Across the World: Japan

PM skips shrine visit

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and his cabinet stayed away from a festival at Yasukuni Shrine on Friday, although a group of lawmakers still went there, Japanese media reported.

Aso, who travels to Beijing next week for a summit of Asian and European leaders, has sidestepped questions on whether as prime minister he would visit Tokyo's controversial war Shrine, seen in much of Asia as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.