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Japan economy contracts in 4th qtr

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese economic and fiscal policy minister Akira Amari holds a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 14, 2013, on the country's gross domestic product data for the fourth quarter of 2012, released earlier in the day. Japan's economy shrank an annualized real 0.4 percent in October-December for the third straight quarterly contraction.

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3 years after quake-tsunami

SENDAI, Japan - Panoramic photos show the Shishiori area of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, (from top) on March 15, 2011, four days after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, on Aug. 30, 2012, and on Feb. 14, 2014.

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N. Korea power succession

BEIJING, China - People gather around a bronze statue of deceased leader Kim Jong Il (R), his first public statue, and another bronze statue of his father and state founder Kim Il Sung, riding a horse side by side, at the grounds of the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012. The statues were unveiled the same day.

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Fukushima disaster resonates in Vermont nuclear debate

BURLINGTON, United States - Nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen explains concerns over the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in his Burlington, Vermont office on Feb. 14, 2012.

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F-35 model in Singapore

SINGAPORE, Singapore - A real-size model of the F-35 stealth jet is displayed at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore on Feb. 14, 2012.

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Grocery store in Pyongyang

PYONGYANG, North Korea - A woman is pictured in a grocery store in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, on Feb. 14, 2012.

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Grocery store in Pyongyang

TOKYO, Japan - A man purchases items using the North Korean currency of won at a grocery store in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012.

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Homeless boys in Serbia

BELGRADE, Serbia - Three homeless boys aged 12 to 13 are seen sharing blankets as they lie in an underground mall in below zero temperatures in Belgrade, Serbia, on Feb. 14, 2012. Local media say about 600 children are homeless in Belgrade, in addition to an estimated 3,000 homeless adults.

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China's Xi in U.S.

WASHINGTON, United States - Tibetans protest in front of the White House in Washington on Feb. 14, 2012. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met U.S President Barack Obama at the White House the same day.

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Historic building damaged in Athens

ATHENS, Greece - Photo shows damage to the historic Attikon cinema from arson in Athens, Greece on Feb. 14, 2012, after demonstrators clashed with police in protest against austerity measures.

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EU announces more aid for Myanmar reforms

YANGON, Myanmar - European Union Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs (L) and Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi attend a press conference in Yangon on Feb. 14, 2012. Piebalgs unveiled a new 150 million euro aid package for Myanmar during his meetings with authorities in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw.

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1st bronze statue of Kim Jong Il

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Ri Yong Ho (2nd from R), chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, and Jang Song Thaek (L), a vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, attend a ceremony at which bronze statues of deceased leader Kim Jong Il and his father and state founder Kim Il Sung, riding horses side by side, are unveiled on the grounds of the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012. It is the first public statue of the younger Kim.

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EU announces more aid for Myanmar reforms

YANGON, Myanmar - European Union Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs speaks in a press conference in Yangon on Feb. 14, 2012. Piebalgs unveiled a new 150 million euro aid package for Myanmar during his meetings with authorities in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw.

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German minister Niebel meets Suu Kyi

YANGON, Myanmar - Dirk Niebel (L), Germany's minister of economic cooperation and development, and Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi hold a joint press conference in Yangon on Feb. 14, 2012.

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Levee at nuclear power plant

NIIGATA, Japan - Tokyo Electric Power Co. shows to reporters the construction of a levee to protect against tsunami at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Niigata Prefecture on Feb. 14, 2012.

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Wen meets EU leaders

BEIJING, China - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is seen listening during a joint press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Feb. 14, 2012, attended by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

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Wen meets EU leaders

BEIJING, China - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C) holds a joint press conference with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy (L) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Feb. 14, 2012, after holding talks.

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1st bronze statue of Kim Jong Il

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Jang Song Thaek (C), a vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, attends a ceremony to unveil bronze statues of deceased leader Kim Jong Il and his father and state founder Kim Il Sung, riding horses side by side, on the grounds of the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012. It is the first public statue of the younger Kim.

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1st bronze statue of Kim Jong Il

PYONGYANG, North Korea - People attend a ceremony at which bronze statues of deceased leader Kim Jong Il and his father and state founder Kim Il Sung, riding horses side by side, are unveiled on the grounds of the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012. It is the first public statue of the younger Kim.

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1st bronze statue of Kim Jong Il

PYONGYANG, North Korea - People celebrate as bronze statues of deceased leader Kim Jong Il and his father and state founder Kim Il Sung, riding horses side by side, are unveiled on the grounds of the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012. It is the first public statue of the younger Kim.

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N. Korean leaders attend Kim Jong Il statue ceremony

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Kim Yong Nam (far R), president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, the North Korean parliament, and Jang Song Thaek (far L), vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, attend an unveiling ceremony of a bronze statue of deceased leader Kim Jong Il, his first public statue, alongside other leaders at the grounds of the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012. The bronze statue stands side by side with another bronze statue of Kim's father and state founder Kim Il Sung.

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1st bronze statue of Kim Jong Il

PYONGYANG, North Korea - People gather around a bronze statue of deceased leader Kim Jong Il (R), his first public statue, and another bronze statue of Kim's father and state founder Kim Il Sung, riding a horse side by side, at the grounds of the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012. The statues were unveiled the same day.

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Rakuten eyes market advances

SENDAI, Japan - Rakuten Inc. President Hiroshi Mikitani speaks in an interview with Kyodo News in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, on Feb. 14, 2012. Mikitani said the Tokyo-based company plans to expand its online shopping mall business to two or three more countries in 2012, in addition to the nine foreign nations in which it already operates.

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1st bronze statue of Kim Jong Il

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Photo taken on Feb. 14, 2012, shows a bronze statue of deceased leader Kim Jong Il (R), his first public statue, and another bronze statue of Kim's father and state founder Kim Il Sung, riding a horse side by side, at the grounds of the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012. The statues were unveiled the same day.

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Kamakura Festival to be held in Akita

YOKOTE, Japan - Children are pictured in one of more than 100 igloo-like snow huts called ''kamakura'' in Yokote, Akita Prefecture, on Feb. 14, 2012, one day before the two-day Kamakura Festival begins. The local children served tourists roasted rice cakes and ''amazake,'' a sweet drink made from rice.

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Hikonyan on St. Valentine's Day

OTSU, Japan - Hikonyan, a popular feline mascot of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, poses at the municipal government office on Feb. 14, 2012, among more than 160 chocolate and other gifts sent from around the nation for St. Valentine's Day.

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Elevated ice cracks on Lake Kussharo

KUSHIRO, Japan - Photo taken on Feb. 14, 2012, shows a ridge where the ice has cracked on Lake Kussharo in Teshikaga, Hokkaido. The natural phenomenon, called ''omiwatari,'' occurs after ice on the surface of the lake repeatedly expands and contracts due to changes in temperature.

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1st bronze statue of Kim Jong Il

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Photo taken on Feb. 14, 2012, shows a bronze statue of deceased leader Kim Jong Il (R), his first public statue, and another bronze statue of Kim's father and state founder Kim Il Sung, riding a horse side by side, at the grounds of the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012. The statues were unveiled the same day.

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Preparatory drilling for methane hydrate production

NAGOYA, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows the deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu preparing to start preparatory drilling for seabed methane hydrate production in waters around 1,000 meters deep in the Pacific about 70 to 80 kilometers south of the Atsumi Peninsula near Nagoya on Feb. 14, 2012.

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1st bronze statue of Kim Jong Il

PYONGYANG, North Korea - People gather around a bronze statue of deceased leader Kim Jong Il (R), his first public statue, and another bronze statue of Kim's father and state founder Kim Il Sung, riding a horse side by side, at the grounds of the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang on Feb. 14, 2012. The statues were unveiled the same day.

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Preparatory drilling for methane hydrate production

NAGOYA, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows the deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu preparing to start preparatory drilling for seabed methane hydrate production in waters around 1,000 meters deep in the Pacific about 70 to 80 kilometers south of the Atsumi Peninsula near Nagoya on Feb. 14, 2012.

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Kobe French restaurant gutted by fire

KOBE, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a traditional colonial-style building gutted by fire in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on Feb. 14, 2012. The two-story wooden residence built in 1908 for a French trader named Graciani housed a French restaurant called Grande Maison Graciani.

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Preparatory drilling for methane hydrate production

NAGOYA, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows the deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu preparing to start preparatory drilling for seabed methane hydrate production in waters around 1,000 meters deep about 70 to 80 kilometers south of the Atsumi Peninsula near Nagoya on Feb. 14, 2012.

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Tag Heuer sponsors Nishikori

TOKYO, Japan - Tennis player Kei Nishikori poses wearing Tag Heuer watches during a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 14, 2012, as the Swiss manufacturer concluded a sponsorship contract with him.

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Disaster-hit cats head to Tokyo

SENDAI, Japan - Cats are taken out from an animal management center in Sendai, northeastern Japan, to be accepted by a cat protection group in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Feb. 14, 2012. The group has cooperated in finding new homes in Tokyo and its vicinity for cats from Sendai. Many kittens have been born in areas hit by the March 2011 quake and tsunami among cats who have lost their original owners and became stray.

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Nuclear power referendum

OSAKA, Japan - A civic group representative (L) hands a petition to an Osaka city government official at Osaka city hall on Feb. 14, 2012. The group, which is seeking a referendum on whether to retain nuclear power plants, filed a direct petition with the city government to hold a plebiscite on the issue in the wake of the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

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Tickets for record lottery on sale

TOKYO, Japan - People line up at a lottery booth in Tokyo's Ginza district on Feb. 14, 2012. Tickets for a public lottery, the revenue from which will be partially used to fund reconstruction from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, went on sale the same day, with the top prize and the two prizes for adjacent numbers together worth a record 500 million yen.

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Disaster-hit cats head to Tokyo

SENDAI, Japan - A cat is taken out from an animal management center in Sendai, northeastern Japan, to be accepted by a cat protection group in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Feb. 14, 2012. The group has cooperated in finding new homes in Tokyo and its vicinity for cats from Sendai. Many kittens have been born in areas hit by the March 2011 quake and tsunami among cats who have lost their original owners and became stray.

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St. Valentine's Day chocolates

MIYAKO, Japan - A women hands chocolate to passengers at Sanriku Railway Co.'s Miyako Station in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, on Feb. 14, 2012. Confectionery shop ''Amla-an'' in Hiroshima Prefecture hosted the St. Valentine's Day event to hand some 300 chocolates to passengers and station employees to do some cheerleading for the local railway. Operations on about two-thirds of the railroad along the Pacific are still suspended as stations and rails were swept away by the March 2011 tsunami.

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China's Xi in U.S.

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who met U.S President Barack Obama in Washington on Feb. 14, 2012.

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Kobe French restaurant gutted by fire

KOBE, Japan - A fire rages at a restaurant in a traditional colonial-style building in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on Feb. 14, 2012. The two-story wooden residence built in 1908 for a French trader named Graciani housed a French restaurant called Grande Maison Graciani.

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Protest in Bahrain

MANAMA, Bahrain - Protesters flee as tear gas spreads during clashes between antigovernment demonstrators and riot police in the suburbs of Manama, capital of Bahrain, on Feb. 13, 2013. The island state off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia on Feb. 14, 2012, marked the first anniversary of the large-scale Shiite-led uprising against the Sunni dynasty in power.

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BOJ policy meeting

TOKYO, Japan - Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa enters the BOJ's headquarters in Tokyo on Feb. 14, 2012, for a policy board meeting. The Japanese central bank decided to effectively introduce an inflation goal of 1 percent and further eased its monetary policy through an expansion of its asset purchase program in a bid to overcome the prolonged deflation in the country and achieve sustainable growth. (Pool photo by Kyodo News)

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Protest in Bahrain

MANAMA, Bahrain - Tear gas spreads as antigovernment demonstrators and riot police clash in the suburbs of Manama, capital of Bahrain, on Feb. 13, 2013. The island state off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia on Feb. 14, 2012, marked the first anniversary of the large-scale Shiite-led uprising against the Sunni dynasty in power.

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Protest in Bahrain

MANAMA, Bahrain - People attend a rally in front of the labor ministry in the suburbs of Manama, the capital of Bahrain, on Feb. 12, 2012, to call for reinstatement of employees of state-run companies who were fired after participating in the 2011 antigovernment demonstrations in the country. On Feb. 14, 2012, the island state off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia marked the first anniversary of the large-scale Shiite-led uprising against the ruling Sunni dynasty.

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Protest in Bahrain

MANAMA, Bahrain - People call for reinstatement of employees of state-run companies who were fired after participating in the 2011 antigovernment demonstrations in Bahrain, in front of the labor ministry in the suburbs of the capital Manama on Feb. 12, 2012. The island state off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia on Feb. 14, 2012, marked the first anniversary of the large-scale Shiite-led uprising against the Sunni dynasty in power.