Man who admitted killing Japan's ex-PM Shinzo Abe set to be sentenced
There is little question that the man who killed Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 will be convicted when the court delivers its verdict – Tetsuya Yamagami himself pleaded guilty to the crime at the trial's opening last year, BBC reported.
The 45-year-old is set to be sentenced on Wednesday but what punishment he deserves has divided public opinion in Japan. While many see Yamagami as a cold-blooded murderer, some sympathise with his troubled upbringing.
Prosecutors have demanded life in prison for the "grave act" of shooting Abe dead. The former PM was a huge figure in public life in Japan, where there is virtually no gun crime - and the country was left stunned by his assassination, according to BBC.
Europe to suspend approval of US trade deal as global markets fall
The European Parliament is planning to suspend approval of the US trade deal agreed in July, according to sources close to its international trade committee, BBC reported.
The suspension is set to be announced in Strasbourg, France on Wednesday.
The move would mark another escalation in tensions between the US and Europe, as Donald Trump ratchets up his efforts to acquire Greenland, threatening new tariffs over the issue on the weekend, according to BBC.
Australia parliament votes on tighter gun controls after Bondi shooting
Australia's lower house of parliament has voted in favour of a national gun buyback programme, firearms and hate speech reforms, a month after the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach, BBC reported.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the gunmen would not have legally had access to firearms if had such legislation was in place prior to the attack.
The individuals who killed 15 people on 14 December had "hate in their hearts and guns in their hands," Burke told parliament, according to BBC.
More than 160 churchgoers kidnapped in twin Nigeria attacks - clergy
Armed gangs have kidnapped dozens of people attending two churches in Nigeria's Kaduna state, according to local police, BBC reported.
A senior church leader said more than 160 worshippers were abducted by gunmen during Sunday service.
It is the latest mass kidnapping in Nigeria, where both Christians and Muslims have been targeted. Gangs, known locally as "bandits", frequently carry out such attacks in northern and central parts of the country to get ransom payments, according to BBC.
