Japan minister quits over A-bomb remark

TOKYO: Japan’s defence minister resigned on Tuesday over remarks that appeared to accept the 1945 atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, attempting to quell the latest furore plaguing the ruling camp ahead of an election this month.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s support rates have already been slashed by outrage over government mishandling of pension records, and Defence Minister Fumio Kyuma’s perceived gaffe has been adding to his headaches before the July 29 upper house poll.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tapped national security adviser Yuriko Koike, 54, a former environment minister who speaks fluent English and Arabic, to succeed Kyuma and become Japan’s first female defence minister.  She will be sworn in on Wednesday.