Japan PM Ishiba sends offering to war-linked Yasukuni shrine

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sent a ritual offering to the war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo on Thursday, the first day of its autumn festival, instead of visiting the site that has long been a source of diplomatic friction with Japan's neighbors.Ishiba, who became prime minister on Oct. 1, sent a "masakaki" offering to the Shinto shrine, seen as a symbol of Japan's wartime militarism by China and South Korea, following the custom set by his recent predecessors.During the three-day festival through Saturday, Ishiba is expected to refrain from paying a visit in person, a source close to h…READ FULL ARTICLE