Japan eyes state funeral for slain ex-PM Abe in late September

The Japanese government is planning to hold a state funeral in late September for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot earlier this month on the campaign trail, a government source said Tuesday.The state funeral is expected to be held at Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo, the source said, adding that the Cabinet will make a decision on the matter soon.The upcoming funeral will be fully funded by the government.Abe stayed in office for eight years and eight months until he stepped down in 2020 due to ill health, making him the country's longest-serving prime minister. Touting…READ FULL ARTICLE