The Unification Church in Japan was ordered dissolved by a court after a government request spurred by the investigation into the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

A court in Japan has ordered the disbandment of the controversial Unification Church, which came under scrutiny after the shock killing of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.

A Japanese court on Tuesday issued an order to dissolve the Unification Church, upholding the government request for a revocation, NHK television said

Japan’s official cherry blossom spotters on Monday confirmed the first blooming of the country’s favorite flower, declaring the official start of the festive season in the Japanese capital.

The cherry blossoms that line the iconic Washington, D.C., waterfront are days away from reaching peak bloom, according to the National Park Service.

Japan 's official cherry blossom spotters on Monday confirmed the first blooming of the country's favorite flower, declaring the official start of the festive season in the Japanese capital. An official from the Japan Meteorological Agency carefully examined the specimen tree of Somei Yoshino variety at Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine and announced that more than five blossoms — the minimum required for the announcement — were flowering on it.