Japan ex-PM Abe apologises, corrects parliament statements on funding scandal

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today corrected statements he had made in parliament, apologising for what he said were mistakes regarding a political funding scandal that has also cast a pall over the current premier.

Abe said he felt deeply responsible for making repeated false denials that his political funding group had subsidised cherry blossom viewing parties for his supporters, in possible violation of the country's strict political funding laws.