a rescript signed by the emperor to dissolve the lower house during its plenary session in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026. With the dissolution, a general election will be held on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM Takaichi dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (blue) is pictured ahead of a House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026. She dissolved the lower house the same day for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Japan PM Takaichi dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (blue) is pictured ahead of a House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Jan. 23, 2026. She dissolved the lower house the same day for a snap election on Feb. 8.

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Illustration - Pays-Basque

FRANCE, NOUVELLE AQUITAINE, PYRENEES ATLANTIQUES, BASQUE COUNTRY, OSSES, GRAFFITI BASQUE ACTIVISTS ON A BUS SHELTER THANKING THE ORGANIZATION ETA, DEMANDING TOTAL AND IMMEDIATE AMNESTY FOR POLITICAL DETAINEES AND AGAINST THE ORGANIZATION OF THE G7 IN BIARRITZ IN 2019 BY THE ORGANIZATION OF YOUNG ACTIVISTS AITZINA (DISSOLVED IN OCTOBER 2020) INCLUDING THE SLOGAN IS "GUK EH", "WE THE BASQUE COUNTRY" Photo by Severine Dabadie/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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China: Lightning Strikes Through Rainbow as Sunset Paints Sky in Inner Mongolia

This is the stunning moment that a rare mix of lightning and rainbow lit up the sky, capturing a breathtaking scene that also featured sunset and colorful clouds. On May 11, 2025, in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, the video showed a rare atmospheric phenomenon where a bolt of lightning slashed through the sky as a vivid rainbow arched across the horizon. As the sun began to set, casting an orange hue over the clouds, onlookers were treated to a mesmerizing display where multiple natural elements, lightning, rainbow, sunset, and painted clouds, had converged in one frame. The lightning bolt flashed dramatically across the sky just beneath the arc of the rainbow, creating a moment of natural beauty that was rarely seen together. The video ended with the lightning fading into the distance as the rainbow slowly dissolved into the dusky sky.

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Japan court orders dissolution of Unification Church

Lawyer Nobuya Fukumoto (front) is surrounded by journalists in front of the Tokyo District Court in the Japanese capital on March 25, 2025, after the court ordered that his client, the Unification Church, be dissolved, a decision that will deprive the controversial organization, criticized for soliciting financially ruinous donations from its members, of its status as a religious corporation with tax advantages.

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Japan court orders dissolution of Unification Church

Lawyer Nobuya Fukumoto (front) is surrounded by journalists in front of the Tokyo District Court in the Japanese capital on March 25, 2025, after the court ordered that his client, the Unification Church, be dissolved, a decision that will deprive the controversial organization, criticized for soliciting financially ruinous donations from its members, of its status as a religious corporation with tax advantages.

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Japan court orders dissolution of Unification Church

Lawyer Nobuya Fukumoto (front) is surrounded by journalists in front of the Tokyo District Court in the Japanese capital on March 25, 2025, after the court ordered that his client, the Unification Church, be dissolved, a decision that will deprive the controversial organization, criticized for soliciting financially ruinous donations from its members, of its status as a religious corporation with tax advantages.

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Japan court orders dissolution of Unification Church

Journalists gather around the Tokyo District Court in the Japanese capital on March 25, 2025. The court ordered the same day that the Unification Church be dissolved, a decision that will deprive the controversial organization, criticized for soliciting financially ruinous donations from its members, of its status as a religious corporation with tax advantages.

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Japan lower house election

Yoshihiko Noda, head of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, makes a stump speech in Tokyo on Oct. 10, 2024, a day after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the lower house for a general election.

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Japan lower house election

Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, makes a stump speech in Tokyo on Oct. 10, 2024, a day after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the lower house for a general election.

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Japan lower house election

Keiichi Ishii, secretary general of Japan's junior ruling coalition partner Komeito, makes a stump speech in Tokyo on Oct. 10, 2024, a day after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the lower house for a general election.

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Japan lower house election

Yoshihiko Noda, head of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, makes a stump speech in Tokyo on Oct. 10, 2024, a day after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the lower house for a general election.

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New PM Dissolves Lower House Of Parliament - Tokyo

This photo taken on October 9, 2024 shows a scene during a plenary session at the lower house of Japan's parliament, in Tokyo, Japan. The lower house of Japan's parliament was officially dissolved on Wednesday, setting the stage for the general election as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeks to secure his party's lower house majority. The general election is slated to be held on October 27, with campaigning set to begin on October 15. Photo by Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu/ABACAPRESS.COM

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New PM Dissolves Lower House Of Parliament - Tokyo

Fukushiro Nukaga (1st R, rear row), speaker of the lower house of Japan's parliament, speaks during a plenary session at the lower house, in Tokyo, Japan, October 9, 2024. The lower house of Japan's parliament was officially dissolved on Wednesday, setting the stage for the general election as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeks to secure his party's lower house majority. The general election is slated to be held on October 27, with campaigning set to begin on October 15. Photo by Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu/ABACAPRESS.COM

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New PM Dissolves Lower House Of Parliament - Tokyo

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (1st R, front row) attends a plenary session at the lower house of Japan's parliament in Tokyo, Japan, October 9, 2024. The lower house of Japan's parliament was officially dissolved on Wednesday, setting the stage for the general election as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeks to secure his party's lower house majority. The general election is slated to be held on October 27, with campaigning set to begin on October 15. Photo by Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Japan PM Ishiba and ex-PM Aso

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (R) who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and former prime minister Taro Aso, who is the party's supreme adviser, shake hands at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Oct. 9, 2024. Ishiba dissolved the lower house earlier in the day for a general election.

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Japan PM Ishiba dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Oct. 9, 2024. He dissolved the lower house the same day for a snap election on Oct. 27.

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Japan's lower house dissolved for snap election

Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga reads out a rescript signed by the emperor to dissolve the lower house during its plenary session in Tokyo on Oct. 9, 2024. With the dissolution, a general election will be held on Oct. 27.

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Japan PM Ishiba dissolves lower house

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (1st row, far R) bows in parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 9, 2024, after the House of Representatives was dissolved for a snap election on Oct. 27.