Vet school at center of Abe favoritism scandal gets final OK to open

Education minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Tuesday he has given final approval for a new veterinary school at the center of cronyism allegations leveled at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, drawing rebukes from opposition parties.The school operator, run by Abe's close friend Kotaro Kake, is now set to launch in April the country's first new veterinary department in over half a century, in a government-designated deregulation zone in western Japan, despite the scandal that at one point hurt the prime minister's approval ratings.Suspicions remain as to whether Abe used his influence to sway a govern…READ FULL ARTICLE