Japan's Abe denies he or wife made donations to scandal-hit schoolMarch 24, 2017 - 10:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe repeated denials on Friday, March 24 that he or his wife had made donations to the head of a Japanese nationalist school at the heart of a political scandal that is chipping away at Abe's support, Reuters says. School principal Yasunori Kagoike said on Thursday he had received 1 million yen ($9,000) in an envelope from Abe's wife, Akie, on behalf of her husband. Kagoike's educational group, Moritomo Gakuen, is at the center of controversy over a land deal in which the school bought property for a fraction of the appraisal price. Officials say the discount reflected cleanup costs. Abe's wife denied making the donation on her Facebook page late on Thursday, but Japan's largest opposition party has demanded her sworn testimony in parliament. Akie Abe had been set to become the honorary principal of the school, which was to open in April with a curriculum based on pre-war patriotism, but cut her ties after the scandal broke. Moritomo also runs a kindergarten with a similar curriculum. Prime Minister Abe has said he would resign if evidence was found that he or his wife intervened in the land deal or helped the school get accredited. When asked about the deal, Kagoike said on Thursday he believed that "political involvement" contributed to the acquisition of the land. Abe's support fell 10 points to a still-robust 56 percent in a Yomiuri newspaper poll published this week. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. |