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Japan: Cruel execution a stain on country’s human rights record – Amnesty International

Source: Amnesty International

 

In response to today’s execution in Japan of a man convicted of the murder of nine people, Chiara Sangiorgio, Death Penalty Advisor at Amnesty International, said:

 

“The execution of Takahiro Shiraishi – the first in Japan in nearly three years – is the latest callous attack on the right to life in Japan and a major setback for the country’s human rights record.

 

“Last year’s acquittal of Hakamada Iwao, formerly the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner, laid bare the unfairness of Japan’s criminal justice system and use of the death penalty and was an ideal opportunity to change course. 

 

“But instead of moving to reform and ensure full protection of human rights, the government has chosen to resume executions. This is a significant setback to efforts to end the use of the death penalty in Japan.

 

“As of today, 113 countries worldwide have completely abolished the death penalty in law, and more than 144 have abandoned it in law or practice, yet Japan continues to use this inhuman punishment.

 

“The secrecy that continues to surround the notification of executions make the use of this punishment in Japan additionally cruel. The Japanese authorities must immediately introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step toward abolishing the death penalty entirely —and commute all death sentences to terms of imprisonment.”

 

 

Background

 

According to Japan’s Ministry of Justice, the execution of Takahiro Shiraishi was carried out on 27 June 2025.

Shiraishi was convicted in 2020 of the killing of nine people in 2017 by Tokyo District Court and sentenced to death.

This is the first execution under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who came to power in October 2024, and the first since July 2022.

 

Executions in Japan are shrouded in secrecy, with prisoners typically given only a few hours’ notice and given no warning at all before their death sentences are carried out. Their families are usually notified about the execution only after it has taken place.

 

Japan is one of a small group of countries that has carried out executions in recent years. Amnesty International recorded 1,518 executions in 15 countries in 2024 (excluding the thousands believed to have been carried out in China), an increase by 32% from the 1,153 recorded in 2023 largely driven by a spike in three countries in the Middle East – Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.  

 

On 26 September 2024, a long-awaited ruling was delivered by Shizuoka District Court to acquit Hakamada Iwao, described as the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner.

 

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime, guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual, or the method used by the state to carry out the execution.

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Greenpeace activists rebrand NZ bottom trawler "ocean killer" at sea

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace Aotearoa activists have confronted a bottom trawler on the Chatham Rise, rebranding it “ocean killer”, after bearing witness to it hauling in a net straining with marine life.
Launching from the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior, activists came alongside the New Zealand-flagged ship, Talley’s Amaltal Atlantis, on the Chatham Rise on Friday afternoon, and painted the message on its hull with non-toxic paint.
Speaking from onboard the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Juan Parada says:
“Appalled by the most recent evidence of destruction, people defending the oceans rebranded this Talley’s vessel today to expose the bottom trawling industry for what they are: ocean killers. When Talley’s bottom trawlers drag their heavy trawl nets across the seafloor and over seamounts, they bulldoze everything in their path, including killing precious marine life from coral to fur seals, dolphins and seabirds.”We’ve all seen the shocking footage of bottom trawling in David Attenborough's film Ocean, and it’s happening right here, right now.”
“Faced with a fishing industry that profits from trashing the ocean, and a government that condones bottom trawling, we’re proud of the peaceful action taken today to call out this destruction and demand that bottom trawling stop.
“The Amaltal Atlantis trawls in the waters of Aotearoa, and has previously received permits to trawl in the High Seas of the South Pacific. Their trail of destruction is wide and long-lasting,” says Parada.
Talley’s vessels have a long history of carrying out bottom trawling destruction. In 2018, the Amaltal Apollo trawled in a protected area on the Lord Howe Rise, in the international waters of the Tasman Sea. The Amaltal Mariner was also convicted of trawling in a marine reserve off Kaikōura in 2019.
The company also has a documented history of health and safety issues, with multiple injuries and even a fatality reported to WorkSafe.
In 2022, Greenpeace activists blocked the Amatal Atlantis from leaving Port Nelson for nearly 10 hours.
The at-sea action comes just weeks after it was revealed a New Zealand vessel dragged up six tonnes of coral in a single trawl on the Chatham Rise, known for being a hotspot for coral life.
In March, Greenpeace Aotearoa documented swathes of destroyed coral in areas of the Tasman Sea intensively trawled by New Zealand bottom trawlers. The Tasman Sea has been earmarked for one of the first high seas ocean sanctuaries, using the Global Ocean Treaty.
New Zealand is the only country still bottom trawling in the High Seas of the Tasman.
Parada says, “As the rest of the world moves towards more comprehensive ocean protection for international waters, New Zealand is standing in the way of progress by continuing to advocate for the bottom trawling industry.”It’s time Talley’s, the trawling industry, and the government listened to the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who want ocean health valued over industry profits.
“From depleted fish numbers to smashed coral, dead sharks and seabirds, the cost of bottom trawling is too high. To protect the ocean for the future and safeguard the ocean we all love, bottom trawling must stop.”
In response to the activist’s painting activity, Talley’s responded saying they would seek legal action which “may include the arrest of the Rainbow Warrior.”
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New Zealand Flag half-masting to mark the burial of Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp, Member of Parliament for Tāmaki Makaurau – Tuesday 1 July 2025

Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage

To Action: New Zealand Flag half-masting to mark the burial of Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp, Member of Parliament for Tāmaki Makaurau
Tuesday 1 July 2025, 8am – 5pm (or building hours)
At the request of the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, the Honourable Paul Goldsmith, the New Zealand Flag is to be flown at half-mast on all Government and public buildings on Tuesday 1 July 2025 to mark the burial of Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp MP.
The New Zealand Flag should be flown at half-mast all day on Tuesday 1 July 2025. This instruction applies to all Government Departments, buildings and naval vessels which have flag poles and normally fly the New Zealand Flag. The Flag should be returned to full mast at the close of business hours on Tuesday 1 July 2025.
The flag is half-masted by first raising it to the top of the mast and then immediately lowering it slowly to the half-mast position. The half-mast position will depend on the size of the flag and the length of the flagpole. The flag must be lowered to a position recognisably “half-mast” to avoid the appearance of a flag which has accidentally fallen away from the top of the flagpole. As a guide, the flag should be more than its own depth from the top of the flagpole. At the end of the day, the flag should be raised again to the top of the flagpole before being fully lowered.
For more information about half-masting the flag, visit the Ministry’s website:
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Gaza Special Report – "It’s a death trap" – Children killed or injured in half of fatal food distributions in Gaza this month – Save the Children

Source: Save the Children

Children have been killed or injured in more than half of the fatal attacks at food distribution sites in Gaza since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operating four weeks ago, said Save the Children.
Save the Children analysed reports from the Gaza Media Office and the UN on the number and type of casualties at GHF and other aid distribution points since 27 May 2025, and found in 19 deadly incidents reported, children were among the casualties in 10 of them- or more than half of all incidents [1].
Some families in Gaza are so desperate – in some cases due to a lack of a healthy adult – that they are sending children to collect food at distribution points, unavoidably exposing them to the risk of being shot by Israeli forces, said Save the Children.
Since 27 May, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed and at least 3,000 injured by Israeli forces while trying to access aid, either at or on route to GHF distribution points, or while attempting to approach the very few other aid convoys delivered by the UN or NGOs, according to OHCHR.
Save the Children staff in Gaza say family members and neighbours have witnessed or experienced carnage at the distribution sites over the past month. Save the Children staffer Mohamed- said his neighbour, a father of four, had no choice but to go to a distribution as his family had run out of food and money. He went to Rafah and was shot and killed. Mohamad is now trying to help his neighbour’s widow; he says she is now destitute and traumatised – her children crying all the time.
Another staffer, Abdallah-, said that a member of his extended family went to a distribution site this month and witnessed a man shot and left bleeding on the ground. He said people were running over the injured man, trying to get to the food, with no one able to stop and help.
Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, Ahmad Alhendawi, said:
“No-one wants to get aid from these distribution points and who can blame them – it's a death sentence. People are terrified of being killed. One colleague told us today that even though his family is down to eating one meal a day, he won’t go to a GHF distribution, because he believes his life is worth more than a bag of flour.
“And to add to the dystopian horror show, children are also being killed and injured trying to reach aid – aid they have a right to. Other families tell us they are now too weak to compete to pick up food. What is happening here is nothing short of abhorrent.
“No child should be killed searching for food. This is not a humanitarian operation – it’s a death trap. Forcing civilians into fenced-in zones only for them to be gunned down is the opposite of humanitarian – it’s inhumane. And it is not the only option. There is an established humanitarian aid system which must be allowed to function. States have a choice. They can’t undo the past, but they can act now – to stop this, uphold international law, and let experienced humanitarian organisations deliver aid safely and with dignity. A party to conflict cannot be allowed to continue weaponising aid, humanitarian access, and starvation.”
The Government of Israel continues to maintain a siege on the majority of lifesaving supplies and commercial goods entering Gaza, creating a situation termed by UN officials as ‘ engineered scarcity.’ While death and injury remain the primary risks for children at these distribution sites, the UN has reported additional risks including separation from families.
Save the Children is running a primary healthcare centre in Deir Al-Balah, providing essential services to children, mothers, and families, including screening and treatment for malnutrition. Our teams deliver lifesaving water, run child-friendly spaces that offer safe places for children to play and receive psychosocial support, and set up temporary learning centres to help children continue their education during the crisis. Since the collapse of the pause on March 18, it has become extremely difficult for our staff to deliver these vital services, despite the colossal needs.
-Names changed to protect identities
[1] Save the Children analysed reports from the Gaza Media Office and the UN on the number and type of casualties at GHF and UN distribution points since 27 May 2025. Save the Children found in the 19 fatal incidents reported, children were among the casualties reported in 10 incidents – or more than half. 
About Save the Children NZ:
Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.
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Culture – Taikura Kapa Haka returns to Te Papa for Matariki

Source: Te Papa


This weekend, Te Papa will once again come alive with the wairua of over 600 kaumātua as Taikura Kapa Haka 2025 takes centre stage.

This annual festival celebrating and showcasing kapa haka and kaumātua takes over Aotearoa New Zealand’s national museum on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June.

Whether you’re a long-time supporter or a first-time attendee, nau mai, haere mai, tautoko mai – come and witness the living legacy of kapa haka. The event will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, watched by over 100,000 people from around the world, and ensuring whānau near and far can join in the celebration.

Each of the 17 regional, marae-based, and hāhi rōpū brings its own regional flair, waiata, and kōrero, creating a rich and vibrant showcase of traditional Māori performing arts, deeply rooted in whakapapa, tikanga, and mātauranga.

Chair of He Kura Te Tangata Trust, Turongo Paki says, “Taikura kaumaatua kapa haka is a festival for all kaumaatua from across the motu to gather and share our culture, the culture that was left behind to us by our tuupuna. 

“Although this kaupapa has grown and has become popular, we still have a kaupapa to maintain and that’s to celebrate iconic composers such a Tuini Ngawai, Paraire Tomoana, Kingi Tahiwi, Te Puea Herangi, Kingi Ihaka and many more. 

“Taikura is the only platform where you would find such taonga showcased by our revered reanga, our kaumatua”, adds Turongo.

Te Papa Kaihautū | Māori Co-leader, Dr Arapata Hakiwai acknowledges the importance of this kaupapa. 


“Taikura Kapa Haka is a deeply powerful celebration of whakapapa, vitality, unity, and our kaumātua who are the taonga of our communities.

“When they stand on stage, they carry the voices of their tīpuna and the hopes of their mokopuna. Their strength, grace, and aroha remind us who we are and where we come from.

“This event embodies the spirit of Matariki mā Puanga: coming together, honouring our past, and looking forward with hope.

“It’s an honour for Te Papa to host these living leg

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Health and Politics – Government must do more to build public health system capability – NZNO

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

A new report by the Auditor-General shows the Government must do more to build capacity in the public health system instead of outsourcing to the private sector, NZNO says.
The report titled Providing equitable access to planned care treatment found that despite reforms in recent years designed to end the postcode lottery in the health care system, inequities for Māori, Pacific peoples, those living rurally and disabled people continue.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) chief executive Paul Goulter says the report confirms what the public already knows – that elective services in the public system are neither equitable nor timely.
“The Auditor-General found the Coalition Government’s targets are having a perverse effect whereby some districts are not accepting referrals because they don’t have the resources they need to meet the required timeframes for assessing or treating people.
“This shows the targets for the political stunts they are. Targets won’t work without additional funding to create the capacity which will enable them to be met. 
“This confirms what our nurses across the health sector are saying and echoes concerns NZNO has been raising for some time.”
Paul Goulter says the same vulnerable populations missing out on planned care are the same people who are struggling to get in to see their doctors in the first place to be referred.
“The Auditor-General is warning the Government that it’s push for even greater outsourcing to the private sector could lead to greater inequities. Outsourcing just strips capacity from the under-staffed primary health care sector and the under-funded hospital sector.
“There is only one way the Government can fix the health crisis and that’s by properly funding and staffing a quality public health system for all,” Paul Goulter says.
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First Responders – Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough Flooding Update #1 – Fire and Emergency

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency is supporting Civil Defence in both Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough in the response to widespread flooding across the top of the South Island.
Response Coordinator Steve Trigg says crews are rescuing people trapped in vehicles, assisting with evacuations and pumping water from flooded homes. As at 11.15am they have responded to 31 calls since 4am today.
Two Fire and Emergency Specialist Water Rescue Teams have been deployed to Nelson and Blenheim. They are providing additional support to local brigades.
Fire and Emergency has activated its Local Coordination Centre in Nelson to coordinate its response activities across the whole top of the South area.
Steve Trigg is warning people not to drive through floodwater and to respect all “road closed” signs. “It’s impossible to judge the depth of the water so when people become stranded they are in danger of drowning.”
The Specialist Water Rescue Team has already undertaken a rescue from a vehicle in Upper Moutere this morning while other rescues around the top of the South have been carried out by local brigades.
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Law and Enforcement – Third offender sentenced for offences relating to the 2022 Awarua Wetlands wildfire during a total fire ban

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand acknowledges the sentence handed down in the Invercargill District Court yesterday for an offence under the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017.
Acting Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery Operations Ken Cooper says the offender had pleaded guilty to allowing a fire lit by another person to get out of control and spread on 2 April 2022 during a prohibited fire season.
“This fire became the Awarua Wetlands fire in Southland which burned through 1,330 hectares of an internationally recognised conservation area, and which took a week for our firefighters to extinguish,” Ken Cooper says.
“On 23 January this year two other offenders were sentenced for offences relating to the 2022 Awarua Wetlands fire including lighting a fire during a prohibited fire season and allowing fire to get out of control and spread,” Ken Cooper says.
“Today’s sentence was handed down to the third and last of the three, all of whom had pleaded guilty to offences relating to the Awarua Wetlands fire.
“Fire and Emergency declares, or revokes prohibited or restricted fire seasons based on weather and ground conditions. We do this to prevent fires and keep people, property, and the environment safe from unwanted fire.”
Ken Cooper says it is essential to not light fires in prohibited fire seasons, or in restricted seasons without a fire permit, and to check the weather conditions.
“Most people comply with the requirements, but clear breaches of fire safety legislation carry penalties,” he says.
“Given the significance of the impact of the Awarua Wetlands fire, and the fact the area was under a total fire ban, we considered it appropriate to prosecute three individuals for the fire.”
Ken Cooper says while fire risk is higher in summer, Fire and Emergency asks people who are considering lighting a fire in the outdoors at any time of the year to check the local fire danger and fire season at www.checkitsalright.nz.
“Always make sure your fire is fully extinguished and check again the next day. If your fire gets out of control, you must call Fire and Emergency on 111 as soon as possible.
“Everyone should make an effort to know the fire danger and fire season and get fire safety advice at www.checkitsalright.nz whatever they're doing and wherever they are.” 
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SOPA Announces the Winners of its 2025 Awards for Editorial Excellence

Source: Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA)

Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain delivered the keynote address about image, voice and trust in the age of AI

HONG KONG, June 26, 2025 – The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA), a Hong Kong-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging the highest standards in journalism, announced the winners of its prestigious annual Awards for Editorial Excellence. (full list of winners also available here:

https://sopawards.com/the-sopa-awards/award-winners/)

The awards recognize outstanding journalistic work from the past year in the Asia-Pacific region and were given out at a celebratory dinner in Hong Kong on Thursday June 26, marking the 27th consecutive year of the awards.

Global, regional/local, and Chinese-language media outlets submitted more than 700 entries in 21 categories including Bahasa Indonesia, which has been part of the lineup for the past three years.

Submissions from regional and local publications rose substantially from a year earlier, showing the growing voices of smaller publications around the region. To help showcase grassroots coverage, SOPA offered reduced entry fees to small media outlets and first-time entrants from a dozen countries and regions. Several took home prizes including Mekong Eye, which won the top regional/local award in Investigative Reporting for Cattle Hustle, and Hong Kong’s HK Feature got Honorable Mention in the Chinese-language Feature Writing category for ‘Democracy pineapple’ caught in political dilemma across the Taiwan Strait. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism won the top regional/local award in Explanatory Reporting for Renewed Attention on Political Dynasties in the Philippines.

China’s economy and tensions with the U.S. over technology continued to be a focus, while brewing issues on a number of fronts sparked an increase in India-related entries.

Here are some highlights:

EXCELLENCE IN REPORTING ON WOMEN’S ISSUES

The New York Times with The Fuller Project won the top global award for The Brutality of Sugar, with judges calling it an “eye-opening” account “revealing the horrendous conditions facing women in India’s sugar industry.”

The Wire won the top regional/local award for Breaking The Nets, which the judges said offered “a fascinating insight into the knock-on effects of India’s patriarchal society” and how women contend with them.EXCELLENCE IN AUDIO REPORTING

Mongabay won the top regional/local award for Wild Frequencies: How listening to India’s animals inspires people to protect wildlife, which judges praised as showing how sounds are a clue to “whether an ecosystem is healthy or imperiled.”

EXCELLENCE IN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTING

The Collective HK won the top Chinese-language award for Five Years After Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement: How are they?, which focused on four personalities in the 2019 social movement in Hong Kong and the judges said is “full of drama” without “emotive writing.”

EXCELLENCE IN FEATURE WRITING

The Australian Financial Review won the top regional/local award for Inside the ‘unending chaos’ at Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue, which the judges called “an impressive portrait” of an Australian businessman involved in tackling climate change.

Initium Media won the top Chinese-language group award for Chinese Fighting for Russia: Money, Thrill and Becoming Influencers, which the judges noted had “sparked significant attention and discussion.”

EXCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY REPORTING

Nikkei Asia won the top global award for China’s tech industry fights back, which the judges called “a well-reported exploration of China’s drive for tech primacy in the face of U.S. restrictions.”

EXCELLENCE IN ARTS AND CULTURE REPORTING

The Economist’s 1843 Magazine won the top global award for How I became the Taliban’s portrait artist, which the judges called “a gripping account” of how the author’s own kidnapping in Afghanistan showed an unexpected side of today’s Taliban.

EXCELLENCE IN REPORTING BREAKING NEWS

Reuters won the top global and regional/local award for South Korea’s martial law crisis, which judges said, “kept global audiences informed about one of the biggest breaking stories last year.”EXCELLENCE IN OPINION WRITING

Singapore’s The Straits Times won the regional/local award for No country for young men: Where is Malaysia’s next generation of leaders? The judges said it “demystifies the complex web of personalities shaping Malaysian politics.”

The judges selected Qianer Liu of The Information for the SOPA Award for Young Journalist citing her “unique insights into the tech competition between the U.S. and China.”

The Wall Street Journal won the coveted SOPA Award for Public Service Journalism for A Vicious New Scam Industry Metastasizes that detailed the brutal reality of the global criminal enterprise of “pig butchering” cyber fraud.

“Congratulations to all the winners, honorable mentions and finalists,” said Bill Ridgers, Asia Digital Editor at The Economist and Co-Chair of SOPA’s Editorial Committee. “The high quality of entries for the SOPA 2025 awards is proof that the media continues to perform a critical role in informing readers in Asia Pacific and elsewhere about this region and helping shape public discourse.”

SOPA would like to thank Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain who spoke on image, voice and trust in the age of AI. Her keynote address will be available on SOPA’s YouTube channel from 28 June, 2025. (link: https://www.youtube.com/@sopaasia)

We also extend thanks to our nearly 120 volunteer judges and to Karen Koh for being our Master of Ceremonies, and to the University of Hong Kong’s Journalism and Media Studies Centre, which has administered the awards since 2011.

Critical to presenting the awards are our sponsors. Factiva is an Associate Sponsor and Telum Media is a Supporting Partner.

Awards Ceremony Dinner photos can be accessed here:

https://sopawards.com/awards-dinner-photos/

About SOPA

The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) is a Hong Kong-based not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1982 to champion freedom of the press, promote excellence in journalism and endorse best practices for all local and regional publishing platforms in the Asia-Pacific region.

Today, SOPA is the voice of Asia’s media and publishing industry, and continues to work to uphold media standards and freedoms while celebrating and supporting professional journalism and publishing. The SOPA Awards for Editorial Excellence are the annual,flagship awards, serving as a regional benchmark for quality, professional journalism and have been given out every year since 1999.

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Ministry for Culture and Heritage – Media Reform summary of submissions released

Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage today released a summary of the submissions received on the Government’s recent proposed changes to media regulation and content production.
The Ministry received 197 submissions in total, with 103 of these submissions representing organisations.
“Thank you to everyone that provided feedback to the five proposals as part the Media Reform consultation,” says Manatū Taonga Deputy Secretary Policy, Performance & Insights, Emily Fabling.
“The majority of feedback was supportive of the proposals to ensure accessibility of local media platforms, increase discoverability of local content, and to increase captioning and audio description.
“The feedback was more mixed on the proposals to modernise professional media regulation and streamline content funders.
“Our policy team continues to do further analysis and engagement on these proposals, based on the feedback we’ve received. Again, we appreciate the expertise, experience and insights provided to our Ministry during consultation,” says Fabling.
Analysis and policy advice to Government will continue in the coming months, and any changes will require Cabinet approval.
View the summary of submissions on the Ministry for Culture and Heritage website:  www.mch.govt.nz/publications/media-reform-summary-submissions