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Floods Cleanup Efforts Continue - Spain

The Open Arms team thinks about its next tasks after the failure of a pump that prevented it from participating today in cleanup work after the DANA, on November 9, 2024, in Alfafar, Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. The search for possible victims of the DANA in the province of Valencia continues today with the deployment of search teams in the deepest areas of the Albufera, while work also continues in the area of the Magro River, the Rambla de Poio, the mouth of the Turia River and the sea. According to the first Emergencies report on the impact of the DANA, about 2,450 firefighters from more than 40 agencies are operating in the areas affected by the floods, in addition to 8,000 military personnel, including 52 divers. In addition, 25,000 hectares in Valencia have been affected by the cold drop. As for the number of victims, only in the province of Valencia, 215 people have been confirmed dead due to the SWD and at least 78 people are still missing. Photo by Europa Press/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Israel prepared for "intense action" in northern front: Netanyahu

STORY: Israel prepared for "intense action" in northern front: Netanyahu SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage DATELINE: June 6, 2024 LENGTH: 00:02:34 LOCATION: KIRYAT SHMONA, Israel CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting the north (Provided by Government Press Office on Wednesday) 2. various of Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi in the north (Provided by Israeli army on Wednesday) 3. various of huge fire as a result of rocket attacks in northern Israel STORYLINE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel is prepared for "intense action" in the north. During a visit to Kiryat Shmona, a northeastern Israeli city heavily targeted by Hezbollah attacks from the Lebanese territory, Netanyahu stated, "One way or another, we will restore security to the north," according to a statement from his office. "Whoever thinks he can hurt us and we will respond by sitting on our hands is making a big mistake," he added. As a result of rocket atta

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Ella poses for a portrait on March 13, 2024. Ella,17, was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Next year when she will be drafted, Ella plans to publicly refuse and use her refusal as a statement against the occupation. Ella thinks the war on Gaza is a disgusting display of the militarism and bloodlust embedded in Israeli culture. Serving the interest of money and capital and not the people. Ella believes that what’s happening in Gaza is a genocide and it is in the interest of Israeli’s and Palestinians to create a lasting and dynamic solution that achieves Palestinian sovereignty and autonomy. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Ella poses for a portrait on March 13, 2024. Ella,17, was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Next year when she will be drafted, Ella plans to publicly refuse and use her refusal as a statement against the occupation. Ella thinks the war on Gaza is a disgusting display of the militarism and bloodlust embedded in Israeli culture. Serving the interest of money and capital and not the people. Ella believes that what’s happening in Gaza is a genocide and it is in the interest of Israeli’s and Palestinians to create a lasting and dynamic solution that achieves Palestinian sovereignty and autonomy. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Ella poses for a portrait on March 13, 2024. Ella,17, was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Next year when she will be drafted, Ella plans to publicly refuse and use her refusal as a statement against the occupation. Ella thinks the war on Gaza is a disgusting display of the militarism and bloodlust embedded in Israeli culture. Serving the interest of money and capital and not the people. Ella believes that what’s happening in Gaza is a genocide and it is in the interest of Israeli’s and Palestinians to create a lasting and dynamic solution that achieves Palestinian sovereignty and autonomy. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Ella poses for a portrait on March 13, 2024. Ella,17, was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Next year when she will be drafted, Ella plans to publicly refuse and use her refusal as a statement against the occupation. Ella thinks the war on Gaza is a disgusting display of the militarism and bloodlust embedded in Israeli culture. Serving the interest of money and capital and not the people. Ella believes that what’s happening in Gaza is a genocide and it is in the interest of Israeli’s and Palestinians to create a lasting and dynamic solution that achieves Palestinian sovereignty and autonomy. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Ella poses for a portrait on March 13, 2024. Ella,17, was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Next year when she will be drafted, Ella plans to publicly refuse and use her refusal as a statement against the occupation. Ella thinks the war on Gaza is a disgusting display of the militarism and bloodlust embedded in Israeli culture. Serving the interest of money and capital and not the people. Ella believes that what’s happening in Gaza is a genocide and it is in the interest of Israeli’s and Palestinians to create a lasting and dynamic solution that achieves Palestinian sovereignty and autonomy. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Roman poses for a portrait on February 2, 2024. Roman, 24, born in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine came to Israel when he was three years old. After a year in the army he refused to serve, spending ninety days in solitary confinement as a result. Roman thinks the current war on Gaza is a genocide perpetuated by a settler colonial project. Roma is an anti-occupation activist who splits his time doing protective presence in the West Bank, writing for Kompass Media, and attending anti-occupation protests. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Roman poses for a portrait on February 2, 2024. Roman, 24, born in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine came to Israel when he was three years old. After a year in the army he refused to serve, spending ninety days in solitary confinement as a result. Roman thinks the current war on Gaza is a genocide perpetuated by a settler colonial project. Roma is an anti-occupation activist who splits his time doing protective presence in the West Bank, writing for Kompass Media, and attending anti-occupation protests. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Roman poses for a portrait on February 2, 2024. Roman, 24, born in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine came to Israel when he was three years old. After a year in the army he refused to serve, spending ninety days in solitary confinement as a result. Roman thinks the current war on Gaza is a genocide perpetuated by a settler colonial project. Roma is an anti-occupation activist who splits his time doing protective presence in the West Bank, writing for Kompass Media, and attending anti-occupation protests. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Roman poses for a portrait on February 2, 2024. Roman, 24, born in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine came to Israel when he was three years old. After a year in the army he refused to serve, spending ninety days in solitary confinement as a result. Roman thinks the current war on Gaza is a genocide perpetuated by a settler colonial project. Roma is an anti-occupation activist who splits his time doing protective presence in the West Bank, writing for Kompass Media, and attending anti-occupation protests. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Roman poses for a portrait on February 2, 2024. Roman, 24, born in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine came to Israel when he was three years old. After a year in the army he refused to serve, spending ninety days in solitary confinement as a result. Roman thinks the current war on Gaza is a genocide perpetuated by a settler colonial project. Roma is an anti-occupation activist who splits his time doing protective presence in the West Bank, writing for Kompass Media, and attending anti-occupation protests. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Roman poses for a portrait on February 2, 2024. Roman, 24, born in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine came to Israel when he was three years old. After a year in the army he refused to serve, spending ninety days in solitary confinement as a result. Roman thinks the current war on Gaza is a genocide perpetuated by a settler colonial project. Roma is an anti-occupation activist who splits his time doing protective presence in the West Bank, writing for Kompass Media, and attending anti-occupation protests. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Roman poses for a portrait on February 2, 2024. Roman, 24, born in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine came to Israel when he was three years old. After a year in the army he refused to serve, spending ninety days in solitary confinement as a result. Roman thinks the current war on Gaza is a genocide perpetuated by a settler colonial project. Roma is an anti-occupation activist who splits his time doing protective presence in the West Bank, writing for Kompass Media, and attending anti-occupation protests. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Tel Aviv

Roman poses for a portrait on February 2, 2024. Roman, 24, born in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine came to Israel when he was three years old. After a year in the army he refused to serve, spending ninety days in solitary confinement as a result. Roman thinks the current war on Gaza is a genocide perpetuated by a settler colonial project. Roma is an anti-occupation activist who splits his time doing protective presence in the West Bank, writing for Kompass Media, and attending anti-occupation protests. Photo by Liebe Blekh/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Israel

Daniel, 36, is an organizational researcher. He thinks it is important to see the war in the context of the occupation and the ongoing Nakba, rather than as a singular event. He received death threats after the war started, and was forced to temporarily move out of his home as a result. “I experienced massive political persecution due to my activism, including a digital campaign against me on social media and threats against my life”. Photo by Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Israel

Daniel, 36, is an organizational researcher. He thinks it is important to see the war in the context of the occupation and the ongoing Nakba, rather than as a singular event. He received death threats after the war started, and was forced to temporarily move out of his home as a result. “I experienced massive political persecution due to my activism, including a digital campaign against me on social media and threats against my life”. Photo by Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Israel

Daniel, 36, is an organizational researcher. He thinks it is important to see the war in the context of the occupation and the ongoing Nakba, rather than as a singular event. He received death threats after the war started, and was forced to temporarily move out of his home as a result. “I experienced massive political persecution due to my activism, including a digital campaign against me on social media and threats against my life”. Photo by Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Israel

Inbal, 37, works at a human rights organization. She thinks the attack on 7 October, and the military offensive that followed in Gaza, brought both Palestinian and Israeli societies to their edge, making it hard to have any hope. At the start of the war, her relationship with her family was very tense. “My family lives near Gaza, and some of them were evacuated from their homes after suffering from massive rocket bombardments. I was torn between worrying for their safety and speaking out for the safety of the Gazan population. I left the family WhatsApp group in light of the harsh conversations. I wanted to protect myself.” Photo by Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Portraits Project - Resisting the War - Israel

Inbal, 37, works at a human rights organization. She thinks the attack on 7 October, and the military offensive that followed in Gaza, brought both Palestinian and Israeli societies to their edge, making it hard to have any hope. At the start of the war, her relationship with her family was very tense. “My family lives near Gaza, and some of them were evacuated from their homes after suffering from massive rocket bombardments. I was torn between worrying for their safety and speaking out for the safety of the Gazan population. I left the family WhatsApp group in light of the harsh conversations. I wanted to protect myself.” Photo by Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Myanmar traditional broom-making businesses struggle for survival

STORY: Myanmar traditional broom-making businesses struggle for survival SHOOTING TIME: May 11, 2024 DATELINE: May 12, 2024 LENGTH: 00:04:30 LOCATION: YANGON, Myanmar CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of grass broom workshops in the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar STORYLINE: U Tin Oo, owner of the Win Ngwe Toe grass broom business in Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon, vows to sustain his business of making traditional brooms, which he thinks is a big contributor to the local economy. "Despite challenges such as rising raw material prices, transportation costs and labor shortages in the Myanmar broom industry, I'm determined to sustain our business for as long as I live, not solely for profit but to ensure its survival and positive impact on the local economy," he told Xinhua on Saturday. "Our primary aim is not just financial gain but to provide job opportunities and generate income for the local community," he noted. "Despite having markets in India, Malaysia, and South Korea, business expansi

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A Brighter Summer Day

Crown and Carole at home, New Taipei City, Taiwan, 2019 ‘Even my mum told me that it’s not that she doesn’t support me having a family, it’s more that she thinks if we have this whole gay marriage legalization there are going to be more gay people in the society. That’s not true. It’s that now gay people are more visible, now you are hearing from them. Before they were hiding their identity within the society. This is a weird time. I didn’t think I would be able to get married or to have kids here in Taiwan. But now that this little window is open and you see the possibility that this might be able to be changed and have hope and people try to stop it, you get really angry. We had a vote before and there was 7 million votes against the legalization of same sex marriage so it doesn’t look good. Older people are being told that if we let ‘homos’ get married it’s going to ruin heterosexual’s rights to get married and that people are going to marry their dogs and their kids will become gays.’ Carole Crown works i

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CHINA-GANSU-LANZHOU-SHEEPSKIN RAFT-WORKER (CN)

(230921) -- LANZHOU, Sept. 21, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Niu Qiang breathes air into a sheepskin raft in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 5, 2023. Niu Qiang, a sheepskin raft worker from Huining of northwest China's Gansu Province, has been doing the job for 27 years since 16 years old on the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River. For 2,000 years, sheepskin rafts have been used to transport goods on the Yellow River. With the development of economy and transportation, the number of rafts gradually reduces with the time, and the transportation form has nowadays become a tourist attraction on the Yellow River. Niu Qiang thinks he has inherited the ancient handwork from ancestors as other raft workers, which reflects the history and culture of people living on banks of the Yellow River. However, the high costs and complicated procedures have made the making of sheepskin rafts, which needs at least three months, a "lonely" craft that few people want to learn. Listed as one of the intangible cultural herita

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CHINA-GANSU-LANZHOU-SHEEPSKIN RAFT-WORKER (CN)

(230921) -- LANZHOU, Sept. 21, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Niu Qiang carries tourists with a sheepskin raft on the Yellow River in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 5, 2023. Niu Qiang, a sheepskin raft worker from Huining of northwest China's Gansu Province, has been doing the job for 27 years since 16 years old on the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River. For 2,000 years, sheepskin rafts have been used to transport goods on the Yellow River. With the development of economy and transportation, the number of rafts gradually reduces with the time, and the transportation form has nowadays become a tourist attraction on the Yellow River. Niu Qiang thinks he has inherited the ancient handwork from ancestors as other raft workers, which reflects the history and culture of people living on banks of the Yellow River. However, the high costs and complicated procedures have made the making of sheepskin rafts, which needs at least three months, a "lonely" craft that few people want to learn. Listed as one of the in

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CHINA-GANSU-LANZHOU-SHEEPSKIN RAFT-WORKER (CN)

(230921) -- LANZHOU, Sept. 21, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Tourists take a sheepskin raft on the Yellow River in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 5, 2023. Niu Qiang, a sheepskin raft worker from Huining of northwest China's Gansu Province, has been doing the job for 27 years since 16 years old on the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River. For 2,000 years, sheepskin rafts have been used to transport goods on the Yellow River. With the development of economy and transportation, the number of rafts gradually reduces with the time, and the transportation form has nowadays become a tourist attraction on the Yellow River. Niu Qiang thinks he has inherited the ancient handwork from ancestors as other raft workers, which reflects the history and culture of people living on banks of the Yellow River. However, the high costs and complicated procedures have made the making of sheepskin rafts, which needs at least three months, a "lonely" craft that few people want to learn. Listed as one of the intangible cultural

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CHINA-GANSU-LANZHOU-SHEEPSKIN RAFT-WORKER (CN)

(230921) -- LANZHOU, Sept. 21, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Niu Qiang washes his hands beside the Yellow River in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 5, 2023. Niu Qiang, a sheepskin raft worker from Huining of northwest China's Gansu Province, has been doing the job for 27 years since 16 years old on the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River. For 2,000 years, sheepskin rafts have been used to transport goods on the Yellow River. With the development of economy and transportation, the number of rafts gradually reduces with the time, and the transportation form has nowadays become a tourist attraction on the Yellow River. Niu Qiang thinks he has inherited the ancient handwork from ancestors as other raft workers, which reflects the history and culture of people living on banks of the Yellow River. However, the high costs and complicated procedures have made the making of sheepskin rafts, which needs at least three months, a "lonely" craft that few people want to learn. Listed as one of the intangible cultural

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CHINA-GANSU-LANZHOU-SHEEPSKIN RAFT-WORKER (CN)

(230921) -- LANZHOU, Sept. 21, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Niu Qiang carries tourists with a sheepskin raft on the Yellow River in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 5, 2023. Niu Qiang, a sheepskin raft worker from Huining of northwest China's Gansu Province, has been doing the job for 27 years since 16 years old on the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River. For 2,000 years, sheepskin rafts have been used to transport goods on the Yellow River. With the development of economy and transportation, the number of rafts gradually reduces with the time, and the transportation form has nowadays become a tourist attraction on the Yellow River. Niu Qiang thinks he has inherited the ancient handwork from ancestors as other raft workers, which reflects the history and culture of people living on banks of the Yellow River. However, the high costs and complicated procedures have made the making of sheepskin rafts, which needs at least three months, a "lonely" craft that few people want to learn. Listed as one of the in

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CHINA-GANSU-LANZHOU-SHEEPSKIN RAFT-WORKER (CN)

(230921) -- LANZHOU, Sept. 21, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Niu Qiang carries tourists with a sheepskin raft on the Yellow River in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 5, 2023. Niu Qiang, a sheepskin raft worker from Huining of northwest China's Gansu Province, has been doing the job for 27 years since 16 years old on the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River. For 2,000 years, sheepskin rafts have been used to transport goods on the Yellow River. With the development of economy and transportation, the number of rafts gradually reduces with the time, and the transportation form has nowadays become a tourist attraction on the Yellow River. Niu Qiang thinks he has inherited the ancient handwork from ancestors as other raft workers, which reflects the history and culture of people living on banks of the Yellow River. However, the high costs and complicated procedures have made the making of sheepskin rafts, which needs at least three months, a "lonely" craft that few people want to learn. Listed as one of the in

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CHINA-GANSU-LANZHOU-SHEEPSKIN RAFT-WORKER (CN)

(230921) -- LANZHOU, Sept. 21, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Niu Qiang carries a sheepskin raft in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 5, 2023. Niu Qiang, a sheepskin raft worker from Huining of northwest China's Gansu Province, has been doing the job for 27 years since 16 years old on the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River. For 2,000 years, sheepskin rafts have been used to transport goods on the Yellow River. With the development of economy and transportation, the number of rafts gradually reduces with the time, and the transportation form has nowadays become a tourist attraction on the Yellow River. Niu Qiang thinks he has inherited the ancient handwork from ancestors as other raft workers, which reflects the history and culture of people living on banks of the Yellow River. However, the high costs and complicated procedures have made the making of sheepskin rafts, which needs at least three months, a "lonely" craft that few people want to learn. Listed as one of the intangible cultural heritages in Gan

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CHINA-GANSU-LANZHOU-SHEEPSKIN RAFT-WORKER (CN)

(230921) -- LANZHOU, Sept. 21, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Niu Qiang fixes a sheepskin raft in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 5, 2023. Niu Qiang, a sheepskin raft worker from Huining of northwest China's Gansu Province, has been doing the job for 27 years since 16 years old on the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River. For 2,000 years, sheepskin rafts have been used to transport goods on the Yellow River. With the development of economy and transportation, the number of rafts gradually reduces with the time, and the transportation form has nowadays become a tourist attraction on the Yellow River. Niu Qiang thinks he has inherited the ancient handwork from ancestors as other raft workers, which reflects the history and culture of people living on banks of the Yellow River. However, the high costs and complicated procedures have made the making of sheepskin rafts, which needs at least three months, a "lonely" craft that few people want to learn. Listed as one of the intangible cultural heritages in Gansu

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CHINA-GANSU-LANZHOU-SHEEPSKIN RAFT-WORKER (CN)

(230921) -- LANZHOU, Sept. 21, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Niu Qiang carries tourists with a sheepskin raft on the Yellow River in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 5, 2023. Niu Qiang, a sheepskin raft worker from Huining of northwest China's Gansu Province, has been doing the job for 27 years since 16 years old on the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River. For 2,000 years, sheepskin rafts have been used to transport goods on the Yellow River. With the development of economy and transportation, the number of rafts gradually reduces with the time, and the transportation form has nowadays become a tourist attraction on the Yellow River. Niu Qiang thinks he has inherited the ancient handwork from ancestors as other raft workers, which reflects the history and culture of people living on banks of the Yellow River. However, the high costs and complicated procedures have made the making of sheepskin rafts, which needs at least three months, a "lonely" craft that few people want to learn. Listed as one of the in

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Zambian fashion designer thinks big after attending China-Africa trade expo

STORY: Zambian fashion designer thinks big after attending China-Africa trade expo DATELINE: July 23, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:37 LOCATION: Lusaka CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Kabaso Nkandu in an interview 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): KABASO NKANDU, Creative director and head designer at Nkanda Yatu 3. various of Kabaso Nkandu in an interview 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): KABASO NKANDU, Creative director and head designer at Nkanda Yatu 5. various of Kabaso Nkandu in an interview STORYLINE: A young Zambian fashion designer said participation in the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo has enabled him to appreciate and understand the Chinese business model and how to penetrate the market. Kabaso Nkandu, creative director and head designer at Nkanda Yatu, a Zambian fashion brand, said his participation at the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo held in the central Chinese city of Changsha from June 29 to July 2, provided him an opportunity to not only sell his brand to the Chinese market but meet imp

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100 days to go, Hangzhou ready for Asian Games

STORY: 100 days to go, Hangzhou ready for Asian Games DATELINE: June 15, 2023 LENGTH: 0:04:54 LOCATION: HANGZHOU, China CATEGORY: SPORTS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Hangzhou Asian Games venues 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): MAO KUN, Accessibility service office of venue construction department of Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HU HAORAN, Qunxing rolling lantern art troupe of Linping district in Hangzhou 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): TUNGAMIRAI ERIC MUPONA, Founder of Abroad Path Leader (APL) Public Service Platform STORYLINE: The 19th Asian Games is to be held in east China's Hangzhou this fall. It will be the third Asian Games to be hosted in China, after Beijing 1990 and Guangzhou 2010. Over the past years, people from various walks of life have been striving to stage an impressive international sports event. Mao Kun works at the accessibility office of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee. He thinks his work is very meaningful to help the disabled, the sick and the

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Lawyer meets ex-AUM cult member Hirata

TOKYO, Japan - Lawyer Taro Takimoto speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Jan. 2, 2012, after meeting with Makoto Hirata, a former leading member of the AUM Shinrikyo cult who turned himself in to police on Dec. 31. Takimoto said Hirata, 46, who had been on the wanted list since May 1995, thinks that AUM founder Shoko Asahara ''deserves the death penalty'' and that he does not believe in the cult anymore.

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Triumph's 'close sisters' bras' mirror 2014 trend

TOKYO, Japan - Triumph International (Japan) Ltd. unveils specialized bras in Tokyo on Nov. 6, 2014, which it thinks mirror Japan's social trend this year. The "close sisters' bras," which are not for sale, emphasize ties sisters form with each other as in the blockbuster animated film "Frozen."

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NRA commissioner nominee vows to make scientific judgments

TOKYO, Japan - Akira Ishiwatari, a Tohoku University professor and geologist, tells reporters in Tokyo on June 13, 2014, he thinks it is "natural to make scientific judgments on the basis of data" about whether nuclear reactors are safe to be restarted under the framework of new safety regulations. Ishiwatari is one of the government's nominees to replace two of the five commissioners of the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

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Outsiders should stay out of sumo, says Asashoryu

NARITA, Japan - Former Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu arrives at Narita airport, east of Tokyo, on Aug. 23, 2010, from his native Mongolia, to make courtesy visits ahead of his retirement ceremony scheduled for Oct. 3 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. He thinks the Japan Sumo Association should not hire an independent committee to reform the national sport.

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Yemen abductee release 'near': Hatoyama

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama speaks to reporters in front of his official residence in Tokyo on Nov. 18, 2009. Hatoyama said he thinks the release of a Japanese engineer kidnapped in Yemen is ''near.''

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Haneda, Narita airports to continue complementing each other

TOKYO, Japan - Photo taken Oct. 13, 2009, shows the fourth runway (in background) under construction at Tokyo's Haneda airport. Transport minister Seiji Maehara said the same day he thinks the operations of Haneda airport in Tokyo and Narita International Airport in neighboring Chiba Prefecture will continue to complement each other even after Haneda is turned into a hub for international flights.

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S. African soccer boy speaks of dream

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - South African boy Nkambule shows off a poster of a jersey of the Bafana national team with autographs of its members in Soweto, an old township in Johannesburg, in June 2009. Nkambule thinks he might be too short to play for a national team even after he grows up, so he wants to become a doctor to treat Bafana members' injuries.

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Canon, Nikon hoping to stimulate camera market via rivalry

TOKYO, Japan - Nikon Corp. President Michio Kariya said in a recent interview that the Tokyo-based company has no intention of competing head-on with Canon Inc. in the world's fast-growing digital single-lens reflex camera market. Noting that the corporate size of Nikon is much smaller than Canon's, Kariya said his company thinks it is important to offer new types of cameras to consumers when its chief rival does not do so, instead of vying with similar price-range products around the same time.

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U.S. A-bomb dropping 'couldn't be helped': Japan's defense minister

TOKYO, Japan - Japan's Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma (in file photo) said on June 30 that he thinks the dropping of atomic bombs by the United States in the closing days of World War II ''could not be helped'' as it was aimed at preventing the Soviet Union from entering the war against Japan. ''I understand the bombings brought the war to its end. I think it was something that couldn't be helped,'' he said in a speech at a university in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture.

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Hill thinks sanction issue will no longer be obstacle in 6-way talks

BEIJING, China - Chief U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill speaks with reporters at a Beijing hotel on March 15. Hill said that U.S. financial sanctions on North Korea, the source of a dispute that has stalled six-way nuclear talks previously, are no longer expected to be an obstacle after the United States took steps to ease them earlier in the day.

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Koizumi says China, S. Korea will regret not holding summit talks

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi speaks with journalists at his official residence on April 25. The premier said he thinks China and South Korea will come to regret their refusal to hold summit talks with Japan, as a result of his visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine.

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Bolton urges Japan to think through Azadegan project in Iran

NEW YORK, United States - U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton speaks in an interview with Kyodo News at the U.N. Headquarters on March 1. Bolton urged Japan to think through its $2 billion project to tap into one of the world's largest oil fields, given what he thinks is Iran's tendency to use resources as leverage, especially when the country faces possible action from the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear ambitions.

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DPJ thinks e-mail ruckus over, to pick Diet affairs chief quickly

TOKYO, Japan - Yoshihiko Noda (L), who will resign as Diet affairs chief of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, again apologizes at a party executives' meeting on March 1 for disrupting the Diet by alleging that Livedoor Co. founder Takafumi Horie had in an e-mail ordered a payment to a son of ruling Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Tsutomu Takebe. DPJ is seeking to pick Noda's successor as early as possible as it believes the uproar about the e-mail allegation has been settled with the apology by DPJ lawmaker Hisayasu Nagata and executives of the party.

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Nagashima ready to make public appearance

TOKYO, Japan - Former Yomiuri Giants manager Shigeo Nagashima (file photo) has indicated that he will soon make his first public appearance since suffering a stroke in March 2004. The 69-year-old Nagashima said in a message posted May 16 on the Giants' official website that his rehabilitation process ''has been progressing smoothly'' and that he thinks he can meet baseball fans ''shortly at a stadium.''

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N. Korea may have ordered Chimuras' children to return

OBAMA, Japan - Former abductee Yasushi Chimura speaks to reporters in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on May 23 after returning to his hometown with his three children from North Korea. Chimura said he thinks North Korea may have ordered his daughter and two sons to return to the country after meeting with him and his wife Fukie, also a repatriated abductee.

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(3)Koizumi's Yasukuni visits ruled unconstitutional

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi walks into his office April 7 as the Fukuoka District Court ruled that his visits to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo are unconstitutional. The premier told reporters later he thinks the ruling is ''irrational'' and ''does not understand'' why his visits there are unconstitutional.

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SDF to guard Japanese diplomatic missions abroad

TOKYO, Japan - Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi walks in the Foreign Ministry on her way to attend an emergency meeting on Iraq on Dec. 2. Senior Vice Foreign Minister Ichiro Aisawa said later the government is considering allowing the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) troops to guard its diplomatic missions abroad. Kawaguchi said she thinks the government should discuss the matter.