Japan will spend about 1.65 billion yen ($12 million) on the state funeral planned for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, according to the government's new estimate on Tuesday that includes security and reception costs.
The government in late August approved a more modest budget of 250 million yen for the funeral but then faced criticism for what was deemed an unrealistic figure that excluded hefty outlays for the security and hosting of VIPs.
Some 6,000 guests including foreign dignitaries are expected to attend the ceremony, to be held on September 27 at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan hall. Abe was shot to death during an election rally in July.
Opposition to a taxpayer-funded service for Abe, Japan's longest-serving but deeply divisive premier, has persisted, exacerbated by revelations of his and other ruling party members' links to the controversial Unification Church. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's approval ratings have fallen in tandem.
Abe's suspected killer told prosecutors he held a grudge against the religious organisation, known for its mass weddings and aggressive fund-raising tactics, and he believed Abe had connections to the group, local media have reported.
A Yomiuri newspaper poll conducted earlier this month showed 56% of respondents opposing the state funeral, compared with 38 per cent in favour.
Israel pounded Rafah with airstrikes and tank fire on Tuesday, pressing its offensive in Gaza's southern city despite international condemnation of an attack that sparked a blaze in a tent camp for the displaced, killing at least 45 people.
Around one million people have fled the Gazan city of Rafah in the past three weeks, the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.
Torrential rains brought by cyclone Remal caused a collapse in a stone quarry in India's state of Mizoram, killing 15 people and trapping seven, while eight more have died in landslides and other accidents elsewhere in the remote region.
North Korea said its attempt to launch a new military reconnaissance satellite ended in failure on Monday when a newly developed rocket engine exploded in flight.
More than 2,000 people could be buried alive by a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea last week, the government said on Monday, as treacherous terrain and the difficulty of getting aid to the site raises the risk few survivors will be found.
Powerful storms killed at least 18 people, injured hundreds and left a wide trail of destruction across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where dozens sought shelter in a restroom during the latest deadly weather to strike the central US.
Strong winds and heavy rain pounded the coastal regions of Bangladesh and India as severe cyclone Remal made landfall on Sunday, leaving millions without electricity after power poles fell and trees were uprooted by gusty winds.
About 200 aid trucks, including four fuel trucks, are expected to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, Khaled Zayed, the head of the Egyptian Red Crescent Society in North Sinai, told Reuters.
Welcome to Pinoy Bulletin, your go-to source for staying informed about important announcements, exciting group activities, community events, and job opportunities!
Welcome to Pinoy Bulletin, your go-to source for staying informed about important announcements, exciting group activities, community events, and job opportunities!
Welcome to Pinoy Bulletin, your go-to source for staying informed about important announcements, exciting group activities, community events, and job opportunities!