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Campbell visits South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - Kurt Campbell (R), U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, and South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan shake hands ahead of their meeting in Seoul on June 17, 2010. Campbell called on the international community to take a ''strong stance'' in censuring Pyongyang over the sinking of a South Korean warship in March. (Pool photo)

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Germany's Schonfelder wins men's giant slalom standing event

WHISTLER, Canada - Gerd Schonfelder of Germany competes in the men's giant slalom standing event at the Vancouver Paralympics at Whistler Creekside in Whistler, Canada, on March 17, 2010. Schonfelder won the gold.

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150th anniv. of 1st Japanese vessel's arrival in U.S. marked

SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Japanese Consul General in San Francisco Yasumasa Nagamine addresses a ceremony at San Francisco port on March 17, 2010, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the arrival in the United States of a Japanese vessel sent by the Tokugawa shogunate. A bronze commemorative plate carrying the name of the Kanrin Maru was mounted near a road in front of the pier at San Francisco port where the Japanese steamship docked 150 years ago.

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Matsui signs autographs

TEMPE, United States - Los Angeles Angels outfielder Hideki Matsui signs autographs for fans in Tempe, Arizona, on March 17, 2010, ahead of a preseason game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Pirates Iwamura plays in preseason game

BRADENTON, United States - Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Akinori Iwamura flies out to left during the sixth inning of a preseason game against the Detroit Tigers on March 17, 2010, in Bradenton, Florida. Iwamura ended up 0-for-3 as the Pirates lost 3-6.

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Ex-Japan envoy Wang meets with Ozawa

TOKYO, Japan - Ichiro Ozawa (L), secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, and Wang Yi, chief of China's State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, meet at the Diet building in Tokyo on March 17, 2010. Wang, a former Chinese ambassador to Japan, also met with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and discussed issues relating to Taiwan the same day.

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Kobe Port Tower presents optical fiber starry sky

KOBE, Japan - Kobe Port Tower now undergoing renovation in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, holds a viewing for the press on March 17, 2010, presenting an optical fiber-made starry sky in the observation deck on its top floor. The 108-meter-high tower will open to the public on April 28.

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Major manufacturers to implement automatic annual pay hikes

TOKYO, Japan - Nobuaki Koga (L), chairman of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, and Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, on March 17, 2010, speak after most major Japanese manufacturers offered the same day to resume automatic annual pay hikes this year as demanded by their trade unions. Such pay hikes were frozen last year amid the global recession. Their offer came at the peak of annual spring labor-management wage bargaining.

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U.S., S. Korea undergoing joint military drills

BUSAN, South Korea - The flagship Blue Ridge of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, now taking part in joint military drills with South Korea, had a press viewing in Busan on March 17, 2010.

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JT's smokeless tobacco product

TOKYO, Japan - This photo shows packs of Zerostyle Mint smokeless cigarettes that Japan Tobacco Inc. will release in May 2010. The company, which announced the release of the product on March 17, 2010, said the cigarettes do not emit smoke and can be ''smoked'' even in nonsmoking areas.

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Pro-Thaksin protesters splash blood at Thai premier's house

BANGKOK, Thailand - A Thai antigovernment protester pours human blood in front of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's residence in Bangkok on March 17, 2010, to demand the premier step down and dissolve Parliament.

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Harumafuji beats Aran in sumo tourney

OSAKA, Japan - Mongolian Ozeki Harumafuji (L) delivers a powerful two-handed shove to push down Russian no. 2 maegashira Aran (R) at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka on March 17, 2010.

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Ozeki hopeful Baruto dodges bullet to stay tied for Osaka lead

OSAKA, Japan - Promotion-chasing sekiwake Baruto (back to camera) dodges a bullet to floor Aminishiki (in back) and retain his share of the lead alongside grand champion Hakuho at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka on March 17, 2010.

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Hakuho unblemished at sumo tourney

OSAKA, Japan - Yokozuna Hakuho (in back) drives out fellow Mongolian Kyokutenho at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka on March 17, 2010, sharing the lead with sekiwake Baruto, ozeki Harumafuji and three other wrestlers.

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Pro-Thaksin protesters splash blood at Thai premier's house

BANGKOK, Thailand - Thai police blockade the front of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's residence, in Bangkok on March 17, 2010 against antigovernment protesters.

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BOJ further eases monetary policy, doubles lending program

TOKYO, Japan - Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa speaks during a press conference at the bank's headquarters in Tokyo on March 17, 2010, after concluding a two-day policy meeting. The central bank decided the same day to ease its ultra-loose monetary policy further by expanding its three-month funding operation introduced in December to make good on its pledge to contain deflation.

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JAL to maintain int'l routes

TOKYO, Japan - Japan Airlines Corp. Chairman Kazuo Inamori said in a press conference in Tokyo on March 17, 2010, that the carrier will turn itself around while maintaining its international routes, even though they have been seen as a drag on its loss-making operations.

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Major manufacturers to implement automatic annual pay hikes

TOKYO, Japan - Koichiro Nishihara, president of the International Metalworkers Federation-Japan Council of Metalworkers Union (IMF-JC), speaks at a news conference at IMF-JC headquarters in Tokyo on March 17, 2010, after management of major Japanese manufacturers replied to unions' demand for pay hikes. Annual spring labor-management wage bargaining reached a peak the same day in Japan.

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Pro-Thaksin protesters continue ''blood protest''

BANGKOK, Thailand - Supporters of ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra head to the home of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on trucks in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 17, 2010, to spill blood collected from protestors. The members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship continued their ''blood protest'' to pressure the government to dissolve Parliament.

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Major manufacturers to implement automatic annual pay hikes

TOYOTA, Japan - Toyota Motor Corp. Senior Managing Director Satoshi Ozawa speaks about the management's reply to the union's demand for a pay hike at a news conference at Toyota's headquarters in the city of Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, on March 17, 2010, as annual spring labor-management wage bargaining reached a peak.