News Headlines - 28 August 2020

▽Shinzo Abe: Japan's PM resigns for health reasons - BBC News

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has announced his resignation for health reasons.
He said he did not want his illness to get in the way of decision making, and apologised to the Japanese people for failing to complete his term in office.
The 65-year-old has suffered for many years from ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, but he said his condition had worsened recently... He will remain in his post until a successor is chosen.

▽The Legacy of Shinzo Abe, Japan’s Departing Prime Minister - The New York Times

Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, announced on Friday that he would resign, ending a term in office in which he pursued - with mixed results - a conservative agenda of restoring the country’s economy, military and national pride... The once-popular leader, however, had recently seen a decline in his standing with the Japanese people, and he was criticized for his handling of the country’s coronavirus epidemic and his support for an arrested member of his party.
Here is a look at his time in office and his legacy.

▽Abe vows COVID-19 vaccinations for all Japan citizens by mid-2021 | The Japan Times

Vaccinations for the novel coronavirus will be secured for all citizens by the first half of next year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced during a news conference Friday in which he put forward a series of policy packages and revisions that, together, represent a shift in the country’s comprehensive strategy to suppress the pandemic... Reserve funds from the country’s second supplementary budget of fiscal 2020 will be used to procure the vaccines, the distribution of which, Abe said, will prioritize the elderly, health care providers on the front lines and those with pre-existing conditions.
The government will provide financial support to vaccine manufacturers and distributors should health problems trigger legal action.

▽SoftBank Group to sell $12.5 billion of stock in mobile wireless unit | The Japan Times

Masayoshi Son’s SoftBank Group Corp. said Friday it will sell about ￥1.33 trillion ($12.5 billion) of the stock it holds in its Japanese wireless operation, adding to massive asset sales that have helped his conglomerate get back on track after missteps with startup investments.
The Tokyo-based parent said it will sell 927 million shares in SoftBank Corp. through a global secondary offering, about a third of its stake. The carrier’s stock, which closed at ￥1,431.5 on Friday, will be sold at a discount of 3 percent to 5 percent. Separately, the wireless unit said it will buy back up to 1.68 percent of its shares for about ￥100 billion... SoftBank plans to sell 223.5 million shares to overseas investors in Europe and Asia, excluding the United States and Canada, with an extra allotment of 33.5 million shares. Domestic investors will get 670.5 million shares. The company aims to hand over the shares between Sept. 23 and Sept. 25, or five business days after the pricing and other details are settled.

▽17-year-old arrested after 2 killed during unrest in Kenosha

A white, 17-year-old police admirer was arrested Wednesday after two people were shot to death during a third straight night of protests in Kenosha over the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake.
Kyle Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Illinois, about 15 miles (24.14 kilometers) from Kenosha, was taken into custody in Illinois on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide in the attack Tuesday that was largely captured on cellphone video. The shooting left a third person wounded.