Briefly

UNITED NATIONS

Guterres disturbed by reported Taliban ban

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "deeply disturbed" by the reported order of the Taliban-run administration in Afghanistan banning women from working for national and international nongovernmental organizations, his spokesman said on Saturday. The Taliban's decision will undermine the work of numerous organizations across the country helping those most vulnerable, especially women, a statement said.

JAPAN

Suspected Abe assassin faces indictment: media

Japanese prosecutors have decided to indict the man suspected of shooting former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Kyodo News agency and other Japanese media reported on Saturday. The decision follows the psychiatric examination of the suspect Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed 42-year-old man. Abe was killed with a handmade gun during an election campaign in July. Yamagami's detention for mental examination will end on Jan 10, and prosecutors in the city of Nara are likely to indict him by Jan 13, Kyodo reported. The prosecutors were not immediately available for comment on Saturday.

Agencies - Xinhua