Australian leader, ex-leaders to attend Abe's funeral

Australia will be represented by its government leader plus three former leaders at Shinzo Abe's state funeral this month in an extraordinary mark of respect for Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that former prime ministers John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull would join Australia's official delegation. The former prime ministers had all worked with Abe during his two terms in office from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2020, Albanese said. The state funeral for Abe is scheduled for Sept. 27 and has split public opinion in Japan. The only other state funeral held for a former government leader in postwar Japan was for the prime minister who signed the treaty that ended the U.S. occupation of Japan.