Prime minister shinzo abe
International reaction to resignation of Japan's PM Abe
Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced he would be stepping down due to health reasons, after he was admitted to hospital on Monday for a...
The unexpected news of Abe's resignation sent Tokyo stocks plunging more than two percent, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 index reversing earlier gains.
Government sources said it was not a worrying situation, Nippon TV reported, while Kyodo News cited people near to the prime minister as saying it was for a regular check-up.
Tokyo on Wednesday called the court decision "extremely regrettable" and summoned the South Korean ambassador to protest.
Public broadcaster NHK reported the first confirmed fatality and said 120 people had also been injured after the 6.7-magnitude quake.
About 3,000 tourists stayed overnight at Kansai airport in the heavily populated south-central area of Japan’s main island, Honshu.
A survey by broadcaster Nippon TV released on Sunday showed Abe’s support had sunk to 26.7%, the lowest since the conservative lawmaker took office in December 2012.
Final official results from the election, which coincided with an approaching typhoon, are expected early on Monday.
A survey showed 44% of voters planned to vote for Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) versus 8% for the main opposition Democratic Party.
The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center expressed “distress and disappointment” at Aso’s comment.
US Ambassador to the United Nations said China must decide if it is willing to back imposing stronger UN sanctions on North Korea.
Later vote counts showed LDP was certain to post its worst-ever result, winning at most 37 seats compared with 57 before the election.
Voters in the Japanese capital cast ballots on Sunday in an election that could spell trouble for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Abe has proposed amending the constitution’s war-renouncing Article 9 by 2020 to officially recognise Japan’s Self-Defense Forces as its military.
Japanese companies including carmaker Nissan and conglomerate Hitachi have invested more than £40 billion in the United Kingdom.
Critics say by not apologising Obama will allow Japan to stick to an account that paints it as a victim.
Shinzo Abe will hold bilateral meetings with US President Barack Obama & Prime Minister David Cameron.
Barack Obama will become the first US president to visit Hiroshima in Japan later this month.
Leaders recommitted their countries to each other’s defence and warned they could take further steps.