Suspect charged with murder in assassination of Japan's Abe

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese prosecutors formally charged the suspect in the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with murder, sending him to stand trial, a court said Friday. Tetsuya Yamagami was arrested immediately after allegedly shooting Abe with a homemade gun as the...

Japanese media say prosecutors have filed murder charge against alleged assassin of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Lawyer: Suspect in Abe assassination to face murder charge

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese prosecutors are expected to formally charge the suspect in the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with murder on Friday, his lawyer said. Tetsuya Yamagami was arrested immediately after allegedly shooting Abe with a handmade gun as the former...

Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2022

One would have to go back hundreds of years to find a monarch who reigned longer than Queen Elizabeth II. In her 70 years on the throne, she helped modernize the monarchy across decades of enormous social change, royal marriages and births, and family scandals. For most Britons, she...

Today in History: December 27, Soviets take Afghanistan

Today in History Today is Tuesday, Dec. 27, the 361st day of 2022. There are four days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Dec. 27, 1979, Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan. President Hafizullah Amin (hah-FEE’-zoo-lah...

Japan ruling party lawmaker quits over funds scandal

TOKYO (AP) — A key governing party lawmaker in Japan who served in key posts resigned Wednesday over a political funding scandal in a fresh embarrassment for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Kentaro Sonoura, an expert on diplomacy and security, admitted last month that his aide has...

Relaxed COVID rules, deadly crowd crushes mark year in Asia

Natural disasters and crowd-related tragedies claimed hundreds of lives in Asia and overshadowed the COVID-19 pandemic, with most countries easing or completely lifting the tough restrictions of the previous two years. Even China, the last major country to try to control virus transmission through...

New Japan law aims at Unification Church fundraising abuses

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s parliament on Saturday enacted a law to restrict malicious donation solicitations by religious and other groups, which mainly targets the Unification Church, whose fundraising tactics and cozy ties with the governing party caused public outrage. The South...

Japan's prime minister sacks 3rd minister in a month

TOKYO (AP) — The internal affairs minister in Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government was forced into resigning over funding problems on Sunday, in a blow to the scandal-prone Cabinet that has already lost two ministers in one month. Minoru Terada has been under fire...

Japan minister quits over execution remark, PM delays trip

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delayed his departure for three upcoming summits in Southeast Asia on Friday to sack and replace his justice minister, who was widely criticized over a remark he made about capital punishment. Justice Minister Yasuhiro Hanashi told...