BELEM, Brazil (AP) — Protesters in Pokemon costumes stomped around the United Nations climate conference on Friday to send a message to Japan: end financing of coal and natural gas projects across Southeast Asia and other regions of the Global South.
The Stop Japan's Dirty Energy Plans protest aligned with the first of two thematic days with a focus on energy during the annual climate conference known as COP30, held this year in Belem on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon. Organizers of the protest said the investments are a major blind spot for Japan, typically a regional voice in climate negotiations that often touts itself as a decarbonization leader in Asia.
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Activists protest Japan's financing of coal and natural gas projects during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
An activist, in a Pikachu costume, protests Japan's financing of coal and natural gas projects during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Activists, one trying to put on a Pikachu costume, protest Japan's financing of coal and natural gas projects during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
FILE - A crane is silhouetted as it transfers coal during a sunset at a port in Osaka, western Japan on Aug. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
Activists, and one dressed in a Pikachu costume, protest Japan's financing of coal and natural gas projects during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
“Japan is actually delaying the fossil fuel phase-out across Asia” by funding energy projects, mainly liquefied natural gas developments, in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, said Hiroki Osada with Friends of the Earth Japan, one of the protest organizers.
“It’s so important for our Global South comrades to voice their concerns in Belem, so that they can actually demand the Japanese government to do something about this,” he said.
The government-owned Japan Bank for International Cooperation financed $6.4 billion in loans for coal projects and $874 million in loans for gas projects from 2016 to 2024, according to a 2025 study by the Philippines-based research and advocacy organization Center for Energy, Ecology and Development based on public government and banking data. The bank, which is Japan’s major conduit of overseas aid, did not respond to requests for comment.
The Japan Delegation at COP30 responded to The Associated Press but declined to directly comment on the claims made by activists. Instead, Japanese officials said Japan's cooperation with Southeast Asian nations to achieve “decarbonization, economic growth and energy security simultaneously through varies pathways” was supported by those countries.
The protest centered on a pair of people wearing life-sized, inflatable Pikachu costumes who flanked a handful of activists.
The event included activists from across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is home to multiple Japan-backed fossil fuel projects. One banner read: “Don’t gas ASEAN.” Ian Rivera, national coordinator at Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, led chants of “Only Pokemon, no fossil fuels” and “Sayonara fossil fuels.”
The bobbing Pikachus later visited the country pavilions of India, Indonesia and Malaysia to “to reveal how Japan is exporting its fossil agenda.”
“If Global North countries, like Japan, decide to double down on fossil fuel production and export, that is going to make it impossible for countries across the Global South to make the just energy transition,” said Amiera Sawas, head of research and policy at the Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty Initiative.
The Pikachu protest, a frequent one during recent summits, was sandwiched between other anti-fossil fuel demonstrations and came after a Friday morning demonstration blocked the main entrance to the conference and increased COP30 security measures. Earlier, activists hosted a “Kick Out the Suits” event demanding the removal of fossil fuel lobbyists, who environmentalists accused of undermining the negotiations.
On Saturday, when significant protests are expected to mark the midpoint of COP, a large march will feature a “funeral for fossil fuels” where giant coffins — symbolizing coal, oil and gas — will be carried down the streets of Belem.
The global effort to transition away from fossil fuels has been a key topic at COP30. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva set the tone during the Leader's Summit last week when he called for world leaders to prepare a road map to “overcome dependence on fossil fuels.”
Several countries — such as Denmark, the United Kingdom, Kenya, France and Germany — supported Lula's call to action.
In Dubai during COP28, nearly 200 countries agreed to move away from fossil fuels, the first pledge in decades of U.N. climate talks. But many have warned the deal still had significant shortcomings.
“At COP30, we need an actionable outcome, not another road map to nowhere," said Jasper Inventor, deputy program director with Greenpeace International. “While it’s positive to see progression in Belem, we must ensure that this actually leads towards a clear plan to phase out fossil fuels and one that fast-tracks renewables.”
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
This story was produced as part of the 2025 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
Activists protest Japan's financing of coal and natural gas projects during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
An activist, in a Pikachu costume, protests Japan's financing of coal and natural gas projects during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Activists, one trying to put on a Pikachu costume, protest Japan's financing of coal and natural gas projects during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
FILE - A crane is silhouetted as it transfers coal during a sunset at a port in Osaka, western Japan on Aug. 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
Activists, and one dressed in a Pikachu costume, protest Japan's financing of coal and natural gas projects during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
U.S. President Donald Trump said the military could end its Iran offensive in two to three weeks and will shift responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz to countries that rely on it for oil and shipping as the White House announced a prime-time presidential address Wednesday evening on the war.
Trump expressed frustration Tuesday with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the U.S. war effort, telling them to “go get your own oil.” Trump recently has vacillated between insisting there is progress in diplomatic talks with Iran and threatening to widen the war.
In an interview with pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged receiving direct messages from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. He insisted, however, that there were no direct negotiations and said Iran has no faith that talks with the U.S. could yield any results, saying “the trust level is at zero.”
Trump said the U.S. “will not have anything to do with” what happens next in the vital waterway that has been closed by the Islamic Republic. Instead, he told reporters, the responsibility for keeping the strait open will rest with countries that rely on it. Gulf states rely on the waterway for both exports and imports, including food, and 20 percent of the world's oil supply flows through it.
U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 on Tuesday, as the Iran war continues to push fuel prices higher worldwide. Analysts say those high fuel costs will trickle into groceries as businesses’ transportation and packaging costs pile up.
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Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used a rare national address to urge Australians to use public transport due to fuel supply uncertainties created by the Iran war.
Albanese said in a statement broadcast Wednesday by major television and radio networks that “the months ahead may not be easy.”
“You should go about your business and your life as normal. Enjoy your Easter,” Albanese said.
“And over the coming weeks, if you can switch to catching the train or bus or tram to work, do so,” he added.
Australia slashed fuel taxes from Wednesday in a bid to curb price rises at the pump.
The government maintains that Australia has all the fuel it needs, but panic buying and distribution problems have created regional shortages.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled Tehran’s willingness to keep fighting no matter what Trump may threaten.
Trump’s April 6 deadline for the Strait of Hormuz to open still stands, otherwise he threatened to hit power plants.
“You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” Araghchi said.
Asked if the United States would launch a ground war in Iran, Araghchi dismissed the idea.
“I do not think they would dare to do such a thing,” he said. “Very heavy casualties would await them.”
Asked about attacks across the Gulf Arab states, Araghchi again insisted Iran isn’t targeting those states, despite repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure like airports, power plants and desalination facilities.
“In reality, they are using the people of the Persian Gulf as human shields,” Araghchi said.
Oil fell below $100 per barrel and Asian shares jumped Wednesday over renewed optimism about a de-escalation of the Iran war.
Brent crude, the international standard, was down 4.7% to $99.05 per barrel.
Benchmark U.S. crude dropped 4% to $97.33 a barrel.
South Korea’s Kospi recovered its losses from earlier this week, surging 8.4% to 5,478.70, while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 5.2% to 53,739.68.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 2.3% to 25,346.42, while the Shanghai Composite index was trading 1.5% higher at 3,948.55.
An airstrike in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on Wednesday morning appears to have struck inside of the former U.S. Embassy compound there.
The embassy has been controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since the 1979 hostage crisis.
Its all-volunteer Basij force operates the compound, running an anti-American museum inside the embassy and having different operations on its grounds in newer buildings.
Witnesses saw blown-out windows surrounding the massive compound on Tehran’s Taleghani Street. However, there was no missile strike visible around the compound, with witnesses saying they believe the strike happened inside the compound.
The 444-day hostage crisis saw American diplomats held until President Ronald Reagan took office from President Jimmy Carter in 1981.
An oil tanker contracted to Qatar was struck by an Iranian cruise missile on Wednesday while two others were intercepted, authorities said.
The missile slammed into the tanker off Qatar's coast that is contracted by state-owned QatarEnergy. The ministry said the tanker’s 21-member crew was evacuated, and no casualties were reported.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry said two other missiles were intercepted.
QatarEnergy said there was no environmental impact from the tanker attack.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said earlier that a projectile slammed into the side of the ship.
The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen said Wednesday they fired a barrage of ballistic missiles toward Israel.
Air raid sirens went off in southern Israel in the early morning, from Beersheba to the Mediterranean coast following the launch. There were no immediate reports of impacts.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, said in a prerecorded statement that they fired at “sensitive targets” in southern Israel.
The attack is the third since the Houthis joined the war on Friday when they fired their first missile towards Israel since the U.S. and Israel launched massive airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
Their entry has raised concerns that they could resume attacks on vessels in the Red Sea further disrupting the global shipping industry and sending oil prices much higher
A drone attack has killed a citizen of Bangladesh in Fujairah, one of the UAE’s seven emirates, authorities said.
He was killed Wednesday when Emirati air defense systems intercepted a drone, and shrapnel landed in a farm, the Fujairah media office said.
The fatality has brought the death toll in the UAE to nine civilians and two soldiers. A Moroccan contractor with the UAE army was also killed in Bahrain.
Earlier Saudi Arabia said it had destroyed two Iranian drones.
Emergency personnel said an 11-year-old girl was severely wounded in central Israel in the latest missile attack from Iran.
Two more people suffered moderate injuries including a 13-year-old boy and a 36-year-old woman, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services.
Iran’s foreign minister has acknowledged receiving direct messages from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.
The comments by Abbas Araghchi came in an interview with pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera aired late Tuesday. He insisted that the messages didn’t constitute negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly described Iran and America has having talks over the war, while Pakistan has been a key intermediary along with Egypt and Turkey during the conflict.
“I receive messages from Witkoff directly, as before, and this does not mean that we are in negotiations,” he said.
He added: “We do not have any faith that negotiations with the U.S. will yield any results. The trust level is at zero.”
Asked about a possible ground offensive by the U.S., Araghchi said “we are waiting for them.”
“We know very well how to defend ourselves,” Araghchi reportedly told the Qatar-based broadcaster. “In a ground war, we can do it even better. We are completely ready to confront any sort of ground attack. We hope they do not make such a mistake.”
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said in a preliminary count early Wednesday 21 people were also wounded in the strike in Jnah.
The strike came without warning, and Israel did not declare the target. When it does, it often says it is targeting operatives from the Hezbollah militant group.
Emergency workers rushed to the scene to search for victims.
Israel’s military warned the public Wednesday a missile was incoming from Yemen, yet another attack from the country’s Houthi rebels who have just entered the war on Iran’s side.
Air raid sirens went off in southern Israel, from Beersheba to the Mediterranean coast.
The warning, just around dawn, broke a long lull, more than 19 hours since the last time Israel’s military warned of an incoming missile launch from Iran, and more than six hours from the last alarms in the northern part of Israel, which in past days received near-constant fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A drone attack by Iran and its allies hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire, authorities said.
The state-run KUNA news agency said the attack early Wednesday sparked a “large fire” at the airport.
It said there were no immediate injuries from the attack and firefighters were working to control the blaze.
Kuwait International Airport has been attacked before by Iran during the war. The KUNA report suggested the attack may have been launched by Iranian-supported militias in Iraq with Tehran’s support.
In another strike, Bahrain said early on Wednesday morning that it was working to extinguish a fire at a business facility that resulted from an Iranian attack.
Israel said early Wednesday it struck a plant supplying Iran’s theocracy with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, to allegedly use in a chemical weapons program. Iran acknowledged the strike on Tofigh Daru factory, but insisted it only supplied “hospital drugs” used in medical operations.
The strike happened Tuesday, both the Israelis and the Iranians said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted a picture of the factory in Tehran, writing on X: “The war criminals in Israel are now openly and unashamedly bombing pharmaceutical companies.”
Hospitals extensively use fentanyl to treat severe pain. But a small amount of the drug can be fatal.
Both Israel and the United States have warned in recent years Iran was experimenting with fentanyl in munitions. The U.S. previously pointed to Iranian academic research studying how Russia likely used a fentanyl derivative during the 2002 Moscow theater hostage seizure by Chechen militants.
Israel alleged Tofigh Daru supplied fentanyl to an advanced research institute in Tehran, known by its acronym SPND. The U.S alleges SPND has conducted research and testing that could be applicable to the development of nuclear explosive devices and other weapons.
The United Arab Emirates has barred Iranians from entering or transiting the country as the war rages, three major airlines said Wednesday.
Long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad, as well as the lower-cost airline FlyDubai, made the announcements on their websites.
Entry rules can sometimes be opaque in the autocratic United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, the three airlines agreed on the order. It said holders of 10-year Golden Visa residency permits could still enter the country.
Authorities have offered no official comment. But Dubai has already shut down the city-state’s Iranian Hospital and Iranian Club, institutions that date back to the time of the shah.
Members of civic groups hold signs against the U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Israel's rescue teams and residents take shelter as sirens sounds next to a site struck by an Iranian missile in Bnei Brak, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
People stand near a damaged van beside scattered debris following an Israeli strike in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A firefighter extinguishes a car at the site of Israeli airstrikes, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Residents and Israeli security forces inspect a site struck by an Iranian missile in Petah Tikva, Israel, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
A man inspect the wreckage of an Iranian missile that landed near the West Bank village of Marda, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike hits a building near the airport road in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A family who fled Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon warm themselves by a bonfire next to tents used as shelters in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
