Free Republic

In Japan's Upper House election, NHK projects Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's governing coalition will reach and could surpass the benchmark he set before the election, a majority of the contested seats or 61. NHK's decision desk also says the governing coalition, and 2 smaller parties in favor of changing the Constitution may reach a key number. The main ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its partner Komeito are projected to walk away with between 67 and 76 seats. That, combined with their uncontested seats, would mean they keep their majority in the chamber as a whole. NHK decision desk is also...

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) is asking the White House to provide his panel with details about how sensitive information was handled during a weekend meeting at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. In a letter to White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Chaffetz requested detailed explanations of the Trump administration's security protocols at the Florida estate, including what documents were present at Saturday's powwow and how the administration vetted club guests. The request came after it was revealed that Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a meeting in plain sight on Saturday to discuss North Korea's...

Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo collapsed in the western city of Nara at around 11: 30 a.m. Abe was making a speech on the street. An NHK reporter says Abe was bleeding. The reporter heard what sounded like a gun going off. Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo collapsed during a speech in the city of Nara, in western Japan. Initial reports say he may have been injured. An NHK reporter on site heard something that sounded like a gunshot, and saw Abe bleeding.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe intends to resign for health reasons, local media reported Friday. Abe plans to step down to deal with a health problem, national broadcaster NHK reported citing sources close to the prime minister. Kyodo News also reported that Abe plans to resign, citing a source from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Abe had been scheduled to hold a press conference at 5 p.m. local time. CNBC has not independently confirmed the reports. Stocks in Japan briefly fell after the reports.

/begin my translation Abe, "Continued nuclear development of N. Korea could lead to its collapse" On Oct. 11, Abe Shinzo, the new Japanese Prime Minister, gave his opinion that continued nuclear development of N. Korea could lead to its collapse. Prime Minister Abe attended the Budget Committee of Upper House, and made comments regarding N. Korea's nuclear test, "If (N. Korea) develops nuclear weapons, it would put the survival of N. Korea in serious condition," according to Japanese media. It is the first time that Prime Minster Abe, a well-known hard-liner against N. Korea, mentioned the possibility of N. Korea's...