Shinzo Abe

Japan PM Fumio Kishida to step down in Sept as scandals grow

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in a surprise move Wednesday, announced he will not run in the upcoming party leadership vote in September, paving the way for Japan to have a new prime minister. Kishida was elected president of his governing Liberal Democratic Party in 2021 and his three-year term expires in September. His drop out of the race means a new leader who wins the party vote will succeed him as prime minister because the LDP controls both houses of parliament. Kishida, stung by his party's corruption scandals, has suffered dwindling support ratings that have dipped below 20%. He announced he will not run in the September vote, allowing for a fresh leader in an effort to show that his party is changing for the better. Kishida will support a new leader, he said. Local election losses earlier in the year eroded his clout, and LDP lawmakers have voiced the need for a fresh face ahead of the next general election. Since the corruption scandal broke, Kishida has remov

EAM S Jaishankar lauds former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe for envisioning QUAD

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday lauded former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe for envisioning the QUAD, and said it was the "only way" the countries concerned could have reacted to the present global situation. Jaishankar said Abe tried to engage with India with a certain purpose. "Abe was actually a person who foresaw a world beyond alliances...Japan is a country whose security and prosperity is secured by its alliance institutions. So that is the bedrock on which Japanese policies are based. The genius of Abe was to understand that, and yet to know...look for options, explore possibilities, he said. He was speaking at the launch of the book, "The Importance of Shinzo Abe, India, Japan and the Indo-Pacific", edited by Sanjaya Baru, who served as the media advisor to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh between 2004 and 2008. Jaishankar credited Abe for the creation of QUAD, a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the United States. "S

PM Modi thanks Japanese envoy for kind words, remembering Shinzo Abe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday thanked Japan's Ambassador to India, Hiroshi Suzuki for the kind words and for also remembering my friend, late Mr Shinzo Abe.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's killer indicted for murder

The formal charges came following Yamagami undergoing an extended six-month psychiatric trial to determine whether he was mentally fit to be held criminally responsible for his actions

PM Modi lauds Shinzo Abe's legacy in meeting with Japan Premier Kishida

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Tuesday and conveyed his deepest condolences on the demise of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.Prime Minister Modi, who landed in Japan on Tuesday morning to attend Abe's state funeral, noted the contributions of the late Japanese PM in strengthening the India-Japan partnership and conceptualizing the vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region."The two leaders had a productive exchange of views on further deepening bilateral relations. They also discussed a number of regional and global issues," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.Both leaders renewed their commitment towards further strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, and working together in the region and other international groupings.PM Modi arrived in Japan today amid heightened security measures in the country as dozens of foreign dignitaries are slated to ...

Abe was 'phenomenal', believed in India-Japan friendship, recalls PM Modi

Shinzo Abe "was a great leader, a phenomenal individual and someone who believed in India-Japan friendship", Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled on Tuesday as he offered tribute to the slain former Japanese premier at his state funeral in Tokyo. Representatives from over 100 countries, including more than 20 heads of state and governments, attended Abe's funeral. Modi, who arrived here early in the morning, joined several global leaders to pay floral tribute to Abe who reshaped Japan's foreign policy, including setting out a bold vision for a quantum leap in ties with India. "When I was in Tokyo earlier this year, little did I imagine I would be back for the solemn programme of former PM Abe's state funeral. He was a great leader, a phenomenal individual and someone who believed in India-Japan friendship. He shall live on in the hearts of millions!," Modi tweeted, sharing a photograph of him paying tribute to Abe. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted that the prime .

Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe honoured at divisive state funeral

Japan's assassinated hawkish former leader, Shinzo Abe, was given a rare state funeral Tuesday that was full of military pomp and surrounded by throngs of mourners as well as by widespread protests, with thousands taking to the streets in opposition. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the publicly financed ceremony was a well-deserved honour for Japan's longest-serving modern political leader, but it has deeply split public opinion. The event was attended by US Vice President Kamala Harris, Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and other foreign and Japanese dignitaries. It began with Abe's widow, Akie Abe, in a black formal kimono, walking slowly behind Kishida into the funeral venue, carrying an urn in a wooden box wrapped in a purple cloth with gold stripes. Soldiers in white uniforms took Abe's ashes and placed them on a pedestal filled with white and yellow chrysanthemums and decorations. Attendants stood while a military band played the Kimigayo national anthem, then observed a momen

PM Modi attends Shinzo Abe's state funeral with 700 other foreign officials

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attended the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo

Latest news LIVE: 247 arrested in second round of nationwide raids on PFI

At least 247 people have been arrested across the nation so far in the second round of raids on the Popular Front of India (PFI)

A divided Japan holds funeral for assassinated former PM Shinzo Abe

A tense Japan prepared Tuesday for a rare and controversial state funeral for assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving leader in his nation's modern history and one of the most divisive. Tokyo was under maximum security, with angry protests opposing the funeral planned around the capital and nation. Hours before the ceremony began, dozens of people carrying bouquets of flowers queued at public flower-laying stands at nearby Kudanzaka park. Thousands of uniformed police mobilized around the Budokan hall, where the funeral is being held, and at major train stations. Roads around the venue are closed throughout the day, and coin lockers at main stations were sealed for security. World leaders, including US Vice President Kamala Harris, were in town for the funeral. Opponents of the state-sponsored funeral, which has its roots in prewar imperial ceremonies, say taxpayers' money should be spent on more meaningful causes, such as addressing widening economic ...

Japan prepares to bid farewell to Abe with controversial state funeral

About 4,300 are expected to attend Tuesday's ceremony and at least 48 current or former government figures, including US

PM Modi arrives in Japan to attend ex-premier Shinzo Abe's state funeral

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Tuesday to attend the state funeral of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. Modi will join several global leaders to pay tributes to Abe. Representatives from over 100 countries, including more than 20 heads of state and governments, are expected to attend Abe's funeral on Tuesday. The former prime minister reshaped Japan's foreign policy, including setting out a bold vision for a quantum leap in ties with India. "Landed in Tokyo," Modi tweeted, posting photos of him while deplaning. He also posted a similar tweet in Japanese. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted, "PM @narendramodi arrives in Tokyo. Will participate in the State Funeral of former PM Shinzo Abe later today. Will also hold a bilateral meeting with PM @kishida230, reaffirming commitment to further strengthening of India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership." Earlier on Monday, Modi tweeted, "I am travelling to Tokyo tonight to ...

PM Modi leaves for Tokyo to attend Shinzo Abe's funeral on Tuesday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Tokyo on Monday evening to attend the state funeral of Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who reshaped Japan's foreign policy including setting out a bold vision for a quantum leap in its ties with India. Representatives from over 100 countries, including more than 20 heads of states and governments, are expected to attend Abe's funeral on Tuesday at the Budokan, an indoor sporting facility. Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Abe was shot dead while making a campaign speech three months ago in the southern Japanese city of Nara. India had announced a one-day national mourning on July 9 as a mark of respect for Abe. "I am travelling to Tokyo tonight to participate in the State Funeral of former PM Shinzo Abe, a dear friend and a great champion of India-Japan friendship," Modi tweeted hours before departing for Tokyo. "I will be conveying heartfelt condolences to Prime Minister Kishida and

Japan on high alert ahead of former PM Shinzo Abe's state funeral

The state-funded event on Tuesday has encountered growing criticism as it is expected to cost more than $11 million, with a large portion attributed to security costs

Here's why Japan is divided over late Shinzo Abe's state funeral

A rare state funeral for Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister who was assassinated in July, has split Japan. The hawkish Abe was one of the nation's most divisive postwar leaders, but it is the ruling party's cozy ties with the ultra-conservative Unification Church that has fired up much of the opposition to the funeral. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is battling a near-continuous political fallout from his handling of both the links to the church among his party's lawmakers and the state funeral he says Abe deserves. A look at some of the reasons why the state funeral on Tuesday is causing so much anger: ___ WHO GETS A STATE FUNERAL IN JAPAN? The tradition has roots in a ceremony performed by the emperor to honour those who made exceptional contributions to the country. The emperor before World War II was revered as a god, and public mourning for those honored with state funerals was compulsory. Most state funerals were for members of the imperial family, but political and milit

Ceremony and controversy await Kamala Harris during visit to Asia

Attending funerals on behalf of the United States is normally a straightforward assignment for a vice president, but Kamala Harris will confront controversy at nearly every turn as she visits Asia for the memorial honouring former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. American allies are seeking clarity after mixed messages over whether President Joe Biden would send troops to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion, a potential conflict that could swiftly engulf the rest of the region. There's the potential for more provocations from North Korea, which test-fired a missile shortly before Harris' departure on Sunday from Washington. Meanwhile, South Korea and Japan are inching toward a reconciliation that would heal some of the wounds left from World War II, with the US gingerly trying to nudge along the process. And there's resentment over a new US law that makes electric vehicles built outside of North America ineligible for subsidies. Even Abe's state funeral on Tuesday itself is a

PM Modi to visit Japan on Sep 27 to attend funeral of ex-Japanese PM Abe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Japan on September 27 to attend the state funeral of former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot in July. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, was shot dead on July 8 while delivering a campaign speech in western Japan ahead of the House of Councillors election on July 10. Modi will visit Japan on September 27 to attend the state funeral, the Ministry of External Affairs said. He will also separately meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the visit. Modi had a close relationship with Abe. He had condoled the demise of his "dear friend" Abe and said the former Japanese premier dedicated his life to making the world a better place.

Man sets himself on fire to oppose Shinzo Abe's state funeral in Japan

A man set himself on fire on the street near Japan Prime Minister's office in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo to oppose the state funeral for the former PM Shinzo Abe, a local media reported

Australian PM, 3 former PMs to attend Shinzo Abe's state funeral on Sept 27

Australia will be represented by its government leader plus three former leaders at Shinzo Abe's state funeral this month in an extraordinary mark of respect for Japan's longest-serving prime minister. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday that former Prime Ministers John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull would join Australia's official delegation. The former prime ministers had all worked with Abe during his two terms in office from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2020, Albanese said. Scott Morrison, who led the Australian government from 2018 until the May election, is the only surviving conservative former prime minister who will not be part of the delegation. Albanese, whose centre-left Labour Party came to power in May, will be in Japan from Sept. 26 to 28. Mr. Abe was a remarkable leader, a catalyst for change in Japan and the region, a true friend of Australia, Albanese said in a statement. Under Mr. Abe's leadership, Australia and Japan deepened our econom

Japan PM Kishida apologizes for party's church links, will cut ties

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says his ruling party will cut ties with the Unification Church following a widening scandal trigged by former leader Shinzo Abe's assassination last month. Widespread cozy ties between members of Kishida governing Liberal Democratic Party and the church have surfaced since Abe was shot to death while giving a campaign speech in July. The suspect arrested at the scene allegedly told police he killed Abe because of his apparent link to the church. Dozens of LDP members have since acknowledged their ties to the church and related organisations. Kishida shuffled his Cabinet earlier in August to purge seven ministers linked to the groups, but more ministers and their aides have since admitted their ties. Kishida also apologised over the loss of public trust in politics because of the scandal and his lack of explanation for hosting a state funeral for Abe.