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41st anniversary of JAL passenger jet crash

Japan Airlines Co. President Mitsuko Tottori lays flowers on Aug. 12, 2026, the 41st anniversary of the 1985 JAL jetliner crash that claimed the lives of 520 passengers and crew, in front of a monument at the crash site on Osutaka Ridge in the Gunma Prefecture village of Ueno, northwest of Tokyo.

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41st anniversary of JAL passenger jet crash

Japan Airlines Co. President Mitsuko Tottori meets the press after attending a memorial ceremony for victims of the 1985 JAL jetliner crash near the crash site on Osutaka Ridge in the Gunma village of Ueno, northwest of Tokyo, on Aug. 12, 2026, the 41st anniversary of the accident that claimed the lives of 520 passengers and crew.

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41st anniversary of JAL passenger jet crash

Japan Airlines Co. President Mitsuko Tottori meets the press after attending a memorial ceremony for victims of the 1985 JAL jetliner crash near the crash site on Osutaka Ridge in the Gunma village of Ueno, northwest of Tokyo, on Aug. 12, 2026, the 41st anniversary of the accident that claimed the lives of 520 passengers and crew.

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41st anniversary of JAL passenger jet crash

Candles are lit at a monument listing the names of the victims of the 1985 Japan Airlines jetliner crash in the Gunma Prefecture village of Ueno on Aug. 12, 2026, the 41st anniversary of the 1985 JAL jetliner crash that claimed the lives of 520 passengers and crew.

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41st anniversary of JAL passenger jet crash

Candles are lit at a monument listing the names of the victims of the 1985 Japan Airlines jetliner crash in the Gunma Prefecture village of Ueno on Aug. 12, 2026, the 41st anniversary of the 1985 JAL jetliner crash that claimed the lives of 520 passengers and crew.

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41st anniversary of JAL passenger jet crash

Japan Airlines Co. President Mitsuko Tottori (R) prays on Aug. 12, 2026, the 41st anniversary of the 1985 JAL jetliner crash that claimed the lives of 520 passengers and crew, in front of a monument at the crash site on Osutaka Ridge in the Gunma Prefecture village of Ueno, northwest of Tokyo.

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41st anniversary of JAL passenger jet crash

People hike up to Osutaka Ridge, the 1985 Japan Airlines jet crash site, in the Gunma Prefecture village of Ueno, northwest of Tokyo, on Aug. 12, 2026, the 41st anniversary of the accident that claimed the lives of 520 passengers and crew.

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41st anniversary of JAL passenger jet crash

People hike up to Osutaka Ridge, the 1985 Japan Airlines jet crash site, in the Gunma Prefecture village of Ueno, northwest of Tokyo, on Aug. 12, 2026, the 41st anniversary of the accident that claimed the lives of 520 passengers and crew.

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41st anniversary of JAL passenger jet crash

People hike up to Osutaka Ridge, the 1985 Japan Airlines jet crash site, in the Gunma Prefecture village of Ueno, northwest of Tokyo, on Aug. 12, 2026, the 41st anniversary of the accident that claimed the lives of 520 passengers and crew.

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41st anniversary of fatal JAL jet crash

People visit a memorial monument at the 1985 Japan Airlines jet crash site on Osutaka Ridge in the Gunma Prefecture village of Ueno, northwest of Tokyo, on Aug. 12, 2026, the 41st anniversary of the accident that claimed the lives of 520 passengers and crew.

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China: Traffic Light Takes Direct Lightning Strike During Thunderstorm

A lightning strike hit a roadside utility pole and communication cables in Anping Village, Jiangxi Town, Nanning, Guangxi on August 5, producing a bright flash, sparks, and yellow smoke, and briefly knocking out a nearby traffic signal. Local authorities said the strike did not affect residents' daily lives.

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35th anniversary of Japan mountain disaster

SHIMABARA, Japan, June 3 Kyodo - Shimabara Mayor Ryuzaburo Furukawa lays flowers at a monument on June 3, 2026, as the city in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Nagasaki marked the 35th anniversary of a huge pyroclastic flow from Mt. Unzen's Fugen Peak that claimed the lives of 43 people, including firefighters, police officers and reporters. (Kyodo)

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35th anniversary of Japan mountain disaster

A man offers a prayer in front of a monument at a fixed observation point used by the media during coverage of the deadly pyroclastic flow from Mt. Unzen's Fugen Peak in Shimabara in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Nagasaki on June 3, 2026, the 35th anniversary of the disaster that claimed the lives of 43 people, including firefighters, police officers and members of the press.

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35th anniversary of Japan mountain disaster

Bereaved family members offer prayers in front of a monument at a fixed observation point used by the media during coverage of the deadly pyroclastic flow from Mt. Unzen's Fugen Peak in Shimabara in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Nagasaki on June 3, 2026, the 35th anniversary of the disaster that claimed the lives of 43 people, including firefighters, police officers and members of the press.

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35th anniversary of Japan mountain disaster

Firefighters offer flowers and silent prayers at a monument in Shimabara in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Nagasaki on June 3, 2026, marking the 35th anniversary of a deadly pyroclastic flow from Mt. Unzen's Fugen Peak that claimed the lives of 43 people, including firefighters, police officers and members of the press.

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35th anniversary of Japan mountain disaster

Police officers from the Shimabara police station in Nagasaki Prefecture offer silent prayers at the former site of a volunteer fire brigade station in Shimabara in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Nagasaki on June 3, 2026, marking the 35th anniversary of the deadly pyroclastic flow from Mt. Unzen's Fugen Peak that claimed the lives of 43 people, including firefighters, police officers and members of the press.

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37th anniversary of Tiananmen Square crackdown

William Lee (2nd from L) from Hong Kong, who currently lives in Japan, speaks during a memorial event in Tokyo on June 3, 2026, the eve of the 37th anniversary of China's Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.

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35th anniversary of mountain disaster in Nagasaki

Shimabara Mayor Ryuzaburo Furukawa lays flowers at a monument on June 3, 2026, as the city in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Nagasaki marked the 35th anniversary of a huge pyroclastic flow from Mt. Unzen's Fugen Peak that claimed the lives of 43 people, including firefighters, police officers and reporters.

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35th anniversary of Japan mountain disaster

Shimabara Mayor Ryuzaburo Furukawa (front row, far L) lays flowers at a monument on June 3, 2026, as the city in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Nagasaki marked the 35th anniversary of a huge pyroclastic flow from Mt. Unzen's Fugen Peak that claimed the lives of 43 people, including firefighters, police officers and reporters.

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UK: Crowds Fill Trafalgar Square to Mark Four Years Since Ukraine Invasion 2

Large crowds gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square on Tuesday evening, February 24, to mark four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Thousands attended the memorial rally to honor those who have lost their lives in the war.

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UK: Crowds Fill Trafalgar Square to Mark Four Years Since Ukraine Invasion

Large crowds gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square on Tuesday evening, February 24, to mark four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Thousands attended the memorial rally to honor those who have lost their lives in the war.

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Lausanne ballet competition

Yusei Sai, a 15-year-old Japanese born in China who lives in the United States, meets the press after winning fifth prize in the final of the 54th Prix de Lausanne ballet competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Feb. 7, 2026.

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Lausanne ballet competition

Yusei Sai, a 15-year-old Japanese born in China who lives in the United States, performs in the final of the 54th Prix de Lausanne ballet competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Feb. 7, 2026. He won fifth prize.

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Chile: 19 Dead, Over 50,000 Evacuated as Wildfires Threaten Concepción

On Sunday, January 18, Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe across two regions as deadly wildfires claimed at least 19 lives. More than 50,000 people have been evacuated from the Ñuble and Biobío regions. President Boric warned that the death toll is expected to rise as search teams reach devastated areas. Blistering heat and strong winds have severely hampered firefighting efforts, with temperatures soaring to 100°F (38°C) on Sunday, January 18.

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Noël Quidu - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Emanuele Scorcelletti, Clara Géliot - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Clara Géliot - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Emanuele Scorcelletti, Clara Géliot, Cyril Drouhet - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Nadjet Cherigui - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Noël Quidu - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Clara Géliot - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Vincent Jolly - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Emanuele Scorcelletti - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Cyril Drouhet - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Cyril Drouhet - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Vincent Jolly - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Le Figaro Celebrates 200 Years of History - Paris

Emanuele Scorcelletti - From January 14 to 16, 2026, Le Figaro will celebrate two centuries of history with an exceptional exhibition at the Grand Palais. Conference: 200 Years of Le Figaro: The Daily Lives of Our Top Reporters. Cyril Drouhet welcomes several photographers and journalists who will share behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting. Paris, France on January 15, 2026. Photo by Lionel Urman/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Farmers Protest in Montauban

On the back of a tractor, we feed the country and the economy, but no longer our lives. Tarn-et-Garonne in Bennes, Big Tour! Strong mobilization, around a hundred tractors and more than 200 protesters, organized by the FNSEA and JA 82. Stop administrative decisions, particularly on the DNC. Recognition of the specific characteristics of their territory, climate change, water storage. Clear rejection of distortions of competition, MERCOSUR or MACF. Maintain the PAC budget. France Montauban on January 9, 2026. Photo by Patricia Huchot-Boissier/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Memorial After Fatal Shooting - Minneapolis

NO FILM, NO VIDEO, NO TV, NO DOCUMENTARY - Mary Bjork of Minneapolis, left, and William Leon, who is from Barcelona and lives in Minneapolis, place flowers on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at the memorial erected for Renee Nicole Good at the shooting scene. Photo by Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS/ABACAPRESS.COM

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR

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The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq

In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR